Hangman (34 page)

“Not at all.” Decker smiled forcefully. “Have a seat. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I called up my father’s main secretary. She told me that he wasn’t there, but she’d let him know that I called. So I guess we wait.”

“Okay. Just tell me when he calls back. I’d still like to talk to him.”

“I will.” He scratched his forehead. “So…is Chris like off the
hook? I mean if Mom’s alive, he obviously didn’t kill her.” Gabe scratched his forehead again and it began to bleed. He mopped it up with a napkin. “God, I must look like garbage.”

“You’re a good-looking guy and you come by your looks honestly. You could, however, use a little more rest. I’m going to work and Rina and the kids are going to visit their grandparents in an hour. You’ll have the house all to yourself. Put on some shades and go to sleep. How’s your hand?”

“I’ll be okay for my first lesson with Nicholas Mark. That’s all I care about.”

Decker drummed the table. “I just got off the phone with the attorney who prepared your mother’s papers. He couldn’t tell me anything because of attorney–client privileges, but between the lines, I think those papers are legit. I think your mother wrote the letter. So in answer to your question, Chris is off the hook. And you can tell him I said so. I’d still like to talk to him, find out what he knows. I’m a curious guy.”

Gabe looked away. “I mean, this isn’t like a trap or anything.”

“No, Gabe, it isn’t a trap. I believe your mother is alive and is probably in India.”

“Her and a billion other people. A billion and one counting her new baby. But, hell, I’m not bitter.” Gabe stood up. “Thank you, Lieutenant, for taking me in—you and Rina. I really, really mean that. I promise you I’ll be an easy tenant.”

“You’re not paying rent, so you’re not a tenant. You’re just a mooch.”

Gabe smiled, but it was laced with sadness. “I’ll be a good mooch.”

“You call my wife Rina. You can call me Peter.”

“Thank you, but I prefer to call you lieutenant, if you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind.” Decker shrugged. “Can I ask why?”

“I still don’t feel comfortable calling you by your first name. Also…this is going to sound a little wacky. But calling you lieutenant. I don’t know…the sound of the word. It makes me feel safe.”

W
HEN DECKER WALKED
into the station house at eleven, Wanda Bontemps snapped her fingers to get his attention. She was on the phone and pointed to an unoccupied extension. Decker punched in the lit button and quietly picked up the receiver.

“I don’t understand how you could lose a whole bag of jewelry!”

It was Chuck Tinsley. Decker took up a notepad. Wanda said, “I’m sure it’s not lost, Mr. Tinsley, just misplaced. I just want to assure you that all the pieces have been photographed and described. If we have to replace them, you’ll get full monetary compensation.”

Decker gave her the thumbs-up. She smiled.

Tinsley said, “I don’t give a rat’s ass about compensation. The items were sentimental. They belonged to my late mother. How are you going to replace heirlooms, huh?”

“I’m sure they’ll turn up—”

“You know, I never had much respect for the police. And you know why? You guys have no respect for the people you serve. I mean, you treated me like a criminal and meanwhile the real jackass
who murdered Adrianna is still out there. You guys are a bunch of clowns, you know that?”

“I know you must be frustrated, Mr. Tinsley—”

“What’d you do with my stuff? Take it home for yourself?”

“I will let you know when we find the pieces.”

“Yeah, right. In the meantime, give me cash.”

“Do you want cash compensation for the items?”

“No, I want the items. But if you can’t find them, give me money. And don’t take all year to cut me the check, if you know what I’m saying.”

“I will put in for the money right now, if you want.”

There was a silence over the phone. “Then what happens if you find the pieces?”

“I give them back to you and you return the cash.”

“You should give me the pieces and the cash for all the aggravation you’re putting me through.” He hung up abruptly.

Wanda and Decker put down their respective receivers. She said, “He wants his trophies back.”

“He certainly seems attached to them.”

“Put to rest the lie that he’s just a thief. If that was the case, he would have been thrilled about the cash. He wouldn’t have to bother with a fence.” She stood up and stretched. “I’ve been here for a couple of hours. Need a change of scenery. I’m going to bring the jewelry over to the lab myself. Want an update?”

“Always.”

Wanda flipped through her notepad. “Spoke to Oxnard PD. I’m going up tomorrow to look at the file and compare notes. The primary detective isn’t working today. I left a message. It would be great if Tinsley’s name showed up in the Oxnard file.”

“One can wish. What about Oceanside PD?”

“Lee Wang has contacted them. You’ll have to talk to him about that. We’ve also been looking for a military connection with Tinsley. That hasn’t happened yet.”

