He said, “Haven’t done the paperwork, yet.” His smile was sadder than tears. “Okay, I’ll sum up … confession being good for the soul and all that. I’m looking for him everywhere, no dice, finally his name pops up as a little yellow stripe on a Google search. He was on a video, pilot of a show that never actually ran called Mega-Chef. Working on the team of some Michelin-star Chinese genius. The filming was in Lower Manhattan, and months before that, Kleffer was living in New York. No airline has a record of him flying out of there, same for car rental companies. Borrowing a friend’s wheels is a possibility but I never found evidence of that. Amtrak was also a consideration if Kleffer paid cash for his ticket, except that for five days before the murder and three days after the murder, he’s verified present and accounted for, taping. Nights he bunked at a hotel where the show put up contestants. One of those dorm situations, three roommates who didn’t like him but still vouched for him. So did the show’s producers and everyone else I spoke to. This guy’s got an army of alibi-confirmers.”

I said, “Did you speak to Kleffer himself?”

“I tried, got no callbacks. I know that’s weird, his girlfriend is slaughtered and he’s not curious. But unless you can find some way to alter the laws of physics, he’s not my guy.”

“Does he have any evil friends? Someone in L.A. who’d do him a favor?”

“I thought of that but so far, no pal willing to do something like that comes up. No one who considers themself Kleffer’s friend, period. He is not Mr. Popular.”

“Unlikable and a knife pro,” I said. “How often have you seen thirty-six wounds with no slippage?”

“I know, I know … any further insights?”

“Even if the killer wasn’t Kleffer, the crime scene’s still worth reading.”

“Someone else she knew.”

“And planned to have dinner with. Any idea if she prepared the meal?”

“No evidence of cooking in the apartment but it could’ve been cleaned up. You’re thinking she had a thing for chefs, followed Kleffer with another culinary psychopath.”

“Or just one of those guys who likes to impress women by cooking for them. A new man in Katherine’s life would explain why Kleffer showed up at her work irate.”

“Mystery boyfriend? I checked and rechecked with the neighbors, and Kleffer’s the only man anyone ever saw. Binchy and I went through the place and you know how OCD Sean is. We found no indication of romance in her life.”

“When’s the last time she and Kleffer talked on the phone or emailed?”