Decker grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper and came back on the line. “What’s going on?”

“I heard from Noam,” Miriam said. “He was hysterical. Crying…sobbing. He was talking about something bad that he did. A terrible, terrible aveyrah. Something he did to a man he met in a bar. He was talking so fast, I don’t think I got it all down. I didn’t know who to call—”

“You did the right thing by calling me,” Decker said. “Slow down a moment, Miriam.”

“I’m sorry.”

A male voice in the background said, “Did you tell him about the gun?”

Miriam said, “Not yet.”

Decker said, “Wait. Slow down, Miriam, and listen carefully. I’m going to take you over the conversation step by step. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said. “I’m sorry—”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Decker said. “You did the right thing. First, when did he call?”

“I just hung up with him.”

“Okay,” Decker said. “Did he say where he was?”

“I asked him,” Miriam said. “First thing I said is ‘Noam, where are you?’ But he didn’t answer. All he did is talk. More like rambling. He didn’t make much sense. He was talking so fast, I could barely get a word in edgewise.”

“Like he was talking on the run?” Decker asked.

“Exactly.”

Sneaking away from Hersh to make a telephone call. The two of them must still be together. Damn, damn, damn. He should have had answering machines hooked up to all the relatives’ phones. Most have recording devices. Press a button, the entire conversation would have been taped. A stupid slipup on his part.

Miriam said, “I guess I should have pressed him on his exact location. But you told us he had checked into a motel in Los Angeles, so I guess I assumed that’s where he was. I was so shocked and he was talking so fast. It was five in the morning—My goodness! It must be two-thirty for you.”

Two-thirty-six to be exact. Decker said, “At least we finally have proof that Noam’s still alive. That’s really good. Now sit back and relax, Miriam. I’m going to ask you a lot of questions. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“First thing,” Decker said. “The phone rings, you pick it up.”

“Yes.”

“What’s the first thing Noam said?”

“Uh, something like ‘Tante Miriam, it’s me and I’m in terrible trouble.’”

“He didn’t identify himself?”

“Uh, no,” Miriam said. “No, he didn’t. But I recognized his voice. He used to come over here a lot. He likes my cooking.”

“He must also trust you to call you,” Decker said. “Okay, Noam says he’s in trouble and what do you say?”

“I asked him where he was.”

“And he didn’t answer.”

“No.”

“Then what did he say?”