“It wasn’t that strong, and you know how it is in L.A. No one really walks and you’d have to pass by to notice an odor.”

“Most of the gas and bloat was gone?”

“Most of it, yes, but we got a whiff of something funky as soon as we got close enough.”

“Was the body in the open or was it wrapped up in garbage bags?”

“It was curled up in the trunk.” A pause. “Daddy, I have to get back to my lunch or Joe’s going to get suspicious. Can we talk about this later?”

“I need the file.”

“And you don’t want to just call up Homicide and ask for it.”

“Exactly. They’ve got suspects in custody, and I don’t want to inject something new unless there’s good reason.”

There was a long pause. “We should talk later. I never fully bought into the carjacking/murder theory. How soon do you want it?”

“As soon as possible, but a day or two won’t make a difference. Do you remember the name of Ekerling’s girlfriend?”

“Marilyn Eustis. I’d like to hear the details of what you’re working on. Can we meet for dinner?”

“Love to.”

“I’ll call you up when I get the file and we’ll have a date. How about Italian?”

“You get the file, princess, I’ll take you anywhere you want. I’ll even pay.”

“You always pay, Daddy.”

“I do, don’t I.” Decker smiled. “See how much your father loves you?”

TAKING ON THE cold case didn’t mean that Decker’s paperwork didn’t pile up. As soon as he hit the squad room, he became the lieutenant in charge and was bombarded with questions, comments, and complaints. Lucky for him he had a few genuine allies that he now considered close friends.

Marge Dunn in specific.

Dunn had worked for or with Decker for over twenty years, starting out as a rookie detective under his tutelage in Juvenile and Sex Crimes for the Foothill Division of the LAPD. He had brought Marge with him to Homicide in West Valley because of her insights and work ethic. A winning personality made her a gem among dross. The woman was tall and big boned with light brown hair that had grown blonder since her involvement with Will Barnes, a former Berkeley detective who had moved to Santa Barbara to be within commuting distance. It was wonderful to see Marge happy, not only from a friendship point of view but also because Marge worked better when she was in good spirits.

Who didn’t?

Dunn had filtered out all the nonsense, leaving Decker with the nuts and bolts of what needed to be dealt with to successfully run the detective’s squad room. She sat in his office as he rummaged through a forest’s worth of phone messages.