“It’s so good to have you back in New York,” said Martin as we stepped into the frosty air. “This city is all wrong without you.” He stroked my cheek with one hand and pulled me close to kiss me on the mouth. I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but I’d craved his touch, too, and heat sizzled through my body. For a moment I forgot about my sister and everything else.

“New York does seem like her kind of town,” said a deep voice that rattled me. I turned away from Martin and saw a man standing head and shoulders above the rest of the cigarette-puffing crowd outside the bar.

“Bruxton? What are you doing here?”

“Enjoying the night air. Oh yeah, there are some developments in the case I wanted to talk to you about.” The corner of Bruxton’s mouth seemed to twitch, but he was dangling a cigarette like Bogart and it was hard to read his expression in the pale glow of the streetlight. He put out his hand to Martin. “Bruxton.”

Martin stared at him and slowly put out his hand. “Martin Sklar.”

“Good to meet you,” said Bruxton. “Old friend of Lily’s, aren’t you?” He said old friend in a tone of voice that I would have reserved for serial killer.

“Detective Bruxton is investigating my sister’s disappearance as well as the death of the woman in Claudia’s apartment,” I explained.

“You’re working overtime, Detective,” said Martin dryly. “How rare in a public servant.” His son’s misadventure with the police that afternoon couldn’t have been far from his mind. There was something particularly cold in the way he said servant.

“Who knows what those captains of industry might get up to if we didn’t?” said Bruxton. “Might hurt themselves burning down a building.”

“What did you find out?” I asked Bruxton. “Do you know anything about my sister, or who that woman who died was?”

“We’re all ears, detective,” said Martin.

“Let’s all go down to the precinct to talk,” Bruxton answered. “Since you’re an old friend of Lily’s, it would be good to get your perspective on her sister’s disappearance.”

“I wouldn’t be able to add anything to your case,” Martin said.

“You never know what could be helpful. The tiniest detail can be a dead giveaway,” said Bruxton. “Just how intimately acquainted are you with Claudia Moore, anyway?” For the briefest of heartbeats, I wanted to throw my arms around him for asking what I hadn’t been able to.

“I would have to consult with my lawyer before answering any questions,” said Martin.

“Right,” Bruxton nodded. “That’s what you told my partner when she called you earlier today.”