BY THE TIME Decker arrived home, Rina was dressed in flannel pajamas and in bed, the duvet’s pattern obscured by dozens of brochures and travel books. She looked up from her makeshift desk and smiled. “Don’t mind me. I’m just having a fantasy.”

“A fantasy without me?” Decker said.

“Not that kind of fantasy, although I suppose that in my fantasy I can include that kind of fantasy.”

Decker laughed. “I found a turkey sandwich with coleslaw and potato salad on a plate wrapped with Saran in the refrigerator. Is that for me?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I am starving. I’m also dirty. Do I shower first or do I eat?”

“You shower, I’ll set your dinner up on a tray and you can eat it in bed while I read and pretend.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Twenty minutes later, the bed had been cleared, the books and brochures stacked on Rina’s nightstand. A tray held his dinner and two cans of diet root beer. Decker bit into the juiciest turkey sandwich he had ever tasted. The rye bread was very fresh and Rina had slathered it with mustard and mayo. She also added some cranberry sauce. He was in heaven.

Rina gave him a few minutes of peace to eat his dinner. Then she said, “Good day?”

“Long day?”

“The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“You’re right. It was a long day and a pretty good day. It ended better than it started.”

Rina brightened. “You found Rudy Banks?”

Decker gave a sad smile. “See, that’s why I said it was a pretty good day. Finding Rudy would be a very good day.” He polished off one can of soda and opened the other. “No, I didn’t find Rudy, but I found a connection, albeit a weak one, between Primo Ekerling and his alleged murderer, Travis Martel.”

“That’s good.” Rina paused. “What’s the link?”

“Martel had sent several demos to Primo Ekerling. One actually included a note that said: ‘Yo. Here’s more. Let me know when it’s happening.’”

“What’s happening? A record deal?”

“That’s what I took out of it.” After finishing his sandwich, he methodically devoured the potato salad, washing it down with the second soda. “Primo dated every song demo he got.”

“Compulsive guy.”

“Thank goodness. The date on this particular jewel box was over a year ago. I don’t think a record deal ever happened.”

“So you think Travis Martel murdered Primo because he couldn’t get a record deal?”

“Maybe. Or maybe somebody put him up to murder. Somebody who didn’t like Primo anyway and took advantage of Travis’s own anger at Ekerling.”

“Rudy Banks hired Travis Martel to murder Primo Ekerling?”

“Maybe.”

“Do you have a link between Travis Martel and Rudy Banks?”