“Forget it, Honey,” Decker said. “I don’t know when to turn it off.”

Honey blurted out, “I’m worried about Gershon. I’m…”

Her sentence trailed off. Decker urged her to continue.

Honey said, “Just that he’s been acting strange. Then I heard the news on the TV. No wonder we don’t have television in the village. All it does is cause heartache.”

Decker waited a beat, then said, “What does this family have to do with Gershon?”

“Probably nothing,” Honey said. “But when I heard this story, I went to call him. In Israel. I didn’t want to worry the kids. That’s why I told them I was taking a walk. I didn’t want them to hear their neurotic mother talking about a disappearing family….”

She paused to catch her breath.

“He wasn’t in, Rina. It’s after ten P.M. in Israel. Where could he be?”

“Ten in the evening isn’t really late for Israel,” Rina tried. “People are just getting started—”

“It’s late for Gershon. He’s not the social type. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t think a thing of it except that things have been…bizarre lately.”

Honey bit her thumbnail and stopped talking.

Decker said, “What do you mean by bizarre?”

“This is so embarrassing,” Honey said.

Rina said, “Honey, if you don’t want to talk about it…”

Honey sighed. “Just that…Gershon hasn’t been well lately. He hasn’t been sleeping well. Or eating well. He stopped bathing or changing his clothes. He walks around the neighborhood, talking to himself. Just ask anyone in the village. Even the Rav says there’s something terribly wrong. But Gershon won’t talk about it.”

Suddenly, Honey broke into tears. Decker and Rina exchanged quick looks as Honey sobbed into her hands. Decker found a tissue box and gave it to her.

“That’s the real reason…” Honey pulled out a tissue. “That’s the real reason I’m here with the kids. I had to get them out of that environment! You see poor Bryna? She doesn’t eat a thing. And Mendel used to be so outgoing and social. Now he’s all quiet. We’re all nervous wrecks!”

Hannah started to cry. Rina rescued her from the high chair.

“Now look what I’ve done,” Honey chided herself.

“Don’t worry about it,” Rina said, bouncing Hannah on her hip.

Honey dabbed her eyes. “This is terrible. Me bringing my problems to you.” She looked at Decker. “I don’t know if your case has anything to do with him, but I’ll be happy to talk to you if you think it would help. It’s the least I could do.”

Decker looked at Rina. She shrugged. He said, “Tell me about the murders in New York.”

“Robberies. Mostly, they’re robberies.” Honey took a deep breath. “But once in a while…”

She stopped talking.

“What?” Decker said.