"He gives me a bad feeling," said Staubach. "Anytime he gets in that Corvette, guns the engine like he does, Rufus is at the front window, all tense." Rubbing the dog's neck. "Also, he never goes to a regular job, this is a working block. I drive for UPS, work weekends at Mack's Aquarium in Tarzana. Dara's a teacher's aide at the kids' school, for tuition. Doug and Karen are both at Con Edison. The Millers down the block are respiratory therapists, everyone's working like crazy except him."

"How long has he lived here?" said Milo.

"He was already here when we moved in, that's a year and a half ago."

"Thanks, Mr. Staubach. We'll be back to talk to him."

"You could talk to him now, Officer."

"He's home?"

"I saw him pulling that Corvette into the driveway around four thirty, never saw him leave. Gunning it, like he always does, Rufus was up at the window, all tense. Then an hour ago the Corvette starts up again only this time no gunning and Rufus is relaxed so I go check it out. Some other guy's driving it away. Some kid."

"How old of a kid?" said Milo.

"Didn't get a long look at him but I could see him through the open window and it sure wasn't Fidella."

"We talking teenager?"

"Could be. I really didn't see that good."

"Caucasian?"

"Not black, that's for sure," said Staubach.

"Hair color?"

"Couldn't tell you."

"Could he have been Hispanic?"

"All I can say is light enough so he wasn't black. Or maybe he was black but a light black. I figured maybe he's Fidella's kid, a divorce situation, Fidella never sees him, that would fit. With his character, you know?"

"You figured Fidella loaned him his car."

"I guess... you're thinking the car got stolen?"

"Was the kid inside Fidella's house?"

"That I can't tell you. You're thinking this kid hot-wired it or something?"

"You're sure Fidella wasn't in the passenger seat?"

"I guess he could've been. All I saw was someone at the wheel."

Milo looked up and down the block. "There was enough light?"

Staubach pointed. "He passed right under that street lamp, Officer. I wouldn't tell you something I saw when I didn't."

"What was the kid wearing?"

"All I saw was his head," said Staubach. "That's my point, I'm not gonna make stuff up."

"Have there been any other car thefts in the neighborhood?"

"You know, last year, Mr. Feldman--he's an old man, his wife just died, that blue house with all the flowers. Last year, someone drove off in Mr. Feldman's Cadillac, middle of the night, rolled it right out of his driveway. It got found in East L.A., tires gone, the moonroof cut out. That's why you asked about Hispanic? Some kind of East L.A. gangbangers? Yeah, sure, he could've been."

"You saw this kid drive off an hour ago."

"What time is it now?"

"Nine fifteen."