Again, Marie was silent.

Decker said, “She found Lily and that was good enough. She smashed Lily, took the baby—”

“I took the baby—”

“Bullshit!” Decker said. “Tandy took the baby. Then she realized what she’d done and took the baby over to her parents. For the life of me, I don’t know why you let her take the baby! Helping her with Lily Booker was one thing. Poor Lily was already dead when you found Tandy with the hammer in her hand. But why did you let her take Caitlin Rodriguez?”

Marie didn’t speak.

“Why?” Decker pleaded.

“I took Caitlin because, through my hormonal delusions, I thought she was in danger in the hospital.”

“Danger?”

“I walked in on Lily when she was doing a heel stick on Caitlin. The baby was crying—screaming. Lily was hurting her!”

Decker thought about her words. “What? Tandy thought Lily was hurting the baby when she was doing a heel stick?”

“Not Tandy! Me! I saw Caitlin cry and got upset. Because babies cry when you do heel sticks. I tried to wrestle her away from Lily, but she wouldn’t let go. So I struck her…too hard!”

“Marie, you’ve done hundreds of heel sticks. No one will believe that—”

“I was delusional, for the last time! And yes, Sergeant, they will believe me! Because I, like you, have a reputable psychiatrist’s testimony.”

Decker felt his patience burst. “Fine, Marie. Go nail yourself to a cross, die for Tandy’s sins, and rot in a jail cell. Meanwhile, your niece will remain tormented by imaginary voices and will probably wind up hurting someone else. If she doesn’t hurt herself first. Goddamn it, don’t you want to help her?”

A slow smile spread across Marie’s face. “She has all the help she needs now, Sergeant. She found Jesus.”

First it was sex, then drugs, then lots of gods, until she found Jesus.

Symptom substitution.

Fanatically loyal.

Decker didn’t speak.

There was nothing left to say.

It was close to midnight when Decker walked through his bedroom door. Rina was nursing Hannah while attempting to write on a notepad. It was a juggling act worthy of the Ringling Brothers.

Decker said, “Can I help?”

“Unfortunately, no. You can’t nurse the baby, and you can’t check off my food list.”

“Why can’t I check off your food list?”

“Because you don’t have any idea of what I have and what I don’t have.”

This was true.

“All set for tomorrow?” Decker asked.

“I think so.” Rina gave him a big grin. “Peter, I’m so excited. I think you should make a speech.”

“A speech?”

“Yes, a speech.”

Decker sat down on the bed. “Why don’t you talk?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. People would rather look at you than me.”

“Peter—”

“I’m serious. Go on, Rina. Give Mike Hollander a thrill.”