Yes, he said. At first it was just us but as it expanded, each got our own teams. Last time I checked, Millys unit was comprised of eleven attorneys and mine had fourteen. We were planning to hire an additional five in the new year.

Okay, lets talk about her clients. Representing folks as narcissistic as actors, directors, and writersthings must have gotten volatile for her when cases didnt go her clients way, she said, finally leading him down the difficult path leading up to her death.

He offered her a wry smile, fully aware of what she was doing.

Thats an understatement. There were some folks who acted as if she had committed the crime theyd been convicted of. But in the end, even her most irate clients had to admit that she served them well. Did you know that in over seventy criminal cases involving celebrity clients, sixteen of which involved felony charges, not a single one served a day in prison? Sure, a few had to spend some time in jail awaiting trial. But when it came down to it, she either got them off, got them probation, or got them time served. Some even got community service. Name another criminal lawyer for celebrities in this town who can say that. You cant.

Did that make you jealous? she asked.

He smiled once again.

Do I sound jealous? I was proud of her.

And yet you still got divorced.

Her comment seemed to make him drift off for a moment, as if consumed by a particularly vivid memory.

Yes, he said, returning to the present. It wasnt what I wanted. But after seventeen years together, seven of them married, Milly felt wed drifted apart. There were no big fights or screaming matches. She just told me one day over brunch that she loved me but wasnt in love with me anymore. She wanted more passion in her personal life.

How did that make you feel? Jessie asked, well aware that she sounded more like a therapist than an investigator.

I was devastated. I was still in love with her, still am actually, he said, sounding wistful. But I wasnt angry, just more wounded and disappointed. I guess that proved her point. If I was more outwardly upset, then maybe she would have never felt the need to end things. But I was more resigned to it than anything. So we worked it out, how wed still make the firm work, the business side of things. It was surprisingly easy. Other than me moving out, the logistics werent that complicated.

It never ate at you? Jessie asked skeptically.