“You vandalized the synagogue.”

He nodded.

“Are the ghosts gone now?”

He shook his head. “Of course not. They’ll never be gone unless I make peace with them. I don’t know if that’s possible. It’s hard to talk to ghosts. They only talk in dreams, you know.” Ernesto swiped his eyes. “I had this girlfriend for over a year. Lisa. She was wonderful—terrific, beautiful, smart. I broke up with her when I found out about Grandpa. I just couldn’t be with her anymore.”

“She’s Jewish?”

“Yeah.”

“And that’s why you broke up with her?”

“Of course. I was afraid of hurting her. Because of these dreams…these fantasies I have. I would never want to hurt her. I loved her. I still love her. But even after breaking up with her, the fantasies won’t go away.

“The fantasies…they’re sexual. They repel me, but they also—in some sick, primal way—they excite me. We were having sex, but it was the normal kind. Now all I can think about is the sick kind. Demeaning her…hurting her. It makes me sick to think I’m like that. But I can’t help myself. Certain things you can’t hide, you know.”

His pants were bulging.

“All this shit going through my brain while I’m trying to take my SATs and SAT IIs. I…need…help!”

It was a compelling case, and a sympathetic teenager. Decker was no shrink, but the kid seemed sincere. Not overly done, but clearly troubled. And what would Rina think if she found out that Decker was feeling sorry for the kid?

“Tell me the details about the vandalism,” he said. “Where did you get the pictures? They looked original. Were they from a neo-Nazi group or part of the stuff you found in your attic?”

“What difference does it make? I just got them.”

Decker was blunt. “Who else from your school was involved?”

“Look, I admit that I did it. That’s as far as I’m going. I’m not taking anyone else with me. That’s your job, not mine.”

Decker could have pushed it. And maybe on down the road, he would push it. But his motto was to deal with issues one at a time. And now that Decker knew about Ernesto’s involvement, other things would fall into place. “I’m sure that whoever adjudicates the case will demand that you get some kind of rudimentary counseling.”

“I need more than that.”

“I agree.”

Ernesto jerked his head up, surprised by Decker’s honesty.

Decker said, “You’ll have to talk to your parents—”