“I don’t know.” Decker exhaled. “All I am saying is the blood at Schulung’s house is not the total picture with regards to Pauline. We’ll find out more when we go to Baniff.”

“Let’s buy some deli sandwiches for the ride tomorrow while we’re waiting for our dinner,” McAdams suggested.

Decker let out a small laugh. “We’re ingesting nothing but salt and fat. My wife is going to chastise me when she gets home.”

“It serves her right for going on vacation while we’re in the middle of a case.”

“It’s not exactly a vacation. She’s visiting her mother.”

“A woman who has lived most of her life, I might add.” He pointed a finger at his chest. “What about the future generation?”

Decker said, “Just wait until you’re that age, Mr. Millennial.”

“Okay, boomer,” McAdams said. “And, FYI, I probably won’t even get to that age.”

“That’s downright morbid.” Decker was concerned. “Why in the world would you say that?”

“Because I’m part of the worst status category: unmarried male.”

“That can be rectified, McAdams.”

“Find me a woman.”

Decker put his arm around the kid. “Son, some things you just have to do for yourself.”

THEY LEFT AT eight the next morning. With light traffic, the drive was a little over three hours. They reached the outskirts of Baniff around eleven-thirty with a full sun in the sky. The air was warm and pleasant. Soon, the area would ease into autumn with cooler temperatures and the promise of brilliant colors. The trees would be glorious. Hopefully, he’d be done with the case soon and he could do his leaf watching closer to home.

It had been a couple of months since Decker and the local law had done a welfare check on Elsie Schulung. Inside the house, they had found a pool of blood after they moved the refrigerator. Then Pauline’s missing case file had become a homicide. The same players—Elsie Schulung and Bertram Lanz—were still considered suspects, but a good investigation meant other avenues had to be considered. Decker wanted a thorough probe of Pauline Corbett’s life.

Baniff was a small town built around a central square park. The wide lawn had lost some of its emerald-green hue, but the area had many oak trees that provided ample shade. There was a large water fountain in the middle of the area with metal benches parked around the perimeter, perfect for sitting, relaxing, and passing the time. Municipal buildings, commercial stores, restaurants and bars, and other businesses sat closest to the greenery and then disappeared after several blocks in any direction. Beyond them were the residential areas: mostly small, one-story brick bungalow homes, but some apartment complexes as well.