Decker said, “The way Tinsley’s acting, we’re not going to get near his place.”

Wanda said, “I’m also wondering if somewhere in the back of his mind, that maybe he suspects that we’re onto him.”

“Keep in close touch with his surveillance team.”

“Of course, but…I’m also wondering…I don’t know, Loo. That if the jewelry was his trophies, now that he thinks the pieces are lost, maybe he might try to find a few new ones to replace the old ones?”

“Let’s put another team on him.”

“Yeah, that would make me feel a little better.”

OVER THE PHONE,
Marge said, “Frieda Kowalski is with her in the ICU. She’s holding her hand.”

“How’s she faring?”

“Mandy or Frieda?”

“Both.”

“Mandy’s going to make it, but she’ll be in a lot of pain. She has burns on her lower half, a broken arm, and a bruised and swollen face from the air bag.”

“And the mother?”

“She’s a bit…reserved. She told me first thing she and Mandy weren’t close. I mean I’m not that close to my mom, either. But if I were suffering from burns and broken bones, I don’t think those words would be the first thing out of her mouth.”

“She sounded numb when I spoke to her. Could be shock. Are they bringing Mandy out of sedation today?”

“Yes, but it’s a slow process. She’ll be out of it for days. The doc told us not to expect anything before tomorrow afternoon. Maybe by the time you get here, she’ll be awake enough to babble.”

“How’s the search for Garth?”

“On that front, we made some progress. After pulling an all-nighter, we came away with several IDs that yes, he and Mandy were here in North Las Vegas. They were IDed by a waitress at Gold—one from the restaurant of the New Lodge Inn. That was on…hold on…on Wednesday night. And also on Thursday…let me check…they were spotted at the bar of the Gin and Rose
Pub and Casino. But…neither Scott nor I have found where they actually stayed. We’ll keep at it.”

“What car was Mandy driving when she had the accident?”

“She owns a 2002 Corolla.”

“If Mandy cracked up her car, what is Garth driving now?”

“Don’t know. He does have his own car, but I don’t know where it is.”

“Did they drive out separately?”

“Maybe. Or maybe he sold his car for cash. We’ll hunt around.”

“Okay. When was the last time Garth stayed in a hotel in North Las Vegas?”

“A long time ago…seven months maybe.”

“But he’s been to Vegas many times in the last seven months.”

“I know, and that got Scott and me thinking. Maybe he rented an apartment or a condo. The monthly rent would be less than what the hotels would charge for a nightly rate if he went often enough.”

Decker thought about that. “If Garth has his own place, he could be keeping his car down there.”

“A car or a dirt bike maybe,” Marge said. “Oliver and I would like to stay for another day. It’ll take some time to check out apartment buildings, and honestly, we’d like to be there when Mandy starts talking.”

“I can get you another day. I’ll meet you there tomorrow either midmorning or in the afternoon. I need to clear a few things first.”

“I’ll pick you up from the airport.”

“Nah, don’t waste time. I’ll take a cab.”

“Sounds good.” Marge smiled, although he couldn’t see it. “If you want, Pete, we can all drive back together. Been a while since I’ve taken a road trip.”

“I don’t think I could survive four and a half hours in a confined space with Scott Oliver.”

“It’s not so bad. He does snore in his sleep, but at least he doesn’t smell.”

Decker laughed and hung up. It was almost two in the afternoon. Dinner was scheduled on the early side since the boys had red-eyes
to take them back east. He decided to make a break for it and got halfway out the door when his desk phone rang. Decker threw up his hands and took the call.

Wanda said, “You got a minute?”

“Of course. What’s up?”

“When the tech was examining the necklace for evidence, she found a tiny hair stuck in the clasp of the diamond
R
necklace. She said that microscopically it looks like one of the fine hairs around the neck that are so pesky when you put on jewelry.”

“Wow. That’s a stroke of fortune.”

“Even better is that the hair has a root.”

Decker felt his heart start to beat. “So we can get DNA off of it?”

“Possibly. Lucky for us that Tinsley was storing his jewels in a paper bag. Less likely to deteriorate.”

“How fast can you get a turnaround, Wanda?”

“I put a rush on it. Soonest would be a few weeks.”

“Tinsley gave us a buccal swab. Let’s get it to the lab ASAP. If the hair belonged to Tinsley’s mother, his DNA profile should be related to the hair’s DNA. If not, we catch him in his lie. And if it is Roxanne’s hair, what is he doing with her necklace? Did the primary on her case ever call you back?”

“Yes. His name is Ronald Beckwith. We’re meeting tomorrow at ten.”

