“Yeah, it’s my job,” McKay retorted. “But there’re a lot of ways for nurses to make a living. I do it ’cause the elderly are the garbage of society. I do it ’cause I took care of my own grandparents and understand the pain. So maybe I do pocket a twenty now and then. I know a ton of private nurses who’ve built nest eggs by kypping a little here and there over the years. Think the folks don’t know about it? Sure they do. But they don’t care! Long as someone’s caring for them. What I get from them is nothing more than a tip for my services.”

“It’s illegal, Leek.”

“So arrest me! Then you go to the home and tell them you locked up Leek McKay and see what the old folks say.”

Decker sipped his tea and waited.

“Good old Lita.” McKay shook his head. “Can’t keep her mouth shut. I should have come down on her, but I didn’t want to screw her out of her only fantasy.”

“You’re a regular white knight.”

Again the bodybuilder started to say something, but stopped. “What’s the use? I’m just wasting my breath.”

“Who else knows about your extracurricular investment activities besides the folks you take tips from?”

“No one. Well, that’s not true. You do.”

“What about Tandy Roberts?”

“What about Tandy?” McKay shrugged.

“How long has she known about it?”

The nurse was silent.

“Protecting her?” Decker said. “Or is she protecting you?”

A spark passed through McKay’s ailing, dull eyes. Decker studied his face closely.

“You knew Tandy had a terrible crush on you. As long as you played interested in her, you knew she wouldn’t drop your secret. Unfortunately, you had to do more than just play interested in her.”

The nurse whitened.

Decker said, “How long were you two lovers?”

“God, do we really have to get into this?”

“How long?”

“About a year.” McKay bit back a gag. “It was disgusting. Like going to bed with a hog.”

Decker said, “When did it stop? Or did it?”

“Nah, it’s all over. It stopped when she started buffing out. Actually, it stopped before that. Too bad. I wouldn’t mind now.”

Decker looked up from his notebook. “What do you mean, stopped before she started buffing out?”

McKay hesitated. “It’s not important. The main thing is, her interest in me stopped. She doesn’t care about me or what I do—legal or otherwise. I’m irrelevant to her now that she looks good and acts normal. Just my luck.”

“Leek, why did you stop sleeping with her?”

“You mean why did she stop sleeping with me. She initiated everything. For your information, it has nothing to do with my extracurricular activities.”

“Tell me about it anyway.”

The nurse sighed. “Can you get me another tea first?”