“My sisters will be home,” Eli said. “Please. I’ll meet you early tomorrow morning—”

“Can’t wait that long,” Decker said. “Tell me what you know about Hersh.”

Shai involuntarily gasped. Decker turned to him.

“Name’s familiar to you, too?”

“Vey is mir,” Shai said. “We can’t talk here. Too many people. Let’s go inside.”

Eli seemed paralyzed. Shai pushed him forward to a unit on the first floor. Eli took out the key and opened the door.

The living room was spotless, the sofa and matching love seat done in white velvet upholstery. The dining room was to the right. Decker suggested they talk around the table.

When everyone was seated, he said, “You know this man named Hersh, boys. So don’t try to tell me you don’t. Okay?”

Eli looked at Shai, Shai looked at Eli. They both nodded.

Decker said, “What’s Hersh’s last name?”

His question was met with silence. Finally Eli said, “I don’t know—”

“Don’t lie to me, son,” Decker broke in.

“I swear I don’t know it exactly.” Eli’s face had become flushed. “I think it’s Schwartz or Shartz or Shatz. Something like that.”

Though Decker remained expressionless, he rejoiced inwardly. He said, “Where’d you meet him?”

Eli said, “He just sort of hangs around the school—”

“You’re lying again,” Decker interrupted. He took off his yarmulke and repinned it. “That really makes me mad. He isn’t known by the other boys in your class so he doesn’t hang around the school.” He bored in on Eli. “Now, I’ll ask you again. Where’d you meet Hersh?”

Eli averted his eyes, then buried his face in his hands.

The lightbulb went on in Decker’s head. The kid didn’t have dark eyes—he had green eyes that were dilated. Had it been in any other context, Decker would have spotted a “head” in a minute. But he didn’t expect to find one in this community. Eli had probably sneaked off school grounds to take a quick toke. Or afraid of all the questions, he’d come home to destroy evidence.

Flatly, Decker said, “I know Hersh is your dealer, Eli. Now that we’ve got that over with, you want to tell me where you met him—or meet him? I’m assuming you’re still in contact with your dealer.”