“You break the law, it’s serious,” Decker said.

“I’ll talk to you if you use a notebook instead of that thing. It makes me nervous.”

Decker looked at the recorder, then placed it in his pocket. He pulled out his notebook and wrote down the date, time, and place of the interview.

“So talk to me, Mr. McKay. Tell me about your investment strategy. I’m always interested in tips from the experts.”

McKay said nothing.

Decker said, “Just get the first sentence out. It’s easier after that.”

McKay sighed. Softly, he said, “If you’re looking to find big time on me, forget it.”

“What’s big time, Leek?”

“Not me, that’s for sure. All I ever did was penny-ante stuff—nickels and dimes.”

“Lita was talking more like hundreds.”

“Lita talks too much, period! Doesn’t make a difference to her—nickels versus hundreds. She’d have never seen the money anyway. It’d just line the pockets of the board of directors at the home.”

“Embezzling is illegal, Leek.”

“I didn’t embezzle anything, Sergeant. If some of the folks asked me to hold some pocket change for them, how’s that embezzling?”

“Okay. Then show me the paperwork, Leek. All the accounts you’ve opened for your old folks. All the transactions you made in their names.”

The nurse closed his eyes and didn’t answer.

“Not to mention that as a contingency for staying in the home, occupants are required to sign documents surrendering all their assets.”

McKay’s eyes snapped open. “And you think that’s fair?”

“I think some homes do take advantage of the fact that no one wants the burden of caring for the aged. But they work within legal bounds. If I don’t like their rules, I don’t have to choose them. But they’re a far cry from people who use charm to cheat the elderly out of their savings.”

“Cheat the elderly?” McKay whispered fiercely. “Let me ask you something, Sergeant Self-righteous. Do you deal with the elderly on a day-to-day basis? Do you act like a jackass just to get them to smile? Do you sneak them extra food or even sometimes buy them candy out of your measly salary, because food’s the only thing these people got now? Do you wipe their spittle? Change their diapers? Bathe their decrepit bodies after they’ve vomited over themselves?”

“I’ve been vomited on by drunks, Leek. I’ve been cursed at, spit at, punched, clawed, and I’ve even been shot. It’s part of my job.”