Randy said, “Oded Tuito was a drug courier, finally arrested in Spain after outrunning authorities in New York for about nine months. He used erotic dancers to smuggle in ecstasy from Europe into the U.S.—”

“What?”

“What’s ‘what’?”

“Did you say he used erotic dancers?”

“Did I punch something meaningful?”

“Maybe.”

“You want to clue me in?”

“Finish up about Oded Tuto—”

“Tuito.”

“Spell it for me.”

Randy did. “Where was I?”

“Oded Tuito was arrested in Spain.”

“Yeah, him and the other one…I forgot his name. Hold on, it’ll come to me cause it’s relevant.” Mentally, Randy thumbed through his notes. “Anyway, the second dude also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute—this was about a year ago. Both of them used erotic dancers, and both have ties to the Israeli Mafia—Orgad… Jacob Orgad. That’s the other guy. Anyway, before the dancers, guess who the dealers used for couriers?”

“Dare I hazard it?”

“Chasidic Jews,” Randy answered. “They used couples, young married couples barely out of their teens. Some of the women were pregnant. The dealers stuffed the pills in socks and told them they were carrying diamonds. That went bust, too. But there is a point to all of this.”

“I’m listening.”

“This is still an ongoing case. When the cops took those two clowns outta the loop, other Israelis moved in and took over, but this time the ports changed—Miami/Dade. Narcotics has warrants out for several of them—Shalom Weiss, Ali Harabi, and Yusef Ibn Dod—”

“Last two sound Arabic, not Israeli.”

“They’re Israeli Arabs. There is peace in the Middle East, but not the kind that the world has in mind. I found out from one of our Jewish Narcs that the Israelis and the Arabs do business together in three black markets: drugs, sex, and—I kid you not—watermelon.”

Decker laughed. “Do you have any idea where these guys are hiding out?”

“No. We hauled some of the local dancers. One of them had a bad jones, and when she got desperate enough, she ratted out aforementioned names. But they rabbited as soon as they heard we had the girl in custody.”

“This is all very interesting.”

“Okay. It’s your turn now, Pete. What in particular is interesting?”

“I’m wondering if Lieber knew Shalom Weiss.”

“Me too. You have some suspicions you want to share with me?”

“I found out something that didn’t make much sense to me. Now maybe it does.”

“Go on.”

“Quinton Police chief Virgil Merrin. I met up with him at Tattlers—”

“What the fu—what were you doing there?”

“It’s a long story. Why I was there is immaterial. I was wondering why Merrin was there. Why would he be in such a politically incorrect place right near his hometown?”

“Maybe he’s a horny guy who doesn’t like to travel too far.”

“Or maybe he was there for business, Randy. Think about the pieces of information you just gave me. Kids in Quinton arrested for possession of ecstasy in Miami. The Israeli Mafia using erotic dancers to smuggle in ecstasy. The Quinton Police chief in a restaurant specializing in erotic dancers. Three Israelis at large wanted for ecstasy imports. The girl who was murdered, Shaynda Lieber. She used to hang around some of the local Quinton kids…around six months ago, actually.”