A Venti, Frames thought. Probably something fussy like an espresso shot, soy milk foam, and cinnamon. He watched Lerner trying to find a place to focus his attention. Twice Lerner glanced at the plain file lying between them, but each time he quickly looked up again. Boy’s on his best behavior. Seen enough episodes of Law & Order, he’s acting the part of the upright citizen.

“So you told our officer the description of the victim sounded like your graphic artist?” Frames asked.

Lerner nodded. “Same height and weight. General features. Of course, it’s hard to tell from a few sentences.”

“And she didn’t come to work yesterday?”

“Didn’t call, either—which isn’t like her. She usually comes in at nine, along with my admin. We’re a small company, just the four of us. My business partner, Ken Meier, and I come in at ten. We come in later because we work later.” Lerner smiled and took a sip of his drink.

Wanting me to know he’s not a slacker. “You try to call her?”

“My admin did. Talked to her roommates. They said she didn’t come home the night before. That last part’s none of my business, really. You can’t ask too many questions these days. That whole privacy thing.” Lerner rolled his eyes.

Why are guys with education and money such terrible liars? What do they imagine lying looks like? “It takes a hole in your heart to lie, Stevie,” his mother used to say. In Frames’s experience, the best liars were definitely guys with holes in their hearts. Like Tyler Cates, the redneck in the next bunk during basic training in the Marines. They spent every hour together for three months, but Frames never knew when Cates was telling the truth or lying. Same dead look in his eyes.

“She come to work on Monday?” Frames asked.

“Yes, she did,” Lerner said. “She does our graphic design—layouts, illustrations, Photoshop stuff. On Monday we finished a print ad for a client.”

“You remember what she was wearing?”

Lerner’s face turned thoughtful.

What is it with this guy? Has to turn every question into a puzzle.

“Jeez, what was she wearing? You know how it is, you work right next to someone, and you never notice. Let’s see, I remember she came into my office once with some proofs, and she had on a silk blouse. Dark colored. I’m not sure about anything else. She’s always well dressed.”

He’s not going to mention the short skirt. “How about jewelry?” Frames was starting to enjoy himself.

“Jewelry? I know she doesn’t wear big rings. Says they interfere with the keyboard. But you know what? She always wears the same earrings. They’re shaped like a star, like a hollow star.”