Terror and anger still gnawed at my spine, but I thought of the people under the freeway and knew I had it damned good.

The phone rang. My service operator said, “There's a long-distance call for you, Dr. Delaware. From New York, a Mr. Rosenblatt.”

“Mister, not doctor?”

“Mister's what he said.”

“Okay,” I said. “Put him on.”

She did, but no one answered my hello. A few seconds later a young woman with an all-business voice clicked in and said, “Schechter, Mohl, and Trimmer. Who are you holding for?”

“Mr. Rosenblatt.”

“One moment.”

A few seconds later a young voice said, “This is Mr. Rosenblatt.”

“This is Dr. Delaware.”

Throat clear. “Dr. Delaware, my name is Joshua Rosenblatt, I'm a practicing attorney here in New York and I'm calling to ask you to stop phoning my mother, Dr. Shirley Rosenblatt.”

“I've been phoning because I was concerned about your father—”

“Then you have nothing to be concerned about.”

“He's all right?”

Silence.

I said, “Is he all right?”

“No. I wouldn't say that.” Pause. “My father's deceased.”

I felt myself deflate. “I'm sorry.”

“Be that as it may, Dr. Delaware—”

“When did it happen? Was it four years ago?”

Long silence. Throat clear. “I really don't want to get into this, doctor.”

“Was it made to look like an accident?” I said. “Some kind of fall? Something to do with a vehicle? Were the words “bad love' left anywhere at his death scene?”

“Doctor,” he began, but his voice broke on the second syllable and he blurted: “We've been through enough, already. At this point, there's no need to rake it up.”

“I'm in danger,” I said. “Maybe from the same person who killed your father.”

“What!”

“I called because I was trying to warn your father and I'm so sorry it's too late. I only met him once, but I liked him. He seemed like a really decent guy.”

Long pause. “When did you meet him?” he said, softly.

“In nineteen seventy-nine, here in Los Angeles. He and I co-chaired a mental health symposium called “Good Love/Bad Love, Strategies in a Changing World.' A tribute to a teacher of your father's named Andres de Bosch.”

No response.

“Mr. Rosenblatt?”

“None of this makes any sense.”

“You were with him on that trip,” I said. “Don't you remember?”

“I went on lots of trips with my father.”

“I know,” I said. “He told me. He talked about you quite a bit. Said you were his youngest. You liked hot dogs and video games—he wanted to take you to Disneyland, but the park closed early in the fall, so I suggested he take you to the Santa Monica pier. Did you go?”

“Hot dogs.” His voice sounded weak. “So what? What's the point?”

“I think that trip had something to do with his death.”

“No, no, that's crazy—no. Back in seventy-nine?”