"For instance," Boone said, "how well did you know the victim?"

"Very well. Ever since he was my student in Boston."

Delaney: "Did you know his wife as well?"

"Of course. We visited frequently here in New York, and I was often their house guest up in Brewster."

Boone: "Do you think a patient could have killed Ellerbee?"

"It's possible. Unfortunately, assaults on psychiatrists are not all that uncommon."

Delaney: "Was it a happy marriage?"

"The Ellerbees'? Yes, a very happy, successful marriage.

They loved each other and, of course, had an additional link in their work."

Boone: "What kind of patient would attack Ellerbee?"

"A psychopath, obviously. Or someone temporarily deranged by the trauma of his analysis. It is sometimes an extremely painful process." Delaney:

"You said his analysis. You believe the killer was a man?"

"The nature of the crime would seem to indicate it. But it could have been a woman."

Boone: "Was Diane Ellerbee also your student?"

"No, she was Simon's student. That's how they metwhen he was teaching."

Delaney: "Did he convince her to start her own practice?"

"He persuaded her, yes. We often joked about their Pygmalion-Galatea relationship."

Boone: "You mean he created her?"

"Of course not. But he recognized her gifts, her talents as a therapist.

Before she met him, I understand, she was somewhat of a dilettante. But he saw something in her he thought should be encouraged. He was right.

She has done-is doing -fine work."

Delaney: "How do you account for those two hammer blows to the victim's eyes?"

Samuelson exhibited the first signs of unease at this fusillade of rapid questions. He fiddled with some papers and they noted his hand trembled slightly.

He was a wisp of a man with narrow shoulders and a disproportionately large head balanced on a stalky neck. His complexion was grayish, and he wore wire-rimmed spectacles set with thick, curved lenses that magnified his eyes.

Surprisingly, he had wavy russet hair that appeared to have been carefully blown dry.

He sipped his coffee and seemed to regain his poise.

"What was your question?" he asked.

Boone: "rhose two hammer blows to the victim's eyes could they have been a symbolic attempt to blind the dead man?"

"It is a possibility."

Delaney: "Do you think Simon Ellerbee was faithful to his wife?"

"Of course he was faithful! And she to him. I told you it was a happy, successful marriage. There are such things. I really don't see how all this is going to help you find the person who committed this despicable act."

Boone: "Diane Ellerbee was younger than her husband?"

"By about eight years. Not such a great gap."

Delaney: "She's a very beautiful woman. But you're certain she was faithful?"

"Of course I'm certain. There was never any gossip about them, never a rumor. And I was their closest friend. I would have heard or noticed something."

Boone: "Did you notice any change in Simon Ellerbee in the last six months or a year?"

"No, no change."

Delaney: "Nervousness? Fear? Sudden fits of silence or outbursts of anger? Anything like that?"

"No, nothing."

Boone: "Did he ever say he had been threatened by any of his patients?"

"No. He was an extremely competent man. I'm sure he would have known how to handle such threats-if any had been made."

Delaney: "Have you ever been married?"

"Once. My wife died of cancer twenty years ago. I never remarried."

Boone: "Children?"

"One son killed in an automobile accident."

Delaney: "So the Ellerbees were the only family you had?"

"I have brothers and sisters. But the Ellerbees were very close friends.

Two beautiful people. I loved them both."

Boone: "They never fought?"

"Of course they fought occasionally. What married couple doesn't But always with good humor."

Delaney: "When you went over to the Ellerbees' townhouse that Friday night and went upstairs, did you hear anything? Like someone might still be in the house, moving around?"

"No, I heard nothing."

Boone: "Did you smell anything unusual? Perfume, incense, a strong body odor-anything like that?"

"No. Just the damp. It was a very wet night."

Delaney: "There were no signs of forced entry, so we assume the victim buzzed the door open for someone he was expecting or knew. Now we're back to the possibility of one of Ellerbee's patients putting him down.

We want Doctor Diane to go through her husband's caseload and select those she thinks might be capable of murder."

"Yes, she told me that. Last night. Boone: "She relies on your opinion.

Will you advise her to cooperate?"

"I have already so advised her. The law prevents her from giving you her husband's files, but I think that here the public good demands she at least name those parties she thinks might be capable of violence. You have the complete list and I assume will run a basic check on them all."

Delaney: "Checking that many alibis is almost impossible, so I'm glad you've encouraged Mrs. Ellerbee to cooperate.

She obviously respects your opinions. Are you a father figure?" Dr.

Samuelson, confidence regained, relaxed. His enlarged eyes glittered behind the heavy glasses.

"Oh, I doubt that," he said softly. "Diane is a very independent woman.

Her beauty warms the heart. But she is very intelligent and capable.

Simon was a lucky man. I told him that often, and he agreed."

"Thank you for your help," Delaney said, rising abruptly.

"I hope we may consult you again if we need more information."

"Of course. Anytime. You think you will find the person who did this thing?"

"If we're lucky," Delaney said.

Outside, they dashed across Madison to a luncheonette that had not yet filled up with the breakfast crowd. They ordered black coffee and jelly doughnuts and took them to a small, Formica-topped table alongside the tiled wall.

"I'm proud of you," Delaney said.

"How so?"

"You knew about Pygmalion and Galatea."

Boone laughed. "Blame it on crossword puzzles. You pick up a lot of useless information."

"Funny thing," Delaney said, "but just last night I was talking to Monica about the fact that so many beautiful women make a career out of just being beautiful. But from what Samuelson said, Simon was the one who convinced Diane she had a brain in addition to looks."

I think the good doctor is in love with her."

"That wouldn't be hard. But what chance would he have?

Did you see the photos of Ellerbee in the file? A big, handsome guy.

Samuelson looks like a gnome compared to him."

"Maybe that's why he snuffed him," Boone said.

"You really think that?"

"No. Do you?" I can't see it," Delaney said. "But there's a hell of a lot I can't see about this thing. For instance, I asked Samuelson if Simon had fits of silence or outbursts of anger. Now that was an almost word-for-word quote from Diane. She said her husband was a lovely man, but occasionally had fits of silence and outbursts of anger. Samuelson, supposedly a close friend, says he never noticed anything like that."

"Maybe he thought it was of no consequence, or maybe he was trying to protect the memory of a dead friend."

"Right now, I'd say we can scratch Diane and Samuelson," Delaney said,

"unless Parnell or Jason can come up with something. That leaves the victim's patients as our best bet.

Will you call the widow and set up a meet to get the list of possibles from her?"

"Sure. I also better check in with Suarez's crew and find out how many of the patients they've already tossed."

"Right. You know, so far this whole thing is smoke-you realize that, don't you?"

"No doubt about that."

"Nothing hard," Delaney said fretfully, "nothing definite.