“You bet. The Corey girls told us Richard knew about Ursula’s appointment. Making it easy enough for him to set it up. And what better way to express hatred than have your love slave do the dirty work and report all the bloody details?”

I ran the images through my head. Pictured how the DiMargios would react to the news. Not only is your daughter dead …

Milo said, “It fits even better when you consider that Frankie didn’t have a normal job, no one to complain if she didn’t show up.”

He made a phone call. “Bekka? Milo Sturgis … Fine, you?… Listen, I know Frankie didn’t keep to a regular schedule but would you know if she was at work on …”

He listened. Frowned. Hung up laughing. “She has no idea.”

“Why the mirth?”

“She asked me out.”

“You accept?”

“Very funny.” We began walking out of the park. “I told her I was flattered but committed.”

“What she say to that?”

“She hung up.”

We walked out of the park. He said, “So maybe Svengali is Corey, not Fellinger, but the production’s the same.”

I said, “Problem is, Deirdre Brand had a problem with Fellinger, not Corey.”

He stopped. “What’s that, tough love?—damn, I’m getting ahead of myself, Deirdre doesn’t fit.”

“Maybe she does if she was barter material. As in Corey traded favors with Fellinger.”

“Corey killed Deirdre in order to buddy up to Fellinger? What could Fellinger offer him, he was Ursula’s lawyer—ah.”

“Ah, indeed,” I said. “We already know Fellinger cheats on his wife. Maybe he also betrays his clients. Leaking Ursula’s finances, her intentions—anything to give Richard a heads-up during negotiations.”

“In return for taking care of a crazy-woman problem? Fellinger would take that big of a risk? Also, Corey didn’t like Fellinger, just the opposite, he lost no time telling us Fellinger was sleeping with Ursula.”

“He also told us Ursula was likely sleeping with Cohen. And according to Cohen, everyone else on the globe. Maybe that was a diversion on Richard’s part. Trying to look like an emotionally fragile guy rather than a calculating mastermind. I’ve been wondering for a while if misdirection is the psychological essence of the killings. If the real trademark is setting up textbook crime scenes that lead to dead ends and humiliate the cops. Corey watches true-crime shows, maybe he thinks of himself as an expert on police procedure.”

“You’ve been wondering for a while but didn’t think to mention it.”

“I didn’t see it as helpful. Now I do.”

“Or,” he said, “you didn’t want to hurt Uncle Milo’s feelings, seeing as I’m the cop getting humiliated—hey, are those your special kid gloves?”

“Nope, left them at home with the self-esteem lotion.”