Faye Kellerman - Decker 06 - Grievous Sin

by Grievous Sin(lit)

  Decker shrugged and resumed his eating. 'As soon as we find Bellson's dental X-rays, Hennon's ready to do the comparison. When I left, she was still in the lab sifting through debris. She told me there wasn't a lot of frontal bone mass - the face was smashed pretty badly. Hennon figures some of the tooth structure might have fallen out among the ashes.' 'What about the back teeth?'

  'Some of them are still intact. Hennon thinks she'll have enough material to work with once she gets the X-rays.'

  Marge said, 'Did you ask Hennon about Marie's gold stud earrings?'

  'She couldn't tell if the body wore earrings or not - too badly burned. As far as the gold goes, it would be in small amounts, would have melted in the heat. We'll look for gold when we sift through the debris again.' Decker finished his potato chips and drained his coffee. 'I'd better get back to the lab and start my prospecting.'

  'I'm off to Silver's, then.'

  'Want my pretzel?'

  Marge stared at the twisted strands of bread, then wrapped it in a napkin. 'Maybe I'll be in the mood later.'

  As Decker stood, a four-by-four pulled up in the fast-food stand's parking lot. Annie Hennon bounced out of the driver's side. Her hands were white, but her face and neck were gray from ash and soot. She strolled over to the table, whistling 'Working in a Coalmine', then sat down.

  'And Loretta Lynn thinks she's the only one who ever got her hands dirty.'

  'Your hands are clean,' Marge stated.

  'That's only because I'm smart enough to wear gloves.' Annie examined her nails. 'I could really use a decent manicure.' She blew on her cuticles and rubbed them against her blouse. 'I suppose you want to know why I'm here."

  'Can't be for the hot dogs.' Marge made a fist and hit her stomach. 'Stuff repeats on you.'

  'It's the sauerkraut, Marge.'

  'Good going down, though.'

  'You want a hot dog, Annie?' Decker offered.

  'Always the gentleman,' Annie said. 'No, Pete, I don't

  want a hot dog. I want to give you Hennon's pearls of wisdom.'

  Decker unfolded the flap on his notebook. 'Shoot.'

  Annie pressed her palms together. 'First we must recite the om. Ommmmmmmmm... Gosh, I feel so much better now.' She grew serious. 'It's about the ring, or what we think was Marie's ID ring. I've been doing a little fooling around while what was left of our victim's jaw was being bleached. I weighed the glob of gold, taking into account the stone. Then I went over to Krechers in Pasadena. Have you ever heard of Krechers?'

  'It's a jewelry store, isn't it?' Marge said.

  'Close. It's a big-mama place where people buy stones and wax figures and instruments to make jewelry. They have all kinds of wax molds and impressions - earrings, pendants, plaques, figurines, but mostly rings. Lots of rings. I looked through the catalogue and bought five or six wax impressions for different ID or class rings. I also bought gold equal in weight to the glob of gold we found at the smoke scene. My idea was to try to recreate Marie's ID ring. It's easier to look at a reconstructed model than a chunk of gold. Are you with me so far?'

  Decker and Marge nodded.

  'All right, so here's the deal. I cast about four or five different rings from different impressions. Cost me some bucks in gold and I haven't even asked the department for reimbursement. How's that for being a dedicated scientist?'

  'You're A-one, Annie,' Marge said.

  'A peach.' Hennon dumped several rings on the table. 'These are the rings I've come up with. Standard class rings minus the stone. The jeweler sets the rock afterward.'

  Marge picked one up. 'You do nice work.'

  'Thanks. I've made some jewelry before, but never for

  this purpose. It's kind of exciting to do something new. I can understand why you guys like detection.'

  Decker hefted another ring. 'They're not as heavy as the glob was.'

  'Some of it may be stone. But basically, it's the same weight, just different distribution. A small glob feels heavier than a finished ring.'

  Annie took out a bag and carefully placed a half-dozen plaster models of breadsticks on the table. 'Take a look at these.'

  Decker separated them and stared at the shapes carefully. 'They're fingers.'

  'What an eye,' Annie said. 'I made a plaster cast of the fingers of our victim. Not an easy trick because the bones were brittle.' She studied one of them. 'They're missing a few anatomical bumps. The alginate picks up the details, but unfortunately the plaster doesn't.' She waved her hand in the air. 'Irrelevant, but it bothers me. What is important is I got the right dimensions. So what do you see?'

  Decker picked up a ring and placed it on the plaster finger. The edge of the gold caught on the second knuckle and scraped it going down. He tried several rings on several plaster fingers.

  'So what's your verdict, Pete?' Annie asked.

  'The rings you made are too small for these fingers.'

  'What a brain,' Annie said. 'Didn't you say Bellson used to play with the ring, Pete?'

  'My daughter said it.' Decker paused. 'So did Lourdes Rodriguez, come to think of it.'

  'She wouldn't have been able to slip the ring off her finger if it was a basic class ring. Too tight.' Annie picked up another ring. 'Now, using the weight of gold we found, this is what the ring would have had to look like in order to fit any of those fingers.'