“Call Beckwith back. Find out if Roxanne’s DNA is on file.”

“I did. It is.”

“Also ask him if they picked up any foreign evidence that could generate a DNA profile of the perpetrator.”

“Got it.”

“Let’s get on the stick with this. Tinsley is still out there and it’s making me more and more nervous.”

Once again, Decker hung up the phone. He rubbed his eyes, and then rubbed his neck. He was tired, but it was turning out to be a productive couple of days. Garth had been spotted with Mandy, so they were on the right track with Vegas. And Mandy, although in guarded condition, was still alive. Eventually she’d be coherent enough to talk.
And how lucky was it to have a hair with its root in the clasp of the necklace. A DNA profile would solve a lot of problems.

Things seemed to be coming together, but there were still a lot of fundamental unanswered questions.

Where was Garth?

What were the events that led up to Adrianna Blanc’s death?

What were the events that led up to Crystal Larabee’s death?

Were the two women’s deaths related?

And was Chuck Tinsley a serial murderer?

So many crimes, so little time.

WIPING THE SWEAT
from her face, Marge looked up at the glaring sky. The desert sun that had been so perfect yesterday when she was lazing around the pool had now turned into the enemy as they schlepped around in ninety-degree heat from apartment building to apartment building.

And, man, Clark County sure had a lot of apartment buildings.

It had apartment buildings, condos, housing developments, and seedy hotels with long-term rentals available. They had been going at it for hours before the two of them finally broke for dinner. The only thing open at five in the afternoon was an all-day storefront that advertised the best barbecue in town. They didn’t lie. The ribs were messy and spicy, just the way Marge liked them. When she was done, she cleaned up with a premoistened towelette.

“That was good.”

Oliver was still munching on a bone. “Damn good.”

“What do we have left?”

“If you insist on working, we’ve got a slew of condo developments within a few miles.”

“How much is a slew?”

“Five developments and each one has about thirty condos. Two of them have a management company on-site.”

“So let’s start with them.” Marge signaled the waitress for the check.

“We’re looking for something that might not exist.” Oliver paused. “Kind of like love.”

The waitress came over—a stout lady with gray teased hair. “No dessert for you?”

“Wish we could,” Oliver told her. “We’ve got to go back to work.”

“Working on Sundays? What do you do?”

“Cops.” Oliver produced his badge. “For real.”

She stared at the shield without examining it too closely. “In that case, I’ll wrap up a couple of doughnuts to go. On the house.”

“Thank you very much, but we can pay for it,” Marge said.

“I wouldn’t hear of it.”

Oliver gushed with sincerity. “That’s so kind of you.”

“You betcha.” She gently touched Oliver’s shoulder and left.

Marge said, “What some people won’t do for a free doughnut.”

“We offered to pay. She refused.”

“
I
offered to pay,” Marge corrected.

“Yeah, you’re the good cop, I’m the bad cop. We’ve already established that. Can we move on, please?”

Marge smiled. “Make sure she puts in a maple cruller.”

“I have to make sure?”

“You’re the lady-killer, Scott. If you ask nicely, I bet she’ll put in two.”

T
HE GROUP HAD
just polished off the chocolate cake—with half the restaurant joining in for an off-key happy birthday—and was sipping coffee when Cindy clinked her spoon against a water glass to get the table’s attention. Decker regarded his first daughter and all of his children with love and pride. The time had gone by too quickly. Even Cindy’s pregnancy seemed to be flying by. Over the past week, she had popped.

She said, “As the eldest of the Decker clan, I thought I’d go first.” She and Koby exchanged smiles. “I’ll make this quick because I know that the boys have a plane to catch. As you all know, Koby and I are expecting.”

“Here, here,” Decker said, hitting the table. His skin felt moist and he was in a jolly mood, no doubt from the wine. But it was his birthday and a big one. Rina insisted that she’d drive home so he should enjoy himself.

Jacob said, “And it’s about time, I might add.”

“You should talk.”

“What do you mean? I’m not married.”

“Exactly. Your brother got with the plan. What’s your excuse?”

“I’m psychologically immature.”

“It hasn’t stopped me,” Decker joined in.

Rina said, “Can Cindy finish, please?”

“Thank you, Rina,” Cindy said. “We have some other news.”

Decker perked up. “About what?”

“About the baby, of course.”

The table went silent.

Cindy said, “Last month when Koby and I went to the OB for my routine visit, the OB picked up two heartbeats.”

“Oh no!” Jacob said. “Your baby has two hearts?”

This time she slugged his shoulder. “I’m having twins.”

