In either scenario, with Terry dead or alive, Gabe was still out a mother. Poor kid. Not even fifteen and on his own. His parents gave him the brains, the looks, and the talent, but their own shortcomings failed to deliver to the teen any sense of security. They both had abandoned him into the care of strangers.

It was enough to make you want to wring someone’s neck.

“SHE’S NOT ANSWERING her cell and her car’s not here,” Marge told Decker over the phone. “Do we break the lock or not?”

“And you’re sure she was supposed to show up for work today?” Decker said.

“According to the head nurse, yes. She’s concerned.”

“Have you tried calling her parents?”

“I’ve left a message with her mother. She hasn’t called me back.”

“When was the last time you called the mother?”

“Ten minutes ago.”

“What about a father?”

“Don’t know if he’s in the picture. I don’t have a number for him.”

“Friends?”

“Other than Adrianna, I’m in the dark. Hilly didn’t have any help with that one.”

Decker thought a moment. “I don’t know what she has to do with Crystal Larabee, but she was one of the last people to see Adrianna alive. Break the lock.”

“What do you want us to do once inside?”

“Look around. See if her walls talk.”

“That’s going to take some time. Aaron Otis is supposed to come into the station in a half hour. Do you want to interview him?”

“Sure. What happened the last time you talked to him?”

Marge gave him a recap of the conversation as best she remembered. “We know he had a fling with Adrianna. He knows Crystal, but I don’t know how well. I do know that Greg Reyburn is friends with Crystal. I phoned him and left a message, but he hasn’t returned my call.”

“If you have his number, I’ll call him again.”

Marge read out the digits. “Last I heard from Tim Brothers, the officer on watch detail, Reyburn’s car is still in the parking lot of his apartment house. I could tell the officer to go knock on Reyburn’s front door.”

“That might be a good idea. How you handle it from there is up to you.”

“Will do.” She paused. “The whole thing is odd, Pete. Adrianna kept loaning Garth money for him to take mini-vacations without her. Then she’d sulk and screw other guys including Aaron Otis. Maybe Greg Reyburn as well.”

“Did anyone ask Reyburn if he had a relationship with Adrianna?”

She gave the cell to Oliver. “The Loo wants to know if Greg Reyburn admitted to screwing Adrianna.”

Scott took the phone. “Reyburn claims he never fucked Adrianna.”

“What about Crystal Larabee?” Decker asked.

“There were booty calls. Mostly they were friends.”