She cleared her throat and said, “Once Tandy started on her parents, it was hard to get her to stop. She hates them. Just puts them down mercilessly. She kept repeating how horrible they were to her, always screaming at her, telling her how bad she was for getting pregnant.”

“Who’s ‘they’?” Decker asked. “Wasn’t she living only with her mother?”

Cindy just shrugged. Marge said, “Pete, you know we have Tandy and Marie living in the same neighborhood when two traumatic things happened in both their lives.”

“What’s that?” Cindy put her hand over her mouth. “Or aren’t I allowed to ask?”

Decker felt a wave of resignation wash over his body. “Tandy’s parents got divorced, and Marie supposedly lost a baby around the same time. Not to change the subject, Cynthia, but I think your friend’s waiting for you.”

“Omigod, I forgot about Lisa!” Cindy kissed her father. “I’m very sorry, Daddy.”

“It’s all right.” He gave his daughter a bear hug. “It’s only because I love you so damn much.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to keep your promise?”

“I swear.”

“Good,” Decker said. “Now go have some fun.”

“Sure. Bye.”

“Cindy, I may have a couple of questions later on for you, okay?”

Cindy grinned. “You call the shots, Father.” She bounced out the door but remembered to close it quietly.

Decker glared at Marge, who returned his angry stare. She said, “If you want me to apologize for not telling you about Cindy, forget it. She’s an adult, Pete. I treat her like an adult. It wasn’t my place to fink on her.”

“You don’t understand, Marge,” Decker said. “It isn’t your fault, because you’ve never had kids. But your kid is your kid no matter how old she is. And the worrying never stops. Remember how angry you were at your father for not telling you he had surgery for cancer?”

“Sure, I was angry. But it was his choice. He chose not to tell me; he suffered the consequences. If Cindy chooses not to tell you, she’ll suffer the consequences.”

“You don’t understand.”

“So if I’m so dense, why don’t we stop plowing old ground and get on with the case?”

Decker sat on the sofa. “Fine. Get on with the case.”

Marge clasped her hands. A fog of hostility sat between them, but she knew they’d get over it. Just as soon as they concentrated on the case. It was bugging the shit out of both of them. “We have Marie and Tandy in Berkeley. And Marie screwing everyone, conceivably—no pun intended—even Tandy’s father.”

Decker pulled out his notebook. “Conceivably.”

Marge smiled. “We have two traumatic incidents happening to both of them at the same time. So how do we connect the two?”