“Please don’t tell me the doctor’s a neurosurgeon.”
“Didn’t check specialties, L.T. If you want I can do that.”
“No, it’s fine. Back to Roget’s ads, please.”
Bogomil saluted and left.
Milo said, “It’s so nice when the kids turn out right.”
He studied the list. “All over the city, days of driving. Think I could start with phone screens?”
I said, “If you turn the calls into psych tests.”
“What am I looking for?”
“Anything that surprises you. Start with how they react to being called by a detective. Then tell them you’re Homicide and see what that elicits. Step three is informing them it’s about Gurnsey, after which you probe their relationship with him. Nothing too personal: how long they dated, most recent contact, you’re trying to get a feel for what kind of guy he was. Someone who weeps too much or can’t hide her callousness would interest me immediately. But there’s no guarantee there’ll be no acting going on so you’ll want face-to-face.”
“Got it,” he said, rising and squeezing past me to the doorway. “When I’m finished, I’ll let you know. Sooner if big question marks pop up.”
Nice way to sayAdios, let me do my job.Sometimes, he can be subtle.
CHAPTER
15
By Friday, ten a.m., I’d taken a four-mile run followed by a brief stroll for Blanche as a cool-down. Robin was busy in the studio, so breakfast for the other woman in my life, coffee for me as I checked my service.
Even professional screeners have trouble filtering noise and it was mostly that. Except for a call from Judge Martin Bevilacqua.
Marty was a smart, organized jurist who tried to be fair when cynicism didn’t get in the way. The custody cases I’d worked in his court had turned out as well as could be expected.
I reached him in his chambers.
“Alex.”
“Thanks for getting back to me.”
“I was intrigued. Ansar’s not your case but you’re asking about it.”
“Police work.”
“That aspect of your life, huh? Can’t let go of the excitement?”
“Keeps life interesting. I called because some murder victims were found at the Ansar property.”
“Victims, plural?” he said.
“Benedict Canyon.”
“Oh. Didn’t put it together because the news said Beverly Hills and I’ve been working Ansar long enough to know it’s L.A.”
“Minor inaccuracy.”
“Okay for the media but no such thing in my field. People hate each other they pounce on every misplaced letter. Murder, huh? Maybe it’s not a surprise. These twodespiseeach other.” A beat. “You’re not telling me one of them was a victim?”
“No,” I said.
“Who, then?”
