The Sabbath couldn’t come soon enough. Decker needed Saturday to rest and to recoup his strength. In the morning, he and Rina walked on the beach, admiring the infinity of the ocean and the wheel of life and, with God’s help, how things had turned out grand for both of them. After lunch, they reversed directions and walked into town: window shopping and people watching with lots of couples and families enjoying the weekend. By the time they returned to the hotel, it was late afternoon. Rina put her feet up on the couch and settled in to read her book. Decker tried to follow suit. His brain had been on hibernation. Now it was awakening from its needed rest, and once the ideas started, he couldn’t stop them. It angered him that Ricardo Diaz, who had attempted to murder Erin Young, was a free bird, working in Decker’s town, thinking he got away with something.
Rina noticed that he was fidgety. “If McAdams has something to tell you, he’ll call you.”
“I know, I know.” A pause. “I’m fine.”
“What’s on your mind, Peter?” A shrug. “Like I don’t know? You’re furious about Diaz. And without Erin’s help, you’re stymied. It’s okay. Something will break. You’ll probably find Diaz in some kind of database. If Tyler or Marge found something out, you’d know.”
“I’m assuming he isn’t because neither of them has called me.”
“Or maybe they just wanted you to enjoy the day without thinking about work. You’ll find out tonight. I’m sure you two will have plenty to talk about. Will, too. He was in the job for a long time.”
“We’ll try not to bore you.”
“It’s not boring. I’m interested. I’m glad you have a case to talk about. It’s probably a little more interesting than tales of bird-watching.”
Decker smiled. “Maybe.”
“So do yourself a favor and turn off your brain for just a few more hours.”
“I’ve got a good way to do that.”
Rina smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
After drinks and chips and olives, Marge led Decker and Rina to a beautifully appointed dining room table.
“I’ll just be a minute,” Marge said.
“Can I help?” Rina asked.
“We’re fine.” Marge looked at her husband. “Right?”
“Oh sure,” Will said. “Sit Rina.” He got up and followed his wife into the kitchen.
“This is lovely,” Rina said.
Marge had really gone all out, from cleaning her oven to buying new cookware, plates, and silverware in order to comply with their rules for keeping kosher. The table was set with place mats and napkin rings and included silver bird decorations in the middle of a vintage trestle table. She and Will lived in a Victorian house in the mountains south of Old Town. The interior had light-painted walls, hardwood floors, and a paneled parlor. And while Marge had comfortable furniture, she had added a few antiques to give it an authentic touch. The decor was so quaint and charming, it could have been a movie set.
Marge came back holding a casserole dish. She set it down on a trivet, opened the lid, and steam poured out. “Ta da!”
“It smells wonderful,” Decker said. “What is it?”
“Cassoulet,” she crowed. “Will smoked the duck himself. He also made the sausage. Glatt kosher meat, Rina. I went to the butcher myself.”
“You bought kosher duck?”
“She did.” Will was carrying a large salad bowl and several baguettes. He placed the items on the table. “I won’t tell you what it cost.”
“Will!” Marge slugged him. “What’s the matter with you?”
“If you’re not used to kosher prices, it’s sticker shock.” Decker turned to Will. “We owe you, buddy.”
“Dodger tickets would be a good start.”
Marge slugged him again.
“Ow.” William Tecumseh Barnes’s blue eyes twinkled with mischief. He was a little over six feet and after retiring from the force, his weight had turned north of two hundred pounds. His thin hair was white as was his goatee. “Or if you don’t do baseball, we could just come out to Greenbury and do some birding.”
“Anytime,” Rina said.
Decker pulled out a bottle of Herzog Reserve syrah that he and Rina had picked up on the way to Ventura. “Bottle opener, perchance?”
“Now you’re talking my language,” Will said.
“I’m starving.” Marge started serving. After everyone had food and drink, she sat down.
