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“I married her before she was famous,” said Maximino. “We met in college and got married when she found out she was pregnant with Ippo. The marriage only lasted a year or so. We divorced soon after Ippo was born.”

“And you didn’t stay in touch?”

“Astra moved to London to become a model, and got into acting quite by accident. But her first part was a big hit, and so she became famous almost overnight. I guess she didn’t want people to know she had already been married and had a son, so she pretty much erased us from her life. So no, we didn’t stay in touch. And then when I met Linda, Ippo was still quite young, and we decided not to mention Astra until he was older and so she raised him as her own.”

“She was my mom, period,” said Ippo. “She still is and always will be.”

“So you came to Paris to meet Astra?” asked Odelia.

“Oh, no,” said Maximino. “We live in Lyon now and come down to Paris a couple of times a year. To see a show, or do some shopping, spend some time together. It’s been a family tradition for years. And now that Linda’s gone…” He swallowed, clearly still grieving his wife’s death.

“Now that Mom’s gone we decided to keep the tradition alive, only it’s just the two of us now,” Ippo supplied, rubbing his dad on the back. “And since we always stay at the Fritz-Parlton, we didn’t want to break with tradition there either.”

“Which is how we ran into Astra yesterday,” said Maximino. “For the first time in, oh, thirty years or so?”

“I didn’t want to look her up,” said Ippo. “Or try to get in touch. I didn’t need to. I didn’t know the woman, even though technically she was my mom, I guess. But apart from that she was just a total stranger. But then when we met yesterday, well, she suddenly seemed anxious to sit down with us and get to know me.”

“She said she’d been thinking about those long-ago days a lot lately,” said Maximino, taking over the conversation again, “and wanted to reconnect.”

“So we had dinner. And we talked.”

“It was awkward,” said Astra’s ex-husband.

“Very awkward.”

“What was so awkward about it?” asked Odelia.

“Well, she said she wanted to be more in our lives. Get reacquainted,” said Maximino. “Said she’d missed out on having a real family and now that her career had stalled she realized maybe along the way she made a couple of mistakes.”

“Like dumping Dad and me,” said Ippo with a shrug. “Sounded to me like she was suffering from a midlife crisis, and had been talking with a therapist.”

“Do you think she came to Paris to meet with you?” asked Odelia.

Father and son shared a look, then shook their heads.“I don’t think so,” said Maximino. “I mean, how would she even know we’d be here?”

“Because you’ve been coming to the Fritz-Parlton for years?” Odelia suggested.

“But how would she know? We haven’t kept in touch.”

“She didn’t mention being here for us,” said Ippo. “I had the impression it was as big a surprise for her as it was for us.”

“I don’t think she set this up, if that’s what you’re suggesting,” said Mr. Murr.

“Is it true that the police have arrested a suspect?” asked Ippo. “Only after Barnabas told us I googled the murder and some newspapers are carrying the story this morning. Like, front-page news.”

“Of course. She was a major star,” said Maximino. “Though according to her, that star had lost some of its luster these last couple of years.”

“They actually arrested Oscar Kinetic’s wife Agatha last night,” said Odelia. “She was in the room with Astra, though she claims Astra was already dead when she got there. And I have to say I’m inclined to believe her.”

“Oscar Kinetic is the producer of your mother’s big show,” Maximino explained to his son.

“I know who Oscar Kinetic is, Dad,” said Ippo. “And please stop referring to Astra as my mother. She wasn’t, all right?”

“Okay, fine,” said Maximino, holding up his hands. He turned to Odelia. “So if Agatha Kinetic didn’t do it, then who did?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” said Odelia. “Though I have to say that the police are convinced they’ve got the killer in custody.”

“The police often get it wrong,” said Maximino.

“So who do you think did it?” asked Ippo.

“I’ve only just started looking into things,” said Odelia, “so I’m afraid I can’t give you an answer. Yet.”

“What about Joonas Harri?” asked Ippo.

“Who’s Joonas Harri?” asked Odelia.

“He’s Astra’s son,” explained Maximino.

“Her official son,” said Ippo with a touch of scorn.

“The son she had with Mike Harri, the Greek shipping merchant. Rich as Croesus, until he lost all of his money in some big scandal and killed himself.”

“And why do you think this…”

“Joonas.”

“Why do you think he killed Astra?”

“Well, he’s in town, for one thing,” said Ippo.

“Staying at the Fritz-Parlton,” said his dad.

“And when we spoke to Astra yesterday she made no secret of the fact that she wasn’t very happy with her son. Said he was after her money, and couldn’t wait for her to die so he could inherit.”