“Uh, the family situation at that time made it a little hard. But I’m older and things are better. Or maybe not better. Maybe more stable. Well, I don’t know if ‘stable’ is the right word. Am I rambling?”

“A little bit,” Rina said. “Whatever guidance he needs would be appreciated.”

“Not a problem.”

Gabe looked down. “I think Mr. Lettech was angry when I left for California.” His eyes went to Mark’s face. “If you do speak to him, please tell him again that the move wasn’t my idea.”

THE MASKED MAN with the whip wasn’t Aaron Otis. The tats, as small as they were, didn’t match up. Aaron continued to study the pictures. “It’s not Greg, that’s for sure. It could be Garth. I really can’t make out the tattoos. Could you enlarge the pictures?”

Decker gave the snapshots to Marge.

“Have someone scan it into the computer and see if we can bring up a larger image.” After she left the interview room, Decker said, “Recognize the girl?”

“Doesn’t look like Adrianna.”

“Do you think you might recognize her if we enlarged her face?”

Aaron shook his head. “Honestly, Lieutenant, she doesn’t look familiar.” The young man raised an eyebrow. “Too bad. Looks like she might have been fun.”

Decker failed to find the humor in two corpses and a missing woman. He remained flat-faced and Aaron turned red.

“Sorry.”

“And you haven’t heard a peep from Garth?”

“Nothing. I’d tell you if I did. I love Garth, but if he’s mixed up in something bad, I don’t want any part of it.”

Oliver came in. “Can I see you for a moment, Lieutenant?”

Decker excused himself. The two of them talked outside the interview room.

“Marge is still scanning in the photographs,” Oliver told him. “Greg Reyburn walked into the police station about five minutes ago. I put him in room number three. Do you want to talk to him or should I do it?”

“You can do it.”

Oliver took out his notebook and read from a list. “Find out where he’s been for the last twenty-four hours, check out the alibi, ask him again about Garth and their camping trip, show him the snapshots I found in Mandy’s apartment, ask him to identify the tattoos, then lastly about Mandy Kowalski. Anything else?”

“That about covers it. Aaron claims he doesn’t recognize Mandy in the photo as someone he knows or has seen around.”

“Do you think he’s lying?”

“He’s been cooperative. He’s clearly not the masked man, but he could have taken the pictures. He even made a joke about it. Said it was too bad he didn’t know her. She seems like a lot of fun.”

“Rim shot,” Oliver said, miming a drummer hitting a cymbal.