“What good taste in whiskey you have,” Stone said, kissing her as her drink arrived.

“Same to ya,” she said, raising her glass and knocking half of it back.

“Tough day at the office, huh?”

“You could say that,” she said with a deep sigh. “How about you? You sounded wasted when I called.”

“Last day of my, ah, deposition. A lot of tension had built up, for various reasons. I was letting it all out when you and half a dozen other people interrupted my sweet reverie.”

“Sorry about that.”

“One of those who interrupted was a client of mine, name of Herbie Fisher. He says your office is investigating him.”

Willa appeared to choke on her bourbon. “Listen,” she said hoarsely, coughing and clearing her throat, “I am not investigating Herbert Fisher.”

“In that case, you should tell your investigators to be more subtle when questioning the doormen in his building.”

“Stone, I tell you again, I am not investigating Herbert Fisher.”

“Ah, then it’s some other enthusiastic but judgment-impaired law-school dropout in your office, is it?”

“I cannot comment on that. I can tell you only that I am not investigating Herbert Fisher, and neither, to the best of my knowledge, is anyone else in my office.”

Stone peered at her narrowly. “That sounded like an almost complete denial,” he said. “Let’s discuss that ‘to the best of my knowledge’ part.”

“It means what it says,” she replied, sinking the rest of her drink.

Stone waved for another for both of them. “Somebody in your office is investigating Herbie?”

“To the best of my knowledge, no.”

“Stop saying that! You’re a deputy DA. Don’t you know everything that goes on in your office, or are you pleading incompetence?”

“I am highly competent,” she replied through clenched teeth, “but I do not know everything that goes on in our office all the time. Is that clear enough for you?”

“As through a glass, darkly,” Stone replied. “Let’s take this down a level to the rumor category. What have you heard about one or more ADAs in your office investigating Herbie Fisher?”

She took a gulp of her second bourbon and faced him. “Let me ask you another question, and please give me a precise answer.”

“Shoot.”

“Are you now representing or have you ever represented anyone in the immediate or extended family of Herbert Fisher?”

Stone thought for a moment about what that question might mean. “You’re investigating his wife?”

“Answer my question, if you want to go on talking about this.”

“No, I am not now nor have I ever represented anyone in the immediate or extended family of Herbie Fisher.”

“Yes,” she said.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes is the answer to your question.”

Stone struggled to remember what his question was and finally remembered. “Investigating his wife for what?” he asked.

“I warn you, this is the last question on this subject I will answer. Got that?”

“Got it.”