“You said it. Maybe the true father is on the birth certificate. Or maybe she’s hiding a DNA test. You know how it is, Lieutenant. Hell hath no fury like a hit man scorned.”

THE WOMAN ON the line sounded elderly. She identified herself as Ramona White. “I’m looking for Lieutenant Detter.”

“This is Lieutenant Decker.”

“Oh, is it Decker? I can’t read my grandson’s handwriting so well.”

“How can I help you, Ms. White?”

“It’s Mrs. White. I’m returning your call.”

“Regarding…”

“I don’t know what it’s regarding. I just got a message to call you.”

Decker had to think for a moment. Grandson…grandmother. “Oh yes. I’m calling about your son-in-law, Eddie Booker. Do you know where he is?”

“He and my daughter are on a cruise.”

“Do you know when they’ll be back?”

“In a couple of days. They went on a cruise to Acapulco. They invited me to come with them, but I get seasick. Besides, someone has to watch the monsters at home.”

“Do you know what cruise line?”

“Seacoast or Seacrest. Something like that.”

“Any way of reaching them?”

“Probably through the company. They left me an itinerary somewhere. Is it an emergency?”

“No, it isn’t. If Eddie checks in with you, could you leave him a message that I’m trying to reach him?”

“What’s going on? Is Eddie in trouble?”

“Not that I know of. Has he been in trouble before?”

“Not that I know of, but you never know. I’ve been married three times. In the beginning, they were all angels. By the end, they were pond scum. So forgive me if I’m cynical. Men just do that to me.”

NO MATTER HOW much the tape was slowed, the detectives couldn’t make out a face. The woman who left the hospital at six in the morning only to go back inside a few moments later would remain a mystery.

Oliver flipped on the lights. “That was a bust.”

“It was indeed. We could go through the tapes one more time.”

Oliver looked at the wall clock. “Aaron Otis and Greg Reyburn are coming in about a half hour. Why don’t we review the tapes after we’ve interviewed the lads.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Marge checked her cell phone. “Hmm…” She called her voice mail and listened to the messages. “That was St. Tim’s. Someone named Hilda or something. Adrianna was paged at six-oh-seven. So maybe that second phone was a pager.”

“And that would mean the lady in the video was probably her,” Oliver said.

Marge said, “Who was she trying to call?”

“Probably Garth, but it didn’t register on her phone records. It probably never connected. How about a coffee break?”