"He's dead."
She blinked a few times and then she said, "What happened—and when?"
Frey said, "He was murdered—this morning. Knifed."
She blinked a few more times and then she looked at the floor for a few seconds. Frey was watching her and then he was glancing sideways to a little jade box that held cigarettes. He took one up, eased a stray safety match from his vest pocket, flicked it with his fingernail, and lit up.
He took a few deep drags and said, "I got an idea that you know something, Miss Rillette."
Her face showed no emotion as she said, "I thought you said you were a friend of Harry's. You sound more like a detective."
"That's right. Harry was a good friend of mine. We went to law school together. He became a successful corporation lawyer and I starved for a while and then I became a private detective. I lost touch with Harry for a year or so and then last week he called me up and asked me to do a favor for him. He asked me to follow you."
She said, "Indeed?"
"That's right. He must have been looking around for a private dick and then he found out that I was in business and he asked me to follow you. He said that in return for the favor he would give me one hundred and fifty bucks. So you see, Miss Rillette, I have nothing against you personally. I just have to make a living, that's all."
"Why did he want you to follow me?"