Decker said, “Know where the little one went?”

The old man shook his head. “Just…away. But he came back. And he saw me lookin’ at ’im. And he knew he wasn’t ’apposed to go away. So he says to me…‘You can have this, but only if you don’t say nothin’.’ So I don’t say nothin’.”

“What did he give you?” Decker asked.

“You wanna buy it?”

“Maybe,” Decker said. “I’ve got to see it first, old man.”

“Well…” The coot reached under his hip and pulled out a ski mask. “Itsa good one.” He examined it and offered it to Decker. “No holes.”

Decker stuffed the five inside the old man’s pocket and took the mask.

Rina started when she heard the car pull up into the driveway. She’d been reclining on the living-room sofa, reading, and without realizing it, had fallen asleep. The drapes were open, the afternoon sun shining through the picture window. Rina rubbed her eyes, glanced around the room. A warm, friendly place even though it was uniformly masculine: roughhewn beam ceiling, fir-planked floor topped by a Navajo rug, buckskin chairs framing the fireplace, driftwood coffee table in front of the sofa. All of the furniture made extra-large to accommodate her husband. She heard the front door open. Ginger started to bark.

“Peter?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

His voice sounded tired.

A plastic bag fell next to her leg.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Don’t open it,” Decker said.

Ginger kept barking.

“Could you acknowledge your dog, please?” Rina asked.

Decker bent down and scratched the setter behind her ears. Then he sat beside Rina and ran his hands over his face. “In that bag is physical evidence that puts Noam Levine at the site of a very nasty assault.”

“Oh, my God!”

“You said it.” Decker looked up and broke into a smile. “Man, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Give your old man a hug.”

Rina embraced him tightly, kissed his chest. He stretched out on the couch and laid his head in her lap. She brushed hair off his forehead and said, “What are you going to do with it?”

Decker said, “I wish I knew Shakespeare. He must have a line that would fit this kind of moral dilemma.” He sighed. “I’m not legally required to turn it in because I’m not working in any sort of official capacity. But I’m a cop, I saw what they did to the victim. No one should be allowed to walk away from that kind of thing.”

“What did Noam actually do? Or shouldn’t I ask?”

“Well, I’m not sure he actually did anything,” Decker said. “But I think he was present when the assault took place. How much he participated…” He shrugged.

“You’re very tired, aren’t you?” Rina said. “And you smell of tobacco and alcohol. Where’d you find the evidence?”