“Thank you. What new information did you have about Little?”

“Nothing,” Lamar broke in.

Decker said, “Arnie, I think your friends are missing you. They keep making some obscene gestures behind your back.”

“I get the hint,” Lamar said. “See you in five, Freddie. We’re still on for dinner?”

“Absolutely.” The son turned to Decker. “I’m surprised Dad agreed to talk to you about Little. After he retired, he was through with police work.”

“He didn’t want to talk to me. I had to press him. But he did agree to see me. That’s why I was so surprised to find him…gone.”

“Do you think there’s a connection between your phone call and his death?” Freddie let out a soft chuckle. “Of course you do. Why else would you be bringing it up? Do you think Dad was murdered? Is that what you’re saying? The death was ruled inconclusive. That means they’re not sure, right?”

“It means he may have been murdered but they don’t know for certain. I’m wondering if there’s something about the Little case being reopened that might have driven him to suicide.”

“What specifically were you trying to find out from my dad?”

“At that time, I was just gathering information. Since then I’ve come across a few things. Does the name Rudy Banks ring a bell?”

“Of course I know Rudy Banks. He’s a con artist. He rips off everybody, and when they protest, he makes their life miserable and sues them. Everyone in the industry hates him. But I also have a personal vendetta. Rudy spent four years torturing my brother. If it hadn’t been for Dr. Ben’s intervention, I think Cal J would have killed himself.”

Decker gave himself a moment to breathe in the information. He took out his notepad. “Torturing him because he was gay?”

“Of course. But also because Rudy could get away with it. Not when I was in North Valley. Rudy was a few classes behind me, and the one time he tried to bully my brother when I was around, I cleaned his clock. After that, he had to wait until I graduated to start his reign of terror. He’s a shithead.”

“He’s missing,” Decker said. “He moved out over the weekend and no one has heard from him since.”

“He’s not really missing then. He probably messed with the wrong people and now he’s running away.”

“Was he physically as well as verbally abusive with your brother?”

“He punched him, he kicked him, he shoved him, he tripped him: that was just the warm-up. I believe the most treacherous thing he ever did was throw acid on his lower back in PE.”

“Jesus! Was he arrested?”

“My brother wouldn’t press charges. Cal was lucky. He had turned around at the last moment. I think you can figure out where the acid was supposed to land.”