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watching you, too.”
    Wolfe Bosco sighed a large forlorn sigh. “I’m ashamed to have you see me like this,” said the small, wrinkled man, both elbows resting on top of his narrow little desk.
    Jake was sitting opposite him in one of the many small cubicles on this level of the Actors Guild: America offices in the Hollywood Sector of Greater LA. “I’ve seen you somewhere before—in a more elevated occupation?”
    Bosco sat up and spread his arms wide. “It’s me, Jake. Wolfe Bosco, once a crackerjack talent agent, here and then up on the New Hollywood satellite. At present, alas, a mere shadow of my former grand self.”
    â€œThat’s right, you’ve helped us with information on a couple cases,” recalled Jake. “Up on that movie satellite a few months ago you provided Gomez with—”
    â€œThat guy.” The little fallen agent made a wry face. “I was living like a king, my client Jacko Fuller was starring in Love Me Forever and then—”
    â€œHe’s an android, isn’t he? You must be a great agent to con them into hiring an andy and thinking he’s not.”
    â€œLike I told your Judas of a partner, Jake, everybody in the movie business is young, extremely youthful,” he said. “They didn’t know that my Jacko was merely a replica of a big superstar of a generation ago. Hell, they didn’t even tumble to the fact he isn’t flesh and blood,” he said sadly. “Not until Gomez goes and spills the beans.”
    â€œNope, Wolfe. Gomez didn’t tell anybody about your con.”
    â€œYou think not? Well, it was just one day—” He held up a single, knobby little finger. “One day after him and that skinny carrot-topped Newz reporter scrammed off New Hollywood, I was called on the carpet by the adolescent who was producing this epic flicker. Me and Jacko got bounced right then and there and it’s been downhill ever since.” He raised a hand and let it fall, rapidly, to smack the desktop. “We’re rooming in a dump on LaCienega that’s even rattier than the place we shared before we ascended to fame and fortune.”
    Jake said, “If you’re finished with the autobiography, Wolfe, I’d like to commence with the business I came here for.”
    â€œYou want to hire some talent?” He eyed Jake hopefully. “I still run a little agency on the side and maybe I got somebody to fill the bill.” He lowered his voice. “Strictly speaking, I’m not supposed to do this, but for an old friend and customer—”
    â€œI’m trying to locate a young woman who figures in a case we’re working on, Wolfe,” Jake told him, taking a sheet of faxpaper out of his coat pocket. “Here’s my search permit from the front office.”
    â€œThis is going to be dull,” lamented the little agent. “It isn’t even show business.”
    â€œI think maybe she’s an actress. Called herself Janine Traynor, but there’s nobody by that name living or working in Greater LA,” said Jake. “I’ll give you a description and we can see if it fits anybody in the Guild files.”
    â€œOkay, okay.” With no enthusiasm whatsoever, Bosco pulled a keypad over closer to the center of his desk. “A few months ago I was basking in the perennial sunshine up on New Hollywood. Today, boy, I’m helping a seedy skip tracer track down some flea-brained actress. That’s what they call tragedy, Jake—a fall from greatness.”
    â€œSad,” said Jake. “Are you ready?”
    â€œYeah, in a sec.” He hit a key and behind him a large rectangular wall panel changed into a vidscreen. “Commence with the description of this strayed lady.”
    On the screen appeared a woman’s face.
    â€œWe’ll start with the hair,” said Jake. “It was dark and—”
    â€œHold your