Annette inhaled deeply, blew a stream of smoke upward, and then removed the cigarette and placed it on the ashtray, being careful with her fingertips. "Lord, that tastes good. It just bores me to tears people get so tense about smoking these days. What's the big whoop-dee-do? It's no skin off their nose." Her eyes slid to me. "You smoke?"

"I did once upon a time," I said, hoping I didn't sound quite as pious as I felt.

To Dolan, she said, "What's Frank up to? We haven't heard from him in years, have we, baby?"

Iona ignored her mother and concentrated on her work. Dolan said, "You know he's out on parole."

Annette made a face as though afflicted by a mildly spasming bowel. "I guess it was bound to happen. I never did care for the man myself. I hope you're not going to tell us he knows where she is."

"We talked to him yesterday and he didn't mention her."

"Well, thank god for that."

"Are you worried he'll make contact?"

"I wouldn't say 'worried,' but I don't like the idea."

Dolan focused on Iona. "When did you see him last? Do you remember the date?"

Annette stared at her daughter and when Iona failed to speak up, she said, "Iona, answer the man. What's the matter with you? I didn't raise you like that."

Iona shot a dark look at her mother. "You want me to mess these up or not?"

Annette smiled at Dolan. "She felt sorry for him. Frank's parents disowned him. His father's an oral surgeon, makes big bucks cutting on people's gums, but he's a stick-in-the-mud. His mother isn't much better. They had three other boys who did well, so naturally Frank lost out by comparison. Not that he wasn't a little shit from birth. Iona always said he was sweet, but you couldn't prove it by me. I thought he was kind of clinging, if you want to know the truth. He certainly became possessive toward the end of their marriage. Six months."

"Why'd the two of you break up?"

"I don't have to answer that," Iona said.

"He ever knock you around?"

This time when Iona declined to answer, Annette seemed happy to fill in. "Only twice that I know of. He was stoned all the time back then –"

"Most of the time, not all, Mom. Don't exaggerate."

"Oh, pardon. I stand corrected. He was stoned most of the time and when he was, he got mean. She told him if he didn't straighten up his act she'd kick his butt out the door. They were living in Venice then, right on one of the canals down there. All these little baby ducks. Didn't smell so nice, but they were cute as it could be. Frank kept on drinking and he refused to budge, so I sent her the money to get out."

"Is that when he connected with Cathy Lee Pearse?"