Inspector Burns parked his car at the curb and looked around the neighborhood. It was a nice, upscale San Francisco street. Far better than he would ever be able to afford. He’d been looking around for a bigger place, not that he could ever buy here. Bay Area real estate was not something for the working man, even a working man and woman together. He was thinking of asking Rocky to move in with him, maybe even thinking about getting married, but they wouldn’t be moving to this end of town.

The woman who answered the door looked vaguely familiar. She was tall and slim and her long, beaded braids were caught up in a bundle at the back of her head.

“I’m Inspector Burns, and you are?”

“I am Beatrice, Beatrice Campbell. I am… was, Ms. Gardner’s companion. Please come in.”