  The piece wasn't too thin for an ordinary ring, but thinner than any class ring Decker had ever seen. Most class rings were engraved at the sides. A ring of these dimensions wouldn't have allowed for more than a little etching. Annie slid the ring over the plaster fingers.

  'See how well it fits now.'

  'The ring looks way too big, actually,' Marge said.

  Annie said, 'Take into consideration the flesh on the bones, Marge.'

  Decker studied the thin ring, then passed it to Marge. 'Doesn't look like any class ring I've ever seen.'

  'Me neither,' said Annie. 'The band's way too thin for the kind of carving and monogramming they usually do. Plus, with this much gold used for the circumference, there's not a lot of gold left to support the stone.'

  'How about a pinkie ring?' Marge suggested.

  'I didn't bother bringing the pinkies,' Annie said. 'But you're right. This could have been the victim's pinkie ring. Except that the band would be so thick, it would practically take up all the space between the hand and second knuckle. A nurse wearing something uncomfortable like that. I didn't see it. But it could be an ill-fitting pinkie ring.'

  'You think the ring doesn't belong to the body you found,' Decker said.

  'That's my off-the-record observation,' Annie said. 'It's inconclusive. I was just fooling around in case it took you a while to find the radiographs. Might set you thinking in a different direction.'

  'I'll say.' Marge licked her lips. 'So if the ring belonged to Marie... and the ring doesn't match the bones... whose bones were in Marie's car?'

  Decker ran his hand over his face. 'Good question.'

  Annie gave a wry smile. 'Good question indeed.'

  Expecting turmoil, Decker was surprised to find the house in solid working order. The living room had been cleared of blankets and diapers and the dining room table had been set for dinner with real dishes. Something aromatic was brewing in the kitchen. Decker followed his nose and opened the oven. Two roasting pans held stuffed Cornish game hens that were browning nicely. He poured himself a glass of milk.

  In Jewish law, the mixing of meat and dairy was prohibited, but one could drink a glass of milk before eating flesh. He thought about the reasoning behind the seemingly antiquated law. In Hebraic times, pagan tribes would eat suckling calves because they were the tenderest. And, as an added bonus, the cooks would boil the calves in the milk from the engorged udders of the nursing mother. Generally, he gave little thought to the law other than a twinge of annoyance at having to give up cheeseburgers. But now that Hannah was born - seeing Rina nurse her - he recognized the kindness behind the prohibition.

  He to
ok a deep breath, enjoying the quiet until he realized that the house was too quiet.

  He drew back the curtain from his kitchen window. Outside, on the veranda, his mother-in-law and the baby-nurse were having a coffee klatch. Actually, it was more like an iced tea klatch judging by the amber-filled pitcher and two frosted tumblers. He wondered where Rina and

  Cindy were, but was hesitant to go outside. The women would probably consider him an intrusion. His eyes swept over his back acreage. The land was dry and dusty. The horses needed to be checked. He finished his milk, took a deep breath, then went out the back door. The women looked up and bid him welcome. Everyone was in a good mood. That was novel.

  'Ladies.' Decker kissed his mother-in-law's cheek and took a seat. 'Where are my other pretty ladies?'

  'Ginny and the baby are napping. Cindy and Opah went to pick up the boys. They take Ginger with them so she won't bark and wake up anyone. Cindy figures maybe she's bored and wants a ride. You have a wonderful daughter, Akiva.'

  'Thank you, I have two wonderful daughters.'

  Magda laughed and slapped his shoulder playfully. 'Oh, that's what I meant. You want some iced tea, Akiva? I have extra glass.'

  'Love some, Magda.' Decker held out his hand to the nurse. 'I'm Peter Decker. You must be Nora. Georgina speaks very highly of you.'

  The nurse took his hand. She was black and had coif fed gray hair that matched her eyes. Her hands were strong and callused. 'Georgina's a good friend. Nice to finally see you in person. You've got a beautiful baby, Sergeant.'

  'Thank you.'

  'The missus been telling me about what you're doing for that little lost baby.' Nora shook her head. 'I saw a picture of her on TV, I just wanted to cry.'

  'It's a tough one.' Decker took his glass of tea and downed half in one swig. 'But that's what the police are for.'

  'Everything's okay here, Akiva,' Magda said. 'You want to work, you can go back to work. We take care of everything.'

  It was a genuine offer of help. Why did Decker take the comment as if she meant he wasn't needed. He finished his tea and placed the tumbler on the table. 'Thanks, that was good. I have some calls to make. Figured I could easily make them from here.'

  'You just go on and make your calls,' Nora said. 'Maggie and I will take care of everything.'

  Maggie?

  Decker said, 'Great. I'll just check on the horses, then do my work.'

  'I just fill up the water basins, Akiva,' Magda said. 'I hope that's okay.'

  Decker couldn't believe his ears. His perfectly preened mother-in-law actually stepping into the stables, picking up a garden hose and watering the horses for him. He let out a small laugh. 'Thank you, Magda. That was very considerate of you.'

