“Yes. Marie drove mine. She wanted it that way. She knew I wouldn’t crap out on her if I was driving the car with a body in it. She was right. She followed me to the dumping spot. I swear I don’t know what Tandy was doing. News said the baby was found with her parents. So logic would say that Tandy took the baby to her parents. But I don’t know that.”

Decker paused, thinking about what he actually had on Tandy. So far, he could probably get a charge of accessory and make it stick. But with Marie missing, he had no surefooted evidence to back up murder and kidnapping. Nothing to prove that Marie didn’t do it. And maybe she did. He said, “You and Marie drove up the mountains in separate cars?”

McKay nodded.

“Did you stop at all?”

“Stop with a body in the car?”

“Stop for gas?” Decker asked.

“Oh, I get it.” McKay clutched his hands tightly. “We did stop once. So I could steal a hose…from someone’s front lawn.”

“A hose?” Marge asked.

“You used it as a siphon,” Decker said. “Less suspicious than buying containers of gas in the wee hours of the morning and more convenient. Then you doused Marie’s car with gas from its own tank. Very good, Leek.”

“I thought a long time to come up with that,” McKay said. “I’m glad you’re impressed.”

The guy was serious. Decker gave him a weak smile.

McKay said, “I swear that nurse was dead.”

“Where was Tandy?” Decker asked.

“I don’t know! Why do you keep asking me that? She was gone when I got to the hospital.”

“Where was the baby?” Marge said.

“I don’t know anything about a baby!”

Marge said, “Tell me about you and Marie in the mountains. What’d you do?”

McKay looked at his hands. “We drove up to the mountains, I doused Marie’s car with gasoline, then Marie and I pushed it off the cliff. It made a huge bang. Marie and I split as fast as we could.”

“You left in your car?” Marge stated.

McKay nodded.

Marge said, “Can you answer the question yes or no for the tape recorder. Did you leave in your car?”

“Yes, ma’am, Marie and I left in my car. I drove.”

“What’d you do with Marie?”

“Let her off in front of a building-supply place on Foothill. Her orders. That was the last I ever saw of her.”

“And Sondra Roberts?” Decker asked.

“I don’t know!”

“Something’s bothering me, Leek,” Decker said. “Lots is bothering me, but we’ll start with one thing at a time. You said you pushed the car over the mountain around two, three A.M. Trouble with that one is that the car didn’t burn until much later in the morning.”

“I know.”

“You know?” Decker said.