“Cart, we don’t have to go into that right now,” Jill said tightly. “Detective, we’d like you to talk to Dr. Baldwin. We would really appreciate that.”

Decker was stunned. “Mrs. Golding—”

“Jill—”

“I’m glad Ernesto’s getting professional help. But I’m not the one who should act as a go-between.”

“Quite the contrary,” Carter protested. “I’m interested in your opinion. More important, Ernesto is interested in your opinion.”

“Sir, to align myself with a suspect—even for societal good—is a conflict of interest. Furthermore, even if I approved of this man—”

“Dr. Baldwin,” Jill interrupted.

“If I liked him, ma’am, it would mean nothing. If I didn’t like him, it wouldn’t mean anything either. I couldn’t tell a good therapist from a bad one.”

“All we want is your opinion,” Jill said.

“I can’t do that.”

“This is very disappointing.” Carter was pensive and grave. “Ernesto insisted to us that you had his interest at heart.”

The manipulating little bastard. “I’d like if things worked out for everyone. But my job puts me in direct conflict with what you’re requesting.”

Carter stroked his beard. “How about this? You agree to talk to Dr. Baldwin, and we’ll let you talk to Ernesto and ask him your…couple of questions.”

They’re all manipulating bastards.

Jill broke in. “Ernesto seems to trust you. He wants your opinion.”

“I can’t give him an opinion. I don’t know anything about therapists and psychology.”

“Surely you’ve seen therapists in your line of work,” Carter added. “You can’t work with oppressed and desperate people day in and day out without some kind of stress management.”

Decker said, “The last therapist I talked to specialized in child psychology.”

Jill said, “Really? What’s his name? I’m sure I know him.”

“Jill, that is also a bit personal.”

Decker said, “Why would you know him?”

“Because I have an MFCC—Marriage and Family Counseling Certificate,” Jill explained. “I thought you knew that.”

“No, I didn’t know that.”

“I thought the police knew personal things about their suspects,” Carter said.

“Pardon?” Decker said. “Last time I checked, you two weren’t suspects.”

“Well, the family of a suspect. You can’t mean to say that we’re not under a cloud of suspicion—”

“Cart, we can go into that later,” Jill interrupted. “What’s the doctor’s name? The child psychologist, I mean.”

“Jill, wouldn’t that come under confidential information?” Carter asked.

“Oh, yes, I suppose you’re right about that.” She nodded solemnly. “Sorry. You seemed so open with us that I seem to have forgotten my boundaries. Anyway, it is important to Ernesto that you speak with the therapist. Also, I’d be curious about your opinion. We all want to help Ernesto. I mean, you do want to help him, don’t you?”