Page 4 of Wild Oblivion

Klaus gave a nod of acknowledgment.

I showed him the picture I had taken in the alley.

Klaus nodded again, then grimaced and looked away.

I slid the phone back into my pocket. “Can you tell me his name?”

Klaus was a little stunned. His eyes flicked about as he worked out the details in his brain. "Rudolph. Rudolph Weiss," he said in that thick German accent.

"And your full name is?”

3

“Klaus Brenner,” he replied.

“Have you been here at the hotel all day?”

Klaus nodded. “I had breakfast with Rudolph in the dining room. We came back to the cabana, then he set out to get some liquor and wine. I don’t know if you are aware, but the prices here are outrageous.”

I couldn’t disagree. “That was the last time you saw him?”

“Yes.”

“What brings you to town?”

Klaus hesitated for a moment. “Business."

The answer was short and final.

"What kind of business?”

He gave me an annoyed look. I got the impression that Klaus wasn’t a talkative fellow and liked to keep his businessprivate. “My partner and I are working on a new energy source.”

With an impressed expression, I said, “What kind of energy source?”

”It’s theoretical at this point.”

“Rudolph was your business partner?”

“A colleague. Rudolph was a brilliant physicist. This is a tragic day.”

Klaus was angrier than sad about the loss of his friend.

“From the witnesses’ statements, I got the impression Rudolph may have known his assailant.”

That got Klaus’s attention.

“They got into some kind of argument in front of the liquor store,” I said.

Klaus processed the information.

“Do you know anyone here in town?”

“Not really. But we had hoped to consult with other thought leaders in the industry.”

“Like who?”

“Describe the man who shot Rudolph again,” Klaus said.