don’t know. But I think she did.”
“I don’t remember it.”
“Maybe it was on my birthday,” Sammy said.
“I don’t remember.”
“Maybe it was on your birthday.”
“My birthday’s in the summer. There’s no school in the summer.”
Decker excused himself, knowing the boys were too involved in pancake conversation to hear him leave. He found Rina in the master bedroom, ripping the sheets and pillow cases off their California King.
“Need help?”
“No.”
“Can you stop a moment?”
“Dirty laundry waits for no man.”
“Please?”
Rina stopped moving and hugged a caseless pillow. “How did Lilah get our phone number?”
Decker ignored her tone. “I don’t know.”
“Did you tell her not to call here?”
“Of course I told her not to call here!”
“Did you also tell her not to call you Peter?”
“I can’t help what she calls me.”
“But you can admonish her when she does it.”
“Rina, she’s strictly business. She’s one of my cases, for God’s sake. I wouldn’t give my home number to one of my cases.”
“You gave it to me!”
“Wait a minute—”
“And I certainly didn’t call you Peter right away, either.” She walked out of their bedroom and started attacking the beds in the boys’ room. Decker followed.
“That’s not fair.”
“It may not be fair, but it’s accurate!”
“There’s a big difference, Rina. I wasn’t married when I gave you my number.”
“Married or not, I’m sure asking out your cases is considered unprofessional!”
“I didn’t ask anyone out!”
“I bet I wasn’t even the first case where you gave out your home phone number.”
“Rina—”
“Well, was I the first?”
The mallet inside his head was going full force. “You may not have been the first.” He smiled boyishly. “But you were the last.”
There was a moment of silence. Rina sank down on the bed. Decker sat beside her.
“What are we fighting about?” he said.
“We’re fighting about how your cases shouldn’t be calling you up at home and invading our privacy!”
“Agreed.”
“And your cases shouldn’t be calling you by your first name.”
“She’s not the only case who calls me by my first name.”
“But she’s no doubt the prettiest.”
Bingo! Well, ain’t that a kick in the head.
“Darlin’, can I be honest with you?”
“Sure, Peter, break a trend.”
“Rina …”
“Sorry.”
Decker smiled. “I think you’re jealous.”
“What?”
“And I’m overjoyed about it.”
“I’m not jealous. I’m angry! And you should be, too. You certainly have nothing to feel overjoyed about.”
“I don’t know about that.” Decker paused. “Rina, I think you’re the most beautiful woman on this planet—”
“I’m as fat as a cow.”
“You’re not fat, you’re pregnant—”
“Oh spare me.”
“I can tell the difference and so can everyone else. Darlin’, I see teenagers eye you hungrily. Like you’re my … my unwedded daughter who got herself into trouble. Man, those horny little bugs would just love to catch a piece of that trouble. As far as the guys my age, that’s not even worth talking about. The whole squad room gets sweaty palms whenever you walk in.”
“That’s simply ridiculous.”
“Except for Marge and Kate. You don’t have any effect on them. Ellen I’m not so sure.”
“Peter, you’re talking nonsense.”
“Rina, all I’m saying is that after being with you for two and a half years, always feeling like we’re Beauty and the Beast, it’s nice to see how much you like me.”
Rina took his hand. “Somehow, I suspect I’m being manipulated.”
Decker laughed.
“You told Lilah not to call here?”
“Yep. Matter of fact, I told her if she wasn’t comfortable with that, I’d be happy to assign her to another detective.”
“You told her that?”
“Yep.”
“What’d she say?”
“She hung up on me.”
Rina smiled. “She did?”
“Yep.”
“Well …” She patted his hand. “I know how you feel about your unsolved cases, Peter. You can call her back and make nice.”
“Nah, it’s fine. She wanted to tell me something in person. I’m supposed to meet her at her ranch at eleven. I’ll show up and see what kind of reception I get. If she acts inappropriate, I’ll pass her to Marge.”
“You’re going out to her ranch? To her home?”
“Yes, Rina, I am.”
“Fine.” She withdrew her hand. “I won’t tell you how to do your job.”
“Thank you.”
