THE HIT CAME a little before eleven on Wanda’s computer: an opal ring surrounded by diamond chips set into gold plate. The piece was a high school graduation gift to Erin Greenfield from her grandparents.

The young woman had just turned twenty-two when she was found in a vacant lot, strangled to death in Oceanside, California, two years ago. According to her roommate, she had gone out the night before and didn’t come home. When she didn’t show up for work the next day, the search was on. Her nude body was found that afternoon in a commercial flower field.

With gloved hands, Decker regarded the ring from Chuck Tinsley’s stash, comparing it to the badly reproduced photograph printed off of the computer.

Wanda said, “I counted the amount of diamonds surrounding the opal. Both the ring and the photograph have nine. What struck me was the gold plate. I examined the ring for a fourteen-K stamp and I didn’t find any. The stones look like real stones but not set into real gold. I would think that would be unusual.”

“I don’t know a thing about jewelry,” Decker said. “I would like a better image of the ring on Erin’s finger.”

“I’ll see what Lee can do,” Wanda said. “I looked up Oceanside. A nice little beach resort, but it’s near Camp Pendleton. Lower-than-average murder rate but slightly higher rape and assault rates. Quite a few bars catering to the Marines. A single guy wouldn’t stick out that much.”

“He might blend into the crowds even more if he was wearing a uniform.”

“Good point. Uniforms also inspire trust.”

“Doesn’t Oxnard have a naval base?” Decker made a few clicks of the computer. “Yeah, here’s something—NBVC—Naval Base Ventura County. There’s also a Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station. There’s a Port Hueneme Naval Base. When you looked up Tinsley, did you happen to know if he served in the military?”

“Don’t remember. I’ll see what I can do on the computer, but it’s too late to call any agency.”

“Do what you can.” With the ring still on his desk, Decker dialed up Marge’s cell. She answered on the third ring. “How was O?”

“Beautiful.”

“Are you actually working or still digesting linguine?”

“We are actually working. And you?”

“We found another piece of jewelry in Tinsley’s stash that might be a match to a strangled woman.”

“That’s big.”

“It could be. When you searched his apartment, did you or Scott find any kind of a military uniform?”

“I didn’t. Let me ask Scott. I got to find him first. Let me call you back.”

“Right.” As he waited, he phoned his wife. “Can I have an hour extension? I have a lead I really need to look into.”