“Is the cell tower for Ranger’s the same cell tower for the Grossman project?”

“I’m checking that out as well.”

“Tinsley gave us permission to get the business card that he took off of Adrianna’s body and also to search his house.”

“Good job, Rabbi. Now I know why you’re in charge.”

“You know, I really need to get started on that. I won’t be able to keep stalling him forever.”

“No, Pete, you need to stay here with your party guests. Oliver and I will go over to Tinsley’s apartment.” Marge held out her hand. “Keys, please?”

“You’re not cutting me a break, are you?”

“To every season, there is a time.” She clamped a hand on Decker’s shoulder. “Loo, this is your time.”

A SEARCH OF Tinsley’s place revealed the business card in the nightstand, a few ounces of cheap weed, and most important in the detectives’ eyes, a bag of women’s jewelry. Tinsley swore that the baubles belonged to his late mother, but Decker knew that killers often took trophies. He needed to make sure that none of the trinkets belonged to Adrianna Blanc and that meant calling up Kathy Blanc and asking her if she could identify any of the pieces. Tomorrow was going to be a hellish morning.

Tinsley was run through the local system—no wants or warrants—then his prints were submitted to AFIS. Nothing popped up. He gave a buccal swab for DNA. Decker now faced a dilemma. He could either arrest Tinsley on lesser charges, which would guarantee no further cooperation on his part. Or he could spring him from the station house, thereby keeping the lines of communication open. Decker chose to let him go, keeping Tinsley in the crosshairs, assigning a cruiser to keep watch on the man.

Both Ranger’s (the deli where Tinsley ate) and the Grossman place (the site where he worked) used the same tower for cell phones, so that was a bust. The next best option—and far from optimal—was to go to the eatery and see if anyone could put Tinsley there at twelve-thirty Monday afternoon for lunch.

It was after one in the morning by the time Decker finished the paperwork and made it home. He was still on a high from his party, but it was tempered by the full schedule he knew he had tomorrow. He hoped to get a little bit of solitude before he dropped off to sleep. The house was quiet when he opened the door, lit with a lone living-room lamp. He expected to find Rina reading, but it was Gabe bundled up in blankets.

“What are you doing up so late?”

The boy took off his glasses and put down his book. “It was really cramped with the three of us in the bedroom, so I offered to sleep on the couch.”

“Nice of you, but you’re not sleeping.”