“Yep,” Marge said. “We’ve got to start looking into Tandy’s background. She was born in Berkeley, moved to Manhattan when she was a kid, had a lot of connections in the fashion industry….” She paused, then said, “I’ll do a complete background on her. In the meantime, what are you going to do about Leek? You can’t let this little piece of navel lint get away with stealing.”

“I’m going to let the home decide how they want to handle it. If they want to prosecute, I’ll testify to back them up. But if they want to handle it more discreetly, I’ve got better things to do than come down on a nurse who changes bedpans for the elderly. It’s in the home’s hands.”

“I don’t understand you!” Marge was frustrated.

“Drop it, Marge!”

They both were quiet for a moment. Then Decker said, “Okay, so you’ll do a thorough background check on Tandy. See if we can dig up more links between her and Marie. But we’d better move quickly. The feds were called in this morning.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Wish I was. They just can’t wait to play big shot.”

“Bastards!” Marge tossed the newspaper off her lap and began to pace. “How about this for a link, Pete? What if Marie was Tandy’s mom and gave her up for adoption?”

“The timing doesn’t work, Marge. Marie was still living at home with her mother, and Lita’s sure her daughter never became pregnant as a teenager.”

“And you trust Lita’s memory?”

“No, not entirely. But she seemed cogent.”

The front door opened. Ginger stood and wagged her tail, jumping on Cindy as she came through the door. With Cindy was a girl around the same age, both of them slightly sunburned and with wet heads.

Cindy kissed her father’s cheek. “You remember Lisa Goldberg, don’t you, Dad?”

“Hi, Lisa,” Decker said. “How are you doing?”

“Not bad.” Lisa smiled and shrugged shyly.

“We went swimming,” Cindy explained. “I just came back to change. We’re having a one-year mini–high school reunion. A bunch of us are going to dinner and the movies tonight. I should be home at one, maybe two at the latest.”

“Take the car phone,” Decker said.

“My lifeline to the outside world.”

“Don’t be fresh.”

“I know it’s because you care.” Cindy sneaked a look to Marge, who winked. “See you all later.”

As Cindy left, she mouthed a thank-you to Marge. Decker caught it. “What’s that all about?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

“No, tell me now. What are you and Cindy planning behind my—” Decker interrupted himself. “I just thought of something. About two years ago, when Tandy was pregnant with Leek’s baby, she was still very good friends with Marie, right?”

“I think so,” Marge said. “Why?”