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Claudia had made cheese straws and kept bringing more of them to the table, along with little pastry-wrapped figs stuffed with prosciutto. Her idea of lunch seemed to be a continuous stream of small deliciousnesses, and Mason was a hundred percent behind this approach.

Will had a cheese straw in each hand, and used them to punctuate his continued report. “If what you said about the museum is true, then Patty Menninger is pissed. It was openly known his collection was going to the museum: Everyone who gives a shit—not that there are many of those—will be highly surprised he reneged on that. There was also a director he was bickering with, Jason Reed, who now wins the dispute by default.”

“What was the dispute about?”

Will chewed thoughtfully. “He wanted Jade Solomon released from a Repercussion movie she’d committed to so she could be in a film he was shooting. Jason was losing money every day.”

Mason asked, “And who benefits from Julia going to jail for killing Tony?” She shrugged. “I mean, someone tried to frame you, right?”

Will turned up his palms. “Apart from the media, social and otherwise, no one.” He grinned. “You and I would be out of a job, though Claudia would maybe stay on.”

Claudia laughed. “And who would I cook for, the roaches?”

Mason was surprised. “You haven’t annoyed anyone enough for them to want you behind bars? You’ve irritated the crap out of me already, and I only met you day before yesterday.”

Julia was calm. “Of course, dozens of people would love to see a bird shit on my head, but hate me enough to kill someone else so I would go to prison? Pretty long-winded. Why not just shoot me?” She thought for a moment. “Old cases? How about Giles Clarke? He was pretty pissed.”

Will said, “Still in jail. Not out till 2027.”

“Sarah DiSalva?”

“2030. Unless she gets early parole.”

“That guy with the rabbits. He never went to jail.”

Will had his eyes closed. “He moved to Canada, and the last time I checked was running a rehabilitation facility for rabbits cast aside by the magical profession. It’s called Out of the Hat.” He opened his eyes and found all three women looking at him. “What?”

Julia moved on. “What do we know about the accident that Christine and Jade Solomon were in?”

Will shrugged. “I looked into it. It happened on Robertson, in front of the Ivy. We couldn’t have more witnesses if it had been live streamed. Christine swerved, hit another car coming in the other direction. The other driver was fine; she and Jade both had minor lacerations. Apparently, the top of Jade Solomon’s dress was also torn in the accident, so, clearly, a moment of enormous journalistic importance. There are photos.”

“A setup?” Julia said.

He shrugged again.

Julia sighed. “Mason, we’ll go talk to Cody and, if we have time, Helen. Let’s find out what’s going on at the studio and what happened in the board meeting Tony attended the day he died. Maybe Helen will have an insight into why Tony was here that night; maybe it was to do with The Codex —it’s plausible. I want to hear the voicemail message Christine mentioned. I’ll call her myself. Will, dig some more on Jason Reed. I’ll make some calls and see if someone can get a look at his money situation. I’ll also set New Larry on the will.”

“Is that what we’re calling Archie? I don’t think he’ll love it. Why would anyone talk to me?” Mason was fully confident interviewing wasn’t her top skill.

“Because you’re going to be charming and persuasive. Contrary action, you can do it. Your natural lack of inhibition or respect for other people’s boundaries is going to be very helpful.” She considered for a moment, then added, “Don’t worry, it’ll be a lot easier than you think. People close to a crime want to talk about it. It’s often the most interesting thing that ever happened to them.” She looked tired. “I want you to move into the house. Well, into one of the guesthouses. They’re out back.”

Mason shook her head definitively. “No.”

“Yes. I’ll pay you the entire time. Even while you’re asleep.”

“No. I have a cat. I have a life. I’ve known you for less than a week, and volatile doesn’t even touch the edges of it. I have a rent-stabilized apartment with northern light. It’s not going to happen, Julia.”

“Double time at night. Sublet the apartment. Bring the cat.”

Mason hesitated. She had debt; she could use the money. She did worry that the cat got bored during the day. “No, stop bugging me. I’ll be here by eight every morning and work until we’re done. That’s enough.”

Julia narrowed her eyes, then suddenly remembered something.

“Wait! Will, I completely forgot, there’s a whole other case.” She frowned. “Honestly, what is the matter with me?” She quickly outlined the Becky Sharp situation.

Will was intrigued. “I’ve been meaning to do a deep dive into the history of burlesque in Los Angeles. This is a perfect opportunity.”

Julia raised her eyebrows. “Not sure history is going to solve the crime, but you never know. Reach out to Casper—he knows a lot about that kind of thing. And maybe tonight we’ll all take a little field trip.”

“Casper the journalist?”

“Do we know another Casper?”

Will lifted one shoulder. “Julia, you know everyone. Don’t get ratty. I think your sponsor is right: You need a meeting.”

Mason added, “Humor me, Julia. I need a meeting, and you need me to stay sober as your employee, and I need you to stay sober as my employer, and it only works if you work it.”

“Your obsession with the slogans of the program makes me angry. Like, unreasonably angry.”

Mason said, “I don’t really care if it’s reasonable or not.”

Julia muttered, “I don’t want to go to a meeting.”

Mason looked at her. “Perfect time to do so, then. When you want to go to a meeting, you should go, and when you don’t want to go to a meeting, you should go.”

“Again, do you ever have an original thought or is it all AA?”

Mason shrugged. “My original thoughts got me in nothing but trouble. The only thoughts I have that are in any way reliable are things I’ve heard in the rooms. You know it. I know it.”

Julia made a face. Then she sighed. Then she opened her mouth and closed it again. “Let’s do it.”

Will and Mason stared at her. Claudia suddenly started throwing cheese straws into a Ziploc.

“Go quick, before she changes her mind. I’ll make you some coffee to take, too. Let me fire up the espresso machine. Just make sure you’re back in time for dinner, all of you. It’s roast beef and potatoes Dauphinoise tonight.”

Mason grinned and started to wonder if moving in might not be a good idea after all.