Mary was still standing. “Coffee anyone?” When the answer wasn’t immediate, she announced that she was having some, so it was no trouble.
Decker said, “I’m fine with water, Mrs. Anderson, thank you.”
McAdams said, “I’ll take coffee.”
A fleeting smile. “There’s an honest man.” She disappeared.
Keith fiddled with his hands, eyes on his lap. He took a pen from his pocket and clicked it several times. Then he stowed it back. He remained silent.
Decker said, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“He was lost to us years ago,” Keith mumbled, eyes on the floor. “You would think that knowing would be better.” Eyes upward. “It’s not better, it’s not worse. It’s all hell.”
“I’m so sorry.” Decker took a water bottle and opened it.
“Why are you here? Surely your sympathies could have been conveyed by phone.”
“I’d rather do this face-to-face,” Decker said. “Also, we’d like to ask you some questions about Zeke. Get to know him.”
“You think you can solve this after sitting on your hands for ten years?”
Decker said, “We now have Zeke, and that’s a big deal.”
“Meaning he was murdered.”
“Meaning he didn’t die of natural causes.”
“Then what else is there, if it’s not murder?”
“An accident. I’m not saying it was an accident. We just don’t know yet.”
“He was buried.”
“The two other boys could have done that if there had been an accident.”
Keith stared at him. “You think those boys are alive?”
“We don’t know. But since we haven’t found their bodies, we keep an open mind.”
“Are you looking for more bodies?”
“Yes. We’re actively looking.” A pause. Decker said, “Do you keep in touch with the other missing boys’ parents?”
“Not anymore. Both families moved away from the East Coast.” Eyes redirected to his lap. “In the beginning we’d call, ask if they’d heard anything recent. After a while, we stopped calling.”
McAdams nodded. “You called them.”
“Yes.”
“Did they ever call you?”
“Occasionally,” Keith said. “The other parents knew each other. We were the odd ones out. Then you figure what difference does it make anyway?”
Mary came back with four cups of coffee. Keith said, “They asked if we kept in contact with the Velasquezes and the McCraes.”
“Not really.” Mary distributed the cups. “In the beginning yes, but as time went on what we had in common was not a foundation for a friendship. They moved away about six years ago. Did Keith tell you that?”
“He did,” Decker answered. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“Just in case.” Mary sat down on the leather ottoman next to her husband’s feet. “Have you found the remains of the other boys?”
“They’re still searching,” Keith said. “The detectives are entertaining the thought that the other two might still be alive.”
Decker said, “Until we find their bodies, anything is possible.”
“What do you really think?”
“More than likely, they are deceased as well.”
“Then why can’t you find them?” Keith said.
Mary said, “Be nice, darling.”
“Why?”
“Because they are trying to help.” When Keith just looked down, Mary said, “It’s a legitimate question. Why can’t you find them? And why didn’t you find our son sooner?”
McAdams said, “The area is heavily wooded. It’s easy to overlook something because the terrain is so similar. I’m not making excuses. Just telling you what’s going on.”
Decker said, “There could be a dozen reasons, Mrs. Anderson. And incompetence could be one of them. I am sorry about your loss and very sorry it’s taken this long to find your son. But now that he’s come to our attention, we will work the case as hard as we can.”
“And you think you’ll solve it?”
“We’re hoping.”
“How?”
“There’s no set answer to that. I’ve worked hundreds of homicide cases and quite a few cold cases. I know what I’m doing.”
No one spoke.
“I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“He was a good boy,” Mary said. “Idealistic. Passionate. He wanted to join the Peace Corps, for God’s sake.”
“I’m sure he had his heart in the right place,” McAdams said. “But college is weird. Sometimes things happen. What do you know about his friends there?”
Keith said, “He didn’t talk about his friends; he talked about ideas.”
“How about his roommate, Jackson Carlson?”
“You mean Jack?” Mary asked.
“Yes, Jack.”
“We met him once. We were going, he was coming. It was a two-minute conversation.”
Keith said, “After Zeke went missing, a lot of attention was focused on Jack. He was supposed to go camping with the boys. I thought he was cleared.”
“He was,” Decker said. “He was with his folks at Parents’ Weekend.”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. So why are you asking about him?”
“Just getting a feel for his friends.”
Mary said, “The truth is, when we asked about friends . . . or more directly, girlfriends . . . Zeke said that wasn’t his focus. We only know about his social life from what was dug up by the two private eyes we hired.”
Decker sat up. “Would you have their reports?”
“Of course we do,” Mary said. “It’s in our overbloated files that take up almost all our storage bin downstairs.”
“You have a trove of information,” McAdams said. “Probably more than we do. Mind if we take a look?”
“Well, that’s a sad comment on your competence.” Keith looked McAdams up and down. “Maybe not you. You look fresh behind the ears. Probably weren’t there when it all happened.”
“I came to Greenbury PD five years ago. Detective Decker arrived a year later.” McAdams shrugged. “Together, we’ve got a good track record.”
“We’ll look at this case from a fresh perspective,” Decker said. “Your files will be very helpful.”
“You’ll never go through everything we have in one day.”
“I heard that New York City has a few hotels,” McAdams said.
The remark brought a fleeting smile to Mary’s face. “Come on, I’ll take you down to the basement.” She opened the front door, led him into the hallway, and pressed the elevator button. “Tell me about yourself. Did you always want to be a cop?”
“No, but once I discovered what being a cop was, I was hooked.”
“I’m betting your mother wanted you to be a lawyer or doctor.”
“You win the wager.”
The elevator dinged and they were gone. Decker was left alone with Keith. The man had trouble making eye contact.