“We’re about to own a resort,” Park corrected, scanning the auction offerings. “And I was thinking more along the lines of a honeymoon. There must be a place somewhere in here you can’t manage to stumble upon a murder plot. Look, three nights in Paris? Mmm, perhaps not. Knowing you, the hotel will end up being in the Rue Morgue.” Park effortlessly snagged a couple of miniature squares of baklava from a passing waiter and handed one to Cooper.

“Hirano isn’t scheduled to speak?” Cooper asked, nibbling at his, tasting cinnamon and walnuts.

“Not that it says here. But she must be around. We should speak to her soon. As well as Arthur Crane.” A frown line appeared between Park’s eyes. Cooper had filled him in on what Neil had said about Cola. Like Cooper, Park found it perplexing more than anything else.

Cooper wanted to promise him they would speak to Arthur and get all the answers Park wanted, but of course he couldn’t. Instead, Cooper did a scan around them briefly, then reached up and thumbed away the tiniest flake of phyllo from Park’s lip. The frown line disappeared and Park’s gaze shot to him, surprised.

“You had a little something,” Cooper said, bringing his thumb to his own lips and sucking it clean. Park watched and his eyes got a bit more gold.

“Thank you,” he said. His voice was still slightly rough from earlier, and it sent an embarrassing wave of smugness through Cooper. Park cleared his throat. “We should—”

“Yes,” Cooper agreed quickly, in danger of getting distracted.

Together they stepped out of the shadows beneath the balcony by the entrance and began to thread through the crowd, looking for Hirano or either of the Cranes. What Cooper wasn’t expecting was someone else to find them first.

“Well, well, well, look who decided to show his face after all.”

Cooper turned to find Sophie, resplendent in some kind of flowy, cobalt blue, fuchsia and yellow patterned dress, her hair now in long braids worn half up, half down.

“We’re working,” Cooper protested, allowing Sophie to buss his cheek. “You look gorgeous.”

“So do you.” She winked and pulled Park in for a quick kiss as well. “You’re not here to discover another body, are you? Because the keepers have their hands full keeping the critters calm as it is. These people came with an agenda: to get shitfaced and touch animals.”

“Why does everyone keep implying I go places to find bodies? We’re just here to ask a few questions.”

“Well, come this way and answer a few questions first,” Sophie said. “Your dad has been driving me up a wall trying to find out about this case of yours.”

Cooper stared at her. “He’s here? How? Why?”