“And you’re just reporting it now?”

“I just found out about it now.” He switched his cell to his other ear. “Look, honey, all I need is for someone to go over to his apartment just to make sure he’s not moldering.”

“I think someone would have reported a moldering body. It kinda stinks.”

“Please?”

“And you’re sure this is the right address?”

“No, I’m not sure.”

“And you don’t want to place an MP report? Make it a little more professional?”

“No need for the bureaucracy yet. It’s possible that we could locate him in New York.”

“So why don’t you let me know what happens in New York before I do anything.”

“It may take us a while. I just want to know if you have a dead body.”

Cindy said, “This is what I’m going to do because I love you. I’ll go to the apartment and see if I have a body. If I can’t find a body, I’ll see if something looks off. If something’s off, I’ll start the paperwork. But I’ll do it all in about an hour because it’s already been a while and I’d like to finish up my shift because it’s bad form to piss off your partner.”

“Thank you, Cynthia. You are the bomb. How are the kids?”

“Doing great. They love their new school. Come visit them for grandparents’ day. It’s in a few weeks.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Call me a cockeyed optimist. I choose once again to believe you.”

“Low blow. I’ll be there, I promise. I love you, dear.”

“Same.” She hung up. Decker walked back to the table where the gang had been seated for lunch. It was an overcrowded kosher vegetarian storefront with long wooden tables and hardback chairs, making the wheelchair the most comfortable seating in the café. There were a half-dozen mixed appetizers on the tabletop that probably looked better than they tasted and a pitcher of diluted, organic tea.

“She’s going over to his apartment in an hour, God bless her.” Decker sat down.

“Do we think Gerrard is still alive?” McAdams asked.

“I have no idea.” Decker picked up a mock chicken egg roll. Not too bad but then again anything fried, sugary, or salty always tasted okay. His cell rang. The window showed Radar’s cell. He depressed the button. “Hold on, Mike. Let me get to a spot where I can hear you.”

He stood up again and walked outside into the cold. The skies were gray and there were snow flurries, but it wasn’t as cold as it had been up north. He had gloves on his hands and a scarf around his neck, but he’d taken off his hat and left it in the restaurant. Icy flakes landed on his head like a bad case of airborne dandruff. “What’s going on?”