“Yup, but I blocked his access to charges and if he tries to cut off the accounts it won’t go through.”

“How’d you pull that off?”

“Gentle persuasion and a bit of …”

“Say no more,” said Nguyen. “Even so, the girls don’t know he’s been blocked, so what, are they stupid?”

“They’re not geniuses, John, but maybe they’re just doing what they know.”

“Which is?”

“Living idly and well.”

“Run for your lives and take a cool road trip? At the risk of emptying my bladder on the winning float in the Rose Bowl Parade, I’d be remiss if I didn’t raise another possibility.”

“What?”

“They’re not rabbiting, my friend, they’re pulling a Menendez. Remember how the brothers traveled and partied right after they blasted Mom and Dad?”

Milo looked at me. The same question had come up early.

He said, “There’s no evidence these girls have done anything criminal, John.”

“So far.”

“They definitely didn’t kill their mother and I can’t see them involved in the others.”

“You’re the detective,” said Nguyen. “I’m just saying keep a corner of your mind receptive to bad news.”

“John, my entire damn brain is a satellite dish aimed at bad news. Failure and rot is what I’m thinking about at this very moment and it’s giving me a damn headache.”

“Price of doing business,” said Nguyen. “For me, Advil is an hors d’oeuvre.”

Milo passed the phone receiver from hand to hand, stared at the wall, drummed his desktop for a while, finally faced me. “Menendez gone femme?”

I said, “I don’t think it’s any more probable. Corey would have no reason to include two kids in his plans and Laura Smith seemed credible.”

“A luxury hotel in Vegas, then a spa?”

“Just what you told Nguyen. Not too bright and sticking with the familiar.”

“Even if they’re traumatized.”

“Maybe especially if they’re traumatized. Also, they could be getting back at Daddy by spending his money while they can.”

“Brat One Oh One.” He knuckled an eye. “Show up to ride your horses, find out they’re gone. Guess I can’t blame ’em.”

I said, “The horses and the entire contents of the home where they grew up. Which raises an interesting point: Corey would’ve had to hire an equine transport company and a sizable moving van. Maybe the guardhouse recorded the names of the companies.”

“Assuming there was someone on duty with a functioning brain.” Cursing under his breath, he found the number of the Rancho Lobo guardhouse and called.

Monte’s Moving and Storage in Canoga Park had sent two vans paid for by Richard Corey to cart and transport household goods to a downtown warehouse leased by RC Enterprises. That company turned out to be a newly registered business owned solely by Richard Corey. No time lost replacing Urrick, Ltd.