Decker pocketed the birth certificate and his passport. He thumbed through the cash. It was all in hundreds, and a lot of them. He offered the wad back to the teenager.

“Keep it,” Gabe said. “Rent.”

“Stop it.” Decker waited. “My arm’s getting tired. Take the money.”

Gabe relieved him of the wad. “I really need to be alone for a while. My aunt left a key to her place under the doormat. I think I’ll just hole up there for the weekend.”

“You can’t stay in her apartment alone. If you want to move in with your aunt, then you’ll have to wait until she comes back from Palm Springs.”

“What am I going to do there, Lieutenant? I don’t drink at all, I don’t take drugs. If I wanted to mess myself up, I could do that here as well as there. I don’t know anyone in the city, but I guarantee you I could probably find a dealer in about an hour.”

“I have no doubt.”

“So let me just get out of your way and move into my aunt’s and everyone will be happy.”

“You’re too young, Gabe. I can’t let you do that.”

The kid growled. “Fine. I’ll leave on Monday.”

“I’m not kicking you out.”

“I can’t stay here. You’re hunting down my father. You’re the enemy.”

“I’m not the enemy. Your dad wouldn’t let you stay here if I was the enemy. He knows who I am and he knows that I’ll take good care of you. But he also knows I’m going to ask you lots of questions because your mother is missing, and right now, that’s my first priority. Not your feelings; your mother’s welfare. If you want to move in with your aunt on Monday, I won’t stop you. But don’t put it on me.”

Gabe rubbed his eyes under his glasses. “This is so fucked up!”

“Don’t curse. Why do you think that your father didn’t kill your mother?”

The teenager was confused. “I dunno. He seemed sincere.”

“Your dad’s a pathological liar.”

“I know. But still, he seemed really upset. And now you tell me that he’s hunting for her. I mean, why would he do that if he killed her?”

“I have a couple of questions for you.” Gabe waited. “Did your mother use the car over the weekend?”

“Let me think…it seems like ages ago.”

“Take your time.”

“Saturday morning I was practicing. I went back to the hotel, and then we walked into Westwood, saw a movie, and ate dinner. Sunday I was in a practice room all day. I don’t know if my mom used the car, but she didn’t drive me anywhere. I think she said something about wanting to stick close to the hotel because Chris was coming in.”

“What about Friday?”