Stella’s voice dropped. “You are such a SHIT!”

She turned and flung the folder at him. A passport wallet dropped at her feet and travel documents flew everywhere with a flapping sound like a flock of birds. A color brochure sailed along the marble floor and skittered under a Louis Quatorze chair. I caught a glimpse of a tropical island, bright blue waters, a palatial bedroom open to the view, sheer curtains wafting outward.

She disappeared into the kitchen, slamming the door in her wake.

Ari seemed to hesitate, probably wondering at the wisdom of following her. When he spotted me, he said, “Good. I want to talk to you. Don’t go away.” And to Maurie, “Put her in Teddy’s office. I’ll be right there.”

I followed Maurie down the hall in the opposite direction, making lame small talk. She opened the door to the study and ushered me in, with the obligatory admonition to make myself at home. She returned to the hall and closed the door behind her, leaving me on my own.

The room was paneled in a dark wood and the furniture looked comfortable. There was a row of floor-to-ceiling windows on the wall opposite the door. Bookshelves, a massive fireplace, a desk with a leather top, and an oversize leather-upholstered office chair. There were two gray metal file cabinets in one corner, and those looked out of place. Ari was taking over her office, moving in functional items she’d have frowned upon.

I saw here what I’d noticed in the dining room: sections of empty wall space where paintings had once hung, doubtless the art Teddy had fought for and won in the settlement. I could have reconstructed her collection by working backward from the lavishly illustrated art books stacked on all the surfaces. Her taste ran toward the Impressionists and seemed to trace the shift from the late nineteenth century into the twentieth.

The door opened and Ari came in. “The woman is driving me crazy. Have a seat.”

There were cardboard boxes stacked on both of the guest chairs. “Here, let me move those,” he said. He picked up a carton filled with what looked like XLNT bumper stickers and placed them on the floor. “You want a couple?”

“What are they, bumper stickers?”

“Magnetic signage. The company logo. I buy ’em by the case. Slap a couple on your car, I’ll pay you two hundred bucks a month to drive around. It’s mobile advertising.”

“I don’t want anyone looking at my car. I’m paid to be invisible. Slick idea, though. You can turn any vehicle you like into a company car.”

As I sat down, I said, “Oh.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Hang on a minute. I think I just figured out what’s going on.” I stood up again and moved to the door. “As soon as I take a look at something, I can tell you if I’m right.”

Ari followed me out of the office and down the hall. When I reached the elevator, I pressed the Down button and waited while he caught up.