After she left, Baer said, “Bitch!” Silence. “Treats me like I’m three.” He imitated her: “Don’t make a mess. What the fuck does she think I’m going to do? Shit in the corner?” When Decker gave a small smile, Baer said, “Yeah, you get it.”

Decker threw him a bag of chips. “How’s the food here?”

“Not good, but not as shitty as prison. You ever been inside?”

“Me? No. I’m an honest cop. I keep my nose clean because I know what would happen if I went inside.”

“You’d be hamburger, old man,” Baer said.

“Maybe, but I’ll never know.”

“You …” He was looking at McAdams. “You’re a pretty boy. You’d be very popular.”

“I’m already popular,” McAdams said. “And my friends don’t expect me to spread my cheeks.”

Baer opened the chips. “Why are you here?”

The question Decker had been waiting for. “Why do you think we’re here?”

“No fucking idea. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Detective McAdams and I are from Greenbury, New York. Ever heard of it?”

“Nope.”

“Doesn’t ring any bells?”

“Not a one.”

“It’s a small town best known for its colleges. Its population consists of retirees and a lot of second-home owners. It’s pretty because it’s surrounded by dense woodlands and trees, and it’s a great place to go camping and hiking in the summer. The forests are thick, and you can bury things there and no one will find them for years and years.” A pause. “Ring any bells now?”

Baer was quiet and continued to eat his chips.

Decker said, “Our body has a name. Pauline Corbett. You two were married.”

“And now we’re not.”

Silence.

McAdams said, “You show an amazing lack of curiosity about what happened to your ex-wife.”

“That’s because you’re going to tell me, so why should I ask questions?” He opened a bag of corn chips.

“When was the last time you saw Pauline?” Decker asked.

“I don’t have to say anything to you.” Baer was munching happily.

“It’s a simple question.”

“And I don’t have to answer it,” Baer said.

“I’m just trying to get a timetable.”

“No, you’re trying to get something on me.”

McAdams said, “We already have something on you, Brock.”

Decker said, “We’re just trying to give you a chance to explain the situation.”

“What situation?”

“A DNA situation,” Decker said. “Meaning we have yours in odd places.”

Baer stopped eating momentarily.

“I’ll explain that later,” Decker told him. “Let’s go back to the beginning, Brock. When was the last time you saw Pauline?”

“If there’s a DNA situation, you probably know the answer.” A pause. “I don’t have to talk to you.”