Decker nodded. “I heard Rudy left high school in eleventh grade.”

“He was expelled.”

“Because of your brother?”

“That and probably a million other reasons.”

“Who kicked him out? Dr. Ben?”

“Probably the entire administration. What does this have to do with my father’s death?”

“I think Rudy’s involved in Little’s death, but I can’t figure out how or why. This is compounded by the fact that Rudy had been out of the school for at least five years before Little was murdered, so why would he wait so long to murder Little? Did your father ever suspect Rudy in the Little case?”

“My dad didn’t discuss that case with me. I was gone by then. But if there had been a reason to arrest Rudy, I’m sure my father would have done it. He hated Rudy and not just because of Cal. Rudy was always getting into trouble.”

Decker said, “So you’re saying that Banks probably didn’t have anything to do with the Little case. Otherwise your father would have arrested him right away.”

“Maybe he suspected him, but he didn’t have the evidence. All I’m saying is, if there had been evidence, Dad would have gone for the jugular. He hated Rudy.”

“And Rudy hated your dad?”

“Rudy hated everyone.”

“Including Ben Little?”

“Most certainly Ben Little. Little was always on his case, for good reason.”

“The murder had the earmarks of a professional hit. Any way that Banks could have arranged it?”

“Sure. Banks used to run drugs in high school. He’d have a lot of access to unsavory people.”

“Did he have money to pay for it?”

“When Little was murdered, the Doodoo Sluts had some big hits. He would have had money.”

“I understand most of that money went up his nose or in his lungs. That’s what one of his bandmates told me.”

“I’m sure some of it did. I wouldn’t know.”

Decker’s brain started clicking. “How do you know Rudy used to run drugs?”

“People I knew used to buy pot from him.”

“Did you ever know a boy named Darnell Arlington?”

Vitton shook his head. “That name isn’t familiar. Who is he?”

“He went to North Valley, but he’s younger than you by a lot. He was one of the black kids voluntarily bused into the school. He was one of Ben Little’s charity cases.”

“Sorry. I never heard of him.”

“He also ran drugs. Maybe he knew Rudy Banks. Was Rudy still pushing drugs after he graduated?”

“Honestly, Lieutenant, I don’t know if he was or if he wasn’t. I got the hell out of Dodge and never looked back.”

CHAPTER 27

BETWEEN THE MEMORIAL and his impromptu meeting with Genoa Greeves and all of his other regular duties, Decker was a bundle of nerves; his mind was whirling with ideas and theories combined with worries about scheduling problems as the months marched into summer vacation time. When he reached home, all he wanted to do was strip his clothes off, take a hot shower, eat, and go to bed.