And then there was the initial tension when Frieda arrived. However, Peter never failed to amaze her. He was a different man than he had been ten years ago, so much more comfortable with Jewish religious customs and with himself. He actually seemed relaxed—joking and smiling with the boys, with everyone. It had been Jonathan who was tense—nervous and fidgety—but he was dealing with so much right now. She also couldn’t help but wonder what had gone on between Peter and him.

Crawling into bed, she scrunched up her pillow, then curled into the covers. A moment later, she felt Peter kiss the iota of face that wasn’t obliterated by the blanket.

“You’re still up?” she whispered.

“Waiting for you.”

She rolled over and faced him. “I love you madly. But I’m very tired.”

“I don’t mean that, darlin’!” He kissed her nose. “I’m tired, too. I just wanted to say I love you. That’s all.”

She pulled off her covers and snuggled against him. “That’s so sweet. If I had a speck of energy, I would definitely make that compliment worth your while.”

Decker paused a moment. “You know, there’s no harm in trying.…”

She whacked his shoulder. “You were wonderful tonight. Considering all that’s going on, you were nothing short of a miracle.”

“It’s called compartmentalization. Can’t let the bastards get me down.”

“Should I ask how it went with you and Jonathan?”

A sigh. “Well, let me put it this way,” Decker said. “Remember when we were out here ten years ago, and Frieda Levine suddenly realized that I was her long-lost son. And how she fainted when she saw me. And then the entire evening turned into a big fiasco with your running in and out to bring her food. And me food? And Rosh Hashanah was a total mess. And then, the crowning glory, the very next day, Noam disappeared?”

“That bad, huh?”

“No, that was a cakewalk compared to this. At least, Ezra and Briena were on my side. They wanted me to find Noam. They actually helped me.”

“Chaim and Minda aren’t helping you?”

“Minda is a difficult woman. She doesn’t like me. She just about called me a goy to my face.”

“Oh my!”

“I’m sure part of it was hysteria. But there was a part of her that meant it, too.”

“What about Chaim?”

“The first time I saw him, he was all gratitude. Four hours later— the second time I saw him—he asked me to leave the house.”

“That’s bizarre. Why the sudden shift?”

“I don’t know. Either he was displeased by my lack of progress, or my charm isn’t what it used to be.” He sighed. “I know I told you that some cases can be solved in a half hour. This isn’t one of them. There is no way I am going to be able to do anything. I am totally useless.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

“I’m sure it is true. I was only able to find Noam because Hersh the psycho took him to L.A. That made all the difference in the world. In L.A., I have resources. It’s my home territory. I’m lost here. I need an insider to show me the ropes. And from the looks of it, it ain’t gonna be Chaim or Minda. I can’t even get them to let me search Shayndie’s room. I can only imagine what they would say if I asked to talk to some of Shayndie’s friends or her siblings. Even if I were the type to go around them, I know that the community would close ranks.”