The girl turned to him, her face full of confusion. “It isn’t a joke?”

“Uh…no, it’s no joke.”

“That is unbelievable!” the girl said. “You mean they just give that lady a washing machine?”

“If she wins, yes.”

“How can they do that!” the girl exclaimed. “Why would they give away a washing machine? Isn’t that expensive?”

“And the automobile,” the little boy chimed in. “That’s real ispensive!”

Decker paused. How do you explain the corporate world and prime-time advertising to kids who never owned TVs.

The girl still had her eyes glued to the monitor. “How do you get to play that game? You got to give them money or something?”

“Minda!” the oldest boy rebuked her sharply. “This is not our world!”

“Mendel, Mama could really use a new washing machine.”

“Then Papa will buy her one.”

“Yeah, sure. He never buys us anything.”

“Minda!” the boy scolded.

Minda fell silent. The little boy smiled at Decker. “I saw the horses.”

Decker smiled back. “Would you like to ride one?”

The boy’s eyes grew big. “Can I?”

“Pessy, wait for Mama,” the oldest boy said.

“Good idea,” Decker said, wondering where the hell Mama was. Instead he turned to Mendel and asked him what he was learning. The teenager shrugged, leaning over the volume of Talmud as if hiding his paper from a potential cheater.

Again, Decker bit his mustache. “Anyone hungry?”

“We’ll wait until our mother comes back,” Mendel said. “But thank you anyway.”

Decker shuffled his feet. “How long has your mother been gone, kids?”

Minda said, “About half an hour. Before Joker in the Deck…will you look at that! She won a whole living room full of furniture! I can’t believe it!”

Decker smiled tightly. “Is anyone hungry?” He looked at the youngest. “Are you hungry, Pessy?”

“He’ll wait,” Mendel said.

“Don’t be such a meanie, Mendel,” Minda said. “Are you hungry, Pessy?”

The little boy looked at his brother. His brother nodded. Pessy said, “I’m a little hungry.”

“I can fix you a sandwich,” Decker said. “What would you like? Tuna? Egg salad? Peanut butter and jelly?”

“Peanut butter and jelly,” Pessy said. “Please.”

“Coming right up.” Decker stood. “How about you, Mendel? Anything?”

Mendel blushed. “I’m okay.”

“You’re sure?”

Minda said, “Go ahead, Mendel. You already checked out the kitchen. It was fine.”

Mendel glared at his sister. Decker said, “I’m glad you checked out the kitchen. I want you kids to feel comfortable here.”

Minda said, “Thank you very much. And thank you for letting us stay here. I’ve never seen a game like this in my life. It’s fascinating!”

“It’s beetul Torah,” Mendel said.

“Mendel, relax, okay?” Minda said. “It’s vacation!”

Decker smiled. “I’ll make you a sandwich, Pessy. Who else is hungry?”

Slowly, the younger girl raised her hand. Decker hadn’t really noticed her before. She was so waifish, so thin, Decker wondered if she wasn’t undernourished. Her name was Bryna. Not that she told Decker her name. Minda volunteered the information.

Mercifully, Decker heard a key being inserted in the front lock. The door opened, Rina shouting out hello.

“We’re in the dining room,” Decker shouted back.

Rina walked in, Hannah riding her hip. Decker smiled at his daughter, then relieved his wife of her sitting appendage.

“Hello, Hannah Rosie!” Decker lifted her into the air. “How was your checkup?”

“She got a shot for hepatitis.”

“Oh.” Decker lowered her gently. “What leg was it in?”

“Her right thigh. She has a high pain threshold. She couldn’t decide if she should really cry or not. When she saw me smiling, she figured it was okay not to cry.” Rina looked at the children. “Hi, kids. Where’s your mother?”

“Out for a walk,” Minda said. “Are we in your way?”

Pessy added, “Mama told us not to move.”

Rina frowned. “No, of course you’re not in our way. What do you mean, she went out for a walk?”

Minda said, “Just that she went out for a walk. She likes to walk. I can’t believe this show isn’t a joke. Mrs. Decker, how can they give away things like washing machines and furniture?”

“The show makes money on the commercials,” Rina answered.

“The commercials give the stuff away?”

Rina said, “I’ll sit down and explain it to you tonight, Minda.”

Decker forced out a smile. “I was just about to make some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Why don’t you come help me out, Rina?”

She followed him inside the kitchen. He closed the door and whispered, “What the hell is going on? This woman drops her kids into a strange city, into a strange house, parks them in front of the TV, then goes out to take a walk? Is this logical, Rina?”

Rina was concerned. “She wasn’t here when you got home?”

“No, she wasn’t.” Decker made a disgusted face. “Poor kids. They’re so lost. They don’t even know what a game show is. They’ve got that beaten-down look…” He paused. “I wonder if she’s abusing them?”

“Peter!”

“I’ve seen hundreds of abused kids, Rina. It’s not an off-the-cuff diagnosis.”

Suddenly, Rina paled. “Do you really think so professionally? Or are you just grumpy?”

Decker ran his hand down his face. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just tired.”

No one spoke.

“What should I do?” Rina asked.

Decker said, “Probably nothing you can do. If you confront her, she’d probably deny it and leave. End of case. Reminds me of my days in Juvey. Nothing’s worse than murder, but some things come close. Hell, I’m probably wrong. She might just be your average flakey Jake. Occupational hazard and all that jazz.”

“You sound very defeated, Peter. What happened?”

“Nothing. Probably my blood sugar’s low.”

Rina said, “I’ll make some lunch. What would you like? Egg salad?”

“Fine.”

Hannah hit his chest and burped. Decker laughed. “You want to go look at the horsies with me?”

Hannah grinned broadly.

“That’s a good idea,” Rina said. “Take her out to the horses.”

“Should I take the little boy, too? He seemed interested in them. He thinks I’m a cowboy.”

“You ride horses, you’re a cowboy. Isn’t Pessy sweet?”

“Yeah, he seems like a nice boy.” Decker shook his head.

“What?”

“The kids,” Decker said. “Their behavior…I don’t know. They don’t react like normal kids.”

“Peter, imagine if you lived most of your life in eighteenth-century Poland, then you were suddenly beamed into 1990s Los Angeles. They’re in a time warp. They don’t even know what tropical means.”

“Keep people locked up long enough, they become weird.”

“They’re not locked up.”

“For all intents and purposes they are. These little religious sects are nothing but cults.”

“Except that Honey brought them out here.”

“Her rabbi would approve of this excursion?”

“The Leibbener Rebbe isn’t David Koresh or Jim Jones, Peter. He isn’t apocalyptic. That isn’t a Jewish concept. The people are free to come and go as they please.”

“That’s what they all say.”

“Goodness, you are such a cynic!”

“Of course I am. I deal with the dregs of society.” Decker smiled at Hannah. “We’re going to see the horsies, Mommie. I’ll ask Pessy to come join us. If that’s okay with Mendel.”

“He’s protective.”

“I guess I can understand that. Taking care of your family.”

Rina frowned. “I was listening to the news.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I heard about the missing family you’re investigating. How’s it going?”

“It’s not,” Decker said. “Could be why I’m in such a bad mood.” He turned to Hannah. “Come on, puddin’. Let’s go see some horsies.”

Hannah flapped her arms excitedly.

Decker turned to Rina. “This woman is coming back to reclaim her kids, isn’t she?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve never heard of the husband who goes out to buy cigarettes and never returns?”