Ding. We boarded. I said, “Masterson’s basically a West Coast clearinghouse office.”

“Just Kotsos and that little battleax. Maybe they launder money for an oil cartel or run an international human smuggling ring or lobby for some cannibalistic dictatorship. The question is, what was Brigid Ochs curious about?”

“DSD used to be headquartered in D.C. The smell of international intrigue grows more intense.”

He rubbed his face. “With friends like you.”

Kersey and Garland, Executive Search and Human Resource Consultants, was tucked into a corner past the ground-floor snack bar, not far from the public restrooms.

The weary older woman who sat at the front desk looked at Jane’s photo. “Oy, her again. Now what?”

Jody Millan on her desk plaque. Framed shots of face-painted, costumed grandchildren cluttered her desk.

Milo said, “Again?”

“That’s Brigid Ochs. We dropped her.”

“She’s been dropped permanently, ma’am.”

“Pardon?”

“Someone murdered her.”

Jody Millan went white. “My God … that’s a… whatever you call it… morgue shot? I wasn’t wearing my glasses.”

“You recognized her without them.”

“That much I could see, but…” Out came half-specs. “Oh, my God, I’m getting nauseous. Who did it?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out, ma’am.”

“Then you came to the wrong place. She hasn’t been with us for months.”

“After lying about her credentials to get the job at Masterson.”

“She sent you here,” said the woman. “The Russian, should’ve figured. I’ll bet she enjoyed pointing the finger. One little slip-up, she couldn’t wait to fire us.”

“Elena?”

“I got her that job and it sure as hell paid off, didn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“She started as the boss’s secretary, ended up snagging him.”

“The boss being Mr. Kotsos? She’s Mrs. Kotsos.”

“The fourth,” said Millan. “And no doubt determined to be the last.” Wicked smile. “Are you checking her out? She was furious at Brigid.”

“Is there anything interesting in her past?”

Millan picked up a pencil. “Honestly, no. She was crackerjack. Worked for a top exec at Kinsey and did a bang-up job. And I suppose she had a right to be upset. Still, Brigid was extremely convincing. It’s not as if Elena picked anything up, herself.”

“Brigid was a good actress?”

“This town, we get plenty of that, you’d be amazed at the b.s. I get handed. But Brigid didn’t come across that way, not at all.”

I said, “She wasn’t theatrical.”

“Just the opposite, quiet, well mannered, didn’t play herself up at all. Such a pretty girl but she didn’t make the most of it. Almost like she wanted to avoid attention. I know we should’ve run a background, but Elena was impatient, needed someone now.”

“Could we see the application?”

“Sorry, we don’t keep records once they leave us.”

“Recycling?”