“What do you do with the boys?”

“Like I said… sex promotes loyalty.” A sly smile played on Donatti’s lips. “Nervous about being around me, Lieutenant?”

Decker wagged his finger at Chris’s face.

Donatti laughed. “I do whatever I have to do to get the job done. None of it is thrilling. To my kids-girls and boys-sex is lying on your back, squeezing your eyes shut, being real still, and letting Uncle George or Daddy do his thing. Between you and these four walls, I’d much rather fuck your wife-”

Decker was on him before the kid knew what hit him. He slammed Donatti against the wall, using all his weight to keep him pinned and helpless while he clamped his hands around his throat. He hissed, “We need to establish some ground rules, Chris.”

Then Decker heard the click, felt something hard pressed between his legs.

Donatti choked out, “Let… go… of… me!”

Decker tightened his hands around Chris’s throat. “So shoot me, you son of a bitch! Then what’ll you have? A big bloody mess on your hands.” But he loosened his grip. “My wife is off-limits! Understand?”

The gun pressed harder against Decker’s groin. Donatti’s face was red from anger and lack of oxygen. “Let! Go!”

“Understand?”

Silence. The moments ticked away. Finally, Chris raised his hands up in the air, a double-action automatic in his left hand; probably a Walther TPH.

Decker released him. “We’re doing business.” He backed away and sat back down. “Let’s not get personal.”

Donatti shook himself off, then rested the gun on Decker’s forehead. “Some men might consider that a compliment.”

“I don’t.” Decker was trying hard not to flinch. “We need to respect each other’s privacy.”

Donatti held the gun on him for another minute-a very long time for a loaded barrel to be pressed to your brain, but Decker took comfort in knowing that a Walther has reliable safety features.

Eventually, Chris lowered the piece. He cleared his throat and downed some scotch. Then he began to pace like an animal-flushed and red, his breathing rapid and punctuated. Decker felt his heart pounding against his chest, but he attempted to mask his fury by clutching his hands and keeping his expression flat. The both of them: two adrenalized bulls. The office stank like a gym.

Finally, Donatti placed the semiautomatic down on the tabletop and spoke in a guttural voice. “Don’t do that again. After my father and Joey, I have no more tolerance for abuse.”

Decker held out his hands. “You behave, so will I.”

“Fuck only knows why I took that shit from you.”

“Because I’m not only Terry’s father figure, I’m yours as well. Sit down, Chris. It’s over. We’ll call it a draw.”

Chris tapped his foot, then sat back down. “Okay. You did your dance; I did mine. You should still thank me for sparing your nuts.”

“Thank you.” It took Decker a few moments to catch his breath. “I’d like to see her. Shayndie.”

“You think I’m holding her against her will?”

That’s exactly what he’d been thinking. He didn’t trust Donatti, but he was all Decker had. “No, I believe you. But I’d still like to see her.”

Donatti looked at him.

“No setup, Donatti. Just something to ease my worried head. Just you, the girl, and me. You have my word on that, too.”

“You want to ask her questions.”

“She’s a material witness to a murder. I could use a little help.”

Donatti said, “If you upset her, she’ll bolt. That won’t do either one of us any good.”

“Can we just play it by ear?”

“As long as I direct.”

“Whatever you want, big guy.”

Donatti ran his hands across the top of his shorn blond locks. “I suppose I could set it up.” He thought for a long time. Then he took out a piece of paper, wrote something down, and gave it to Decker. “Meet me there tomorrow night, around eleven, eleven-thirty. If I don’t show, I’m not jerking you around. It means I couldn’t risk it. Cops are all over the place now. It’s hard to move without a cruiser on your ass.”

Decker looked at the address. “Where the hell is this?”

“You’re a detective. Figure it out! And don’t even think of putting a tail on me. The girl is safe right now. But if you make her a liability, I’ll do what I need to do.” Donatti scratched his head. “Want a piece?”

Decker blinked. “You mean a gun?”

“Of course I mean a gun.” He slid the Walther over to Decker’s side of the table. “What did you think I meant? A piece of ass? I can get you that, too, if you want.”

“I don’t want either.”

“Do you have one-a piece?”

“No, but I don’t intend on getting jammed, Chris. I’m better off being clean.”

“Think so?”

“Yes, I think so. A gun might give me a false sense of security.”

“Suit yourself, Lieutenant.”

This time, Decker stood up. “I’ve got to go. See you tomorrow. You will be there with Shayndie?”

“If possible, I’ll be there. And if Shayndie’s still around, she’ll be there, too. I told you I have an open-door policy. One never knows.”

“Where she is… are there phones?”

“No.”

“So if she… contacted someone, she would have had to leave the building.”

“She wouldn’t leave without my permission. Not if she wanted to come back.”

“You have guards posted, Donatti?”

“You make it sound like a prison. It’s not that way. Yeah, I have people who help me out because I can’t be there all the time. I got business to take care of. Your little excursion has already put me back in terms of man-hours.”

“Where’d you find her?”

“Trade secret. Aren’t you going?”

Decker didn’t move. “I know this is an odd question… If you could find out if she’s a virgin… it might help me out.”

Donatti laughed. “Are you putting me on?”

“Good Lord, I don’t mean for you to fuck her. Please don’t do that. I mean, if you could ask her or… I don’t know.”

“I can find out if she’s been busted.” He shrugged. “You suspect the uncle?”

“I can’t rule it out.”

“It would fit. They’ve all been sexually abused. That’s why my tea-and-sympathy routine rings true. I’ve been there. I know their pain firsthand. That’s why they trust me. You know the saying: You can always catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

“And if the honey doesn’t work, Chris?”

“That’s why God invented firearms.”

18

You were restless last night.” Rina buttered her toast. “I didn’t give you enough of a workout?”

Decker lifted his eyes from the paper. “If my heart had been beating any faster, I would have had a coronary.” He rolled his shoulders. “It’s the darn bed. It’s the size of a matchbox with hay for mattress stuffing.”

“You know, Peter, I have the plane reservations on hold. Ephraim’s funeral is scheduled for three in the afternoon.”

“Today?”

“Yes, today. Apparently, the body was released last night. We could pay a shiva call afterward and be out on a flight to your parents by ten tonight if we start packing now.”

Decker dropped his voice. “I need to stick around for another day.”

Rina was holding toast. Her hand froze somewhere between the table and her mouth. “You’re on to something.”

“Could be.”

“It has to be strong to keep you here. You couldn’t wait to go.”

“You’re right.”

“Can I ask what it is?”

“Not yet.”

It was Donatti, of course. But Rina couldn’t say anything. She sipped coffee and picked up a copy of Agudath Yisroel’s Guide to Kashruth.

Decker put down the newspaper. “I’m not cutting you short. I’m just trying to be cautious.”

“Of course.”

He took her hand. “Look, darling, why don’t you and Hannah leave for Florida tonight-”

“No.”

“My mother would be thrilled. We both know she likes you better than she likes me. And she likes Hannah better than both of us.”