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Avedon’s class. I work in color. Longshoremen, homeless people, veterans, racists, midwives, artists, evangelists, carpenters…”
    â€œSenators, cabinet members, ex-presidents and their wives,” LePointe added.
    Alexa was fascinated by LePointe’s incessant need to elevate his niece’s importance.
    Casey’s face flushed. Alexa wondered if Dr. LePointe’s friends accommodated his niece as a favor to him. Perhaps he used his influence to make sure her work made the right private and museum collections, and the right galleries. Unless she really was that good, and Alexa had seen nothing to indicate she was, his patronage could certainly account for her success. Wouldn’t it be something, Alexa thought, if a woman as attractive, wealthy, seemingly intelligent had real artistic talent as well?
    â€œSo R&O’s at lunch was the last time you saw your husband? Or spoke to him?” Kennedy asked.
    Casey nodded. “And nobody’s seen him. I’ve called everybody I could think of. Sometimes he gets with friends and loses track of the time.”
    â€œHow much did he have to drink at lunch?”
    Dr. LePointe looked down at his hands, twisted his heavy gold signet ring.
    â€œOne beer,” Casey said.
    â€œAnd before you met him at the restaurant?” Kennedy asked.
    â€œGary never drinks before five.”
    â€œExcept at lunch,” Kennedy said.
    â€œOn Fridays. It’s part of the tradition.”
    â€œDo you have a recent picture of him?” Kennedy asked. “A physical description?”
    â€œI have hundreds of recent pictures. Gary’s five-ten. He weighs one fifty. Blond hair in a ponytail. A patch of hair beneath his lower lip. I have a picture I took a week ago.”
    â€œWhat do
you
think happened to your husband?” Alexa asked Casey.
    â€œI don’t know,” she said, looking up. “Maybe he’s in a hospital with amnesia.”
    â€œHave you called the hospitals?” Kyler Kennedy asked.
    â€œGrace and I called all of them before I contacted the police. We found no one matching his description,” Casey said, her eyes showing pain. “Please, you have to find him. He’d come home or call if he could, I know he would.”
    LePointe reached over and put his hand on Casey’s shoulder.
    â€œMrs. West,” Kennedy started, “I know this may be a bad time to ask this, but do you know if your husband may have been seeing anyone?”
    â€œWhat?” Casey snapped immediately. “You mean another woman? Of course not! We love each other.”
    â€œYou can forget that line of questioning,” Dr. LePointe said. “It’s inappropriate.”
    â€œSorry, it’s just that sometimes men—” Kennedy started.
    â€œGary isn’t like most men,” Casey said.
    â€œI believe that’s more than enough information to get you started,” Dr. LePointe interrupted.
    â€œThere are more questions that need to be asked,” Kennedy said.
    â€œPerhaps later when Casey is stronger. It’s very late and she’s upset and tired. I don’t think you’ll learn anything else of value here tonight.”
    â€œI’m fine, Unko,” Casey protested.
    Alexa caught Dr. LePointe’s reaction to his niece’s use of
Unko,
which had to be a pet name he didn’t care for.
    â€œAsk whatever you like,” Casey said. “We have nothing to hide. If my husband were seeing anybody, I’d know. He is usually right here with Deana and me. He doesn’t spend enough time away from us for that sort of thing. And he’s incapable of subterfuge or deceit.”
    LePointe said, “It’s likely Gary will come in or call any moment.”
    Kyler Kennedy closed his notebook and stood abruptly. “Of course,” he said. “More than enough to get started. Thanks for your time, Mrs. LePointe.”
    â€œWest,” Casey