Faye Kellerman - The Ritual Bath

“How did the stiff bite it?” Ramirez asked.

Rina cringed, and Decker caught it. He took Ramirez aside.

“Someone bisected her neck.”

“Jesus,” Ramirez hissed. “I hate slashers.”

“Scum of the earth,” Decker agreed.

“Looks like we’ve got company.”

A few of the yeshiva boys were ambling over to the area.

“Damn!” said Decker “There’ll be more of them-the sirens and the lights will bring them over. Keep everyone out of the woods and bathhouse, Luis. I don’t want any gawkers lousing up the evidence.”

Hunter handed Decker a rope while the two uniforms began to contain the crowd that was gathering.

Rina felt a heavy hand on her shoulder and jumped.

“How are you holding out?” Decker asked.

“I don’t know…” She gave him back his gun.

“This isn’t routine for me,” he said softly, tucking the gun into his belt. “It must be a nightmare for you.”

She nodded weakly.

“I’d better cordon off the area.”

“Was it bad?”

He looked at her, hating what he had to say.

“Yeah. It was bad.”

“Oh my God,” Rina muttered, tears rolling down her cheek. “She was a wonderful person, Peter. You met her.”

“It’s a shitty deal, Rina.”

“My God, why her?” Her voice cracked. “Why us?”

“I don’t know, honey. But I swear to you, I’ll find out.” He loosened his tie. “Can you stand being alone while I’m up there, or do you want me to wait with you? There’s certainly no emergency.”

“I’m okay,” she said in a cracked voice. “Go do your job.”

“Sure?”

She nodded.

“All right. I’ll be back in a minute. When the others come, direct them to the flares.”

They descended in droves. Marge, Hollander, a dozen policemen, techs from the crime lab, an ambulance, a detective who looked like a linebacker. The place was crawling with humanity, figures buzzing over the hillside like drones around a hive. Rina’s eyes blurred, her throat tightened, and she began to sob helplessly.

She felt arms around her waist, a chest to lean on, heard a familiar heartbeat. She clung to Peter tightly, fearful of letting go lest she fall off her psychic precipice.

She was brought out of her trance by a firm tug on her shirt sleeve. Chana Marcus took her arm and pulled her out of the embrace. Embarrassed, Rina took a step backward and wiped her tears on a tissue the unsmiling woman offered her.

“I’ll walk you home, Rina,” Chana said, making it sound like an order.

Rina looked at Peter. He was impassive.

“Do I have to stick around?” she asked him.

“Absolutely. I’ll need you to clarify a few things.”

“I’ll wait over there, then.”

“Suit yourself.”

Rina walked away with Chana.

Meddling bitch, thought Decker.

Ed Fordebrand wiped the sweat off his forehead and bull neck, and began to itch. It was a peculiar psychosomatic reaction. Every time he saw a stiff, his skin felt afire. His enormous biceps began to swell with red hives, and the bulbous nose turned red and puffy. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“I can’t understand it,” he said to Decker, scratching the newly formed lumps. “The fuckin’ doctors say it’s all in the head. I ask you, Deck, if it’s in the head, why the hell does it show up on the body?”

“Ever think of switching out of Homicide to Vice, Ed?” Decker offered him a cigarette then took one for himself. “Think how that would swell your body.”

“I’d miss out on all the beautiful scenery,” Fordebrand answered, pointing to the corpse. “Ah, I’ve been doing this too long, Deck. I’m a stubborn old shit and refuse to admit it’s getting to me.”

“Well, it’s gotten to me.” Decker grimaced. “It’s goddam ugly. Let’s talk down below.”

He led the beefy man away from the corpse, walking toward the foot of the mountains.

“You’ve gone soft since you left Homicide, Deck.”

“I met the woman once, Ed. I liked her. To see her ripped apart, left out like carrion by some demented animal…”

“The pits, buddy. No question about it.” Fordebrand rubbed his crimson bumps. “What’s your impression? Think it’s related to the rape?”

“Yup.”

“I’ll take the case as a formality if you need a dick from Homicide, but if you want this stiff, it’s yours, Deck.”

Decker shook his head.

“I don’t know. I’m getting a little over-involved in this one, Ed.”

“The pretty lady with the black hair?”

“You’ve got it.”

“Darling little thing-and young. Nice way to ward off a mid-life crisis.”

“Hell, she’s bringing one on. Anyway, I don’t want to fuck up this case by getting tunnel vision. That’s why I called you down here.”

“So what do we got?” Fordebrand asked.

“We’ve got a rape that happened six weeks ago-”

“The Foothill asshole?”

“Don’t know. Inconsistencies in the M.O., but I never really got a good fix on how the woman was actually raped. Main thing that doesn’t jibe is the shoes. The lady was wearing sandals, not sexy little pumps. My gut feeling is no.”

“Okay, one rape.” Fordebrand grimaced, clawing at his neck. “Now a one-eighty-seven at the same locale-a weird locale. Pretty big coincidence. What else connects the two?”

“The mikvah-the vandalized building. It’s a Jewish ritual bathhouse. Someone tried to break in tonight, smashed the window. Luckily, I showed up and scared him away. But if he’s brazen enough to break in after ripping off the guard, he’s going to try again.”

“You think he’s after her ?”

“Yes.” His voice was serious. “I think he is. So far, he’s attempted to get her here. Hasn’t tried her house. That could mean he’s fixated on the place and not her, or maybe he just hasn’t gotten up the gumption. She’s got two small boys, Ed. He breaks into her place, she’s finished.”

“Where are the kids now?”

“At a neighbor’s. The guard used to walk her there, she’d pick them up, and then they’d all walk home together. But that still leaves the rest of the night for them to be alone. It’s fucking scary.”

“You like the little babe. This must be giving you some sleepless nights.”

“A few.” Decker inhaled his smoke.

“Can she get away for a while?”

“I’m sure as hell going to suggest it.”

“Any candidates for the perp?”

“Couple of weirdos. I’m going to check them both out.”

“Spurned lovers?”

Decker smiled. “I wouldn’t call them lovers. Maybe would-be’s that never made it past the first date.”

Fordebrand slapped him on the shoulder.

“I got a heavy case load, Deck. Biker warfare going down. Five d.b.’s that look like ground round. You don’t need me. You’re thinking straight, and you’re motivated. It’ll be your collar. If your head gets muddy, give me a call.”

“All right. I’ll send you a copy of the report. If the M.O. sounds remotely familiar to anything Homicide has on file, let me know.”

“No problem.”

“Take care of those welts, okay, big buddy?”

“They always shrink down a couple of days later.” Fordebrand blew his nose and looked to one side. “I think the Chosen People are trying to get your attention.”

The Rosh Yeshiva was waving. Decker excused himself and walked over to him.

“Mrs. Lazarus said it was Florence Marley, the security guard. Is this true?”

He looked over and saw Rina surrounded by a group of women.

Damn it. They were pumping her. He had to get her away from them before the whole case blew up.

“I’m not at liberty to say, Rabbi, until the next of kin have been notified-”