Prey to All

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Authors: Natasha Cooper
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that she could attract a university tutor, and a philosopher at that.
    ‘And what about her husband? Did you ever come across him?’
    ‘One or twice. Not an enormously prepossessing bloke, I thought.’ Chaze’s voice had a seasoning of bitterness now. ‘But then I would say that, wouldn’t I? He took her off me.’
    Good for him! thought Trish.
    ‘He’s an engineer of some kind, I believe. She met him when he came to lecture to one of our post-graduate courses. Malheureusement for Debbie, I’d have said. I mean, you know how badly engineers are paid.’ Chaze laughed again. ‘The poor girl has had a very hard time, trying to bring up four children on just about what I pay my current secretary. I’ve often wondered if that’s what soured her.’
    Ah, thought Trish, catching a glimpse of nasty pleasure. So perhaps her first reaction to him hadn’t been as unfair as she’d thought, and perhaps Deb’s preference for her engineer was understandable.
    ‘Soured?’ Trish lifted her eyebrows to invite more detail.
    ‘Yes. A lot of witnesses at her trial gave evidence about her verbal violence. When I knew her, she was never even impatient, let alone violent. Now, would you like another drink?’ Chaze pulled back the sleeve of his immaculate suit to check his watch: a gold Rolex. ‘I’ll have to go in a minute or two – I need to get down to the constituency for dinner – but there’s time to order you another drink if you’d like one.’
    ‘It’s sweet of you, but no thanks. Before you go, are you saying you think she was unhappy in her marriage?’
    He shrugged. ‘D’you know anyone who isn’t?’
    Cynic though she was, Trish still believed it was possible for two people to be happy together, if they tried hard enough and were kind to each other. She told him she had several married friends, all of whom were an excellent advertisement for the state.
    ‘I’m not sure I have,’ Chaze said bleakly, getting to his feet.
    ‘One last thing,’ Trish said. He waited. ‘Is there anyone you think might have killed the old man in a way they’d know would implicate Deb?’
    As he shook his head, his hair hardly moved. Trish tried not to let the thought of gel and spray add to her prejudice against him. MPs had to take care of their image.
    ‘I take the Phil Redstone line myself,’ he said. ‘It must have been the mother, at the end of her tether and wanting her husband to be free of pain. After all, that’s what she confessed to.’
    ‘But what about the pillow and bag discrepancy?’
    ‘Oh, that’s easy. I should think when she told them she’d smothered him, they said something like, “What, with a pillow?” and she would have agreed at once. I expect she was a great agree-er,’ Chaze said, looking wisely tolerant. ‘Everyone says Debbie’s exactly like her, and darling Debbie always did her very best to agree with anything anyone said, however difficult it was for her.’
    Trish didn’t believe him and knew he saw it in her face. He looked enormously tall as she squinted up at him, the sun making her screw up her eyes. It burst out from behind him, glittering all round his elegant silhouette.
    ‘Now, I’m afraid I really do have to go. It’s been such a pleasure meeting you.’
    Trish didn’t get up, but she smiled at him as she thanked him for the drink and the information.
    ‘I feel more optimistic about Debbie’s chances than I have for some time,’ he said. ‘Let me know as soon as there’s anything I can do.’
    ‘I will. Thank you.’
    As Trish sipped the last of her spritzer, weak and warm now that the ice had melted, she thought about her next move.
    The terrace was pleasant with the faint wind off the river,
and Trish never minded sitting alone in a public place, even in the middle of a self-conscious crowd like this one. Several of the other drinkers glanced at her every now and then to make sure she recognised them. A few were clearly wondering whether they should have

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