Rookie patrolman Ottmar Buenavista’s account kept Gonzales on the phone longer. When he hung up, anger tightened his voice.

“Man and a woman, she was young, dark-haired, could be Hispanic but maybe a dark-haired Anglo.” Gonzales frowned. “A ‘killer body. Like a dancer.’ ”

He shook his head. “That he paid attention to.”

Milo said, “A young, attractive Hispanic female who worked with Williams has been missing for three days.”

“Oh, fantastic. We got a Bonnie-and-Clyde thing or a captive thing?”

“Either way, it doesn’t look good for the girl. Williams isn’t much for long-term relationships.”

“Damn.” Gonzales plucked his mustache. “You know him to drive a Corolla?”

“Only registered vehicle we have for him is an old Ford van.”

“So maybe the Corolla’s hers.”

“No, she drives a Lexus.”

“So maybe one of them has two cars. Or it’s stolen or the plates are, let’s see what we can dig up.”

Cross-referencing partials with makes and models would take time and have to wait until morning when DMV offices were open for improvisation. But Meredith Santos’s registration info was available now and Milo ran her through DMV again.

Only the Lexus.

Gonzales said, “We got a serious GTA situation in Oxnard, let me check the hot-sheets.”

Milo said, “Meanwhile, can I talk to the rookie who saw her?”

“Be my guest.” Gonzales redialed Buenavista, handed his phone to Milo in exchange for Milo’s, and reached a colleague at Oxnard auto theft.

Milo said, “Officer, this is Lieutenant Sturgis, I’m working with your sergeant and need to ask you a few things. Anything else you can say about the female living next door to your subject?… Sergeant Gonzales has related that. Anything else?… all right, now describe the relationship between the male and the female … what I’m getting at is how they acted in each other’s company … did she at any time look tense or frightened of him?… okay … any physical contact between them … just a hug … all right, good, call me immediately if you think of anything else.”

He clicked off. “The additional wisdom is boobs that big are probably fakes, we should try topless clubs.” He smiled. “Lad has a bright future as a Sherlock.”

I said, “Silicon. There’s something you can put on the APB.”

“Chesty girl. That sound like Santos? I can’t say I was studying her that closely the time we saw her but nothing stood out. Pardon the expression.”

“I didn’t notice it, either. But she was dressed for office work.”

“Suit and pearls,” he said. “Women can do that.”

“Do what?”

“Camouflage themselves.”

I eyed the condo. “So can men.”

Gonzales returned. “No stolen Corollas that match but it takes time for victims to report, so it may show up yet. Buenavista have anything more to say?”

Milo said, “No sign of fear or tension on the female’s part.”

“Bonnie still thinks she’s safe with Clyde.”