“It happens, huh?”
“I could give you names. Girls acting in movies, wives of rich men. Even lawyers.”
“Even.”
Koznikov grinned. “Not everyone knows how to use the mouth right.”
I said, “Tara wanted to build a relationship. Something more than sex.”
“She was happy, I was happy. She was a nice girl.”
“What else can you tell us about her?”
“Nothing.” Staring at us. “Now it’s
Milo said, “Did William know her?”
“William sells furniture.”
“Even so.”
“Even so, no.”
“Back in the theoretical days, you had others like him. To set limits.”
Koznikov held out her hands.
“Was one of your musclemen a guy named Steven Muhrmann?”
Koznikov yanked a curl hard enough to shake loose several snowy hairs. They floated midair, wafted onto her desk. She brushed them away. “Why do you ask about him?”
“So he did work for you.”
Her fingers drummed the desk. She picked up the soda can, crushed it with one hard squeeze. “Briefly.”
“When Tara worked for you.”
Silence.
Milo said, “Were he and Tara close?”
“You seem sure.”
Koznikov rubbed her forehead.
“What, Olga?”
“Him,” she said. “I told Tara, she agreed with me.”
“You told her to stay away from Muhrmann.”
“All the girls,” said Koznikov. She pitched forward, bosoms intruding on the desk. “You are saying he’s the one?”
Milo said, “We’re saying he associated with Tara after she retired. We’d like to speak to him but haven’t been able to find him. Any ideas?”
“Did he do it?”
“We don’t know, Olga.”
“But it’s possible.”
“Anything’s possible but no, he’s not a suspect and I don’t want you to act on that assumption.”
“I don’t act.”
“I’m serious, Olga.”
“Fool,” she spat. “He is the actor.”
“He wanted to act?”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“He lied.”
“So?”
“Lying is good practice for acting.”
“What’d he lie about?”
“Goofing around, not working.”
“Booze, dope, rock and roll.”
“Loser,” she said.
“How’d you find him?”
“One of my properties, we did construction. He was digging foundation. Big muscles. I thought maybe he’d be okay, because he’s gay.”
“Muhrmann’s gay?”
“I thought,” she said. “Taking care of the body like that, the yellow hair, very tan.”
Milo smiled. “Only gay men do that.”
“Gay men are the best,” she said. “Take care of the girls, no problems.”
“Muhrmann didn’t take care of anything.”
“Bum,” she said. “Loser.”
“Did he have a particular thing for Tara?”
“No. Fool.”
“Not a smart guy.”
“I’m talking about
“She was stupid for hanging with Muhrmann.”
“You play, you pay.” She rubbed her hands together. “Okay, I’m finished.”
Hoisting herself out of her chair, she pointed to the door. No more than five feet tall. Thin, tight lips gave her the look of a venomous toad.
Milo said, “If you could direct us to any girls she worked with, that would be helpful.”
“I don’t know any girls, I don’t know anything.”
“You knew Tara was dead.”
“I watch TV,” she said. “Mostly Home and Garden network, sometimes Do It Yourself. Good-bye.”
“Olga—”
“Good-bye. Please don’t come back.”
She flung the door open. William stood inches from the jamb, chewing gum energetically.
“Hey,” he said.
Koznikov said, “Take them out.”
Milo said, “If you think of anything else—”
“I am old, I do not think well.”
William made a move toward Milo’s elbow, thought better of it, and gave a small bow and stepped back. “After you, sirs.”
Milo proceeded up the aisle but I was restrained by Koznikov’s hand on my wrist. Hard grip, just short of inflicting pain.
Tiptoeing, she placed one arm around my waist, pushed her mouth an inch from my ear.
I tried to move away but she held fast. Put her mouth near my ear. Hot breath, then a whisper:
“Thank you for helping Gretchen.”
I peeled her arm off, walked away.
She laughed. “That’s what I figured you’d say.”
illiam trailed us through the barn. When we hit daylight, Milo said, “We’ll take it from here, friend.”
William’s stance widened.
“On the other hand, friend, let’s see some I.D.”
“May I ask for what reason, sir?”
“You may ask but you won’t receive an answer. Show me some paper.”
William chewed fast. “Of course.” Out came a billfold. Gold dollar sign clamping a brick of cash.
Milo said, “Marcy William Dodd. Park La Brea Towers, huh? Nice.”
“I like it, sir.”
