He studied the sky. “No casings says our boy was careful, unless he’s nostalgic and likes revolvers. No bullet holes anywhere but the one in Mr. Backer’s head, and the diameter says probably small caliber. With her purse gone and no vehicle in sight, I’d say a jacking might indeed be part of it. Except Backer’s wallet is full of cash and that watch is serious money.”

I said, “Maybe this was about her and the purse has nothing to do with robbery.”

“Such as?”

“This early I’m better with questions than answers.”

“Join the club. Now all I need to do is find out who the hell she is. Any insights? Won’t hold you to them.”

“No sign of struggle and a contact wound says the bad guy achieved control early on. That could be the result of good planning. My bet is they were staged—there’s almost a theatrical quality to the position.”

“Something personal.”

“Strangling’s about as up close and personal as it gets,” I said.

“Control with a small-caliber gun? Shoot him, first, she’s too freaked out to resist, just lays there and gets choked out?”

“Maybe there were two killers.”

“Repositioning them,” he said. “That could be a statement—jealous rage. Ex-boyfriend follows them here, watches them do it, goes bananas.”

“If this was a tryst-spot, it’s pretty unromantic. No wine, no weed, no chocolate, not even a blanket.”

“Maybe the bad guy took all that with him. Getting rid of the evidence. Or wanting a trophy. Or both.”

“Leaving them this way could also be a way of demeaning them further. Which could mean jealousy.”

“Or a sadistic psychopath.”

“Maybe,” I said, “but what doesn’t fit that is the lack of overkill, her not being posed with her legs spread. There’s something subtle here. Possibly victim-specific. Taking her purse points to her being the main target. Wanting to hold on to a part of her.”

He circled the turret, took in the view to the west, lit up and blew out a blue stream that ribboned up through the rafters. “Hot date under the stars. Why here, specifically?”

“Backer was an architect, maybe he’d worked the site. Maybe he had a key, brought her up here to impress her.”

“I designed the Taj Mahal, baby, so do me? If so, Backer’s involvement was at least two years ago because that’s when the job went on ice. And he wouldn’t need a key, the chain’s long enough to swing the gate wide. That from the rent-a-cop who discovered the bodies. According to him, he reported it to his bosses but they shined him on. Which is consistent with security being a joke: one guy, seven to ten a.m., nothing on weekends, and the most lethal weapon they let him use is a flashlight.”

“Why’d construction stop?”