Gabe wouldn’t meet his eyes. “How do you definitely know my father was in town yesterday?”

“I told you. He was at the junkyard. We missed each other by thirty-six hours. He wouldn’t call you on your cell. That would show up on your phone records. But I know he got in touch with you. And I know he gave you some stuff. I just want to make sure it’s nothing that was used in a crime.”

Gabe held his head, his mind racing about the cleanest way to get out of it. “I saw him for about five minutes. He gave me my passport, my birth certificate, and some cash.” Don’t tell him about the bank statements. Those are traceable. “That’s it.”

“That’s a start,” Decker said. “What did he tell you?”

“He said, ‘Here’s stuff you might need. Good-bye.’”

“And that stuff was in your briefcase?”

Gabe nodded.

“Where is that stuff now?”

Gabe pulled out his birth certificate, his passport, and a wad of cash from his backpack and gave it to Decker. “If this is material evidence in a crime, keep it.”

“It’s not material evidence.” Decker paged through the kid’s passport. He’d been to England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Poland. “How’d you like Europe?”

“I was at piano competitions, so I didn’t see much.”

“How’d you do?”

“Win some, lose some.”

Decker said, “Gabe, if this is all he gave you, why didn’t you tell me this yesterday?”

The teen shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You’re holding back.”

“Look, Lieutenant, if I thought he killed my mom, I’d kill the bastard myself. But I don’t think he hurt her. So I’d rather you just leave him alone. I know you’re not going to do that. But if Chris didn’t do, why should I help you?”

“If Chris didn’t hurt your mom, I could clear him. I’ve done it before.”

“Maybe he doesn’t trust you.”

“You want to know what I think?” A pause. “That maybe you’re right. That maybe he didn’t kill your mom. Maybe your mom ran away from your dad. And if Chris is looking for her, God help her if he finds her. I understand your loyalty to your father, Gabe. But it’s better if I find her before he does.”

“I agree, but I can’t help you. I don’t know where she is. I don’t know where he is.”

“So your father just gave you stuff and said sayonara?”

“Exactly. It’s clear he doesn’t want any connections to me. And that’s fine.”

“And yet you remain loyal to him.”

“He said he didn’t kill her.” Gabe was adamant. “I believe him. Then he gave me the stuff and left. That’s it. I don’t have anything else to tell you.”