“Not the way I’d run things,” said Milo. “What’s the name of the club?”

“The Light My Fire.”

“As in the song.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you have phone numbers for Beth and Rianna?”

“No, but I can tell you where to find them both. Beth said she sells jewelry at a place near La Femme and Rianna works the cosmetics counter at Barneys.”

“Do you have the name of the jewelry store?”

“Somewhere near Katrina’s work – San Vicente near Barrington. I’d be concerned if this was anyone but Katrina. Even with it being Katrina, I’m getting a bit nervous. What will you do for me, Lieutenant?”

Milo said, “What’s the longest she’s ever been gone?”

“Ten days. Hawaii – she visited all the islands, never called once, came back with the deepest tan I’ve ever seen, you’d think she was a Mexican or something. Another time she spent nine days in Cozumel, some sort of discount special.”

“So this is within her usual pattern.”

“Does that mean you won’t do anything?”

“No, I’ll look into it, ma’am. Did Beth Holloway say how Katrina happened to be separated from her friends?”

“She did after I asked twice. The plan was for Rianna to be the designated driver but they went in Katrina’s car because this Rianna girl’s car was broken. Rianna and Beth got picked up by two men and asked Katrina if it was okay for them to go their separate ways. They claim Katrina was fine with that. That’s the last time they saw her.”

“You have doubts that Katrina was fine with the change?”

“My daughter does not take well to disappointment, Lieutenant. Low frustration tolerance her teachers called it. What concerns me is that she decided to do them one better by meeting a man herself. Then ran off to God-knows-where.”

“Without her passport.”

“If you’re out for fun, you can find it anywhere,” said Monica Hedges. Relaxing her posture for a second, as if reminiscing.

Milo said, “Rianna being the designated driver meant Katrina was drinking that night.”

“And Katrina loves her Long Island Iced Teas. Which is a hodgepodge cocktail, just a kitchen-sink mess that does God-knows-what to your brain. I always tell her stick with the classics, they won’t pollute your mind. Martini or Manhattan, never on the rocks. That way you know how much you’re getting. But try telling Katrina that. To her, anything with fruit liquor and a kick is a Martini.”

“Has she been known to overindulge?”

Monica Hedges shifted her weight. “That has happened from time to time.”

“You’re concerned she might have driven home intoxicated.”

“What if God forbid she had an accident? But I called the highway patrol and they reported nothing on the freeway that night.”

“Is the 405 her customary route home?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Easiest way to get to the Valley, isn’t it?” Frowning. “She used to have a place near the U. that she shared with another girl – some Indian student who hit the books all the time. Which isn’t Katrina’s style, it didn’t last long. Katrina complained that everyone in the building was a student and it made her feel old. I suspect her own lack of education embarrassed her. I was hoping that might motivate her but it didn’t. She wanted her own place, said the rent this side of the hill was too steep. I told her I’d help. She never took me up on my offer, just picked up and moved to Van Nuys. Though she keeps insisting it’s Sherman Oaks. Is that logical, Lieutenant? Turning down a sincere offer?”

“Kids,” said Milo.

Monica Hedges puffed manically. “You didn’t answer my question. What exactly are you going to do for me?”

“What would you like us to do, Mrs. Hedges?”

That startled her. Ashes dropped to the granite floor. “I’d like you to detect where my daughter is. Use that computer you’ve got – tracking airline tickets, credit card receipts, phone usage. Put out one of those APBs.”

“Ma’am, without evidence of a crime, that would be an invasion of Katrina’s privacy.”

“Oh, puleeze,” said Monica Hedges.

“Sorry, ma’am, but that’s the way it is. If she were a minor, it would be different.”

“Psychologically, she’s about fourteen.”

Milo smiled.

“You’re telling me there’s nothing you can do?”

“We’ll do everything we can, legally. That means talking to her friends, stopping by the club-”

“I already did all that.”

“Sometimes repetition helps, ma’am. We’ll also look for her car. Is she still driving the yellow Mustang that’s currently registered to her?”

“Yes, but not for long. I just got a notice that she’s missed the last two payments. That loan I did co-sign for. The agreement was I made the down payment and the payments were to be her responsibility.”

“Give me the finance-company data and I’ll see if it’s been picked up.”

“I did that myself, and no, it hasn’t.”

“Sounds like you’ve accomplished a lot.”

“Want something done well, do it yourself. So that’s all you’re going to do? It doesn’t sound very promising.”

“Let’s start and see where it leads, Mrs. Hedges. Call me anytime if you think of something.”

“Oh, I will, you’d better believe I will.”

She got to her feet, hurried to the door, held it open.

Milo said, “I’m going to ask you one more question that might alarm you, but it’s only routine, in case we do come across accident reports.”

Monica Hedges straightened and sucked on her cigarette. “What?”

“Do you know Katrina’s blood type?”

“That is… eerie.”

“Just routine, ma’am.”

“Some routine you people have,” said Monica Hedges. “I certainly wouldn’t want your job.”

Milo smiled. “Most people don’t.”

“And I’m one of them… her type is the same as mine. O-positive. It’s the most popular.”

She smoked and watched us walk to the elevator. As we stepped into the lift, I heard her say, “There you are, darling. Is everything working?”

The door slammed.

Milo had asked the condo valet to keep the unmarked close. When we got to the front of the building it was gone and the valet was poking a BlackBerry.

A high-decibel throat clear made the man look up.

“The Crown Victoria?”

“Had to move it, too crowded.”

No other cars in sight.

Milo said, “Could you get it?” Adding a “Please” that made the valet flinch.

The guy ambled off toward the subterranean parking lot.

Milo said, “The Shonsky girl’s been missing over a week, Mommie Dearest sees it as playing hooky, wants me to be her personal truant officer.”

“Or she’s in deep denial.”

“She says she’s nervous but all I heard was anger.”

“Anger can mask anxiety,” I said.

He looked at his Timex. “Where’d the hell he park it, Chula Vista… First Tony and his mom and Hochswelder, now this harmonious bunch. Any happy families left?”

“With our jobs we’re not going to meet them.”

“So what do you think of our missing girl? With her history of cutting town on impulse, how far do I take it?”

“O-positive,” I said. “Same as in the Bentley.”

“Didn’t you hear Mom? It’s the most popular type. Like it’s a contest. Growing up with someone like that, I can see needing to escape.”

“That kind of rivalry could also make Katrina vulnerable.”

“To what?”

“Bling. Mom marries rich but Katrina works a low-paying job. If she left the club woozy and feeling abandoned by her pals, two hundred grand worth of car rolling up would’ve seemed heaven-sent. Talk about something to one-up Mommy.”

“If she was picked up, I don’t see it happening at the Light My Fire. I was there last year, chasing a dead lead on a drug murder. The male clientele’s acrylic shirts, too much hair gel, and dance moves worse than mine. Someone drives up in Heubel’s Bentley, the bouncers and everyone else would’ve noticed, and by the time the guy hit the floor, fifty women woulda been all over him.”