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Lulu Mastrecht gasped. Backed into the elevator and allowed the doors to shut. We watched as her terrified face narrowed then disappeared.
Milo said, “That scared her.”
I said, “Thinking it could’ve been her.”
—
Another layer of chrome had been added to the spoon but an escape route had been set aside for the unmarked.
Milo said, “Thanks, amigo,” and handed Surfer Joe a ten.
He said, “Not necessary,” as he snatched the bill and jammed it into a pant pocket.
As we drove away, Milo said, “Easygoing guy, our Gio. She breaks up with him but he’s cool with it. Probably because he already found her replacement.”
“Or,” I said, “none of his relationships meant much to him.”
“You’ve changed your mind about him and Meagin getting serious.”
“It’s feeling that way.”
“Meaning there could be others.”
“There could be but I doubt it matters. Barlett’s murder tells us Meagin was the likely target.”
“Vulnerabile,”he said. “Meaning she coulda told him about whatever it was she was running from. He didn’t tell Lulu because if he was loose-lipped about Meagin, she’d know he’d be the same with her.”
“Or,” I said, “he really was a nice guy.”
“Gallant,” he said. “Goes great with a nice pool in Bel Air.”
He took Twenty-Sixth Street and drove east. “Maybe it all has to do with her past but I’m not letting go of Dougie. All that hatred when he talks about her.”
I said, “He really did seem surprised to hear about Gio.”
“Or so he wants us to think.”
“Maybe.”
“Mr. March ain’t twanging your antenna.”
“Find anything connecting him to Richard Barlett and it’ll be twanging away.”
He chewed his cheek. Said nothing until we were back in his office.
CHAPTER
34
Settling behind his desk, Milo phoned Sam Cifuentes.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I was gonna ask you the same thing.”
“Oh. Nothing. Your end, too, huh?”
“Just confirmation that my female victim had a tough past. Anything come up like that about Barlett?”
