Luke said, “I saw her picture on your desk. Recognized her right away. Her husband had been Bram’s friend. I guess you knew that.”

Decker remained quiet.

“Her late husband’s loss was your gain—”

“You get a charge out of pissing me off?”

“It’s a free country.” Luke’s smile turned into a grin. “Better behave, Lieutenant. There are video cameras on you.”

Without speaking, Decker walked out of the room.

25

“You see!” Decker yelled at Marge as he paced. “That’s precisely why I shouldn’t have talked to him! Personal involvement is personal involvement no matter how seemingly small—”

“I think we should go to the jail to check out Bram’s belongings.”

“Don’t interrupt me!” Decker fired out. “I’m not done ranting!”

“Sorry.”

Decker paced a few more moments. Then he stopped, took a deep breath in, and let it out. “Fine. Let’s check out Bram’s evidence bags.”

“Are you all right?”

“No, I’m not all right! What a prick! Like I gave the guy a brain tumor to get to Rina—”

“I think you’re making too much out of this.”

“I don’t care what you think!”

Marge said nothing, calmly sitting with her hands in her lap. Today she wore a caramel-colored pants suit over a bone top. Quite elegant except for the Nikes on her feet. Serviceability took precedence over fashion.

Decker said, “I’m having a difficult time with this.”

“It’s hard to stand on the sidelines.”

“No, I don’t miss getting my hands dirty. It’s the personal aspect. You know at first, I thought they might have been involved.”

“Who’s they?”

“Rina and…him…Bram.”

Marge shot him a quizzical look. “Oh, you mean romantically involved. I thought you were talking about involved in the murder.” She laughed. “I’m thinking, ‘What the heck does Rina have to do with any of this?’”

Decker wagged his finger. “See, you’re thinking business. I’m thinking about my wife. Not good.” He paused. “Tell you the truth, I was relieved to find out he’s gay. Not that I would have cared if he and Rina—”

“Not much,” Marge whispered under her breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

The room fell still.

“Okay. I might have cared a little.” Decker frowned. “Or maybe the thought that he isn’t still preys in the back of my mind. Because I don’t really buy any of this.”

“Buy what?”

“That Bram’s gay. Believe me, I saw the way he looked at my wife.”

“When?”

“At the memorial service.”

Marge said, “You’re telling me that Bram—a priest, at his father’s memorial service, in full view of everyone, including you—leered at your wife?”

Decker sighed, rolled his tongue in his cheek. “Okay. So maybe it was my imagination.”

“I think so.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that the whole thing stinks.”

“What in particular?”