“Very pretty,” Decker complimented.

The woman actually blushed. “He berry good to me, Mr. Lieber.”

“What trabajo do you do?” Decker asked.

“I do everythin’. I do the register. I stock the shelves. Berry, berry tall shelves. The store es berry big with tall shelves.” She held her hand way up in the air. “They have big ladder. At first, Mr. Lieber don’ wants me to climb, but I wear berry good shoes. Is no problem. I am berry strong.” She made a muscle.

A smile crept to the man’s lips. He fired off Spanish that intimated that she had gotten her muscle from jerking private things up and down. She glowered at him in return, then blushed when she realized that Decker understood him. They were about to exchange words, but Decker broke in.

“What about Mr. Jaime? Is he a nice man, too?”

“Berry nice,” the shorter woman said. “But not with the jokes. Not like Mr. Ephraim. He’s with the jokes. And Mr. Ephraim always gives me mucho ayuda.”

Ayuda meant help. Decker felt the air turning even colder, his breath a wisp of mist in front of his nose. Daylight was receding quickly. Within a couple of hours, it would be dark. “You two work together.”

“Sí, sí. We stock the shelves together. Sometimes I go on top, sometimes he go on top.”

The man said, “You can go on top of me, Luisa.”

Luisa shot back a gesture that was less than kind. Then her face saddened. “He talk to me, Mr. Ephraim. He ask about my children. He once give me money for a parking ticket. Fifty dollars. I pay him back, but he don’ ask me for the money.” Her eyes watered. “Es berry sad.”

Decker nodded his agreement.

Luisa rubbed her hands together. “Es cold, no?”

“You want to borrow my gloves?” Decker asked. “I have pockets.”

She looked at the leather accoutrements enviously.

“Honestly, I’m fine.” He gave them to the woman.

Reluctantly, she put them on. “Gracias.”

“Por favor.” Decker stuck his hands in his overcoat. “That was Mr. Ephraim’s job? To stock the shelves?”

The man spoke up. “Mr. Ephraim? He do everything. He stock the shelves, he work at the cash register, he sweep the floors. I see him two, three times cleaning the toilets. Nothing is too small for him. He is berry nice man. He never complains. He don’ yell. Every time I see him, he es happy. Big smile.” He looked down. “I will miss him. It is terrible.”

“Yes, it is terrible,” Decker said. “Was Ephraim resentful to be doing all the small stuff?”

All of them shook their heads no.

“Ephraim was happy for any job,” the man said. “He es lucky the old man loved him so much.”

Marta burst into tears. “It is berry bad! Poor Mr. Lieber.”

“It is terrible!” Luisa concurred.

Decker nodded, then waited before he spoke again. “Did Ephraim seem preoccupied lately? Preocupado?”

The trio exchanged innocent glances.