“Yes, she was nice. I liked her. I still can’t believe she would do such a shitty thing to me. Now you tell me you think she’s dead.” She bit her thumbnail. “I’m scared.”

Decker patted her hand. “Honey, can you think of anything that might be important to this case? Maybe someone said something about Caitlin that you thought was a funny thing to say.”

“Only Marie.” Lourdes insisted. “She kept saying I should appreciate Caitlin. She was a gift from Jesus. If I wanted to put her up for adoption, she said she’d help me. But when I told her I really wanted to keep her, Marie was superhelpful. She showed me how to hold her, feed her, diaper her, even how to bathe her. Then my mother would come and tell me something different. She didn’t like Marie at all.”

Decker thought a moment. “Your mother and Marie didn’t get along.”

“No big deal.” Lopez grinned. “Her mother hates everybody.”

Decker tossed him a dirty look. Lourdes said, “He’s right, Detective. Mom’s a real pain in the ass.”

“Did your mother want you to put Caitlin up for adoption, Lourdes?”

“She’d kill me if I put Caitlin up for adoption. My mom…she’s gonna take care of Caitlin so I can finish high school. Mom can be a pain, but she’s okay.”

Matty rolled his eyes. Lourdes fell silent for a moment.

“When they told me Caitlin and Marie was missin’, I was shocked, man. I couldn’t believe Marie…” She brushed tears from her eyes. “Now you think Marie is dead? What about my baby?”

“I’m busting my chops to find her, Lourdes.” Decker stood and took out a business card from his pocket. “In the meantime, rest up as best you can. And call me if you think of anything.”

She took the card and placed it on her bedstand.

Decker said, “Take care of her, Mr. Lopez.”

“Oh, I will. I always do. She’s my girl. And the baby’s my kid, too, you know.” Lopez paused. “You really think we should get a lawyer…for the statement?”

Decker said, “Yes, I do.”

“You know anyone, man?”

Decker extracted a pen from his pocket and wrote on the back of his business card. “Call this number. It’s the local chapter of the American Bar Association. Maybe they can help you…give you a referral.”

“How will I know these people aren’t rip-off artists?”

“You interview them, ask them intelligent questions. Even then it’s no guarantee. But unless you want to go through piles of legal mumbo jumbo, you’re going to have to trust someone eventually.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Lopez said. “You don’t have a lawyer you like?”

“Nope.”

“C’mon, man! You gotta know someone.”

“Not really. I’ll keep in touch.”