“I dunno.” Ruby kissed her mother on the cheek. “Buck up, Ma. There’s always the pool man.”

She dragged her bag across the hardwood floor and onto the porch outside. It left a scratch atop the planks. She towed the duffel through the courtyard and onto the sidewalk, then heaved it into an open trunk on a four-wheel-drive Jeep. She slammed the lid shut, hopped into the driver’s seat, and gunned the engine. Moments later, she was gone.

Wanda took down the license plate, then said, “I wouldn’t fret too much, Mrs. Ranger. Kids always return when the money runs out.”

Alice regarded Wanda, her eyes red and still brimming with water. “You-all don’t know the hell I’ve been through. You try to give up and let them go, but something inside of you keeps trying. One more conversation, one more attempt!” She wiped tears from her cheeks. “She was once a baby…goo-goo-ing and ga-ga-ing in her crib, just like any other baby. Her brother isn’t like that. I just don’t understand what happened!”

Martinez rubbed his neck. “Kids are tough. But she isn’t a kid anymore. She’s an adult. You can take the yoke off your neck. She isn’t your responsibility anymore.”

The woman shook her head. “No, sir, the yoke is there…always. Like that African tribe whose women have iron rings around their necks permanently. The rings stretch the neck. They stretch it and stretch it and stretch it. It is said that if the rings were removed, the stretched neck could no longer support the head, and the woman would die. That’s me, Detectives. The yoke is the only support I have left.”

Before Jacob had left the synagogue in the morning, Decker managed to secure the boy’s permission to talk to Dr. Gruen. He knew he had caught his stepson in a weak moment, and felt bad about exploiting him, but Decker needed some guidance. He left a message with the doctor’s answering service, figuring that the psychologist would call him back later in the evening. To his surprise, Gruen was on the phone five minutes later.

“You caught me right before my six o’clock patient.”

“You caught me right before I left,” Decker said. “Thanks so much for calling me back.”

“You’re welcome. What can I do you for, Lieutenant?”

“Jake gave me permission to talk to you.”

“I know. He called me.”

“Oh, good.” Decker stalled. “I was wondering if you could help me out with some of his issues…without breaking confidentiality, of course.”

“What in specific?”

Again Decker paused. “He’s very angry…self-admitted.”

“This is true. He is one pissed-off kid.” The psychologist’s voice was not only calm, but conversational. He could have been talking about a plumbing bill.

“What’s he pissed off about?” Decker asked.

“Pick a topic,” Gruen answered.