“Generally speaking, we don’t break out the rubber hose until the second interview,” he said. Needham bent his head, acknowledging the unspoken reproof. Both men wore almost identically bland expressions and Liam said, “Are you an actor like Mr. McGuire, Mr. Needham?”

“It’s Len, and call him Gabe,” Needham said. “And no, I’m not an actor, I work for a living.”

McGuire might have rolled his eyes a little.

Liam reminded himself that this was an official interview regarding a murder committed very likely not a thousand feet from where he sat and managed not to smile. “What do you do, Len?”

“I’m a stunt man. Or I was.”

“Nowadays he’s my pilot,” McGuire said.

“And this punk’s uncle, for my sins.”

Liam gave up and let himself be distracted. “How did you get into that?”

Len correctly identified which part of his life Liam was asking about and said, “I’m a pilot. I was two tours in the Air Force, did time in the Sandbox, got out when the hypocrisy got to be a little too much. A friend already in the business was working on a film that needed a stunt pilot right now and the money was good.” He shrugged.

“Ten years later he owned his own company, and then he recruited me out of high school.”

“Kid played every sport. Coulda gone pro.”

“Boring,” McGuire said.

“And then…”

McGuire gave a shrug identical to the one Needham had just given and the similarity between the two shifted into a sudden focus that was so startling that Liam was amazed he hadn’t seen it before. “A director gave me a line, and in his next film a couple more, and then a supporting role in a film that got some traction at Sundance, and then, and then.” He drank coffee. “It’s all luck, really. Plenty of actors better than me didn’t get the breaks.” He looked at his uncle. “Didn’t have Len.”

“Stop it, kid, you’re making me blush.” He pointed at Liam with his mug. “And it’s not what you came here to talk to us about.”

“Erik.” Gabe sat back with a sigh. “Damn it.”

“Why damn it?” Liam said.

Gabe met Liam’s eyes squarely. “He was a friend.”

Len snorted again. “He wasn’t always.” When Gabe glared at him Len glared right back. “Tell him. Tell him right now, tell him all of it. Otherwise he’ll find out from someone else and he’ll be back here all pissed off and suspicious because you didn’t. It’s not like you haven’t made that picture, kid.”

Gabe dropped his head. “Fuck.” He looked up at Liam. “Fine. This house is in a subdivision called Bay View. Yeah, I know, original as hell. The trail to Erik’s dig has been public for a long time, people driving down to park at the roundabout and rappel down to walk on the beach. It isn’t officially a public right of way but it’s been used as one. The neighbors tell me it’s an historic make-out spot for the local teens and lately it’s been a problem area for raves.”