“This morning Marjie and I were watching the news and the woman’s face came on, Marjie didn’t react in the least. I know my wife, gentlemen. If she’d met her, she’d have said something. And she’d also have told you when you questioned her. So my guess is the woman was either waiting outside the office, not in the lot or near it, or she was already at Borodi when Backer arrived.”

“Was another car parked nearby?”

“If there was,” said Holman, “I didn’t notice. But I wasn’t paying attention to cars.”

He turned to watch the diminishing form of the beachcomber.

Milo said, “What else can you tell us about Backer and this other woman’s behavior?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re sure it was the woman you saw on TV?”

“I’m absolutely certain. The image on TV was a line drawing, but to my eye, a rather good resemblance. She’s—was a good-looking woman. Young—thirty, thirty-five, to me that’s young. Good figure. Great figure, voluptuous but taut. As if she worked out. Not too tall, I’d say around five four, well below Marjie’s five seven.”

I said, “When you saw her and Backer in the restaurant window, what was their demeanor?”

“They didn’t seem particularly enthralled. Nor were they miserable. Two people reading menus. I guess I’d say bland.”

“Did you ever see the woman again?”

“Never.”

“What about Backer?”

“Him I saw a few times,” said Holman. “At the office, coming and going.” Blinking. “I have to say, Marjie having anything to do with him surprised me. He didn’t seem her type.”

“How so?”

“Shallow.”

“How so?”

Holman’s jaw set. His beard bristled. “No doubt my opinion is informed by the fact that I’m fairly certain he boffed my wife. But I’d like to think I’m also a decent judge of character. I don’t want to talk ill of the dead but to be frank, he struck me as a superficial little twit. The type who spends too much time at the mirror.”

Milo said, “You didn’t like him.”

“I didn’t know him well enough not to like him.”

Milo studied him.

Holman’s eyebrows rose. “You’re kidding.”

“About what, Professor?”

“You’re actually wondering if I could’ve done it? Well, I’m flattered, gents. That you’d think me capable. But why would I bother? Nine men in five years have bedded my wife. What reason would I have to wreak vengeance on one particular horny little twit?”

Holman’s lips clamped tight. “No, I didn’t care for Backer. He was fluff. But I don’t care for most people. And whatever I felt about him did not rise to the level of violence.”