She said, ‘They’re probably in panic mode, closed the place down for the day.’

‘Yeah. Or permanently.’ Vincent made a left into a residential street adjoining Wilshire. ‘Which floor are they?’

‘Fifteen.’

‘Who’s on sixteen?’

He pulled over and waited as she Googled.

She said, ‘There’s an estate agent up on eighteen. Commercial and residential sales.’

‘Worth a try.’

She had the phone to her ear now. Vincent heard the ring tone, soft and rhythmic. ‘Yes, good morning. My husband and I own some property in Santa Monica that we’re trying to urgently liquidate … yes. I was wondering if there’s someone who might be able to help us … Terrific, thank you. Well, the reason I’m calling, we’re actually in the area right now … oh, thank you so much.’

Quiet for a moment, and Vincent presumed she’d been transferred to someone else: she repeated the spiel, and then said, ‘Okay, perfect. Thank you very much. We’ll see you then.’

She ended the call. ‘Someone called Gustavo is expecting us in fifteen minutes. Concept Estate Solutions.’

‘You didn’t give a name.’

Erin said, ‘I think I had him at “urgently liquidate”.’

They got out and walked back along to Wilshire. It was an LA-looking day: low cloud, mustard-coloured smog in the distance, steady traffic. They crossed at a light and went into the lobby of the Page Swanson building. It looked like a lawyerly sort of place: polished stone floor, polished stone veneers on all the columns, a bank of elevators protected by a line of turnstiles. There were a few suit-clad corporate types going in ahead of them, clicking along primly in their leather shoes.

Vincent said, ‘This is why I could never work in an office.’

‘Why? Too shiny?’

‘No, because I’d have to wear one of those retractable badges people have on their belt. I just don’t think I could do it.’

Beside the turnstiles, a security guard was seated at a counter.

Vincent said, ‘How about I go up first, and you follow?’

‘Or we could both just go up now.’

‘It might be hard getting in. They might’ve locked the place down, as you say. And it’s probably best that only one of us gets taken in for B-and-E.’

He told her what he had in mind. He said, ‘Wait down here, I’ll give you a call in five minutes.’ He gave her the Range Rover keys. ‘Hold on to these in case I get arrested or something.’

‘Great.’