The Theory of Death (7 page)

“So you’re calling the shots now?” Decker said.

“You always tell me to take initiative.”

His plan was dead-on except that Decker had reservations about taking the kid away from his law books. He did have exams to pass. “This is the deal, McAdams. You study tomorrow while I interview Eli’s family. We’ll assess where you are in your studies tomorrow evening.”

“How can you assess where I am?”

“I can’t. So I’m going to have to rely on your honesty. If you say you can take a day off to travel to Boston with me, I’ll take you at your word and we’ll go together.”

“Fair enough.”

“Besides, you did say you can study in a car. It might even work to your benefit. A day will give you time to amass questions. Once we’re up north, you can just ask your law professors for clarification.”

“I don’t ask questions in school, boss. I’ve never once raised my hand, gone to office hours, or joined a study group. If I’m called on, I usually know the answer, and the few cases I didn’t know, I didn’t try to fudge or guess. I said out loud in front of everyone that I’m not sure, but I will look it up after class and get back to you. And I always did get back. I e-mail them the answer I should have known in the first place. If I can’t figure out this stuff on my own, I shouldn’t be in Harvard Law.”

“That’s a fine policy for school, Tyler. But on this job, I would hope that you’d ask me for help. You’d better ask me for help. It could be life and death.”

“I know that better than most.” McAdams stared out the windshield. “Police work is on-the-job training. You can’t learn it in books. So of course I ask you questions. With academic issues, I sink or swim on my own.”

“Fiercely independent.”

“It’s hard to break away from Black Jack McAdams, but I try.” He sat back in the seat and sighed. “Lord knows that I try.”

MCADAMS FELT MORE
at home with the Deckers than he did with his own parents. After he had been shot, he had moved into the spare bedroom for almost two months as he recovered. The house was done up in a typical New England B-and-B style with chintz wallpaper and gleaming hardwood floors. The living room ceiling had been opened up to the attic rafters, giving the area a larger feel.

All that winter, Rina had not only nursed him back to health, but she had also taken part in some of the investigative work with him. The case was solved but the ending was unsatisfying. Nothing had been neat. Such was McAdams’s introduction to real police work.

His relationship with Decker was mentor/mentee. While he admired the old man more than he would dare admit out loud, McAdams’s relationship to Rina was different. She was part mother figure, but she was also part friend. It surprised him that a religious woman who covered her hair and knew the Bible by heart could be so insightful and act so ordinary.

She greeted him with a hug—something not every religious Jewish woman would do—but that was just Rina: warm and friendly, quick-witted and rock-solid dependable. Tonight she wore a blue sweater and a black skirt that ended midknee. A black beret sat on her head. Her feet were in slippers.

“Your room is set up,” she told him. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks. I’ll be fine.”

“Hungry?”

“Starved.” McAdams hoisted his duffel. “Let me get rid of this.”

“Sure. Unpack and I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Rina walked into the kitchen, where Decker was picking at the rice pilaf. She said, “Ah, ah, ah.”

Decker kissed her lips. “Tastes good. We’re starving.”

“I’m hungry, too.” She spread the rice onto a big platter and put the roasted chicken on top. There was also a bowl of green beans. Baked apples were still in the oven. They both heard water running. “You want to take a quick shower as well?”

“I’ll do it after dinner,” Decker said. “I’ll get a hotter shower if I wait. We really should get a bigger water heater.”

“I’ll call someone.”

“Get a couple of prices. Even in a small town, you can get competitive bids.”

“Not a problem. So what’s going on with the body in the woods?”

“He’s a college student and it’s probably a suicide.”

Rina frowned. “That is so sad. You have a name?”

“Elijah Wolf. He’s from a Mennonite community.”

“Oh dear. Did you contact his parents yet?”

“I did.”

“How do you do that? It must eat you alive.”

“It does, but someone has to do it. I’m visiting the parents tomorrow, hoping to find out more about him. They live about an hour from here. I spoke to the father. He didn’t say much. Could be shock, but it could be cultural.”

“What does the father do?”

“He has a farm. That’s all I know.”

“How religious are they?”

“No idea, but they do have a phone.”

“Are you taking Tyler with you?”

