"My divorce attorney gave me a list of everything we can take from Dan," she said mildly."I'm beginning to think it would be more humane to just kill him."

 — Words To Die By

Anatoly pushed past me into my apartment without bothering to so much as grunt in greeting."Where's your sister?"

"Hello to you, too. Want a beer?" I popped the lid off one of the Pacificos.

He stuck his thumbs through his belt loops."Where's your sister?"

"You see, it's like this — nobody ever told Leah about setting the clocks forward during daylight savings time, so she spends half the year running an hour behind."

He took the beer and threw his jacket over the armrest of the love seat before lowering himself onto the leather cushions."I'm not waiting an hour."

"Oh, please, I was kidding." I took a beer for myself and leaned against the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen."I'm sure she'll be here in forty-five minutes, max."

"She has twenty."

"Okay, I know you're pissed at me, Anatoly, but I'm paying you a lot of money to sit on your tuchas and drink my beer, so the least you can do is give her thirty."

"Twenty-five. Why don't you give me the details of the case while we wait? Why does Leah suspect her husband of sleeping around?"

"You know, the usual. After years of inattention he suddenly began to shower her with gifts while at the same time scheduling a lot of late-night meetings, and if that isn't code for 'I'm screwing my secretary' I don't know what is."

Anatoly waited for me to continue and when I didn't do so immediately his countenance assumed a more pleading expression."Th