Twenty minutes of table conversation spanned topics from police work and politics to the arts and fashion before Rina said, “I noticed no one has mentioned anything about the case. I’m very proud of all of you. Now you may talk shop.”
“I was going to wait until after dinner, but as long as you brought it up . . .” Marge got up and came back with a sheet of paper a moment later. She handed it to Decker. “Is this your guy?”
Decker was looking at a mug shot of Richard Damon—six one, one ninety, brown hair, brown eyes. Distinguishing marks included tattoos on his arms, leg, and back, the most noticeable being a panther’s head on his right bicep. His convictions included two assaults and one sexual assault in the Boston area that landed him a spot on the registry of sex offenders. He handed the mug shot to Rina.
She nodded. “That’s our guy.”
“You gave him a fifty on a thirty-two-dollar bill,” Decker said.
“It was all part of the plan,” Rina said.
“What plan? To bankrupt me?”
“No, to throw him off guard.” Rina handed the paper back to Decker. “With my being so generous, there’s no way he thinks we’re after him.”
Decker wagged a finger at her.
“Sorry.” Rina put her fork down. “I don’t recall the panther tattoo, but he did have ink on his forearms.”
“Yes, he did. And it’s something I can check out easily.” Decker put the sheet in his jacket pocket. “This is very, very helpful, Margie. Thank you. When did you find this out?”
“This afternoon. I could have dropped it off at the hotel, but why spoil your Sabbath?”
“Exactly right,” Rina said. “Thanks so much.”
Will said, “What’s your next step?”
“Tyler went to Greenbury to talk to Diaz about Yvette Jones only,” Decker told him. “Diaz told him that he was living in the Boston area when Jones disappeared, working in a bar near the Cambridge area—the Rock and Whale. McAdams will contact that bar tomorrow and let me know if he was working the night she disappeared.”
“What was his demeanor when he was questioned?” Marge asked.
“Tyler said he was calm, but a bit put out. Not nearly as helpful as he was the first time.” Decker smiled at Rina. “He was obviously distracted by your beauty.”
“So many are.”
Decker laughed. Then he grew serious. “We’ve got to nail this bastard.”
“Patience,” Marge said. “Isn’t that what you always told me?”
“I’m old. I don’t have time to be patient.” Decker paused. “I was thinking about distinguishing marks.” He snapped his fingers. “Erin said she whacked the guy who was burying her with a shovel and that he was bleeding all over the place. I bet she gave him a nice gash.”
Marge said, “You can check out the hospitals and see who came in that night. But you know that no one will tell you anything without a warrant.”
“Probably not in a big city, but we live in a small town.”
“It would be inadmissible without a warrant, Pete.”
“I’m just after a direction . . . a name. Then I could find evidence.”
“Poisoned fruit from a poisoned tree.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“You bring up an interesting point, though,” Rina said.
“About going to the hospital?” Decker asked.
“If the gash was bad enough that he had to go to the hospital, there should be a scar.”
“Okay, that is an interesting thought. But I can’t go around checking out bare backs. People have been arrest
ed for a lot less.”
“Don’t you check out suspects’ hands for scratches?”
“Not on something that happened four years ago.”
She shrugged. “Just a thought.”
Marge said, “If you have suspicions already, Pete, it’s not a bad idea.”
“How do I get them to remove their shirts?”
“You ask,” Will said. “If they don’t do it willingly, that tells you something.”
“He’s right about that.” Rina pushed her plate aside. “I am stuffed. The meal was absolutely delicious.”
Will said, “Wait until you see dessert.” He paused. “You aren’t thinking about leaving?”
“It’s past eleven, Will,” Marge said. “East Coast time, it’s two in the morning. They’re exhausted.”
“But I baked a black forest cake using nondairy whipped cream that we got at the kosher market.”
“Will, give them a slice to go.”
Decker said to Rina, “I’m okay if you are.”
“I’m great. I napped but I don’t want to wear out our welcome.” Rina stood up. “But I am truly full. I need to move. Let me help you clear.”
