“I never liked it, the carpet. It didn’t match the drapes, you see. That summed Eliza up quite nicely, I think. Sort of a new money wannabe posh without any sense of style. Anyone with half a brain could easily see that pairing dark maroon linen drapes with a ghastly blue shag which was more muppet skinned rug than appropriate floor covering. Just awful.”

“Let me get this straight. You killed her because, in your opinion, she had bad taste?”

“Well, I should say so. With regard to decor, certainly. But even more so to men. Specifically, my husband.”

The Ice Queen, the papers were calling her, referencing perfect features and a cold heart, sculpted from marble. She had coolly confessed to killing her husband’s mistress, though they’d not yet formally charged her with the crime.

“How can she be charged with murder when there’s no body? I think the husband and mistress ran off together. Maybe took that carpet with them, as it hasn’t turned up.”

“Listen, I’ve got the commissioner breathing down my neck on this one. She’s a hell of a dame, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t do it. Find me that body.”

“Dot! Is it true? What they’re saying? Did you really kill that woman?”

“Don’t call me that. My name is Dorothy.”

“Now Dot, I’ve been in touch with your lawyer and he says they can’t really prove there has been a crime, since they’ve found no evidence of any wrong doing.”

“I said, stop calling me that.”

“Now Dot, I don’t think this is the time to be kicking up a fuss about a little nickname you’ve had since you were a kid.”

“I think it a perfect time.”

“Or what, you’ll kill me too?”

“Maybe…”

“You have no evidence that anything happened to Eliza Franklin. You have no body, no crime scene, no proof that there was even a crime.”

“We have a confession from your client, stating that she murdered Miss Franklin and wrapped her body in the carpet before disposing of it. It’s not unprecedented to get a conviction without a corpse, if Mrs Parker won’t co-operate and tell us where she dumped it. The fact that no one has been able to find Miss Franklin doesn’t look good, Counselor. We’ve got enough to make a damn good case.”

“No, you don’t.”