“No, no. He came down here to study, not to get involved in this case. I don’t want to be the reason he did poorly on his exams.”

“So you’re driving up-country alone?”

“Talking to the boy’s parents isn’t a two-person job.”

“I’m not questioning your detective skills, Peter. I’m not working tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted company.” She sighed. “I guess I just want to help.”

“You are a help just being who you are.” Decker kissed her forehead. “Actually, it’s a good idea.”

“What is?”

“Keeping me company, coming up with me. You can talk to the mother. As one religious woman to another, you’ll probably get more out of her than I would.”

“If she’s able to talk, that might be true. If I were her, I’d be a basket case. I’m sure she
is
a basket case.”

Rina handed him the plate of chicken and rice. She took the bowl of green beans. They went out into the dining room and placed the food on the tabletop.

“If she and I happen to wind up together, I’ll keep the conversation light. Food is always a good icebreaker. I can talk recipes for hours. It’s the primary bond between your mother and me. We should visit her. She’s old and frail. The bonus is Florida.” Rina consulted her smartphone. “At present, it’s sixty-eight degrees.”

“After I’m done with this mess, I’ll ask for a little time off. Since I worked on Christmas and New Year’s, Mike will be amenable.”

“Good. So I’ll come with you tomorrow?”

“I’d love it. Thanks for offering.”

“No problem. When are we leaving?”

“Around nine-thirty.”

“Perfect. I won’t have to rush.”

With a wet head, McAdams walked into the dining room. “Man, that looks good.” He sat down and put his napkin on his lap. “I haven’t eaten all day. I’m beyond starved and into famished territory.”

After ritually washing, Rina and Decker sat down. Everyone filled their plates. Conversation was kept to a minimum as they ate. Afterward, Decker and McAdams cleared the table while Rina served the baked apples. When they all sat back down, Decker said, “Rina’s going with me tomorrow.”

“To the Wolf farm?”

“Yes.”

McAdams shrugged. “I see I’m being replaced once again.”

“Stop that,” Rina said.

“At least it’s someone competent.”

Decker said, “Your competency isn’t at issue here. You need to study. When I go up to Boston, I’ll take you with me, okay?”

“Goody, goody.” McAdams cut the apple into smaller bites. “So when are you going to interview Eli’s math professors?”

“When I get back. Sometime in the late afternoon.”

“I’d like to come with you. I’ve been around professors more than you have and I might actually be of help.”

“It’s a fair point. Let’s see how far you get with your books.”

“Whatever.” McAdams wiped his mouth, got up from the table, and cleared his plate. “I’m going to try to rip off a couple hours of studying.” He turned to Rina. “Thanks for dinner and thanks for putting me up.”

After he left, Rina said, “He’s dying to come with you.”

“It’s more important for him to study. Besides, by the time we come back, I’m hoping the postmortem will be done.” Decker stood up and stretched. “Give me a better idea of what I’m working with. I don’t want a repeat of last year: something small turning into something big and dangerous.”

“Understood.” Rina got up. “You look beat. I’ll load the dishwasher. Take a shower.”

“No, I’m actually okay. I’ll finish up here and you relax.” Decker looked at his watch. “We did dinner in twenty-eight minutes. By the time I’m done, I should have plenty of hot water. I like long showers. They help me clear my head. And being that we are no longer in a drought zone, I can indulge myself without feeling like I’m scoffing at some environmental water-protection law conjured up by some Green Party fanatic who drives a Prius and shops organic at Whole Foods.”

“You’re working yourself up. Go take your shower.” She gave him a gentle push. “I’ll put the kettle on. I just got some loose-leaf exotic Indian tea at the organic coffee and tea store. It has ginger, cardamom, and ginseng. It’s supposed to revitalize the flesh as well as the spirit.”

Decker smiled. “That sounds good to me. At my age, I can use all the revitalization I can get.”

D
RIVING THROUGH RURAL
upstate in the winter, Decker passed landscapes of white and brown, so different from the verdant fields that were in place a half year ago. Crops of lettuce, kale, cabbage, onion, beets, carrots, and oversize pumpkin had been stocked in every farmer’s market as recently as late November. Snowfall had come later this year, plus it wasn’t as harsh as last winter.

