Martinez said, “Even though we’ve already interviewed him for four hours without an attorney and couldn’t come up with anything?”

“Try him again,” Decker said. “Come up with a plausible story that won’t send him running for legal cover.”

Marge said, “How about…we suspect that the Baldwins were using pull to get kids into universities, and we want Tarpin’s opinion about it.”

“That isn’t a story, that’s the truth,” Oliver said. “The Baldwins were using muscle to get their kids into the top schools.”

Decker said, “Even better. It’ll make us more believable.”

“Loo, Tarpin isn’t going to know anything about that,” Martinez said. “He’s basically a drill instructor.”

“I’m not so sure,” Decker said. “Maybe some of the kids have talked to him about how they were depending on the Baldwins to get them into universities, and that’s why they agreed to attend the Baldwins’ nature camp. If you have a better ploy, Bert, I’m here to listen.”

Silence.

“Good, so I’m putting Bert and Tom on Tarpin.” Decker wrote down the assignment in his logbook. “Next, we need to get hold of Maryam Estes at the Baldwins’ office.”

“Did the warrant come through?” Marge asked.

“Not yet.” Decker looked up from his notepad, his eyes jockeying between Marge and Oliver. “But even if you could technically look through every single file, you’d need to narrow it down. So try to get Estes to help you. I want you two to find out if there were any kids or parents who held a grudge against the Baldwins. Any questions?”

There were none.

“We’re on a roll.” Decker regarded Bontemps. “You can call up the Board of Psychological Examiners and find out if there have been any complaints against the Baldwins in the past…oh…how about ten years? Also, check out the Baldwins’ bank accounts, real estate holdings, assets, anything you can get your hands on. See if you can’t get an idea of what they’re worth or if there was big money going in and out. When you’re done with that, check out insurance. What kind did they have, who was the beneficiary, who had something to gain by the Baldwins’ deaths.”

Martinez said, “Someone should find out if the Baldwins had marital problems. It would support a murder/suicide theory.”

Decker said, “Wanda, nose around into their marriage as well. Anything on Ruby Ranger’s whereabouts?”

Wanda said, “I do a round of calls each day. No one up north has spotted the car.”