“It concerns a missing child.” Decker took out the photo of Baby Sally and slipped it through the door. “We’re trying to locate this little girl’s parents—”

“I already talked to the police yesterday,” the woman said. “I don’t know who this kid is.”

“Mommy…” said a tiny wail.

“Wait a minute!” the woman snapped.

Decker said, “If you’ll just take your time…”

“I said I don’t know who she is!”

Decker lied, “But I was told by a neighbor down the street that you might know—”

“Who told you that?”

“One of your neighbors.”

“Which one?”

“Uh, let me look at my notes,” Decker said, flipping through an empty notepad.

“Was it Jane?” she fired out. “Did Jane tell you I know this kid?”

Another kid screamed, “Mommy, Andrea hit me!”

“I said wait a minute!”

Decker squinted, trying to get a better look at Patty Bingham. They were still talking through the chain.

“Yeah, it was Jane,” Decker said.

“Well, Jane is a liar!”

The door slammed in Decker’s face. He thought the interview was over, until he heard the chain unlatch and the door opened all the way. Patty Bingham was wearing cutoff shorts and a T-shirt. She was a decent-looking woman and was tight in all the right places, but looked as if she’d traveled more than a few miles in her life. She seemed to be an angry woman, but her eyes gave Decker a quick once-over and her expression softened. She cocked her hip.

“Look, sir…” She let out a small laugh. “I don’t know what Jane Hickey told you, but I don’t know who that kid is. And I’ve got five of my own—”

“Five?”

“Well, three are from my husband’s first marriage. They’re visiting him for the summer. Ain’t that a riot! What did you say your name was?”

The phone rang.

“Want me to get that, Patty?” yelled another voice.

“Yeah.” She faced Decker. “Your name?”

Decker showed her his badge again.

“Jane has a kind of big mouth,” Patty said. “Know what I mean?”

“But why would Jane say you knew this kid if you didn’t?” Decker asked. “Please Mrs. Bingham, the kid’s in a foster home, and we don’t know who her parents are. If her parents don’t want her—”

“Oh, I doubt that,” Patty said. She turned red.

“Why?” Decker asked.

“I mean…who wouldn’t want such a cute kid like that?”

“Some parents are very strange.”

“Ain’t that the truth. Want some coffee? We could drink in the backyard. Ain’t so noisy back there.”

“No thank you, Mrs. Bingham. So you have no idea who she belongs to?”

“No idea.”

“Does she look like anyone you know around the neighborhood?”

“Nope. Sure you don’t want to come in for a cup of coffee?”