“Yeah, in the house he was,” said Brandon Caspar. “But later, when I left him with the key, I saw a girl in a car, parked in front. I wasn’t sure she was with him but I thought maybe she was ’cause she seemed to be just waiting. So when I drove off I looked in my mirror and she got out and went into the house. Then I started wondering if we had something to worry about. The terms of his lease were pretty strict because it was a cash deal: solo residency, we didn’t want to get into a crash-pad situation.”

“Or a dope house.”

No answer.

Milo said, “Your father was concerned Muhrmann might be a drug dealer because Muhrmann paid eleven thou up front in cash.”

“I know, I’m the one took the money.”

“He handed it to you?”

“No, it got dropped off at the office. But I found it in the mailbox.”

“Dropped off by who?”

“We assumed him, I mean that kind of money you’d want to handle it yourself, right?”

“That kind of money I wouldn’t drop it in the mailbox.”

“It’s a locked box,” said Brandon. “Goes right into the office.”

“What kind of car was the girl sitting in?”

“Some little compact, didn’t notice the brand.”

“What did she look like?”

“Hot.”

“Could you be a little more specific?”

“Long blond hair, great body. Kind of like Scarlett Johanssen. Or another one, an old one Dad likes. Brigitte something.”

“Bardot?”

“Yeah.”

“Scarlett or Brigitte.”

“Hot and blond,” said Brandon. “I only saw her from a distance.”

“But that was enough to know she was hot.”

“Some girls, you know, they’ve just got the look, you can spot it from far away.”

“If I fax you a picture would you be able to tell me if it’s a match?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is there anything else you remember about this girl, Brandon?”

“Nope. Why?”

“We’re curious about her. Nothing.”

“Nope, sorry.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“I did have an impression, though, sir. About both of them. You interested in impressions?”

“I sure am, Brandon.”

“With him being all pumped and her being hot what kind of flashed in my head was porn stars. We get that all the time. Offers for short-term rentals, mostly at vacant apartments out in the Valley. The money’s great, but Dad won’t go for it, too religious.”

“But Dad doesn’t pay much attention to the house on Russell.”

“You got that right,” said Brandon. “Calls it his albatross. To Mom it’s some kind of shrine, but she doesn’t have to deal with renting it or fixing it up.”

“You wondered if Muhrmann was renting the place for shoots, that’s why all the cash up front.”

“My dad would be pissed, so I drove by around a week later to see if anything weird was going on, but it wasn’t.”