The farming communities varied in size and modernity, from those that employed the latest equipment to oxen yoked plows. Decker didn’t know where Elijah’s parents fit in, but the phone number suggested they didn’t eschew electricity. Rina was staring out the passenger window as Decker waited until he had a chance to safely pass a buggy.

“Another world,” she said. “Not unlike the one you encountered when we first met.”

Decker gave her a hesitant smile. “A little different. At least these communities are producing something.”

Rina slugged him. “We produced scholars. And there has been a real sea change in the Orthodox yeshiva world, just saying. More and more of them are encouraging their students to pursue advanced secular education.”

“It only took what? About two hundred years?”

“Now you’re just being contentious.”

“I don’t deny it. It’s fun to tease you.” Decker paused. “Do you ever miss the insular life?”

“No. It was what I needed at that time, but I didn’t like being disconnected from the real world. Even at the time, I knew I wasn’t going to stay. I’ll tell you one thing that surprised me. I love living in a small town. It’s so manageable. And with the colleges nearby, I feel we get the best of both worlds. What about you?”

Decker gave the question some real thought. “I must admit it’s still an adjustment. I often wake up with the anticipation of what’s going to await me at work. And then I realize it’s going to be same old, same old.”

“You didn’t expect to be called down to a crime scene yesterday.”

“True, but even so, there’s not a lot of detection work involved.”

“So you think it’s suicide?”

“Probably.”

“But you don’t know why.”

“No, I don’t. If I hunt around, I’m sure I’ll find out he had depression issues. It doesn’t seem like a spur-of-the-moment decision. And unless someone wants me to look further, it’s really not up to me to find out why he killed himself.”

“What about those pages you found tucked away in his desk?”

“Not really my business, either, unless it’s a suspicious death.”

“What if they had something to do with his suicide?”

Decker thought about that. “Let me get back to you on that one.” He smiled. “I’m not complaining, Rina. I like the quiet life.” A pause. “It’s certainly better than being shot at, but obviously that can happen anywhere.”

“That is indeed the truth.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Can you stop off at the next Dunkin’ Donuts? I’d like some fresh coffee.”

“Sure.”

They found one ten minutes later on the main strip. There was a Dunkin’ Donuts, a DQ, a two-show movie theater, a library, a grocery store, a store specializing in livestock feed and equipment, a dress and fabric store, an appliance store—new and used—a city hall, and several diners, all of them specializing in pie. The parking was diagonal except for the hitching posts for the buggies. The population included some Amish, some moderns, and some in-betweens.

“You want a cup?” Rina asked.

“Thanks. I can get it.”

“No, I’ll do it. I want to stretch my legs.” She came back a few minutes later with coffee. “Here you go.” Rina took out a large paper bag that she had brought from home. “Want a sandwich?”

“No thanks, this is fine.”

Rina took out an apple, made a blessing, and bit in. “Sure you don’t want anything to eat?”

Decker patted his stomach. “Does it look like I miss a lot of meals?”

“You look great.”

“For my age.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You thought that.”

“I did not! We both look great. No asterisk ‘for our ages’ necessary.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re way younger than I am.”

“Even more proof why you must look great.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek again. “You snagged yourself one hot, terrific babe.”

THE WOLF HOMESTEAD
was ten minutes from the main highway, in a patchwork of snowed-under farms. There were some greenhouses, and what they grew behind the glass panes was anyone’s guess. Judging from the farmers markets, the hothouses probably had tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and squashes. There were also chicken coops, pigsties, and sheepcotes. No hogs in sight, but the sheep were grazing, chowing down whatever brown grass and detritus remained from the fall crops. While the area certainly wasn’t Gainesville, it was vaguely reminiscent of Decker’s childhood: simpler times and simpler needs and much, much quieter.

As they inched closer to the appointed address, the Wolf spread fanned out into lots of acreage, with a barn, two windmills, several chicken coops, and a sty. There was a corral and paddock, but no horses in sight. Around twenty sheep roamed around the grounds. Beyond the farming area were orchards of deciduous trees that were bare at this time of year. From the distance they looked like apple trees. New York ranked second in U.S. apple production, just behind Washington State.