“I’ll do it, Rina,” Marge said.
“You talk with your old partner. Will and I can take care of it.”
“I’ll make us some coffee,” Will said. “We got nondairy creamer at the kosher market.”
“Will, I’m sure you did everything by the book.” She picked up the casserole dish, which was now just warm, and headed for the kitchen.
Will gathered up the dishes. “This is fun. Let’s make sure we do it again.”
“Absolutely,” Decker said.
After Will left, Marge said, “I think he’s a little bored. Actually, I’m a little bored. I haven’t had this much fun in ages. Ventura must be a big city compared to Greenbury, but it’s certainly not Los Angeles. It feels good to sink your teeth into a real whodunit. But then again, I’m on the outside of the case. You must be frustrated.”
“Less frustrated than I was before I came here. I now have a directional arrow, thank you very much.”
Marge smiled. “I shall point and with any luck, ye shall find.”
Chapter 34
As long as they were in New York, Rina and Decker had dinner with the kids. Leaving later meant lighter traffic, especially since most New Yorkers were driving into the city rather than out. Rina took the wheel while Decker spoke on his cell to McAdams about Diaz.
“According to his time sheet, Diaz was definitely working at the Rock and Whale in Boston on the day Yvette Jones disappeared.”
Decker said, “And you found someone to verify this?”
“Nobody remembers anything specific from seven years ago, but Diaz did sign in and out on his time sheet. He could have left and come back, but that’s pushing it for a round-trip from Greenbury to Boston, adding in time for a murder and a burial.”
“Agreed. How did Diaz act after you left?”
“The surveillance, you mean? Nothing unusual. He worked his entire shift. What he did during bathroom breaks, I couldn’t tell you. If you could get Erin to speak up, we could get a warrant for his phone and find out if he called anyone after I spoke to him, provided that he’s not using a burner.”
“We can’t get a warrant for his phone unless he’s done something to justify it.”
“He’s a sex offender who didn’t register. Maybe he’s calling women.”
“If he is bothering women, no one’s complaining,” Decker said.
“And we’re sure that Diaz is Damon.”
“I had a female officer go into the Grill and check out Diaz’s forearms. Same tattoos, same guy. So we do have him for failure to register. But I don’t want to waste my one shot at bringing him in, and failure to register isn’t justification enough to open Diaz’s phone records.”
“So our best shot is Erin Young.”
“She’s our only shot right now. She’s too terrified to speak up, but Marge will work on her. We have a couple of years before the statute of limitations runs out.”
“I like your idea about looking for a scar on the back,” McAdams said.
“It was Rina’s idea. I don’t know how we’d pull that off and it wouldn’t mean anything without Erin’s testimony.” Decker paused. “Thanks for coming into town in our absence and speaking to Diaz, Harvard. I know you’re busy.”
“No prob. I take it that the big spooky guy at your house is Gabe’s father?”
“Yes. Did you stop by my house?”
“I did. I wanted to give it a once-over since I knew you were out of town. When he answered the door, I was surprised. When I told him who I was, he asked for my ID. Since I’m the cop, I thought it should be the other way around, but I didn’t want to start a pissing contest. Once he saw I was legit, I think he relaxed although I really couldn’t tell. His face looks like it’s been entirely Botoxed. He not only didn’t crack a smile, he didn’t move a muscle. He did ask me to buy him lunch. I bought him a tuna sandwich. He didn’t thank me nor did he even offer recompense.”
“I’ll pay for the sandwich.”
“Oh please. I’m just saying he was very weird.”
“Tell me something I don’t know. Anyway, he’ll be gone soon. Are you coming down next weekend for Rosh Hashanah?”
“I’m planning on it if it’s okay with you and the family.”
“Harvard, you are family.”
“Thanks, Old Man. That’s nice of you to say since I’m not a member of the tribe.”
“Just change the name from Tyler to Tevye and the transition is complete.”
