A wave of overwhelming relief washed through his body. Then his usual stoic professional demeanor was broken by a Cheshire-cat grin. The expression was infectious. Marge let go with a full smile.

Decker showed the picture of Caitlin to Mrs. Roberts. The woman sighed—a long-suffering sigh. Something told Decker she’d used it many times before.

“I intend to fight this with all my resources. I don’t particularly relish the idea of a baby at my age, but she’s mine. Tandy didn’t know what she was doing when she signed that will forbidding me guardianship of the baby.”

“Will?” Marge said.

“Will, testament, codicil. I don’t know the technical legal term for it. But I do know it won’t stand up. My daughter wasn’t well when she signed her last wishes.”

Decker said, “Tandy’s not dead.”

“I realize the legality involved, but I’m prepared for a long, drawn-out court battle,” Hetty asserted.

“Mrs. Roberts,” Marge asserted, “Tandy isn’t dead!”

For the first time, Hetty’s face registered confusion rather than anger. “What are you talking about?”

“Your daughter is very much alive,” Decker said.

“That’s impossible!” Hetty said. “The whore said she died in childbirth.”

“The whore?” Marge said.

Decker said, “Mrs. Roberts, who gave you this baby?”

“The whore. She said she was Tandy’s labor nurse. Her intentions were to leave the baby with Geoff, but she found me here instead. How’s that for poetic justice?”

There was a moment of silence. Decker thought about Hetty’s words. Her hatred seemed pure enough, but the speech was written with lots of false notes.

He said, “Does this whore have a name?”

Hetty sneered. “Marie Bellson.”

“Marie Bellson gave you this baby, Mrs. Roberts?” Marge asked.

“Better known as the whore. Not my name for her. Just ask anyone who was at Berkeley at that time. Everyone called her that. She called herself that. Geoff was the only one stupid enough to fall in love with her.”

Marge said, “He got her pregnant, didn’t he?”

Hetty clenched her hands. “The stupid ass. For her, he destroyed our marriage and our daughter. Tandy never forgave him. And for some stupid reason, Tandy never forgave me, either. I was just as much a victim as she was.”

“How’d Marie find you?” Decker asked.

“She didn’t find me.” Hetty’s eyes deepened in color. “She found him. She knew where Geoff lived. Geoff had looked her up when he moved to L.A. She didn’t want anything to do with him. Spurn him once, shame on her. Spurn him twice, shame on him!” The woman let out a bitter laugh. “Anyway, the whore found me. I could see the pain in her eyes as she handed me the baby. It was delicious.”

Marge and Decker exchanged glances. Decker said, “Marie told you Tandy was dead?”