Murder 101

She saw sweat coming off Peter’s brow. “Do you want me to help you off with your jacket?’

“No, I’ve always wanted a portable sauna.”

“A simple ‘Thank you, darling. That would be lovely’ is sufficient.” She helped him pull his arms out and removed his parka and threw it on the backseat. “Coffee?”

“Will it burn my lip if I drink it while I drive?”

“I’ll test the waters.” She poured the coffee into a Styrofoam cup. “Something between lukewarm and hot.”

“Bring it on.”

She gave him the coffee and put on one of Gabe’s CDs. “If you get tired, I’ll be happy to drive. You’ve got work to do. I don’t.”

“I’m fine. I like to drive.”

“Great.” Five minutes passed without a word exchanged. Rina finally pushed her seat back and closed her eyes. Just as she was drifting off, she heard Peter talking to her. “Come again?”

“Sorry. Go back to sleep.”

“I’d love to talk instead of sleep, but I know you use your time in the car to think.”

“Not much to think about. Just got a bunch of people to interview.”

“You want to talk about it with me?”

“Why not? You’re a captive audience.” Decker told her what he learned. When he was done, Rina said, “Interesting. Do you suspect someone in the family?”

“Can’t say until I interview them. But the extended family is very large and then there’s the daughter-in-law with a spending problem. The crime was calculated. We’ll just have to see how it shakes out.”

“Anything I can help you with?”

“No, just enjoy the kids and grandchildren.”

He grew quiet and so did she.

Decker said, “The expert that Ken Sobel brought in—who also happens to be his son-in-law—has an art glass gallery in Manhattan. I looked up the website. That place has more Tiffany lamps than most museums.”

“Are you thinking that he stole the windows and is using the gallery to fence them?”

“Maybe, but the gallery has pieces way more valuable than the panels. And it’s been in the same two families for fifty years—Harrison and Stewart, two brothers-in-law. ”

“There’s always room for more profit.”

“True and that’s why I’d like to interview Max Stewart away from his father-in-law, especially since he’s the one who mentioned the spendthrift sister-in-law. It’s always interesting when someone points the finger at someone else. Plus he knows the Tiffany market.”

“Makes total sense.”

Decker paused. “If I brought my wife with me, it would make the visit seem less like an interrogation and more like a fact-finding mission.”

Rina was surprised but tried not to show it. “Sure, I’ll come if you want.”

“The truth is that I don’t have the same kind of manpower that I did in L.A. It’s just me and McAdams and you know way more than he does about detective work.”

“I do?”

“I’ve been bouncing things off you for years. You’ve helped me way more than you probably realize.”

Rina smiled warmly. “I’ve very touched.” She nudged his shoulder. “So where do we begin?”

Decker gri

“You did.”

“Look, I don’t want you to do anything. Just look around while I talk to him. And . . . if he has employees who feel like showing you around, maybe you can feel them out.”

“Not a problem.”

“I mean, don’t go around asking questions—”

“Peter, I know the difference between being a curious person and a detective. You’re the latter, I’m the former. I’m just keeping you company. No harm in that.”

“Actually, it might be fun for you. The gallery also sells jewelry, without a doubt beyond my price range.”

She was still glowing from the compliment Peter had given her. “I don’t need diamonds. I don’t need anything. I’m totally happy with what I have.”

“I like to buy you things.”

“Flowers are always in fashion.”

“How about orchids?”

“Orchids are lovely.”

Decker sighed. “Maybe one day the orchids will come with a trip to Hawaii.”

“Maybe,” Rina said. “In the meantime, we can always do a little hula all by our lonesome.”

CHAPTER 6

WILLIAMSBURG STILL TEEMED with black hats, but now the area was divided between the Chasids with their Borsalinos and the fur-trimmed shtreimels versus the hipsters wearing fedoras, derbies, newsboys, and porkpies. Both groups wore full beards, and even the dress wasn’t that dissimilar. There were synagogues, kosher marts, and religious bookstores and dress shops. But the neighborhood also boasted hip bars and restaurants. Even the kosher crowd was getting into the act with establishments serving more exotic things like oxtail soup and grilled chicken hearts.

Sammy Lazarus, and his wife, Rachel, lived a few blocks away from the action in a tiny apartment with their sixteen-month-old daughter, Lily. She was Rina’s first blood grandchild and the Deckers’ first granddaughter. The little girl had a mop of curly blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a perpetual su

Decker hadn’t had a greeting like that since: well, his memory didn’t go back that far. But it was nice to be wanted. Rachel invited them in with her wide, white smile. Over her clothes, she wore a butterfly print apron that was dusted with flour and her blond curls were pulled back into a “messy” bun. She gave both of them a big hug. “Someone is very excited.” The toddler was ru

“I’m fine.” Rina gave Rachel a kiss on her cheek then tried to corral Lily. “Well, hello, gorgeous. Does Nana get a kiss?”

The toddler stopped in her tracks, backed up, and planted a wet one on Rina’s lips. Rina picked her up and smothered her cheek with kisses. “Who does Nana love?”

“Lily.” It came out “Weewee.” She reached out her hands to Decker. “Boppa.”

Decker took her from Rina and tossed her in the air until the child was spasmodic with laughter. When his arms felt as if they were falling off, Decker lowered her to the floor. “How about a break, Miss El?” But she was already ru

“It’s been too cold to go to the park. I think she’s a little cooped up. The sun’s out. Maybe I’ll try to take her today.”

“I’ll take her if you’re busy,” Rina offered.

“If you wouldn’t mind, that would be helpful.” Rachel had taken the time to set up a little spread on their dinette table. She spotted Decker looking at it. “Just a little nibble in case you were hungry.”

“Thanks, honey. I’ll take some coffee.” Rina looked at her watch. It was a little after nine and too early to go out in the cold. Lily had brought out her box of blocks, meaning that they had other vistas to conquer before the park. Rina sat down on the floor, opened the lid, and dumped out the box. “How about if I make a tower and you can knock it down.”

The little girl responded with something approximating “knock it down.” Decker made a cup of coffee for Rina and one for himself. Then he took a minichocolate Danish and popped it in his mouth. He turned to Rachel. “How’s the residency coming along?”

“One more year.” She paused. “I love my profession but sometimes it’s hard seeing sick children, especially now that I have Lily.” Her eyes watered and she quickly blinked. “How’s your new job?”

“It’s slower paced, but it’s better than retirement.”

“Do you miss the LAPD?”

“Not when I’m only three hours away from all the people I love. Moving was a great decision.” He hoped he had sounded convincing. The truth? It was hard to regroup. “Today I’m actually here for work. Nothing crucial so we decided to mix it with a little pleasure.”

“That’s great. We’re always so happy to see you. What kind of work are you doing here?”