“Two hundred ten, which is okay, but irrelevant in my case. I could get into one of the Ivies on a music scholarship. I’ve won enough of the petty competitions to look impressive and know how to audition to look like I play better than I do. I’m real good at flash.”

Decker said, “How would you feel about living alone at sixteen?”

“I’ve lived alone most my life, so it’s no biggie there.” Gabe paused. “That’s not entirely true. My mother has been a factor in my life.” His eyes watered. “I miss her. Anyway, in answer to your original question, I’m good enough to be a professional classical musician. I could play chamber music and small companies. But that’s very different from being a concert-quality pianist. My teacher in New York wanted me to enter the Chopin competition in Warsaw when I’m old enough five years from now. I love Chopin and happen to interpret him very well. But it would really help if I had a teacher.” He laughed. “It would help if I had a piano.”

“Rina and I were talking. She asked me if you think we should rent you a piano.”

“Man, I’d love that!” His face lit up. “You wouldn’t even have to pay for it. I have all that money from my mom. I’ll pay if you were willing to put one in the house.”

Decker looked at him. “Gabe, I didn’t ask you at the time because it seemed too intrusive. But I’m going to ask you now. I’d like to see what your mother left behind in the safe.”

“It was just some cash and papers.”

“I’d like the see the papers.”

The boy grew nervous. “Okay, but it isn’t much. Just my birth certificate and my passport and maybe some bank accounts.”

Resistance. “What about her birth certificate and her passport?”

“I don’t know, Lieutenant. I just separated the cash from the rest of the stuff and put it away for safekeeping.”

“I’d like to see what papers you have. Bank accounts would tell me a lot.”

“Uh, sure.” Gabe stood up. “Give me a few minutes to find them and I’ll bring them out for you.”

In other words, get out of the room while I do this.

Decker stood up. “I’m not trying to pry into your finances, but how much cash did she have in the safe?”

“Around five thousand dollars.”

“That’s a lot of cash considering she paid most of her bills with credit cards.”

Gabe shrugged.

“Do you have a credit card?”

He nodded.

Dragging information out of him. “Are you the primary card-holder?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who pays the credit card bill? Your mother or your father?”

“Chris pays for everything.”

“Okay. Your mother worked, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So she had some money of her own.”

“Probably.”