Free Galaxy's Edge Magazine: Issue 2, May 2013 by et al. Mike Resnick

murdered,” I said.
    “Yes I know that,” said the Madam.
    “And that means nothing to you?”
    “Do you take me for an animal?” the Madam said, spinning to face me, her wings rustling with tension. I elected not to give the first answer that came to my mind.
    “I take you for a very focused businesswoman who has perhaps allowed the bottom line to get in the way of certain perspectives, about the people who work for you.”
    She seemed to evaluate that response, a tongue running along the inside of a cheek.
    “And if I have lost these perspectives, as you say, Monsieur, what do you propose be done about it?”
    “Give me information on one person, someone who saw Elvira many times, then suddenly stopped.”
    “Josefina has told me about her. I know of whom you speak, and she is a client of the highest social caliber. There is no way possible she is involved in this.”
    “But she might be someone who can tell us who is involved,” I said.
    “And what will this client think, when you show up at her doorstep, playing the investigator? The Aerie has an iron-clad reputation in this city. Our clientele expect the utmost privacy. Even one exception could destroy us.”
    “And if I went to the Beverly Hills press, starting rumors that the Aerie allows killers to come and go on its premises, without prejudice?” I said. “What do you think that will do to your excellent reputation?”
    Madam Arquette eyed me coldly. Then she turned to Josefina.
    “Leave us. You will do no more on this matter, or I will throw you out. Say nothing. To anyone. Is that understood? My quarrel is with the Monsieur now.”
    Josefina walked quickly out of the room.
    The Madam walked over and rested her buttocks on the edge of her frosted-glass desk.
    “You are an older man. Experienced. Why do you do this for a strange girl?”
    “Because someone has to do it,” I answered.
    “Why?”
    “Because some things just have to matter more than other things, and sometimes you can’t just turn away and make something disappear. Josefina couldn’t leave it alone, because it’s her sister.”
    “And you can’t leave Josefina alone, because…are there benefits I am not aware of? Security personnel are not allowed to solicit from the staff. That too is a violation.”
    “Bite your tongue!” I snapped. “She’s young enough to be my daughter. And if you had stopped cutting back on security staffing when I told you to, maybe Elvira would still be alive, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now!”
    For the first time, the Madam’s eyes dropped to the floor.
    “I do not celebrate Elvira’s death, whatever else you may think of me.”
    “Then prove it,” I said. “Give me what I need to keep working on this. If it goes nowhere, that’s my problem. But I’ve got an old cop’s hunch, and I can’t move on it without your help. Come on, Madam, show me that the Aerie’s vaunted reputation is about more than just money.”
    Her eyes stayed on the floor for a very long time. Then she circled back around to the other side of her desk, sat on her stool, pantomimed some commands to the computer, and waited while a piece of hardcopy spat out of a nearby slim-line printer.
    The Madam handed the copy across to me.
    “Get out of my office.”
    I looked at the paper, then popped up out of the chair.
    “With pleasure. Good day, Madam Arquette.”
    ***
    The Madam had been right. The Anglo lady who liked flamingos was of the old-money Beverly Hills upper crust. I still didn’t have a real name, but I had an address and I had contact information. The split with her husband had not affected her lifestyle to any great degree. Both were from wealthy families, and she still maintained a significant estate, one I’d be hard-pressed to visit with any degree of subtlety. So I did what I thought best. I sent her an anonymous text with an address of a public library, and attached a picture of a flamingo to it. Then I waited at the Frances