Celebrity in Death

and Valerie. If I’m right and they’re in this, there’s something to be found. If a PI can find it, I sure as hell can.”
    “I have every faith, and so have faith you can handle a glass and a half of very nice Cabernet. Tell me why you’ve zeroed in on Steinburger. It’s not just because he wasn’t truthful.”
    “If you lie to a cop, you’ve got a reason. Often the reason’s stupid, but it’s there. More, he went on the offensive in the first interview.”
    “And offense is defense.”
    “There you go. Add one more. This has been about power and control. Hers against the freaking world from what I can tell. Who has the most power and control on this project—in the industry—among the players we’ve got?”
    “The one with the money. It’s nearly always the case.”
    “Yeah, being a rich bastard, you’d know.”
    “Naturally.”
    “Steinburger’s the one with the money. He owns the production company, and has the longest, shiniest rep. He’s labeled one of the most powerful men in Hollywood.”
    “You’ve been reading the trades.”
    “Know your turf,” Eve said. “He likes the spotlight, does a lot of publicity, pumps on the hype. And he’s a liar, he’s defensive, he’s the hand on the money wheel. He’s also got a young, attractive liar at his disposal in Valerie. It’s enough for me to choose that direction.” She smiled again. “Even if I fall into a bog.”

 
    ROARKE LINGERED OVER HIS WINE WHILE EVE updated her board.
    She seemed relaxed in the work, and despite the manner of her waking that morning more rested than she’d been since their return from Dallas.
    Her wounds had healed. He thought—hoped—the wounds that didn’t show had begun their healing as well.
    “I can hear you worrying from over here,” she told him.
    “Actually I was just enjoying the view of my wife, and thinking she looks well.”
    “It’s the first solid workout I’ve put in since … awhile. I needed it.” She continued her update. “I talked with Mira a little.”
    “Did you?”
    “She gave me some things to think about, and I will. I’m dealing, Roarke.”
    He got up, walked behind her, wrapped his arms around her. “So amI.” He kissed the top of her head, then stepped back. “If I didn’t think you were dealing, I would’ve let you beat me in the game.”
    “Like hell.”
    He laughed, hugged her again, harder. “You’re right. But that just shows I’d never pander. I have too much respect for you.”
    “And the shit keeps rising. You have too much ego to take a dive.”
    “My ego and my respect both cast long shadows.”
    “What shape is the respect shadow?”
    “I’m sorry?”
    “Because the ego shadow’s shaped like a penis. So I wondered.”
    He turned her around, flicked a finger down the dent in her chin as she sent him a big, sunny smile. “I believe I’ll take the shadow of my penis to my office. Is there anything in particular you want me to look for?”
    “Sex and money.”
    “I thought we’d done talking about my ego.”
    “That’s a good one. Sex and money as applies to Steinburger and/or Valerie. Because there’s something there. She looked too damn smug this morning. Like she’d just got laid, or got a big bonus in her paycheck. There’s something.”
    “I’ll see if I can find the something.”
    “One thing I’m chewing over. If the killer arranged the meet with Asner with murder in mind, he’d have taken a weapon. But he used a statue—Maltese falcon.”
    “Really? Killing the erstwhile Sam Spade with the black bird. It’s very nice irony.”
    “I don’t imagine Asner thought so, but yeah. Point is, either the killer opted for the irony and the convenience, or didn’t bring a weapon. If no weapon, the meet wasn’t about murder. It just ended up that way.”
    “Another fork in the road, another choice.” Roarke nodded. “Maybethe meeting was to be a negotiation, and the killer didn’t care for the terms.”
    “So, the hell with it. I’ll just bash your brains in. Killing comes easier the second time for a lot of people. Once it’s seen as a solution why not use that solution again?”
    She studied the crime scene stills of both victims.
    “I don’t think either of these murders was planned as much as decided on the spot. Back to the game again. Once you make one turn, you have to make another, or backtrack. You can’t unkill, so he made the next turn.”
    “And there’s usually another to come. If it’s