On Monday, Decker got a call just as he reached his desk at eight in the morning. It was Edie Aarons—the nurse who had been tending to Dana Berinson. The teen had awakened the previous night. She was still groggy and unclear on things—where she was and how she got there—but she knew her parents, which was truly remarkable.
“Has she been questioned by the police?”
“Not yet. Doctor won’t allow it. I’ve contacted the local police and told them the same thing. You guys might want to coordinate so the poor girl doesn’t have to repeat herself when she is interviewed.”
“Thank you, I’ll do just that.”
As Decker hung up, Radar walked into the station house. He wore a dark suit and white shirt with no tie. “Good work with finding Erin Young. It’s always wonderful to find a missing person alive and well.”
“It is. Now the key is getting Erin to talk!” Decker poured himself a mug of coffee. “Erin told me that she was wearing a necklace when Diaz began choking her. What’s happening with that necklace I got from Q? She said the necklace sliced her throat. If it is the same one, there’s a good chance that her DNA is on it.”
“I took it out of storage and sent it to the lab on Friday—once you found Erin. We’ve got her DNA on file. And now that we know that Ricardo Diaz is a registered sex offender, we’ll have his profile as well. The necklace is four years old. Whatever was on there is probably degraded, but you found Erin, which was a needle in a haystack. Maybe we’ll get lucky again.”
“One can always hope.” Decker sat down at his desk. “The week is starting off good. Dana Berinson regained consciousness.”
“The college girl in the horrible car crash up north?”
“Yes.”
“That is good news. You’ll want to go up and talk to her, I suppose.”
“I don’t know how much she remembers if anything. And I’m not sure when the doctors will let her talk to the police. But since I’m not doing much here, I’d like to be there, yes.”
“Did you okay it with the local police?”
“I was just about to do that.”
“I’ll call. It’ll mean more coming from me.” Radar rubbed his eyes.
“Long night?”
“Just a bad bout of insomnia. It doesn’t happen a lot, but I don’t sleep as well as I once did. Probably a combination of age and the Bogat case.”
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“I know the feeling. I’ll sleep way better after Bogat is solved. Do we have enough people to be on Diaz twenty-four/seven?”
“We’re figuring out the rotation,” Radar said. “Don’t worry about it. How’s Rina by the way? Any more contact from the creep?”
“No.” Decker started scratching a nonexistent itch. “Doesn’t mean anything of course. Leaving her alone is nerve-racking.”
“The mob guy left.”
“Yes, the mob guy left. I told her I’d hire a bodyguard, but she won’t hear of it. She says if I do that, Carter wins. I told her I don’t care about that, just that she’s safe.” Decker exhaled. “If Carter shows up again, I will do him bodily harm.”
“We don’t want that,” Radar said. “What about that friend of yours? The one who worked on the Angeline Moreau case?”
“Scott Oliver?”
“Yeah, him. What’s he doing?”
“He works as a PI. I have no idea what his schedule is like.” Decker shrugged. “I could call him up. I know he’ll come, but I hate to take advantage of his good nature.”
“With us rotating people for Diaz, we could use him to keep an eye on Carter. Can’t pay him much, but he might be willing to come out. Could you put him up?”
“Yeah, the house is going to be open season for the holidays. Another person won’t make a difference.”
“Why don’t you give him a call?”
Decker was quiet. Then he picked up his cell and did what he had to do despite Rina’s protests.
Even a six-year-old knew the concept of safety first.
“If you can’t meet me at the hospital, it’s fine.” Decker was driving while talking into the Bluetooth to McAdams. “St. Beatrice is a couple of hours away from you. But I just wanted to give you the option to come if you want.”
“How long are you going to be there?”
“It’ll probably take a while. Hours even.”
“I understand. I’ll come down. If you have a chance, we can look over the photos from the party. I printed them out so we’d have hard copies of them.”
“What photos and what party?”
“The photos people sent me from the party where Delilah Occum disappeared.”
Bone Box Page 28