“Mostly, my job is paperwork and legwork, but yes, it can be exciting. And it can also be dangerous.” He started to pat the bullet scar on his shoulder, but stopped himself. Last thing he wanted to do was to traumatize his daughter any further. “You’ve conveniently left out dangerous, Cynthia.”

“What am I doing that’s dangerous? Asking a few questions?”

“Cindy, someone presoaked a body and Marie’s Honda with gasoline and pushed them both off a hundred-foot drop.” Decker suddenly lost patience. “We’re talking desperate people. Stop arguing with me and just stay put.”

“Can you at least tell me if Tandy’s a nurse? Last question, I promise.”

Decker bit his lip. “Yes, Tandy might be a nurse.”

Hannah let out a big burp.

“Atta girl, Han, you take after your old man.”

Cindy said, “I never remember you belching.”

“You never saw me in my rowdier days after a couple of six-packs.”

“You were once rowdy?”

“Before your time. ’Bout a century ago.”

Cindy smiled. “I’ll take the baby.”

Decker gave his little daughter to his big one and studied them both with pride. Two girls with two boys in the middle. A beautiful and bountiful family. All he had to do was make sure no harm befell any of them for the rest of their lives.

“So what did Marge think of Tandy?” Cindy asked.

“You promised last question. Now, forget about the case. Leave it up to the police.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m going to say good-bye to Rina. No more talk about joining the Academy, okay?”

“I wasn’t intending to drop out of college, Daddy.”

“Thank God one of us can think!” He kissed his daughters, pinched both of their cheeks. “Bye.”

“Bye.” Cindy sat back in the chair, waiting for her father to leave. Having studied him as he talked, she had recognized that look in his eyes—trying to be casual, but he had been concerned. She knew why. Her questions were good ones, but he didn’t want her to know that. Tandy was involved. Since old Dad wasn’t about to help her out, Cindy decided to check out Ms. Roberts by her own lonesome.

She rocked Hannah in her arms until her father called out another bye. She answered him, breathing a sigh of relief when the door closed. In the distance, she heard the motor to the unmarked kick in, then recede in Dopplerian fashion.

They’d located Tandy at a gym, but Cindy didn’t remember the name of the place.