The dancer was still writhing in front of Archie. She traced her fingers around her nipples and moaned.

“He’s a family friend,” Leo said. “My sister, as you may recall, was murdered by Gretchen Lowell.” Archie had scooted back on the bench as far as he could go. The dancer was caressing her abdomen with her hands. Leo chuckled. “This is Archie Sheridan.”

“Nice to meet you,” Archie said.

Cooper grinned at Archie from every mirrored surface in the room. His teeth were stained gray from old fillings. “The hero cop,” Cooper said. He crossed the room in four steps and stood with his arms crossed, behind the dancer, who appeared not to have noticed that Cooper had entered the room, or was pretending that she hadn’t. “I know who you are,” Cooper said. He regarded Archie with head-cocked suspicion. The dancer ran one of her hands along her inner thigh. Cooper sat down on the other side of Leo. The bench shook. “He almost gets himself killed going after your sister’s killer,” Cooper said to Leo, “and all you get him is a lap dance?”

“You’re right,” Leo said. Archie glanced over at Leo as Leo poured himself another drink and lifted it to his mouth. Then Leo turned to Archie and said casually, “You can fuck her, if you want to.”

Archie coughed. The dancer kept moving her hips. The star inked over her pelvic bone was black, about the size of a nickel. “Maybe I’ll play that by ear,” Archie said.

The conviviality left Cooper’s face. “What’s your problem?” he said. He leaned forward, toward the dancer. “Is he hard?” Cooper asked her.

Her expression didn’t shift. For a moment Archie hoped she hadn’t registered the question. Then she squatted in front of him and pushed his knees apart. Archie glanced at Leo for help, and got only a faint shrug. Cooper reached under his jacket and made a movement like he was unsnapping a shoulder holster. The dancer slid her hands slowly up Archie’s thighs. Her eyes were still fixed on his, that dead stare, both seeing and not seeing, and Archie let himself look back. Her mouth was open a little, her head between his knees. She licked her bottom lip and arched her back a little so that her breasts lifted. She let her fingers dance over his zipper. She smiled at what she found.

“So is he a eunuch, or what?” Cooper asked.

“He’s hard,” she said. Her thick lashes fluttered in Cooper’s direction. “Want to feel?”

Cooper stood up, and for a moment Archie thought he was going to take her up on the offer. But Cooper just stood looking at Archie. “So fuck him,” Cooper said.

The dancer glanced at Leo.

“Wait,” Archie said.

“Do you want to get off or not?” Cooper asked.