He stuck his hands in his pockets, then noticed the door to the nurses’ area. Much to his surprise, it was open, so he went inside. The glass room held three identical-size desks that were typical institutional issues—sturdy and ugly. Two of the desks held nameplates—Marie Bellson, RN, and Darlene Jamison, RN. Staring at the letters so intensely, Decker found the names undulating like waves of heat. Like the ghosts they were. How many victims did the case really have?

Marie’s desk had been gone through meticulously the day of the kidnapping. Decker’s notes contained the items reported—nothing significant. But since Darlene was not an immediate suspect, her desk had remained a private affair. Decker scanned the charts resting on top, then began to sort them. He took a quick peek over his shoulder, then quietly he opened the drawers, looking for personal items: a desk calendar or Rolodex or diary or letters—anything revealing. But as with Marie’s desk, Darlene’s drawers seemed to be repositories for medical charts and patient information. At a glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“Detective, that’s private!”

Decker turned around, smiled at Christine, and closed the file drawer. “I was just passing time.”

Christine raised her eyes. “You were snooping. Do you have a warrant to snoop?”

Decker grinned boyishly. “If I had a warrant, I wouldn’t need to snoop.”

“How can I help you?” Christine sat down. “Better still, how can I help the baby? We all feel so responsible. I keep going over that horrible night, asking myself what I could have done differently.”

“Did you come up with anything?”

“Maybe I should have checked in more often. We were so short-staffed.”

“Who else was on duty in Nursery J, Christine?”

Christine stared at him. “I’m sorry. Everything’s a blur. Maybe you can check the duty roster.”

“I have.”

“So why do you need me?”

“To see if your account agrees with what’s on the roster,” Decker said. “I’m sorry to take up your time, but it’s important.”

“I understand completely. For J, on duty officially? I think it was just Marie, Darlene, and me. I was actually assigned to three nurseries. I was moving back and forth between them. No backup. Budget cuts, they tell us….”

Her voice trailed off.

“What about Lily?” Decker said.

“Lily Booker?”

“Wasn’t she one of Darlene’s trainees?”

“Yes, she was, but I don’t think Lily was on that night.” Christine paused. “Don’t hold me to this, but she may have been crossed off the roster at the last minute. Another reason we were so short-staffed.”

Decker glanced at his nails and said, “Refresh my memory, Chris. Isn’t your nursing roster written in pen?”