Not that her judgment was so wonderful. Admittedly, she seemed to have a knack for putting herself in vulnerable positions. But she refused to be a hothouse flower. Noam was out there, kidnapped by a maniac. She wasn’t about to try heroics, but if she could help by passing out fliers, why not? Even if that meant going down to the airport at three in the morning. Over and over she thought: What if it had been one of her sons…?

She pumped herself up with renewed determination, tucking the remaining fliers back into her folder, preparing the speech for her next stop. As she walked, she heard heavy, rapid footsteps behind her and spun around.

The look in Peter’s eyes. She felt her shoulders sag. She was about to explain her intentions, but he spoke first.

“At least you could have had the courtesy to leave me a message!” He dropped his voice a notch. “What the hell gets into you, huh?”

Rina didn’t answer, but did manage to make eye contact. His face was filled with tension, but his body drooped with fatigue.

He started to speak again, but stopped himself. He ran his hands over his face, looked at her and said, “Why waste my breath? You don’t listen anyway. Did you find out anything interesting?”

Rina felt ashamed. “I should have left you a message—”

“Forget it,” Decker said. “Got any new information for me?”

“Nothing,” she said quietly.

“You’ve done all the terminals on the left side of the airport?”

Rina nodded. “I’m sorry—”

“I said forget it! This is what we’re going to do, Rina. We’ll cover the other terminals together.” He walked away from her. She had to run to keep up with him.

“Can you stop for a moment?” she asked.

Decker halted so abruptly that Rina overshot him. She backed up and said, “I’m not making excuses. But I came here out of deep concern for Noam. Peter, every time I think of that child, I feel I have to do something. Paul MacPherson was as sick as a dog and I was worried he’d do a shoddy job. Besides, if Noam was here, I, more than anyone, could recognize him.”

Decker said, “That’s precisely what I was worried about. How do you think Hersh might have reacted had you confronted Noam? Think he would have said, ‘Sure, little buddy, go on home and I’ll just continue the murders on my own’? And what makes you so sure that Noam’s an innocent victim? He might have reacted violently himself.”

Rina didn’t speak.

Decker said, “Rina, the body left behind had been eviscerated. Does that scare you? It scares me.”

Rina remained silent.

“Then I find out you’re out here all alone, like some friggin Pollyanna.” Decker pulled out a cigarette and stuffed it into his mouth unlit. “Your little stunt scared the shit out of me.”