Faye Kellerman - Blindman’s Bluff

“I’ve already set up the table.”

“Then drink a glass of wine or something.”

“The wine will mellow me out, but it will do nothing for our progeny.”

“Give her a snack.”

“She doesn’t like to eat snacks right before dinner.”

Decker looked down at his wife. “Just start without me. I’m a fast eater anyway. Besides, the less time I spend with her, the better she likes me.”

“She loves you.”

“So you keep saying. Cindy was always nice to me.”

“Cindy didn’t live with you.”

Silence. Decker hammered away for a few more minutes, then climbed down the ladder. “Done.” As the two of them walked into the house, he said, “I’m going to shower first. Start eating and I’ll be there in a little bit.”

It seemed like a good idea. Hannah was already at the table, eyeing the chicken in predator/prey fashion. Rina poured herself a half glass of Herzog petite sirah. “You can start.”

“Finally.” She grabbed the two drumsticks, then heaped her plate with a mound of broccoli and a half-baked potato. “Why is he so paranoid all of a sudden? It’s not like he suddenly joined the police squad.”

“The case involves members of the Bodega 12th Street gang. One of them is in jail and I identified him. Your father’s a little nervous.”

“But you didn’t put that guy in jail.”

“I don’t even think he knows I exist, but your father is just being cautious.”

“It’s really inconvenient staying at Oma and Opa’s. I have to wake up a half hour earlier.”

“It’s only for a few days.”

“Yeah, but it has to be the day before I take my SATs. And no, I don’t want to sleep over at a friend’s house.”

Rina reached over and squeezed her daughter’s arm. “You’re very smart. You’ll do fine.”

Hannah speared a piece of broccoli and chewed vigorously. There were tears in her eyes. Decker showed up a minute later, his wet hair slicked back.

“You look like Dracula,” Hannah told him.

Decker started to laugh. “I suppose that’s a compliment. He was a count.”

Hannah giggled. “I’m sorry. I’m nervous.”

“SATs,” Rina said.

“When are you taking them?” Decker asked.

“Tomorrow, as I have previously told you.”

“I’m old. I forget things. I’m sure you’ll do fine.” He paused. “You’ll certainly do better than I did. If they hadn’t given me points for filling in my name, my score would have been negative. Not that it mattered. I never intended to go to college.”

Hannah stopped eating and studied her father. “Why’s that? You’re so smart.”

“Thank you,” Decker said with sincerity. “Education didn’t matter much to my parents. I’m sure that sounds pretty good to you now.” That got a smile out of Hannah. “Grandpa worked with his hands. I figured I’d do the same.”

“Yet you chose something that requires a lot of brain work.”

“It was all serendipitous. After I came out of the army, the police academy was looking for people. Gainesville was…is a college town and I detested all the protesters because they were my age and having too much fun. The police hated the students as much as I did. My enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

Hannah appeared thoughtful. “You could have quit.”

“It turned out to be a good fit.” He chewed thoughtfully. “I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for almost thirty-five years.”

“I hope I find something I’m passionate about. The only thing I love besides you guys and boys is listening to music.”

“So be a music critic,” Decker said.

“Yeah, you’d love that.”

“Why would I care? As long as you live it honestly, do what you want.”

“Abba, you can’t make a living out of that.”

“Pumpkin, if you work hard enough and do what you love, you’ll make a living. You may not make a lot of money. You may have to do without certain things. But there’s nothing better than doing work that you like. I don’t like my job every day, but I wouldn’t consider anything else.” Decker poured himself a glass of wine and toasted with Rina. “You can’t put a price tag on everything.”

“You really wouldn’t care if I became a music critic?”

“No. Why should I? It’s your life.”

“So I should forget about college and pursue my dreams?”

“Excuse me?” Rina said.

Decker laughed. “I’d like you to finish college to keep your options open. Other than that, I have no expectations.”

Hannah pushed her plate away. “I’ve got to go pack for Oma’s.”

“Hannah?” Rina said. “If it’s important to you, we can sleep here. The Saturn turned out to be nothing.”

“Now you’re telling me?”

“I didn’t want to cancel on my parents. They seemed excited to have us over. But that’s thinking about them and not you. I’ll call them up.”

“No, no,” Hannah said. “I have my own room over there and my computer’s transportable. It’s fine, Eema. Honestly, I won’t sleep much anyway.” She got up from the table and hugged her father.

“Thank you for talking to me. It really helped.”

She skipped off to her room.

“Good job, Abba,” Rina said. “Pat yourself on the back.”

Decker had a smile on his face. “Once in a while, I get it right.”

“C’mon, Decker, give yourself some credit. That was incredibly sensitive.”

“Wasn’t trying to be. I meant every word. I’m no shining star. I’m just a government employee.”

“You’re my shining star,” Rina told him. “You’ve always been a hero to me.”

Decker looked down at his chicken. “Thank you. You’re my hero, too.” He kissed her hand and held it for a moment before letting go to pick up his wineglass. After all this time, he still had trouble expressing himself: how nice his daughter’s words had made him feel and how lovely Rina’s comment was. Instead he toasted with Rina again while basking in the moment.

It was great to feel adored.

THE LANDSCAPE OF channels and furrows brought back memories of childhood, when Decker was a kid and the family used to drive to visit his grandparents in Iowa. They did it twice a year-Easter and Christmas-traveling from Florida through miles of flat, endless terrain. Christmastime presented an ocean of brown or white, but Easter was a time of renewal: verdant fields glistening with morning dew and the perfume of blossoming trees. The trips were indelibly etched because of the promise at the end of the rainbow. Family reunions and gargantuan feasts, lights, decorations and pageantry, cousins to play with, and of course, presents. No matter how big or small, it was a thrill to open a wrapped package. Traveling through the fields, Decker knew it was a very different time for a very different reason, but the scenery evoked a primal excitement.

Perhaps they’d catch a break.

Brubeck drove like a native, whipping through the agrarian countryside. The dirt roads were uneven, and the lumpy topography gave the rental’s axle a run for its money. One rut sent them flying off the ground, coming down with a spine-breaking thud.

“Sorry about that, boss.” Brubeck reduced his speed. “Damn roads. You’d think after all this time, the town would do something about the potholes.”

“We can’t change the roads, but we can slow down. A couple of minutes saved isn’t worth paralysis.”

“Damn roads,” Brubeck muttered again. He wore a short-sleeved navy shirt and a black pair of jeans, his gut peeking over his belt. Decker had opted for a brown polo shirt and denims. Sneakers rounded out the look.

Decker pulled out the partial list of northern ciudad families, given to him by Brubeck courtesy of his father-in-law, Marcus Merry. There were over a dozen surnames. “Did you contact your father-in-law?”