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However, when Julia opened the living room door to leave, she revealed Claudia standing just outside.

“Why are you lurking in the hallway?” she asked, taken aback.

“I wasn’t lurking,” replied Claudia, testily. “I was coming to tell you that Danny Agosti is here to see you. Do you want him here, or in the office?”

Julia frowned. “What on earth does he want?”

Claudia frowned right back at her. “Beats me. I didn’t quiz the man. I just offered him coffee and left him in the foyer. I’m not a mind reader.” She turned and headed back to the kitchen. “I’ll send him in and you can ask him. I imagine he’ll know.”

Danny Agosti walked into the living room wearing another beautifully cut suit, which seemed appropriate for a financier and investor in a burlesque club. Mason noticed Julia’s body language as he entered the room—she doubted it was just the suit that was catching her eye, but the way she angled her body as he crossed the room suggested it had truly been caught. Mason wondered for a moment about her boss’s love life, then decided to change the internal subject. On the one hand, her boss was a vibrant, beautiful, sexy older woman, and on the other hand…ew.

“Mr. Agosti, how nice to see you.” Julia settled herself back into her favorite chair and crossed her legs, resting her hands on her knees. “How can I be of service?”

“I’d like you to stop investigating Tony Eckenridge’s murder.”

Julia’s eyebrow went up. Just one. “What makes you think you have any right to make that request?”

Danny shrugged. “I don’t, but I’m asking anyway.”

“Why? What business could it possibly be of yours?”

The man sighed. “Let me be blunt. I can’t help thinking Tony’s murder is connected to the studio, and possibly to the death of your late husband. I further can’t help thinking that that might connect it to my family, specifically my father. He died a few years ago, so it won’t matter to him, but the publicity of a case, the dragging up of any hint of organized crime, will negatively affect me, my company and my mother. She’s a tough old bird, but I just don’t want the past to come back. My father moved away from the business dealings my grandfather put in place, and I’ve moved further still. But people”—and here he looked at Mason—“people love to throw mud, and it’s hard enough to convince the public that we’re a completely legal business now without reassociating our name with what may have happened long ago.” He smiled for the first time, presumably seeing if honey would work better than vinegar on Julia. “Your involvement is ratcheting up the feverish interest of the press. We’ve had reporters at the club every day, disturbing the patrons and the performers. I know you know what that’s like.”

Julia waited a moment. Then, “I do. My past has an alarming tendency to come and hit me on the back of the head, but usually because I’ve done something to deserve it. Maybe you want us to stop investigating because you suspect Maggie has something to do with Tony’s death.”

Danny looked surprised. “No, I don’t.”

“Do you think she has something to do with Sam’s death?”

“Absolutely not. She cares about those girls, and Maggie doesn’t have a criminal bone in her body. If she wants something, she’ll go for it, balls to the wall, but she’s not one for hiding.” He paused. “I admire her very much. I don’t want to see her dragged through the mud, either.”

“Mud washes off.”

“Never completely.” He paused. “No one is paying you to investigate Tony’s murder, but I’m prepared to pay you to stop.”

Mason said, “Is this all because of the video? Everyone knows your father was an investor in the studio. If he’d had something to do with Jonathan’s death, the police would presumably have found out at the time.”

Julia snorted. “I don’t think they investigated all that hard. They had me, remember?” She paused, and Mason and Danny both saw the slight shudder that ran over her frame. “They were very…focused.” She looked at Danny and frowned. “Offering to pay me is very insulting. I don’t know you, but I’m surprised.”

Danny raised his hands. “I don’t mean to insult you. I’m merely aware that you’re a businesswoman among everything else.” He looked at Mason. “What happened to your face?”

“Somebody else wanted us off the case and thought physical violence might be an incentive.” She stared at him. “Maybe you tried that first and when it didn’t work you came to offer us money.”

“I didn’t attack you,” he said disdainfully. “I just said my business is completely aboveboard.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t know people for hire.”

“Now who’s insulting who?” His face had flushed.

“You just offered my boss money to walk away from investigating a crime she is herself accused of—”

“Children, children,” interrupted Julia, “I’m too old for this bickering.” She got to her feet. “Mason, you getting attacked was great. Not for your face, but for us, because it means someone thinks our investigation is getting close to the truth and needs to be derailed. I’m sorry, Mr. Agosti, but we will continue to dig into Tony’s death, and Sam’s, too. I don’t currently think your family had anything to do with either, and I don’t personally see why Jonathan’s death figures into it at all, but it’s early days yet. If you yourself have done nothing, then you have nothing to worry about.”

“Being innocent is no protection, you know that. The media is already camped out outside the club, pestering employees. I want it stopped.”

Julia made a face. “Take it up with the mayor. My best advice is to keep your head down and go about your business. If your company isn’t involved, then it isn’t involved, end of story.”

“The club is my business.”

“And murder is mine. Mason will see you out.”

Once Danny Agosti was gone, Mason went to find Julia. She was back in the office, replaying the film of Agosti’s father threatening Jonathan.

Mason threw herself down on the sofa. “He’s gone. What on earth was he thinking?”

“He wasn’t,” said Julia, “but he made a big error in coming here, because now I am.”

And she rewound the film again.

“You seem remarkably calm,” said Mason, watching her boss’s face. “We’ve been investigating for a week and have nothing.”

Julia was watching the film. “I can tell Jonathan is scared of these guys, but not much else.”

Mason tried again. “I mean, you’re in danger of going to jail for something you didn’t do, again.”

“Not much danger, I don’t think. The police are very quiet. Have you noticed?”

“Sure, today. But they’re clearly still watching you.”

Julia nodded. “Just doing their job.”

“You’re not scared?”

Julia looked at her, finally, pausing the film on a frame wherein Bella was throwing her assistant over her shoulder. “Of course I’m scared. I’d be a fool if I wasn’t. But I learned a lot of patience in prison; you don’t really have much choice. You have a hearing. You fail. You have to wait six months, a year, or more until the next chance. You fail again. End of story. The mills of God aren’t the only things that grind exceeding small, you know what I mean? Time takes on a new meaning when it’s all you’ve got.” She wiped her palms on her legs. “But I am not going back to prison, because I’m going to find the people responsible for both of these murders and send them instead. Now go question Jason Reed, like I said. Directors love control and big gestures, and what bigger gesture is there than murder? I myself am going to go scream into a pillow.” She stood and walked toward the door. “But first I’m going to go eat something. I suggest you do the same.”