“You’ve got to be kidding.” She returned the photo. “You think he did something to her?”

Milo said, “You see him as capable of that?”

“To me, he’s an oaf with a sour personality but he’s never lost his temper or done anything aggressive. But I guess anyone’s capable of anything. So you do suspect him.”

“We’re nowhere near that, ma’am. It would be best to keep this conversation under the hat.”

She removed her glasses. “I wasn’t planning on spreading rumors.”

“Of course not. So, Clive—”

“Clive’s fine,” she said. “Everyone here is fine. I’m really busy.”

The glass partition slid shut.

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER
11

As I backed out of the lot, a Bentley turned in and blocked my way.

Another black one. Red interior.

I rolled forward.

The Bentley didn’t budge.

Milo stuck his head out and said, “Give us some space.”

The driver’s window opened and a blue-shirted man stuck his head out and shouted, “Can’t you read? Customers only, dude!”

Milo said, “Ah the travails of the alpha male,” got out, had a thirty-second chat with the shouter. By the time he was back in the Seville, the stunned driver had given me plenty of room.

I said, “Making friends and influencing people,” and turned onto Pico.

“If I had Clive’s natural charm, I could’ve gotten a free lunch. How do you figure?”

“I guess there could be a certain rough appeal.”

“Rough enough for him to hurt Kat Shonsky?”

“He doesn’t like women,” I said, “and this particular woman dumped him.”

“With his wife and kids gone, he’s lonely, maybe gets horny and remembers how driving around in fancy wheels was a big thrill for Kat, why not try it again?”

I said, “He claims he doesn’t know the customers but all he’d have to do is read a work order to learn Heubel’s address. And if he actually tinkered with Heubel’s car, he could’ve known about the spare key in the wheel well.”

“Hell,” he said, “he could have a master key. So you like him.”

“On the negative side, he bears no resemblance to Ella Mancusi’s killer. And there is the matter of that alibi.”

He found Brittany Hatfield’s number in Mississippi and punched it. “Hi, is your mom there? A friend from California. Yes, Cali — Mrs. Hatfield? This is Lieutenant Sturgis of the Los Angeles Police Department. No, I’m sorry, it’s not about that… I see. I’ll do what I can but, first off, could you tell me…”