The layout behind her was identical to Lupe’s, but festooned with rock posters and oversized illustrations of food. The bed was unmade. The smell of gym sweat and perfume blew out into the hallway.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” Her hair was short, yellow, textured like fleece. Bruise-colored tattoos coiled up the side of her neck. I wondered if avoiding the carotid and the jugular had been a challenge.

Milo’s badge caused the skin around the illustration to pale. She lowered the nail file. “Police? What’s going on?”

“Nothing serious, we’re just here to check a few things out at Ms. Moon’s request.”

“About what?”

“An employee who worked here seems to have gone missing.”

“Who’s that?”

“Simone Chambord.”

“Sorry,” she said. “Must be before my time.”

“How long have you been working here, Ms.…?”

“Georgie,” she said. “Georgette Weiss. How long? Like a month. Make that thirty … eight days. She okay? That woman? I mean did something happen to her?”

“Don’t know yet, Ms. Weiss. You like working here?”

“Like it? You kidding?” said Georgie Weiss. “This is like a dream gig.”

“Easy.”

“Cook healthy for her and the kids? No maniac E.C.—executive chef—going nuclear on me, no asshole customers trying to prove they’re important by sending perfectly good plates back? Yeah, it’s easy. Plus she pays me great. More than I made working twice as hard at restaurants.”

“She’s a nice lady.”

“You bet. Especially,” said Georgie Weiss.

“Especially, what?”

“Especially considering.”

“Who she is.”

“I mean face it, she could get away with anything, right? But she’s like a real person.”

“What about him?”

“Who?”

“Donny Rader?”

“Never seen him, actually.” She looked to the side. “They don’t live together—don’t quote me, I need to be whatyacallit—discreet.”

“Of course. They live separately?”

“He’s like next door so I’m not sure what that is. I mean, it’s not far, there’s like an empty property and then his place.” She shrugged.

“You ever cook for him?”

“Never. That’s all I know, don’t quote me, okay?”

“No prob,” said Milo. “What about Mel Wedd?”

“What about him what?”

“He easy to work for?”

“I work for Prema, he does his thing, we really don’t interact.” Another sideward glance. “Can I tell you something but really please I mean it don’t quote me.”

“Sure.”

“Seriously,” said Georgie Weiss.

“Seriously.”

She scratched her head. “Mel. He’s not the friendliest guy but that’s not what I’m talking about. Officially, I think he works for Prema. At least he seems to, he’s like here all the time. But … I think he could also be hanging with him. Donny, I mean. Because I’ve seen him drive over there. At night.”

“After hours.”