“I don’t understand why you’re still at each other’s throats. I thought divorce was supposed to cure that.”

“That’s what Stella says. I tell her, hey, it’s not me. It’s her.” He stood and toweled off the sweat. “Thing about Teddy is she’s smart. There are people who’re smart and people who just think they’re smart. She’s the real deal. She came up from nothing, same way I did. I’m not a sophisticated guy. Neither of us has a college degree, but Teddy’s got a head on her and she studies up. Anything she doesn’t know, she learns.”

He went on with his commentary, which was largely critical, but underscored by a grudging admiration. As he detailed her many faults—grasping, insatiable, and spoiling for a fight—the unconscious smile that played across his face spoke more of veneration than distaste.

“What kicked off this latest round?” I asked.

“I’ve been wondering about that myself, and here’s what I think it was. She calls me a couple of weeks ago and starts kissing up. Says water under the bridge, bygones be bygones, and I’m like, ‘What? No hard feelings? Are you kidding me? Never in a million years.’”

I said “Uh-huh” to show I was listening.

“She says she’s been thinking about the condominium because she netted a big chunk of change and she knows I got the short end of the stick. She feels bad about it, she says. So then she says if I want to work out a side deal, she’d be willing to discuss it.”

“What kind of side deal? You said all you ended up with was used furniture.”

“My question exactly, so I asked her outright. I said, ‘What’s so interesting about the shit that was in the condo?’ Most of that stuff’s been sitting in the basement for years.”

“There must be something of real value.”

“Agreed. Don’t ask me what because we never did a formal inventory. Stuff’s been appraised, but I don’t know what’s what. The previous owners came over here from England just before the turn of the century. I don’t know how the guy made his money, but there was plenty of it. The house was passed down I don’t know how many times. The day the last family member died, the attorney locked the doors and left it just like it was. We bought it fully equipped and decked out, right down to the Oriental rugs. Anyway, Teddy backed away from the subject, which doesn’t mean she’s giving up. If I know her, she’ll just come at it from a different direction.”

“Any chance she’s sincere about making amends?”

He laughed. “Nice idea, but no. Reason I thought the two of us should talk is that whole Beverly Hills scene between her and the ex-con. Nash lays it out for me and it makes no sense. I figured he must have missed a beat, which is why I wanted to hear it from you.”

I said, “Why don’t you just leave well enough alone? Are you hoping for a fight?”