“I’m thrilled with the marriage. But it’s been a stressful couple of days.” Decker rubbed his nose again. “My wife just had a baby.”

“That’s wonderful!” Annie paused. “Or is it?”

“No, it is wonderful!” Decker looked at the sky. “How much detail did Detective Hollander give you?”

“That the victim might be a missing nurse.”

“He didn’t mention any baby?”

Annie paused. “Is this the nurse that’s been on the TV news? The one accused of kidnapping a newborn?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, my God, so you think that there may be a baby in the wreck?” Annie turned white. “It’s not your—”

“No, no, no,” Decker interrupted. “No, mine’s safe at home with Mama. But it happened at the hospital where Rina was staying. The missing nurse was one of my newborn daughter’s nurses.”

“Oh, shit!” Annie covered her face with her hands. “I’m so sorry. You must be freaked!”

“It’s a little disconcerting.”

“You never were a big one for emoting, were you, Pete?”

“I’m calm for your sake, Annie.”

“What a prince.”

Decker shook his head. “Wait, there’s more. In addition to looking at the victim’s teeth, you have the lovely chore of seeing if there are any baby bones.”

Annie looked pained. “They never tell you about this in school, do they?”

“Maybe your wastrel fiancé has the right idea.”

“Could be so, could be so.” Annie sighed. “Anything interesting where the car went off?”

“From your perspective, I don’t think so. But I haven’t combed the area yet.”

Annie walked along the edge of the yellow tape. She stopped, bent down, and stared at the depressions in the shrubs. “As long as I’m in the field, I like to get a feeling for the crime.”

“I can understand that.” Decker heard another car down the mountain—a sheriff’s car. It slowed, then stopped in the roadway. Decker instructed the deputy—a young woman named Picks—to pull up behind the unmarked after he and Dr. Hennon pulled the Jeep out.

“’Preciate the sheriff’s cooperation on this one,” Decker said.

“Anything to find that poor little baby,” Picks said. “News cameras are on their way. Will that screw your investigation up?”

“I’ll talk to them,” Decker said.

Annie primped her hair. “Am I presentable?”

“How about you let me be the media star?”

“Hog.”

“I’m going to try to persuade them to hold off for a while. Soon as this hits the news, we’ll have dozens of gawkers in the area. That’ll screw everything up.” To Picks, Decker said, “I should be back here to grid-search for evidence within a couple of hours. Make sure no one mucks up the scene.”

“Got it.”

Decker turned to Annie. “Let’s move it, Doctor.”