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“But why would Jane say you knew this kid if you didn’t?” Decker asked. “Please Mrs. Bingham, the kid’s in a foster home, and we don’t know who her parents are. If her parents don’t want her—”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Patty said. She turned red.
“Why?” Decker asked.
“I mean … who wouldn’t want such a cute kid like that?”
“Some parents are very strange.”
“Ain’t that the truth. Want some coffee? We could drink in the backyard. Ain’t so noisy back there.”
“No thank you, Mrs. Bingham. So you have no idea who she belongs to?”
“No idea.”
“Does she look like anyone you know around the neighborhood?”
“Nope. Sure you don’t want to come in for a cup of coffee?”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass,” Decker said. “I still have quite a few more doors to knock on. Take one more look.”
“It won’t do any good.”
“Humor me,” Decker said.
Patty gave a cursory glance at the photo, then shook her head.
Decker said, “I just hate to see such a cute little kid like her in a foster home.”
“I’m sure her parents will turn up,” Patty said.
“I don’t think so,” Decker said.
Patty bit her thumbnail. “Well, it’s not my problem if they don’t. I’m not the savior of the world, you know.”
Decker said. “Maybe you want to keep the photo, just in case—”
“Waste of time.”
“Please. Just show it to your neighbors.”
Patty bit her thumbnail again. “You’re a stubborn man.” She took the photo, looked at it, and stuck it in her hip pocket.
Decker said, “Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Bingham.”
“Sure. And don’t listen to Jane. She’s got a big mouth.”
Decker smiled and walked away. Once inside the unmarked, he radioed in a request for the address of a Mrs. Jane Hickey. She lived a block and a half away, one of the houses where no one had been home yesterday. This morning she was outside, watering her small patch of front lawn, wearing a sunsuit. Her hair was wrapped in a kerchief, her face was deeply tanned.
“Mrs. Hickey?” Decker said. “I’m Sergeant Peter Decker, LAPD. I was wondering if I could have a couple of words with you.”
Jane looked at the badge. “What do you want?”
“I just spoke with one of your neighbors, Patty Bingham,” Decker said. He pulled out another picture of Baby Sally. “I’m trying to identify this little girl and locate her parents. I showed the picture to Mrs. Bingham, and she said it looked familiar to her, but she couldn’t place it. Do you have any idea who this child might be?”
Jane eyed the picture and laughed.
“What is it?” Decker asked.
“She looks a little like Patty’s youngest,” Jane said.
Decker’s eyes widened.
Jane said, “Of course, it isn’t Andrea.”
“Do they look a lot alike?”
“Just a little around the eyes … and the hair.” Jane handed the picture back to Decker. “All kids that age kinda look alike. Chubby little faces … you know. I don’t know who this one is, though.”
“Never saw her around the neighborhood?”
“No,” Jane said.
“You’re sure?”
“There’s a lot of kids around here,” Jane said. “I’m not positive that I’ve never seen her, but I don’t know the kid personally.”
Decker said, “Thank you for your time.”
He drove back to the Bingham residence.
“You again?” Patty said, when she saw him at the door. But she was smiling.
“I think I will have that cup of coffee,” Decker said.
Patty’s smile turned to a grin. “Why don’t you come around through the side? I’ll meet you at the back.”
“I don’t mind drinking with all the noise,” Decker said. “I like kids.” He walked inside before Patty could object.
The house was center-hall plan—living room on the left, dining area to the right. The living room was sparsely furnished and sterile—a white velvet sofa and matching love seat, a glass coffee table, and a fireplace that had never been used. The dining area held a fake wood-grain Formica table and eight chairs. Through the dining room was a kitchen stocked with all the latest appliances, the countertops white Formica, one section already marred by a burn mark. The cabinets were new, but the finish was cheap and full of varnish bubbles. Right off the kitchen was the family room. It was piled high with kids and mess—laundry, toys, scraps of food. The TV was blaring. Three older children were slouched on a brown-and-white plaid sofa accented with Naugahyde straps. A four-year-old was sitting cross-legged on the wall-to-wall brown shag carpet.
“Sure you want to drink coffee with all this noise going on?”
“Where’s the fifth?” Decker asked.
“Huh?”
“The fifth kid,” Decker said. “I only count four.”
“Oh,” Patty looked around. “Brian, go find the baby.”
“I’m watchin’—”
“I said, find the baby,” Patty demanded. “Shit. I’m always looking for one of ’em.”
A boy of around ten slipped off the couch, a perpetual sulk plastered on his face.
“Who’s he?” asked one of the older girls. Her hair was cut short, and she had braces on her teeth.
“A cop,” Patty said. “I’m giving him some coffee. You take cream?”
“Black.”
“Cops can drink when they’re on duty?” the girl asked skeptically.
“If it’s coffee,” Decker said.
“Mind your own business, Karen,” Patty said.
“I was just asking,” Karen whined. “Geez.”
Brian walked in, carrying a two-year-old. She was wearing nothing but a diaper. Decker stared at the face. Old Jane had a good eye. There was a resemblance. It wasn’t unusually strong, it wasn’t uncanny, but both little girls shared a certain look.
“That’s the little one?” Decker asked.
“My bundle of trouble,” Patty said. “Here’s your coffee.”
“Thanks.” Decker kept glancing at the baby as he drank. Maybe it was the playful look in the baby’s eyes. Sally had playful eyes.
“So,” Patty said. “How long have you been a cop?”
Decker gulped the coffee as fast as he could. “Too long.”
“Seen it all, haven’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So have I,” Patty said.
“Give me a break,” Brian muttered.
“Keep your damn thoughts to yourself,” Patty said.
Decker put the mug on the countertop. “Thanks for the coffee, Mrs. Bingham. I’ve got to go now.”
“You’re a fast drinker.” Patty nudged him in the ribs. “Hope you don’t do everything that fast.”
Decker groaned inwardly.
“How ’bout a refill?” Patty said.
“No thanks.”
The air conditioner suddenly blasted cold air atop his head.
“Gotta go,” Decker said.
Patty said, “Hey, maybe I’ll see you around, huh?”
Karen rolled her eyes.
Decker said, “Maybe.”
He left as quickly as he could.
8
“How was Patty Bingham?” Marge asked.
Decker loosened his tie and said, “Patty has strong, unfulfilled sexual needs.”
“What?” Hollander looked up from his paperwork. “What’s this about unfulfilled sexual needs?”
Marge said, “Go back to sleep, Mike.”
“A crime-lab report came in for you, Pete,” Hollander said. “It’s on your desk.”
“Thanks,” Decker said. He sat down, opened a bottle of aspirin, and swallowed a couple of tablets without water.
“Unfulfilled needs, huh?” said Marge.
“Can I get this woman’s phone number?” Hollander asked.
“You wouldn’t want it,” Decker said. “She’s a piece of work.” To Marge, he said, “Her youngest kid looks a little like Sally.”
“Is that significant?” Marge asked.
“No, not really,” Decker said. “Just a point of observation. As far as Patty goes, maybe she does know who Sally is, maybe she doesn’t. I had a hard time reading her, because she was coming on to me so strongly.”
“Is she listed in the book?” Hollander said.
Decker said, “I talked to some more neighbors. No one knows Baby Sally by name.”
Marge shrugged. Decker broke the seal on the manila envelope. He pulled out several sheets of paper and began to scan them.
“What did you order?” Marge asked.
“Lab report from the scene of my friend’s crime.”
