“I can’t make that decision for you, Peter.”

“I know that. But I still want to know what you think.”

“How do you feel about flying?”

Decker shrugged. “It’s a big hassle now, but I’m not nervous if that’s what you’re asking.”

“If you don’t go,” Rina said, “you’ll feel guilty.”

He cursed under his breath, soft enough that it wasn’t offensive, but loud enough so Rina could hear. “It isn’t fair to get me involved.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“It’s a family member. If I uncover muck or deliver bad news, I’m going to get blamed.”

“Probably.”

“Definitely.” Decker smoothed his mustache, chewing on the ends. It was the one part of his body where his hair was still predominantly red as opposed to gray. “On the other hand, it’s not just a murder. There’s a missing girl.” Decker filled in some of the blanks to the story, watching his wife grow paler by the moment. “The girl might have been a hidden witness to the murder. Or maybe she escaped before the whole thing happened. That would be the most favorable outcome.”

No one spoke. Decker rubbed his forehead.

“Dinner’s ready,” Rina said softly. “Can you eat?”

“Not a problem. What do I tell Jonathan?”

“It’s up to you, sweetheart.” She sat down next to him. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.” He looked at the ceiling. “I suppose I could hunt around for a few days. By then maybe she’ll turn up… one way or the other.” He faced his wife and kissed her cheek. “How many miles do we have?”

“Actually, I have enough for you to fly free. Interestingly enough, I also have a companion ticket for Hannah and me if we do a Saturday-night stayover.” She patted his hand. “And we do have two sons back East—”

“Just hold on!” Decker interrupted. “My flying is one thing. You and Hannah are quite another thing.”

“I haven’t seen the boys in a while,” Rina told him. “I’d much rather fly with you than by myself.” She patted his cheek. “You’re a tough guy.”

“Real tough.” It had been a while since they had seen the boys. “You’d like to come with me?”

“Yes, I would love to come with you.”

Decker thought a moment. “I have a condition. Promise me you won’t get involved.”

“Good heavens, why would I do that! I wouldn’t dare take any chances as long as Hannah’s with me.” She gave him a swat on his backside. “Go call back Jonathan. I’ll make the reservations on the other line.”

With great reluctance, Decker called back his half brother. After working out a few more details, he walked into the kitchen, where Rina had just hung up on the land phone.

“Jonathan wants to know when we think we’ll be arriving.”

“I’ve booked us on the red-eye.”

“When?”

“Tonight—”

“Tonight?”

“It’s Thursday, Peter. If we don’t take the red-eye, we won’t be able to leave until Saturday night, because I won’t fly on Friday in case of delays. Too close to Shabbos. Besides, I figured you’d want maximum time out there.”