“No, no, a place in the Valley, fusion Italian Japanese, I’m not working, I’m eating.” Kleffer’s eyes narrowed. “I’m having dinner with Kathy, the relationship’s going good, I’m thinking we’re solid, everything’s copa. All of a sudden, who’s standing at the table? I say hi but I don’t invite him. He sits down anyway, like we’re bros. Real friendly, smooth, like a different person than an asshole who’d hit a Guatemalan. What am I going to do, kick him out and look like a dick in front of Kathy? So he has a couple of drinks with us, soon he’s talking more to Kathy than me.”

I said, “Talking about what?”

“Basically how fucking great he is. Harv-Yale, whatever. How he used to be a chef, the culinary world had its ‘charms’ there’s nothing better than feeding human beings, one day he’s gonna tackle world starvation, but now he’s moved on, time for a change, he’s working in law. I knew it was bullshit but who cares? All I wanted was to get rid of him, get Kathy home and … he leaves, gives me a bro-hug, I never see him again.”

He smoked greedily. “I never think anything about it, why would I?”

I said, “You never connected him with the man you suspected Kathy of seeing.”

“The bastard she cheated on me with?” said Kleffer. “Why would I think it’s him, he’s a dick.”

“How soon after he showed up—”

“Maybe a coupla months.” Head shake. “She drops it on me. You’re out, Darius. Not saying it but I know: Another guy’s in. It fucking broke me.” Patting the left side of his chest. “Why would I think it’s him? She said she was looking for stability.”

“Working in law,” said Milo.

“Yeah, yeah, but that didn’t register because I knew it was bullshit. Asshole’s chopping vegetables, now he’s a lawyer?”

“He said he was an attorney?”

“Working in law, what the fuck does that mean? You really think it’s him?”

Milo said, “We don’t think anything yet, Darius. We’re collecting facts. Anything else you want to tell us that would help find J.J.?”

“You do think he did it,” said Kleffer.

Milo moved closer. Kleffer’s back was to the wall. “Darius, I’ll repeat myself this one time—”

“Okay, okay … no, I don’t know where he is. Didn’t hang out with him in New York, don’t hang out with him here.”

“Who did he hang out with in New York?”

“Nobody, that’s the point,” said Kleffer. “Like after hours, we’d all go drinking, chefs, the Guatemalans, sometimes servers. We’re tired and hyped and hungry, looking for a great beer, a nice sandwich.”

“Not Williams.”

“Not him never.”

I said, “Did he have any girlfriends in New York?”