My eye fell on a heavy white envelope sitting under a pile of local building codes by the espresso machine.

The top corner carried the dark red crest of Vance, Sterling and Reed, the main corporate law firm for Aldridge Luxe on Fifth Avenue.

The envelope was addressed straight to Theo Callahan at his studio on Coast Boulevard in La Jolla.

“When did this come, Theo?” I asked, pointing at the red seal on the flap.

Theo put his coffee cup down on the wooden counter and studied the white paper.

“A courier dropped it off at eight thirty this morning while I was at the airport gate,” he said.