“Ms. Gruhner does her job properly. Without her, this place would be a zoo.” Sullivan looped the eyeglass chain over her head, placed the specs on the desk. “I’m not satisfied with your answer. What’s your interest in Mr. Bonelli?”

I said, “None other than he’s your friend.”

Some of the salmon spots deepened to crimson. “He’s a dear acquaintance, from all the way back to college. So?”

“When we Googled you, Mr. Bonelli’s name came up in conjunction with yours several times. Charitable fund-raisers, that kind of thing. We really need to speak with you so we grasped at straws. Sorry.”

Giving her an out; I doubted she’d prolong the argument.

Another finger-jab. “Why are you nosing around me, period? And don’t try to weasel out of an honest answer.”

Litigation 101: Take control of the situation.

Milo said, “We’re here because you’re J.J. Williams’s only local relative and he’s a person of interest in several homicides.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Sullivan laughed, finished off with a snort. The equine comparison grew stronger. “You’re wasting your time and, more important, you’re squandering mine.” She stood. “Now it’s time for you to exit these premises.”

“We need to locate Mr. Williams—”

“Need what you want but I can’t help you.”

“You knew him well enough to recommend him to—”

“I was being nice! And look where it got me. They’re the ones who hired him. Ask them for an address.”

“The one he gave Mr. Fellinger’s firm was bogus.”

Sullivan blinked. “Really.”

“Really. Where can we find him, ma’am?”

“I have absolutely no idea.”

“Even though—”

“He’s a distant relative who I helped get a job. That’s something I’d do for a nonrelative if they were qualified.”

“Mr. Williams’s qualifications were—”

“He went to Yale,” she said.

I said, “You’re close enough to know that.”

She glared at me. “It wasn’t exactly a family secret.”

“J.J. was known in the family as bright.”

“Bright enough …” Deepening her tone for dominance. But then she ruined it by blinking and glancing down and fooling with her glasses.

I said, “He told you he graduated Yale.”

“And?”

“Actually he left after a year.”

A sleek red fingernail pinged the top of her wedding picture. “Obviously, I’m not privy to his life history, it was a long time since I’d seen him.”

I said, “He called you when he arrived in L.A.?”

“He phoned out of the blue and told me he’d moved to L.A. We hadn’t spoken in years. You’re positive about his leaving Yale?”

“No doubt about it,” said Milo.