“Oh, no, no, no, no, no! That’s not possible! As a matter of fact, I am forbidding you to say anything to them about this. I’ll admit to the vandalism. I think Dad understands where it came from because deep down, I think he knows about Grandpa’s past, too. But he hasn’t faced the truth yet. Maybe he never will. In any event, they don’t need to know the details. My fantasies…”

“You’ll tell your therapist?”

“I’d like to. If I can find one I can trust.”

Yet he told Decker all his thoughts without much hesitation.

Ernesto seemed to have picked up on the thoughts. “My parents have this elevated image of me. Why spoil it for them totally? So what if you think I’m an asshole—a spoiled rich kid flirting with neo-Nazism because I’m bored and a jerk. What do I have to lose? I’m telling you what you already think. I’m not that way, really. I mean, I’ve got my problems but I’m certainly not a Nazi freak. Just ask Jake.”

At the mention of his stepson’s name, Decker felt his heart skip a beat. He didn’t answer.

Ernesto said, “We used to go to the same parties. Everyone knew that Jake’s stepdad was a big-shot cop. We weren’t close, but we knew each other.”

Meaning they probably toked together. Decker remained quiet.

“Not that Jake talked about you.” Ernesto looked somewhere over Decker’s shoulder. “Actually, he didn’t talk about anything personal. He had this way of talking to you without ever talking about himself. Like he was really interested in what was going on in your life. It made him a girl magnet—that and the fact that he looks like he does. Me? I always felt he was hiding something. Kind of like being a cop, I guess. I haven’t seen him around in a long time. How’s he doing?”

“Let’s keep the conversation on you, Ernesto. What do you want me to present to the D.A.?”

“How about if…I, like, give you a statement? And we’ll play around with it until we’re both satisfied.”

“How about if you give me what you want me to present to the D.A.?”

“You can’t help me?”

“No. That’s called putting words into your mouth.”

“All right. I’ll figure it out on my own. What do I do?”

Decker reached into his briefcase and took out a piece of paper and a pencil. “You can start by writing.”

8