Monster by Jonathan Kellerman Page B

or an intentional distraction?
     
     
I said, "So Claire was really into her work. Did that ever change?"
     
     
"Not that I saw. But I wouldn't have known. We never talked about work. We never talked about anything. It was weird-one moment we're getting hitched, having hurricane sex, then we're each going about our business. I tried. I invited her to the office a couple of times, but she was always too busy. She never invited me to her lab. One time I dropped in on her anyway. What a zoo, all those drunks lurching around. She didn't seem happy to see me-like I was intruding. Eventually, we were avoiding each other completely. Easy to do when you're both working seventy hours a week. I'd get home when she was already asleep; she'd wake up early, be over at the hospital by the time I was in the shower. Only reason we stayed married for two years is each of us was too busy-or too lazy-to file the papers."
     
     
"Who ended up filing?" I said.
     
     
"Claire did. I remember the day she announced it to me. I came home late, but this time she was up, in bed doing a crossword puzzle. She pulls out a stack of papers, says, 'I thought it was about time, Joe. How do you feel about it?' I remember feeling relieved. But also hurt. Because she didn't even want to try to work it out.
     
     
Also, for me it was the second time, and I was wondering if I'd ever pull off the whole relationship thing. I moved out, but she didn't actually file for six months."
     
     
"Any idea why?" said Milo.
     
     
"She said she hadn't gotten around to it."
     
     
"What was the financial agreement?" said Milo.
     
     
"Polite," said Stargill. "No hassles; we worked the whole thing out with one phone call. I give Claire big points for fairness, because she refused to hire a lawyer, let me know she had no intention of cleaning me out. And I was the vulnerable one, I had the assets-investments, pension plan, I had some real estate things cooking. She could've made my life miserable, but all she asked was for me to deed her the house, finish paying it off, and handle the property taxes. Everything else was mine. I left her the furniture, walked away with my clothes and my law books and my stereo."
     
     
He rubbed an eye, turned away, tried to speak, cleared his throat. "The paperwork
     
     
was easy-we never filed a joint tax return. She never changed her name. I thought it was a feminist thing, but now I wonder if she ever intended to stay with me."
     
     
"Did that bother you?" said Milo.
     
     
"Why should it? The whole marriage didn't feel like a marriage. More like a one-night stand that stretched out. I'm not saying I didn't respect Claire as a person. She was a terrific woman. Considerate, kind. That was the only downer: I liked her-as a person. And I know she liked me. My first wife was twenty when she left me, we'd been together eleven months and she tried to enslave me for the rest of my life. Claire was so damn decent. I wouldn't have minded remaining her friend.
     
     
But it just didn't go down that way.... I can't understand why anyone would want to hurt her."
     
     
He rubbed his eyes.
     
     
"When did you move to San Diego?" said Milo.
     
     
"Right after the divorce. A job opportunity came up, and I'd had it with L.A., couldn't wait to get out."
     
     
"Fed up with the smog?" said Milo.
     
     
"The smog, the congestion, the crime. I wanted to live near the beach, found myself a little rental near Del Mar. The first year, Claire and I exchanged Christmas cards, then that stopped."
     
     
"Did Claire have any enemies you were aware of?" said Milo.
     
     
"No way. I never saw her offend anyone-maybe some nutcase at County got an idea in his head, stalked her or something. I still remember those drunks leering, smelling of barf, leaking all over the place when they walked. I couldn't see how Claire could work with them. But she was real business like about it, giving them these tests, doing research. Nothing grossed her out. I'm