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her I’ll be right there.” I slammed the cell phone against the steering wheel. Damn Frank Fieldstone and Carlos Martin and everyone else that was messing up my life.
    I broke all the speed limits and raced from the parking lot into my office. Sherry Yarmouth was sitting on the sofa. She had a book open in her lap, but she didn’t appear to be reading. She was staring out the window. She looked a lot like her mother. She had a certain air of fashion even dressed in jeans, a Dartmouth tee shirt, and flip-flops.
    “Sherry, thanks for coming over. I’m so sorry I was detained at another appointment.”
    “It’s okay. I really don’t have much to do right now except take care of Mother. I’m used to being so busy at school. Everything is just so weird.”
    “Will you and your brother stay out of school this term?”
    “We haven’t decided. I’m trying to keep up-to-date with my reading in case we do go back. Right now, I can’t think about much except missing my dad and — everything. Can you help my mother?”
    “I’m sure going to try my best. I haven’t been able to have a very meaningful interview with your mother yet. How is she today?”
    “Not much better. Dr. Gordon called in a prescription for her. It’s to help her sleep, which is what she’s been doing all day today. She’s so depressed.” Sherry’s voice wavered. She was trying not to cry.
    “Tell me about your family. Your parents’ relationship.”
    “That’s why this whole thing is so horribly strange,” she said. “My parents were devoted to each other. They’ve been married, I mean were married, twenty-five years. They did a lot of stuff together, traveled, played golf, went out on the boat. It’s crazy to think Mom would ever hurt Dad, let alone do what the police said.”
    “I don’t believe I know where your dad worked. What did he do?”
    “He and my uncle were in business together, wine distribution. They supplied all the hotels and restaurants.”
    “How about your mom? Does she work?”
    “She’s a dedicated homemaker. Never had a career, but she’s active in a lot of organizations. Dad always joked that she did more work for her charities than some people did in full-time jobs. I think sometimes she wished she had had a career. She’s always encouraging me to be able to support myself. But she went to college, Wellesley. She could have had a career. She came back to Miami. She was born and raised here. Then she met Dad and they got married.”
    “Was your dad from Miami too?”
    “Oh, no, he was born and raised in Brooklyn. He came to Miami on a scholarship. He played football. He was the placekicker.”
    “Do you know anyone who was mad at your dad? Or anything your parents argued about?”
    Well, sometimes they argued about where to go for dinner, or whether Brett and I should go to the same college, but no big things. I don’t think Dad had any enemies. I think my uncle was kind of jealous of him. They argued about the business sometimes or family stuff.”
    “Where’s Brett today? I thought he’d be coming with you.”
    “We didn’t want to leave Mom alone for too long, and he said he’d come over by himself.”
    “Will you ask him to come over soon? How do I get in touch with your uncle?”
    “He’s trying to keep everything going at work, butI’ll tell him to call you.” Sherry pulled herself up from the sofa. She looked so forlorn. Her sad eyes made me think of a wounded puppy.
    “I’ll call your uncle. What’s his name, and where can I reach him?”
    “Jack Brandeis. Just call the office, Elite Wine Distributors.”
    “Sherry, I have one last question. I don’t want to upset you, but this is something I need to know. The newspaper said that the weapon used to stab your dad was an antique silver letter opener. Have you ever seen that letter opener?”
    “I think so. I think it belonged to my grandmother.”
    “Do you know where it was kept?”
    “No. Most of our silver was kept in