Strapp pondered the words. Slowly, he asked, “Does she know him well?”

“Well enough to be at Azor Sparks’s memorial service.”

“She went at the priest’s behest?”

“Yes, although they haven’t been in contact for years. At one time, they were good friends.”

“Romantically involved?”

Decker started to smile because the thought struck him as ludicrous. An Orthodox woman like Rina with anyone, let alone a priest. Instead, he thought a moment and decided to frown instead. There had been an intimacy between them—that swift glance. Decker knew a strong bond had been forged because Bram had moved into her life at a very crucial time. But how strong?

A good-looking man selflessly nursing his dying friend through the terminal stages of his illness, comforting the friend’s beautiful wife with perfect words: about how there were reasons for everything and having faith in God…

An adulterous relationship was out of the question. Rina would never have permitted it no matter what the circumstances might have been. But what had happened between them after Yitzchak had died…well, Decker wasn’t as certain as he should have been. Because gentile or no gentile, passionate feelings often superseded convention. His memory tape did an instant rewind as he thought about how willingly Rina had accepted the raised eyebrows in her own community when she had dated and married him.

Which was probably why Decker had reacted so strongly to Rina at the Sparkses’ reception. Yes, his wife’s involvement could mess up his case. But equally as upsetting to Decker was his lack of knowledge about Rina’s relationship with the priest. The whole thing made him feel squeamish.

He said, “I don’t think so. But I don’t know.”

“Did you ask her?”

“No.”

“Are you going to ask her?”

“No.” Decker glanced at a smiling Azor Sparks, then returned his eyes to Strapp. “As much as I want to continue on this case, I do have my priorities. I’m not about to create tension in my marriage. There are rumors that the priest might be gay. I don’t know if that’s true, either. That’s all irrelevant right now. What is important is simply…there was a personal connection between my wife and Sparks’s son. What do you want me to do?”

Strapp sighed heavily. “Is he a suspect?”

“Not yet.”

“Any indication that he’d make a good suspect?”

“None so far.”

Strapp rested his elbows on the desk, made a teepee with his hands. “You’re a lieutenant one temporarily acting as a two. So your role in this homicide, as with all your Dees cases, is supervisory, right?”

“Yes. But occasionally I do get involved. Usually in the beginning when cases aren’t cut-and-dried.”

“Like this one.”

“Yes.”

“But once the case starts gathering its own momentum, you back off.”

“I leave the nuts and bolts to my detectives unless they have a specific problem, yes.”