“How’d he take that?”

“He said he understood intellectually but it made him sad. Ursula doing that to herself.”

“Worrying about her welfare,” I said. “A caring ex-husband.”

Cohen took a dainty sip of water and got up shakily. “No more, Dr. Delaware.”

I said, “Let me just clarify: Richard implied Ursula was somehow hurting herself by sleeping around.”

Cohen pointed to the ceiling. “Time flies. I’m headed upstairs to see one of my doctors who will be of no use to me.”

I phoned Milo.

He said, “Probably no big deal, but Darius Kleffer’s back in L.A. No local address or car reg but he’s been working at an Italian place called Beppo Bippo for around a month. Got that bit of wisdom by surfing the food blogs.”

“He’s that well known?”

“No, he posted the news himself on a site called Big-Eyes Gourmandize. I phoned the place, it’s Kleffer’s day off. Manager said he’d give Kleffer the message. If he doesn’t, I’ll go over there. What’s up?”

“Got a suggestion for you.”

“What?”

I told him.

He said, “Meet me in front of the station. Maybe we’ll grab a snack.”

CHAPTER

12

The Seville had barely come to a stop when he flung the door open and hurled himself in. He landed hard. A truckload of flour sacks hitting the pier.

“Fellinger,” he said. “He gave you that bad of a feeling?”

“I can’t help thinking my being there upset him. And guess what, he’s got a thing for elevators.”

I repeated Cohen’s account.

He said, “That couldn’t be one lawyer getting back at another?”

“I had to pry it out of Cohen and he didn’t enjoy telling the story.”

“Escorting her,” he said. “Then he decides to shoot her in the face? Why?”

“Maybe she knew something that threatened him,” I said. “Or he’s just that kind of guy. If he did Katherine Hennepin, he’s definitely that kind of guy.”

“Your basic homicidal psychopath with a good day job.”

“Unfortunately not so basic,” I said. “He’s an intelligent man. Far from a hunk, in fact he’s a conspicuously homely man. But despite that, he was able to charm a beautiful woman like Ursula into bed. Had the arrogance and confidence to play grab-ass with her ex standing a few feet away and know she’d go along with it and enjoy it. Someone like Katherine—shy, beneath him socioeconomically—would’ve been a snap. But conquest isn’t enough. He needs to be the one who breaks off the relationship. Permanently. To put his brand on it by arranging dinner for two because that’s his way of thumbing his nose at romance. At women, in general.”

“I look like a troll but I rule.”