“Sure thing. Craig Lerner did ad buys for my dental practice for a few years. Last fall he suggested I refresh my website and Facebook pages for a bump in online traffic. We decided to shoot a couple videos about the innovative things I’m doing with dental implants. Anyway, Ms. Durand was the in-house artist on the project. She came up with the initial design for the home page and worked with the contractors.”

Frames worried about his encounter with Rivas at the door. An instructor at the academy once said many older cops don’t see themselves as teachers, and that anyone new to the job has to take the initiative to watch and learn. But how was he supposed to do that if he didn’t know the plan? “So you met her at Mr. Lerner’s company?” Frames asked.

“That’s right.”

“Where, exactly?”

“Where? You mean, in which room? In the conference room, I guess. Or maybe in Craig’s office. I don’t remember. Is that important?”

“How many times?” Rivas asked.

“I really have no idea. I run a small business and take an active role in my advertising. So I’m, you know, always—”

“Did she ever come to your office?” Frames asked.

“My office? Why on earth would she do that? I told you, she just worked on the website design. From what I saw, she was a competent graphic designer. Most of my…contact…was with Craig.”

“Did you go out to lunch with Ms. Durand?” Rivas asked.

Bennett shifted in his chair. “We may have. With Craig, of course. Working lunches, that sort of thing. I really don’t understand what you want. Like I said, I didn’t know her that well.”

“Did you talk to Ms. Durand about things outside your ad campaign?”

“Small talk. Usual stuff. She seemed like a nice young woman. This terrible thing that’s happened is—wait. I remember I talked to her one time about art. She showed me a few of her paintings. I’m no expert, but I thought they were pretty good.”

Frames noticed how Rivas sat motionless and stared at Bennett. “Where’d that happen?” he asked.

“What do you mean? I have to say, these questions are odd. I don’t really feel comfortable—”

“Did you have a relationship with Ms. Durand?”

“What?” Bennett said quickly. “What sort of question is that? No. God, no. Are you kidding? She was a young woman. I’m forty-two. I have a wife and children and a successful business practice. I’m an honest man.”

“You were never intimate with her?”

“No, absolutely not.”

“So you didn’t meet her in your car in the parking garage across from Craig Lerner’s office?” Rivas asked.

“I may have taken her to lunch a few times without Craig, if that’s what you mean. And we probably took my car.”