She was good-looking without being attractive, her features lacking the animation and character required to earn more than a passing glance. Only her eyes had any real life to them, but it was the gleam of avarice. She looked like a hungry doll. ‘Has your husband been in contact with you since his release?’ he asked. ‘No. Why would he be?’ ‘Because you were once married to him. Because someone who has been in prison for five years won’t have many friends on the outside, and will usually turn to old ones instead.’ ‘My husband and I aren’t friends. He’s a deviant. I want nothing to do with him. That’s why I divorced him. Look, what is this about? Did he hire you?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Why?’ ‘He claimed to be innocent of the crimes for which he served time. He was convinced he’d been set up.’ She laughed, and shook her head in pity at the man before her, as though anyone could be so dumb. ‘You can’t be much of a detective,’ she said, ‘if you believe every hard luck story that a convict puts before you.’ Parker smiled back.
