Hetty nodded. “She told me Tandy bled out during childbirth. I believed her. Why shouldn’t I? Tandy was never well—physically or emotionally.”

Bled out during childbirth! Rina!

Decker felt his stomach knot. Someone was using his own wife’s tragedy to fashion a role for some sick play. “Tandy is very much alive, Mrs. Roberts.” He looked at Marge. “We’d better call it in.”

Marge said, “Mrs. Roberts, I’m going to use your phone.” To Decker, she said, “I’ll call Pacific, get them to call DPSS for the kid. Should I contact Lourdes Rodriguez?”

“Let Social Services do it. I don’t want to foul up procedure at this point,” Decker said. “Someone has to pick up Tandy.”

“I’ll call Hollander.”

“Fine.” Decker said to Hetty, “We’re calling the proper agencies. Someone is going to take the baby from you.”

“I’ll fight it.”

“Mrs. Roberts, I have a strong reason to believe that this isn’t your grandchild. I have reason to believe this baby was kidnapped from Sun Valley Presbyterian maternity ward a few days ago.”

“Of course she was kidnapped,” Hetty said. “The whore admitted she’d taken the baby. Otherwise, the county was going to put her up for adoption. She was trying to cut through the legal red tape. For Geoff’s sake, not mine. I suppose she felt she owed him one for aborting his seed twenty years ago.”

“She aborted the baby?” Marge asked. “I heard she lost it.”

Hetty paused, then said, “Aborted it, lost it, end result was the same, thank God. The whore would have made a lousy mother.”

An old voice called out Hetty’s name.

“Now doesn’t this just end all!” Hetty declared. “He’s up! I won’t get any rest for the remainder of the day. I should throw him out, but I’m too softhearted. That’s why I stuck with him as long as I did. I knew the whore wasn’t his first foray into adultery, but I had a child to raise. As I said before, Tandy was never well.”

“When did she start hearing voices?” Decker asked.

“She was always a little overimaginative, especially after the divorce.” Hetty’s eyes drifted as she spoke. “It got worse over time. The doctor said puberty exacerbated it.”

“You treated her?” Marge said.

“Many times.” Hetty spoke softly. “Many, many…”

The room was quiet, the stillness broken by an old voice.

“Hetty? What’s going on?”

Hetty looked at the baby in her arms. “You’re not leaving with her?”

“Not yet,” Decker said.

“Then could you hold her for me?” Hetty asked.

“I’d be glad to.”

The old voice cried out, “I’ve got to go to the bathroom.”

Hetty handed the baby to Decker. “I’m coming, Geoff. And don’t worry about your bladder. You’re wearing a diaper.”

She disappeared behind a closed door.

“Sweet gal,” Marge said.