“Any excuse to be with Rina,” Decker countered. “Another thing that occurred to me. Both Hersh/Hank and Noam/Nolan are or were religious Jews. Noam especially could get homesick and run to what is familiar. Rina knows the Jewish areas in Los Angeles. We can check that one out together as well.”

“Got yourself another partner, eh?” Marge said.

Decker hesitated a moment. Marge was smiling when she said it, but her tone of voice wasn’t light. He joked, “Just trying to conserve your energy for the big ones, Detective.”

Marge’s smile widened. It seemed genuine and Decker felt relieved. Jesus, for Marge to feel displaced by his wife…

Women!

“I’d love to come with you to Disneyland,” Rina said.

“If it’s no bother.”

“It’s no bother.”

Decker was sprawled out on his bed, enjoying the feeling of a mattress big enough to handle his entire frame. Curled against him was Ginger, the Irish setter given to him by his daughter for his thirty-fifth birthday. Exhaustion was creeping under his eyes and he would have loved to close them and drift away. But there was no time to lose.

“Boy, is she happy to see you,” Rina said.

“Feeling’s mutual,” Decker said. “Guy come to feed the horses today?”

Rina nodded and scratched Ginger’s scruff. “You want to take her with us?”

“They don’t allow dogs in Disneyland. Besides, we won’t be gone all that long. I want to make it back by eight. Marge and I are going to check out Westwood.”

Rina looked at the clock. Two-fifteen. The ride was two solid hours, maybe three in traffic. “That’s cutting it close. Maybe you should hold off until tomorrow.”

Decker was suddenly irked. “Look, I have a job to do. You don’t want to come, fine with me—”

“It’s not that I don’t want to come—”

“Rina, these kids had to park themselves someplace. The sooner we find out where, the better it is for everyone.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Rina said. “I’m just wondering how well you can cover Disneyland and Anaheim and make it back to Westwood by eight.”

“So we’ll make it back by nine.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Rina said.

Decker said, “What?”

“You don’t have to snap at me.”

“I’m not snapping at you.”

“Yes, you are.”

“What’s your brilliant idea?” Decker said.

“I didn’t say it was a brilliant idea.”

“Well, what is it?”

Rina sighed, feeling guilty. It was her fault he’d been brought into this mess. “It may be stupid, but I was just thinking. Since Hersh didn’t seem to rent a car or take a bus from the airport—”

“He could have taken a bus,” Decker said. “Hundreds of people take the bus. Unfortunately, no one remembered him.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Rina said. “Forget it. It’s probably just a waste of time.”