Decker nodded. “I want to let you know that we’ll do whatever needs to be done to find out what happened. We’ve got a lot of people working on this. Are you up to my asking you a few questions?”

“I don’t…” The tears started anew, but she nodded for Decker to go ahead.

“Was Adrianna having problems with anyone?”

Kathy shook her head no.

“How about a boyfriend? You told my detective that there was one.”

“Garth Hammerling.”

“Any problems with him?”

“Not that I know.”

“I don’t mean to sound intrusive, Mrs. Blanc, but did you and Adrianna have the type of relationship where she would talk to you about personal things?”

Kathy dabbed her smeary eyes with the towel. When she saw that her makeup was coming off, she whispered an “oh dear.” “Adrianna didn’t complain a lot.” She rubbed her face vigorously to get off all the streaked makeup. “But if something was wrong, I think she’d tell me.”

“What do you think about Garth?”

She continued wiping her face. “He seemed all right. I don’t think Adrianna was all that serious about him.”

“Where’d she meet him?”

“He’s a tech at St. Tim’s.” Kathy looked up. “Why are you asking questions about Garth?” Her eyes filled with moisture again. “Was she…violated?”

“I don’t know—”

“I don’t feel well.” She stood up. “I need to use the restroom.”

“Detective Bontemps will take you.”

“I know where it is.” She got up and left. Bontemps stepped into the office.

“Garth Hammerling was Adrianna’s boyfriend.” Decker wrote the name on a piece of paper and gave it to her. “Check him out…although I think Marge said something about his being out of town. Did you contact Mrs. Blanc’s husband?”

“Yes, I did. I didn’t tell him what was going on, but he knew it concerned Adrianna because Kathy had called him several times.”

“Where does he work?”

“Law offices of Rosehoff, Allens, Blanc, and Bellows. Mack Blanc is a senior partner. He’s on his way here from downtown L.A.”

“We should send a car to pick him up. He shouldn’t be driving.”

“Didn’t get a chance to tell him too much of anything. He hung up on me as soon as I told him his wife was here.”

“Give me the number. I’ll see if I can reach him. You go into the restroom and make sure that Mrs. Blanc is okay. Well, she’s not okay, but make sure she doesn’t need medical care. If she does need care, call an ambulance. Have them take her anywhere but St. Tim’s.”

“THE MOTHER MADE an ID with the pictures,” Decker told Marge over the phone. “That means the car is part of an official crime scene. Are the crime techs there yet?”

“Any moment now. Are you coming down?”