Jessica took Eagle Rock Boulevard north to Colorado and quickly found Sager Properties. It was a small, plain shop front. Not the gleaming, showy premises she would have expected of an LA Realtor. She noticed the lights were on, and a young woman was sitting behind a desk close to the front door. The place appeared to be open for business. Jessica drove farther along the street to find a parking spot. By the time she’d made her way back to Sager Properties, Connor was standing outside watching her approach.

“What did I tell you about following me?”

“I’m not following you—I’m helping you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“You did ten minutes ago when you asked for the address for this place. I thought I might be useful.”

Connor grinned, and Jessica noticed his jaw was bruised where she’d hit him. She wished she had hit him harder.

She said, “Okay, but let me do the talking.”

“You’re the boss.”

The girl behind the desk was several years younger than Jessica and about half the age of Connor. Pretty, slim, brunette. Her silver name tag identified her as Rachel. She glanced up from the copy of Marie Claire she’d been flicking through.

“Good afternoon, how can I help—” She did a double take when she noticed Connor’s wounded jaw. “Good lord, what happened to your face? Are you okay?”

Connor jutted his thumb in Jessica’s direction. “She beat me up.”

Rachel laughed nervously, like she wasn’t sure whether he was joking. “So, um, how can I help you?” she asked. “Are you guys looking to rent someplace?”

“We’re not a couple,” Jessica said sharply. “We’re both private investigators looking for some information about one of your properties.”

“Um, sure. Which one?”

The question was addressed to Jessica, but the girl couldn’t take her eyes off Connor. She was clearly getting the sexy, wounded-hero vibe from him.

Jessica said, “A Craftsman cottage on Morrison Avenue, here in Eagle Rock. The place has been empty for the last twenty-five years. We need to know the name of the person who last rented the property and made the monthly payments.”

Rachel showed no reaction to the address, and Jessica figured she was too young to understand the significance of the house or have any idea what had happened there.

“I’m sorry,” Rachel said. “I don’t have the authority to hand over clients’ personal information. I’m just here to make bookings for viewings.”

“Who does have the authority?” Jessica asked.

“My boss, Mr. Sager, but I’d rather not bother him on a weekend unless it’s an emergency. You could try again tomorrow, but I’m not sure he would be willing to give out the information either.”

“You do have access to the files, though?”

Rachel nodded.