“Probably not. I’ll see if I can find a number for her or any of her friends.”

“Great.” Decker’s phone rang. It was Vicki Laslow. “Thanks for calling back.”

“No problem,” Vicki said. “His current parole officer is Melody Simpson. If you have a pencil, I’ll give you her number. She’s not in right now, otherwise I’d transfer you.”

“I’m ready when you are.” He wrote down the numbers as she recited them. “Thank you. This helps.”

“No problem.” She hung up.

McAdams said, “Why are you always right?”

“You found a listing for her in Albuquerque?”

McAdams shook his head. “I yield to your superiority, oh wise man.”

Decker said, “Call her up.”

“Yes, sir!” McAdams was connected to her answering machine. He left a message and hung up. “What now?”

“Now we wait.”

McAdams checked his watch. “Getting near lunch. Hungry?”

“Why not?” Decker put down his pencil. “When all else fails, there’s always coffee.”

I HAD BEEN seeing Juleen on a regular basis, the highlight of my day because I loved her and it made us feel close and closer to what was once normal. We could almost pretend that everything was okay. I FaceTimed her in the morning, and after her studies, we spent the evening together, including dinner. We rarely brought up what had happened. Instead, we’d watch a movie or play a game or talk about her future in America, specifically in Nevada, where she could live a freer life. She always had something to chat about, much more loquacious than she had been at home with family and friends. She seemed to be thriving in a barren climate. I suppose in almost every ecosystem, there was always something beautiful that could pop up even under the harshest of conditions.

What was a bit concerning to me was her relationship with Chris. She seemed to hunger for his approval, which he doled out in small dollops. I hoped that this wasn’t a snapshot of her life to come, seeking attention from men by being obedient. I knew the trajectory of that road. I longed for the day when we lived alone in our own house and I could convince her of the power of self-reliance. I dreamed about a future with her and Sanjay. When my mind drifted to my little boy, I turned it in another direction. It was just too painful.

Today was an abbreviated lunch with my little girl. Chris had stuffed her itinerary with extra lessons twice a week. Did I approve? Yes and no. He was running the show, but she seemed to be okay with it. There was no need to step in unless there was a problem. He walked me back to his hermetic space so Juleen could continue uninterrupted with her education.