The group erupted into a hearty round of mazel tovs. “What a wonderful birthday present!” Decker exclaimed. “You may have taken your time, my girl, but you sure did it right.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

“I am so happy!” Decker exclaimed.

“I’m glad.” Cindy laughed. Dad was a little tipsy. “We have other news. Do you want to tell them, Koby?”

“You do all the work. You tell them.”

Okay.” Cindy paused. “The babies are sharing the same placenta.”

Rina said, “So they’re identical twins.”

“Oh my God, that’s crazy!” Hannah exclaimed.

“Crazy?” Decker asked.

“Crazy as in so neat!”

“Neat for you, but expensive for me,” Koby said.

“You save money on the hospital stay,” Sammy pointed out. “A two-for-one.”

Koby said, “That is a good point.”

“Are you doing natural childbirth?” Hannah asked. “Can I be your doula?”

“We’ll find some role for you, Hannah banana,” Cindy said.

“Are there twins in your family?” Rina asked her husband.

“Not in my family,” Decker answered.

“My uncle is an identical twin,” Koby said. “Also, I have identical twin cousins.”

“So there you go,” Decker said.

“Can I finish, please?” Cindy said.

“There’s more?” Jacob asked.

“Yes, there’s more.”

“Are you giving birth to the family dog as well?”

Cindy said, “I’m trying to say something important.”

“Uh-oh,” Koby said. “Do not aggravate her. That can be very bad.”

“Okay, I’m all ears,” Jacob said.

“As long as you’re not all mouth.”

“Ooo…dis!”

“Will you let her finish!” Rina ordered.

“Please?” Cindy patted Jake’s shoulder.

“I’ll shut up.”

“Okay. Here we go. Koby’s custom, unlike Ashkenazi custom, is to name the baby after the grandparents even if they’re still alive…especially if they’re still alive. Which I think is much nicer. Anyway, the first boy or girl is named after the paternal parents. The second boy or girl is named after the maternal parents. So if it’s two girls, the names will be Rachel after Koby’s mother, and Judith, which is my mom’s Hebrew name. But…if it’s two boys, the babies’ names will be Aaron after Koby’s dad and Akiva.” She looked at her father. “After someone we all know and love.”

Decker grinned. “So I guess I’m rooting for boys.”

Cindy said, “Okay. So here’s the deal. Because I’m over thirty-five, we did a CVS a few weeks ago, which will show any genetic problems. And since there is only one placenta, we only did one procedure, so that worked well. I’m happy to report that everything looks great.”

“And you know the sex,” Sammy said.

“Yes, we do,” Cindy told him. “At first we decided to keep it to ourselves, but since we’re all here and that doesn’t happen too often, I thought it befitting the guest of honor to let him know that yes, we
are having boys. So, Daddy, you have the honor of being named after without dying. Happy birthday.” She leaned over and kissed Decker on the cheek. He reciprocated by giving both Cindy and Koby kisses and hugs.

Koby said, “You are truly a prince of a father-in-law and you’re very handy with tools. That is the best.”

“Speech, speech,” Jacob said.

All eyes went to Decker. He felt his throat get tight. “I’m…thrilled.” He suddenly became overwhelmed and his eyes moistened. “I’m at a loss for words.”

“Would you like me to speak on your behalf?” Jacob said.

“Sure, wise guy.” Decker wiped his eyes. “Go ahead.”

“Actually, I don’t want to speak for you, I want to speak to you.” He looked at Sammy. “Can we go out of order?”

“Just make it quick or we’ll run out of time.”

“Okay, okay.” Jake rubbed his hands together. “I just want to say thank you for being my father. And unlike most fathers, you had a choice of whether or not to adopt Sam and me—”

“He didn’t have a
choice
,” Rina blurted out. Everyone laughed. “I would have killed him if he said no.”

“Can I wax a little sentimental, please?”

“You, sentimental?” Cindy said.

“Yes, even I have a soft side. What I was trying to say is that you came into our lives—Sammy and me—after a rather dicey situation. I remember…when I first met you…thinking that you had to be the coolest guy on earth.”

“Boy, did that change quickly,” Decker said.

“Actually, it didn’t.” Jacob bit his lip. “You’re still way up there in the cool factor. Just thanks for being there for me and Sammy and Eema at a difficult time.” He looked at Cindy. “Your kids are going to be major cool. They’ve got coolness on both sides.”

“Thank you, Yonkie.”

“Happy birthday, Dad.” He turned to Sammy. “Is that quick enough?”

