When he was unable to follow in the family tradition of being a butler, he fell in with various villains in the London underworld who taught him the tricks of the trade.

Parker soon gained a reputation for himself as one of the world's finest safe-crackers and cat burglers, he was caught by Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward while he was helping himself to the contents of an oil tycoon's safe.

Penelope had heard of Parker's superior talents and offered him a working partnership in her espionage activities, as well as employment as both butler at Creighton-Ward Mansion and chauffeur of her Rolls Royce FAB 1.