  'I'm hot and thirsty, maybe they hot and thirsty, too. I would feed them but I don't see no horse-food bag.'

  'You have to pitch them hay. You can leave that to me.'

  Magda smiled and nodded. There was a moment of awkward silence. Decker knew he had overstayed his welcome. He said, 'I'll be in the living room if anyone needs me.'

  The women said goodbye in unison. They didn't resume their conversation until he was back inside the kitchen. Peering out the back window, Decker saw their mouths moving, their hands gesticulating as they picked up where they had left off.

  He parked himself on the living room couch and opened a Glendale phone book to 'Dentists'. Of course Stan Meecham's office hadn't given Marie Bellson a dental referral, so that put Decker back to square one. He hoped Rita's information was accurate.

  To Decker's surprise, the dental listings took up a full

  page - front and back - of the local directory. Some were general practitioners, but there were a lot of specialists, at least a dozen of whom listed themselves as experts in cosmetic dentistry. Guess the moneyed liked their smiles nice and white.

  He picked up the phone, made the first call, then scratched the first name off the list. He'd finished a half-dozen names by the time Cindy, Stefan, the boys and Ginger came charging through the house.

  Decker shushed them and held the dog by the collar until she settled down. 'Your mom and the baby are sleeping.'

  The boys dropped their voices to a whisper. Decker hugged them both. Cindy sank into one of Decker's buckskin chairs and plopped her feet upon the ottoman. 'Good night.'

  'Tired?'

  'Just resting.'

  'What are you doing here?' Sammy asked. 'Cindy told us you were out looking for the weird nurse and the baby.'

  'I'm working at home, making some calls. How was school?'

  'School was school,' Sammy said. 'Eema okay?'

  'She's fine. Just resting.'

  'Can we go riding?' Jake asked.

  'I have no objection,' Decker said. 'Just don't overwork the animals. It's still hot outside.'

  'Can you come with us?' Jake asked.

  Decker felt his heart sink. 'Maybe a little later. I've really got work to do.'

  'You haven't found the baby, Dad?' Sammy asked.

  'No.'

  Jake said, 'You want to go riding with me, Sammy?'

  'I've got a lot of homework.'

  Decker watched his stepson's frustration grow. 'Jake,

  give me about an hour and I'll take you out, okay? It'll be cooler and I'll be more settled. In the meantime, grab a snack and do your homework.'

  The boy's blue eyes sparkled. 'Thanks, Dad!'

  'I'll go, too,' Sammy announced.

  'Who needs you if Dad's coming?' Jacob said.

  Sammy punched Jake in the shoulder. Jake hit him back. Sammy gave him a kick in the thigh. The boys continued to karate-chop their way to the kitchen as Decker told them to keep it down. Ginger jumped up on the couch. Decker pushed her off.

  'You know better than that.'

  The dog cocked her head, then slunk off and curled up on the Navaho rug in the middle of the room. Stefan rubbed his stomach. 'Something smells good.'

  'Cornish hen,' Decker said. 'Magda's out back.'

  Stefan paused. 'Maybe I take a little nap. You have a lounge chair outside?'

  'Several.'

  'I go take a nap outside.' Stefan looked at Decker. 'You need nap more than I do, Akiva.'

  'I'm fine, Stefan.'

  Stefan's expression was dubious, but he didn't argue. He said goodbye and slowly shuffled out of the room. Decker said to Cindy, 'Looks like you could use a nap.'

  'Nah, I don't need any sleep. I take after my father. What are you doing?'

  'Looking up dentists. Lita Bellson told us Marie's dentist was in Glendale. We'll need a copy of Marie's X-rays if we hope to ID the body.'

  'Can I help?'

  'Yeah. Go take a nap.'

  'I'll call some offices. Cut your work in half.'

  'Cindy, you're blatantly ignoring me.'

  "That's what I'm supposed to do. I'm your daughter.'

  She kicked off her shoes. 'Besides, you're not going to finish all those names in an hour. Jake'll be disappointed if you don't take him riding.'

  'That's dirty fighting.'

  'Give me some names.'

  'I only have one directory.'

  'I'll make a copy of the page on the fax machine and take M and below. I'll use the second line to call out. You've run out of excuses.'

  Decker frowned, but tore out the listings. A moment later, Cindy came back with the original. 'Should I tell them I'm from the police?'

  'Tell them you're working for me.' Decker grinned. 'You can even say you're my secretary.'

  Cindy punched him in the shoulder. 'Chauvinist.'

  'You don't like it, quit.'

  Decker picked up the phone and tried his next listing.

  After forty-five minutes, Decker bounced up and clapped his hands. 'Yes!'

  Cindy looked up from the dining room table. 'You found him?'

  'Yep. He's making a copy of the radiographs for me. By the time I get down there, they should be ready.'

  'What about riding with the boys?' Cindy asked.
/>   'Oh shit!' Decker heard small bleats from the other room. 'That was clever, Deck. You just woke up the baby.'

  'Peter?' Rina shouted from the bedroom.

  'Sorry,' Decker answered back.