Merv smiled. “Not as much as you think. I did my tour—not in action, so I suppose you think less of me. But I was not anti-army, only anti-Vietnam. I was a staff psychologist in Germany—the one called in to help the mental basket cases that the confrontation created. It was a very ugly war.”

“Yes, it was.” Decker checked his watch. “It’s been nice talking politics, but I have other obligations awaiting.”

“We know you must be very busy,” Dee stated. No sarcasm in her voice. “Thank you for taking time out for us and for Ernesto. Over the years, we have seen many cases of boys-will-be-boys. We deal in the extremes, helping young men bleed energy in constructive means. And they can’t contact the constructo within until they feel a sense of harmony with nature. That’s why we call our therapy Nature Therapy. We take our clients out of the city and back into the untamed. During the day, our clients are challenged with the physical: the construction of a shelter, the search for food, protection from animals, insects, and the forces of nature. We have Nature Masters who preside over these exercises. Our guides are professional survivalists. They are instructed to teach the client about the physical but offer no therapy. Even if a client wants to confide in them, they are instructed to tell the client to hold the question or statement until group or individual therapy times. Each of our boys gets individual as well as group therapy. Integrating the mind with the body is what puts our clients back into harmony.”

Merv continued the speech. “We have had a tremendous success rate. It’s not perfect, but no therapy is a panacea, especially if the clients aren’t willing to change. In Ernesto’s case, we feel he is ripe for our self-awareness therapy. He is bright, physical, and troubled by what he did. Surely you must believe that the boy, given the right intervention, would prove to be a productive citizen and an asset to the community.”

Decker said, “If you think you can turn him around, great.”

“That would please you,” Merv asked.

“You bet.”

“It wouldn’t be cognitively dissonant with your preconceived notion of the boy?” Merv asked. “I’m sure you have assessed him as problematic.”

“More like criminal,” Decker said. “But, hey, prove me wrong.”

Dee smiled. “Oh, we will do that, Lieutenant. Have no doubt. We will do that.”

“It sounds to me like a summer camp for troubled kids.” Decker sat back in his desk chair, regarding Martinez, Webster, and Bontemps. They looked like an updated and older version of the Mod Squad. “Ever look in the back of Sunset magazine or any other similar periodical? It’s filled with nature camps for troubled teens. I really don’t know what makes this one so different.”