“I wouldn’t do that, Moshe,” Ephraim said. “Even I have a code of honor.”

The kid seemed sincere. Decker felt better. He asked, “Was it always the same magazine?”

“Two different ones,” Moshe said.

“Were they Playboys—just naked women—more explicit?”

“No…they were…more…explicit,” Moshe said.

“Where’d he get them?”

“That I don’t know…honest.”

“I believe you,” Decker said.

“He used to bring them to school,” Moshe said. “Once I almost got caught. That was it. I told him not to show them to me…at least not at school. It just wasn’t worth what would happen if we got caught.”

“Did he show them to anyone else?”

“I don’t think I should get anyone else in trouble.”

“Moshe, New York is a dangerous place for an adult, let alone a kid your age. He’s easy prey for all types of perverts and felons. No one’s going to get in trouble, I personally promise you that.”

Moshe sighed. “There was a group of us. Chaim Belser, David Ramy, Yossie Weinstein, and Menachem Takinoff. Noam had a few of the magazines; once Yossie Weinstein brought in one, too. David, Chaim, Menachem, and I…we just looked.”

All the boys’ names were on Jonathan’s list. Man had good instincts. Would have made a good detective…

“You’ve been great,” Decker said.

“I just hope I don’t regret this,” Moshe said.

Decker smiled, patted the kid’s fuzzy cheeks. “Your parents ask you what we talked about, say mostly sports, a little about Noam, okay?”

The boys nodded.

“You boys ever make it out to L.A.,” Decker said, “and if it’s okay with your parents, I’ll take you and my boys out to Disneyland.”

“Really?” they said in unison.

“That’s a promise,” Decker said. He smiled at them. Their eyes were gleaming. He left, heartened to see that there were still some children allowed to remain children.

14

Shimon asked how did the interviewing go. Decker said it went fine. Their next stop was Yossie Weinstein’s house. Shimon said they were closer to the Belsers, but Decker said he wanted to talk to Yossie before he talked to any of the others.

“Why Yossie?” Shimon asked.

“Because he seemed to be the closest to Noam,” Decker said. “By the way, just do what you did at the Greitzman house. You handled the parents perfectly. Made my job a snap.”

“We’re a good team, huh?” Shimon said.

Decker stopped walking for a moment, feeling his throat tighten. He suddenly longed to reach out to Shimon, to embrace him. Caught in a cruel practical joke. He swallowed back an emotional swelling, held himself in check. He resumed his pace and said softly, “Yeah, we’re a great team.”

“You work with a partner?” Shimon asked.