Peter Decker 3-Book Thriller Collection. Faye Kellerman

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СКАЧАТЬ because he had a lover. A husband shoots his wife because she nagged him. Mama picked on the son-in-law at the wrong time. This one is not like that, though.”

      The Rosh Yeshiva was clearly troubled.

      Decker cursed his stupidity. He shouldn’t have told Schulman about his work. The old man had been insulated from the depravity of the outside world and was not equipped to deal with it.

      “Don’t worry, Rabbi,” Decker said. “We’ll solve the case.”

      He had told Rina that he’d stop by after his session with Schulman. As he approached her door, he could hear voices inside her house—a foreign tongue—Hungarian.

      Her parents! Shit!

      Reluctantly, he knocked. Rina swung open the door and stared at him, looking haggard. She was holding Jacob and was struggling under his weight, the boy’s feet dangling down to her shins. He was dressed in pajama bottoms but was bare chested, his swollen eyes evidence that he’d been crying.

      Her parents were standing around the doorway, looking their usual stiff selves. Her mother, Mrs. Elias, though wrinkled around the eyes and lips, was still a very pretty woman. Rina resembled her except that she’d inherited her father’s baby-smooth complexion, ending up with the best of both worlds. Mr. Elias was shorter than his wife, with a solid frame packed with muscle. He appeared agitated, his round face flushed and wet with perspiration.

      “What’s wrong?” Decker asked.

      “Come in,” Rina said, wearily.

      “You didn’t ask who it was?” her mother scolded her in a heavy accent. “It could have been anyone.”

      “I saw him through the peephole,” Rina said tensely.

      “C’mere, Jake,” Decker said, forcing himself to breathe regularly. “Give your mama’s arms a rest.”

      As Decker reached out to take Jacob, the boy screamed, kicked, and buried his face in his mother’s neck.

      “He’s had another nightmare,” Rina explained. “I don’t think he’s fully awake. He woke up soaked with sweat, and everytime I try to put a shirt on him he screams. If I try putting him back to sleep, he screams. If someone tries to take him, he screams. I just don’t know what to do.”

      “Sit down with him, Ginny,” suggested her father. “You’ll sprain your back.”

      “I’ve tried that already, Papa,” Rina answered.

      “Remember what happened when you carried Sammy too much as a baby,” her mother warned.

      “So what do you want me to do?”

      “Give him to me,” her father said. As soon as he touched Jacob’s shoulders, the boy emitted a high-pitched wail.

      “Forget it, Papa,” Rina said. “He just won’t go to anyone else.”

      “Let him sleep with you, Ginny,” the mother suggested. “Just for the night.”

      “Oh, that would be wonderful,” Rina said, sarcastically.

      “For one night it won’t kill you. I did it with you,” her mother said. “You sleep on your own now, don’t you?”

      “Mother, I am not going to let him sleep with me. You know all the trouble I had with the boys doing that after Yitzchak, alav hashalom, died.”

      “He’s falling asleep,” her father announced. “Try putting him down.”

      “Everytime I try putting him to bed he screams,” Rina said, exasperatedly.

      “Try again,” her mother insisted.

      “At least let me wait until he’s deep asleep.”

      “And until your back breaks,” her mother muttered. “Just let him sleep with you.”

      “Rina, maybe I should come back at another time,” Decker said.

      “Well, that’s to be expected,” Mrs. Elias said acidly.

      “What was that supposed to mean?” Rina said, forcing control into her voice.

      “After all, we know the reason behind Yonkel’s nightmares—”

      “It wasn’t anyone’s fault,” Rina defended.

      “Nothing like this ever happened when we had the children,” her mother insisted.

      “It was one of those unfortunate things, Mrs. Elias,” Decker answered, suppressing his anger. “He’ll survive.”

      “There is a big difference between survival and happiness, Detective,” Mrs. Elias shot back. “I survived the camps.”

      “Mother, that’s not fair!” Rina exclaimed.

      “I think I’d better leave, Rina,” Decker said.

      “As I was saying, that is to be expected,” her mother said.

      “Don’t pay any attention to her—”

      “That is what you call me, Ginny?” said her mother, with her eyes watering. “Her?”

      Decker balled his fingers into a fist and headed for the door. Jacob shouted out his name.

      Decker turned. “C’mere, fellah,” he said, holding out his arms.

      This time, Jacob leaped.

      “Let’s talk in bed, okay?”

      Jacob nodded. Decker carried him into the bedroom, relieved. As he cooed the youngster back into sleep, he heard hostile mutterings outside. Gently, he brushed black locks off Jacob’s forehead and tucked him into bed, the boy’s bony shoulders peeking out from the edge of the comforter. As soon as Jacob drifted off, Decker rose from the bed, acid pouring into his gut, his head throbbing in anticipation of the showdown.

      Rina and her mother were deep in battle. Her father tried unsuccessfully to arbitrate, attempting to comfort both women and managing to comfort neither. Mrs. Elias cried something to her daughter in Hungarian. Rina came back with a reply. Decker sighed inwardly. It wasn’t enough that he had to struggle with Hebrew, Yiddish, and Aramaic. Now he had to cope with Hungarian. He’d fallen in love with a walking UN.

      The discussion increased in volume, and the women began gesticulating wildly with their hands. Then Mrs. Elias spotted Decker, pointed to him, and shouted something to her daughter. Her tone was virulent. Turning crimson, Rina shot back at her and pointed to the door, sobbing. Her mother stalked away. Confused, Mr. Elias alternated between calling out to his wife and consoling his daughter. Spousal obligation won out over filial love. Mr. Elias kissed Rina a hurried goodbye and ran after his wife. Decker waited for Rina to calm down, then asked, “What’d she say to you?”

      “Nothing.”

      “C’mon. I’m a big boy. What’d she say?”

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