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Автор Роберт Браун Паркер

Spenser Book 31

Bad Bu$iness

Robert B Parker

For Joan:

good business

"Do you do divorce work?" the woman said.

"I do," I said.

"Are you any good?"

"I am," I said.

"I don't want likelihood," she said. "Or guesswork. I need evidence that will stand up in court. "

"That's not up to me," I said. "That's up to the evidence. "

She sat quietly in my client chair and thought about that. "You're telling me you won't manufacture it," she said.

"Yes," I said.

"You won't have to," she said. "The sonovabitch can't keep his dick in his pants for a full day. "

"Must make dining out a little awkward," I said.

She ignored me. I was used to it. Mostly I amused myself. "I always have trouble convincing people that any man would cheat on a woman like me. I mean, look at me. "

"Unbelievable," I said.

"My attorneys tell me you are too expensive," she said. "But that you are probably worth it. "

"The same could be remarked of Susan Silverman. " She frowned.

"Who the hell is Susan Silverman?" she said.

"Girl of my dreams. "

She frowned again. Then she said, "Oh, I see. You're being cute. "

"It's my nature," I said.

"Well, it's not mine," she said. "Do you want the job?"

"Sure. "

"My attorneys will want a strict accounting of what you spend," she said.

"I'll bet they will," I said.

She was good-looking in kind of an old-fashioned way. Sort of womanly.

Before personal trainers, and StairMasters. Like the women in Life Magazine when we were all much younger. Like she would look good in a small-waisted white polka-dot dress, and a huge straw hat with a white polka-dot band. In fact, of course, she was wearing a beige pantsuit and big pearls. Her reddish blond hair was long and thoroughly sprayed, and framed her face like the halo in a mediaeval religious painting. Her mouth was kind of thin and her eyes were small. I imagined cheating on her.

"I'm represented by Frampton and Keyes," she said. "Do you know the firm?"

"I don't. "

"You'll do all further business through them. The managing partner is Randy Frampton. "

"Why didn't you let them hire me," I said.

"I don't let other people make judgments for me. I wanted to look you in the eye. "

I nodded.

"Do you have pictures of your husband?" I said. "Names of suspected paramours? Addresses? That sort of thing?"

"You can get all that from Randy. "

"And a retainer?"

"Randy will take care of that as well. "

"Good for Randy," I said. "Will he tell me your name, too?"

"I'd rather keep that confidential for now," she said. "This is a very sensitive situation. "

I smiled.

"Ma'am," I said. "How long do you think it will take me to find out your name once I know who your husband is?"

I smiled my sunny good-natured smile at her. I could melt polar ice caps with my sunny good-natured smile. She was no match for it.

"Marlene," she said. "Marlene Rowley. My husband is Trenton Rowley. "

"How do you do," I said. "My name is Spenser. "

"Of course I know your name," she said. "How do you think I got here?"

"I thought you looked up handsome in the phone book," I said. "And my picture was there. "