Marge bit into her hot dog, mustard squeezing out the other end. She wiped her yellow-stained fingertips with a napkin and said to Decker, “Lita thought Marie’s dentist was in Glendale. She didn’t get more specific than that. Lots of dentists in Glendale?”

“A fair amount.” Decker sipped lukewarm coffee from a paper cup. “But if he exists, we’ll track him down.”

“I hope Lita’s memory is intact. The woman is given over to fantasy.”

“If I don’t find him in Glendale, I’ll look into the neighboring communities, I also have an after-hours appointment with Stan Meecham, Marie’s gynecologist. See what the reason was for her D and C.”

“Twenty bucks says Meecham was treating her for an abortion.”

Decker looked up from his java. Marge filled him in on the details of her conversation with Lita Bellson.

“Three or four abortions?” Decker said.

“That Lita knows about.”

“But they were all when Marie was very young.”

“That’s true. According to Lita, Marie found Jesus and changed her life. But I’m skeptical. She could be leading a double life.”

“Any indications of that?”

“Other than the book collection, not really. But what if Marie was wrestling against impulses, Pete? What if impulses won out?”

“So because she was sexually deprived, she took a baby?”

Marge didn’t respond. She was lost in thought.

Decker said, “On a more mundane note, did you get a chance to ask Ms. Delfern about Marie’s hidden key?”

“As I was leaving I asked her about the box. You know…trying to be casual. She said she didn’t know a thing about the key or a locked box,” Marge answered. “When they socialized, it was primarily after work—at a restaurant or at Paula’s place.”

“What about the nurse who was Bellson’s walking partner?”

“Janie Hannick,” Marge said. “They were just that—walking partners. Not social friends.”

Decker took out his notebook and began jotting down some notes.

Marge said, “Try this on, Pete. Remember Marie had a D and C? Suppose the D and C triggered memories of all her abortions? Maybe something snapped inside her. All these babies she felt she killed.”

“Wasn’t the D and C over two years ago?”

“Maybe she cracked slowly and no one picked up on it,” Marge suggested. “Jesus’ help could only do so much. Looks like we’re working with two nutcases, Tandy and Marie.”

“Being religious doesn’t make you nuts, Marge.”

Marge looked at Decker. “No, I didn’t mean to imply it did. But don’t you think there are some weirdos out there who use religion to hide other problems?”

Decker didn’t answer, thinking about Cindy’s description of symptom substitution. “Why do you say Tandy’s nuts?”

Marge gave him a brief description of Sondra Roberts. Afterward, Decker said, “She talked to herself, or did she talk to someone who wasn’t there?”