“Where does Minerva live?”

“In Colorado.”

“Heard from her lately?”

“No.”

“Read the papers?” I asked.

She said, “The comic section and the magazine part. What on earth does Minerva have to do with all this?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “You’re a close friend of hers?”

“Yes, very close.”

“When did you hear from her last?”

“Oh, I don’t know — a month or so ago. We write constantly.”