Decker laughed.

“Kid related to Rina?” Fordebrand asked.

“No,” Decker said. “Just doing a favor for one of her friends.”

“Hell of a favor,” Fordebrand said.

“You know how it is,” Decker said. “Starts out as an ‘I’ll look into it’ and turns out to be a mess.”

“All runaways are messy,” Hollander said.

Ain’t that the truth, Decker thought. He should have removed himself from the case when he had a chance. Should have packed up the crew and gone to Florida—to his real family. Why didn’t he back out?

Then he told himself, You know why, schmuck. Something to do with a grandmother’s eyes.

“Well, I’m off to court,” Fordebrand said. “This case gets any more continuances, the foreman of the jury’s gonna keel over. Think the guy’s ninety-two or something.”

“Why do they pick them that old?” MacPherson asked.

“The victim was old,” Fordebrand said. “That juror was one for the prosecutor’s side.” He started singing: “I owe, I owe, so it’s off to work I go…”

The off-key song was accompanied by off-key whistling. After he left, MacPherson said, “There goes Dopey.”

“Dopey couldn’t talk, Paul,” Decker said. “Maybe you should try to emulate him.”

MacPherson sighed. “Can anyone do something about the man’s breath?”

His request was met with silence.

Hollander said, “Marge should be in momentarily, Pete. She has a pile of papers for you, but I don’t know where she put them.”

“I’ll wait for her,” Decker said. “I don’t think she’d appreciate me ravaging her files.”

“As long as you’re here,” Hollander said, “you remember that sexual assault you picked up before you left—”

“Don’t want to hear about it—”

“It’s turned into a real mess,” Hollander said. “The girl has a psychiatric history and they want to subpoena your notes.”

“Christ.”

“I told them you were out of town—”

“Consider me not here—”

“PD’s throwing a shit fit,” Hollander said. “Claims his man put the injuries on her, but it was part of a game—”

“So what?” Decker stated. “She claims she told him to stop when it got too rough and after seeing her wounds, I believe her. She was beaten to a pulp.”

“Sexual games gone wild.”

“PD doesn’t have a good defense. That’s why he’s angry.”

“Just keeping you up to date,” Hollander said.

“Well, I don’t want to hear it until I’m officially on duty,” Decker said. “I’ve got enough crap to worry about—”

“Yeah, speaking of that, a Terry Vadich called yesterday…day before yesterday, something like that. Sounds like another loonybird. Says she’s got something of importance to tell, but she’ll only talk to you. I left her number on your desk.”

Decker slouched in his chair and closed his eyes. “I’m out of commission for the next ten days.”