Five years ago I had some itchy skin on my back. I went to a dermatologist who had a prominent Yellow Pages ad and who would see me quickly.

According to Dr. Cornbleet, I had eczema, some ointment would take care of it, and every now and again I've gone back to get a refill of my prescription. An old school office with samples of nautical knot tying on the walls. No electronic records but a little box of index file cards with a card for each patient. I never got a bill, never paid a co-pay, never saw anything on the statements from my insurance company. Dr. Cornbleet himself did it all, answering the phone, consulting the little cards, making the diagnoses, all of it.

This morning they are having a pledge drive on public radio so I have the TV on which is how I came to learn that Dr. Cornbleet was found bound, gagged and stabbed to death in his office last night.