“Unusually abbreviated.” Sammy paused. “I guess it’s my turn. So here goes. You might not have had a choice to adopt us, Dad, but
you certainly had a choice to be a father or not. And you aced that test. You’re not our biological father, but in terms of blood, sweat, and tears, you certainly are our real father. And even though I’m Ashkenaz, I’m really happy that you’re getting one of your grandsons named after you. It’s a well-deserved honor.”

Decker kissed his sons and hugged them fiercely. “Thank you, boys.”

Everyone looked at Hannah. “Well, with this red hair, I guess there’s no doubt that you are my biological father. I’m really excited about going to Israel and college, but I know I’ll miss you and Eema soooo much. You’d better visit me a lot.” Her eyes got wet and tears ran down her cheeks. “I love you so much, Abba. Happy birthday.”

Decker gave her a bear hug. “I love you, Pumpkin. And we will visit you a lot.”

“Well, I guess I’m next,” Rina said. “I’ll keep it brief as well. I don’t want to get all mushy in front of the kids, but I’ve been so blessed to spend these years married to someone I love so much. I’ve also been blessed to have this wonderful family, including my beautiful stepdaughter and son-in-law and my grandsons-to-be. Peter, I love you very much and I’m counting on many more years for us to be together. I’ve always been very proud of you. You are simply the best.”

The group aahed as Rina gave Decker a big smooch on his lips.

“Speech from the guest of honor,” Jacob said.

“Nah, you said it all for me,” Decker said. “I’m just basking.”

Jacob nudged Gabe, who’d been quiet throughout the evening. “Now’s your chance to talk or forever hold your peace.”

Gabe turned red and Decker said, “Yonkie, leave him alone.”

“Sorry,” Jacob said. “You know I’m just teasing you.”

Gabe said, “Actually, maybe I should say something.” The table grew quiet. The boy pushed his glasses up on his nose. “First, congratulations to Cindy and Koby.”

“Thank you,” Cindy said.

“You’re welcome,” Gabe said. “Second, happy birthday to the lieutenant.”

“Thank you very much,” Decker said.

“Sure,” Gabe said. “And third…” The boy tried to collect his thoughts. Ideas were buzzing around his brain like a chain saw. “Like…like even though my parents aren’t religious…at all.”
Between the two of them, they’ve probably broken every commandment in the book.
“Uh…anyway, I don’t know why, but they sent me to Catholic school.” A pause. “And we were taught stuff by the nuns…although I don’t remember that much of what they said.”

“That’s okay,” Hannah said. “We don’t listen to the rabbis.”

“Hannah!” Rina said.

“Just getting a little empathy going.”

Gabe smiled. “Anyway, the big thing…the nuns’ big thing…was all about being good and nice and turning the other cheek and things like that. But when I think about it, it wasn’t really about being good and nice. It was about being obedient. Being good…what does it mean? It’s like an abstract concept. Anyway,
I
didn’t really know what goodness meant because…frankly, my parents are a little crazy…they’re a lot crazy. And being good doesn’t seem to be a high priority for either one of them. Maybe my mom a little.” He shrugged. “Anyway, after staying with the Loo and Rina—and Hannah—for even this brief time, I’m getting an understanding what good might be. Honestly, Lieutenant and Rina and all of you, thanks for being so nice.”

No one spoke.

Again Gabe turned red. “That’s it.”

“Thank you, Gabe.” Decker saluted him. “I’ll make you the same deal that I did with all of my kids. You put up with me and I’ll put up with you.”

“I can handle that,” Gabe said.

Sammy checked his watch. It was almost nine. They had an eleven o’clock back to New York. “I hate to leave, but we need to get going. We have to return the car.”

At that moment, Decker’s cell buzzed in his pocket. He let it go once, then took it out and glanced at the window. It was Marge’s number. That sobered him up quickly. “This might be important. Do you mind if I take this?”

“Some things never change,” Rina said.

“Very funny.” Decker punched the green button. “Hi. Can I call you back in ten?”

“Okay. But do call back.”

His curiosity got the better of him. “What’s up?”

“Sorry to interrupt your dinner, Pete, but we have a situation here.”

“A
situation
?” Decker said.

“This doesn’t sound promising,” Rina said.

“No, it doesn’t,” Decker said. “Marge, I’ll call you right back. My boys are leaving for the airport. I want to say a proper good-bye.”

“Why don’t you hitch a ride with them to the airport?”

“You want me down in Vegas?”

“As in right now.”

“You found Garth Hammerling’s body?”

“No, Loo, Garth is still MIA. But as far as bodies go…” A pause. “Let’s just say you might want to see for yourself.”