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from his back. This was how it always was with Miriam. She had been his occasional bedfellow for years, even though the frequency had diminished recently. Miriam belonged to his past, the life he had once lived surrounded by prostitutes and pickpockets. She was still a part of his life, but it had become complicated. He was no longer sure what they expected of each other.
    Everything about Miriam was well groomed and desirable, from the radiance of her skin to her breath, which was fresh and inviting. She had a sense of beauty, especially her own. He thought about Felix. He found her beautiful, too, but he was unable to explain to himself why. She had no curves and didn’t dress as sexily as Miriam. But she had a fire inside her.
    He let himself be led into the living room with its soft furniture as Ramses’ dead body drifted further and further into the distance. Stinger was in good hands. There was nothing left for Peter to do but sit back and wait.
    â€˜So? What’s new with you?’
    She placed him in one of the deep chairs. As always, Kaj was on the rug under the coffee table.
    Miriam kicked off her heels, stretched her feet and warmed them on the dog’s coat.
    â€˜Ooh, it’s cold today. And there’s a draught from the window.’
    She massaged Kaj’s flank. Peter rose and held up a hand to the six-pane windows, which were old and crumbling. There wasn’t much to stop the wind. Some of the panes were cracked and blots of condensation had spread outwards.
    â€˜They need replacing.’
    â€˜Try telling Lulu that. She says we can’t afford it until the recession’s over.’
    â€˜I’ll get them for you at cost price and fit them myself. Got a tape measure?’
    She fetched one; he took the measurements and jotted them down in his notebook.
    â€˜You should have told me earlier. Is there anything else?’
    She flopped back on the sofa again and patted the seat next to her, and he sat down.
    â€˜Are you going to tell me what happened or am I going to have to guess?’ she said.
    More than anything else he wanted to forget, but there was no stopping Miriam.
    â€˜Perhaps I can help you.’
    Perhaps she could. He tilted his head back and started talking: about his new neighbour; about Stinger turning up; about Ramses’ body.
    â€˜That’s so like you.’
    She shook her head.
    â€˜You’re so scared of having anything to do with the police you make things much worse for yourself. What a mess! You’ll have to tell them you know him.’ But there was a smile on her face as she spoke and she got up at once. ‘Today’s my day off. We could have some fun.’
    He hesitated and she noticed.
    â€˜Consider it payment for the windows.’
    He shook his head.
    â€˜What about a New Year’s present then?’
    â€˜Nope.’
    She made it sound so simple. But in his mind another face kept appearing, one with dark eyes and a voice that called him a liar.
    â€˜Thanks anyway,’ he added. ‘Some other time.’
    She shrugged and feigned indifference. She went into the kitchen and started cooking, with her back to him, banging and slamming things down, but she soon recovered. She produced a bottle of champagne and filled two glasses.
    â€˜Seeing that it’s New Year. And we haven’t seen each other for ages.
Skål
!’
    It was three weeks since he had last been to Århus.
    â€˜Ramses,’ he said after the first mouthful. ‘What do you know about him?’
    She swirled the champagne around in her glass, making the bubbles rise.
    â€˜Not an awful lot more than you do,’ she said. ‘One for the ladies. Thought more with his dick than most men.’
    She leaned against the worktop and looked at him. ‘That’s what makes a man careless.’
    â€˜Do you have anything specific you can tell me?’
    She shrugged again. Lulu and Miriam knew a great deal, women in their