If you had just met her and didn’t look too close, everything about Lola seemed happy, satisfied. But a second glance would hint at the weight around her eyes that whispered sorrow and maybe even a touch of remorse.

“I don’t have any report yet,” I said. “I came out here because I want to put it all together.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s like this,” I said. “Craig hired me because he said he got into a fight with a man he didn’t know over a woman he never met.”

“Okay, but, so what?”

“He said he didn’t know her but you said that Craig introduced you to her some time ago and that she was having trouble with a boyfriend. If that was the case he could have been going out there planning to kill her man.”

“But then why would Craig hire you?”

“Maybe guilt,” I offered. “But more likely, after her boyfriend was dead Donata ran out on your son. When he hired me he wanted to find out where she might be.”

“She was naked and that man was slapping her. Craig did what any good man would do.”

“That’s the general story, but you can see how maybe it doesn’t hold together . . . not completely.”

“What other reason could he possibly have?” Lola asked. She was good at pretending to be honest.

“Money,” I said.

For a brief second Lola froze. She was gazing at something over my shoulder.

“Excuse me,” a man said.

He was tall and lean like Fearless. One might have called him a white man if he wasn’t wearing a suit truly that color.

“Yes, Mr. Graham?” Lola purred.

“Is anything wrong?” the man called Graham asked Clementine.

“Why, no. Why do you ask?”

“Um, these men are friends of yours?”

“This is Mr. Rawlins and Mr. Jones. They’re from LA.”

Before Graham could say any more I stood and held out a hand. After a moment’s hesitation he grasped it and gave me an abortive shake.

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Graham. Lola and I are friends. She asked me to drop by if I got the chance and so here I am.”

“Are you planning to stay with us, Mr. Rawlins?”

“Plans haven’t gelled yet.”

He didn’t like the answer but I had a pretty good grip. He nodded and moved on as if his questions were merely out of courtesy.

“Motherfucker,” Lola said after Graham was past earshot. “They treat us like trash and then say thank you very much.”

Us.

“So, you were saying, Easy?”

“Donata worked at the Stephanopoulos Talent Agency, a place that’s owned and run by gangsters. She was also well-known at a sex club called the Dragon’s Eye. Because Craig lied, I have to wonder why any of what happened did happen. I’ve been thinking about it for days and the only thing that makes sense is you.”

“Me?”

“You were a stripper, right?”

“So?”