Faye Kellerman - Sanctuary

“Hit man?”

“A hit man is an assassin.” Decker paused, then said, “Think about it, Mefakeah Elhiani. In order to get Gil, the assassin would have to go inside the yeshiva to find Gil. Then he’d have to get Gil alone. Then he’d have to get close to Gil to stab him or shoot him. He’d have to make sure that the gun didn’t make too much noise. Or that Gil didn’t scream. Because noise would attract attention. Then he’d have to escape. Wouldn’t it be easier to just sneak inside dressed like a rabbi and drop off a small package inside a crowded bais midrash, hoping that one of those boys is Gil Yalom.”

Elhiani lit up another smoke and puffed away as he thought. “It make some sense.”

Decker rubbed his eyes. “So if they tried this method for Gil, why not for Dov.”

“But fortunately, it didn’t work.”

“We were lucky.”

“Whatever the reason, it didn’t work.”

Decker said, “Maybe they don’t know that. The bomber escaped. I’m sure he didn’t go back to his boss and tell him he messed up. So look what the boss sees. A building with blown-out windows, pandemonium in the streets-”

“What means pandemon-”

Rina translated.

Decker said, “To the bomber’s boss, it looks like success.”

“And who is the bomber’s boss?”

Decker remained cagey. “I’m not sure, Mefakeah. I have my suspects but that’s all.”

“Which is suspects?”

Decker and Rina traded looks. Then Decker said, “There’s a woman in Israel named Kate Milligan. She is a well-known lawyer who has worked for the VerHauten Diamond Company for many years. She’s big, she’s important, and this afternoon my wife tailed her into Hebron. But not before she overheard her talking to two men.”

“Two Arabs. One named Ibri, the other named Gamal.” Rina said, “Milligan told them that if their idea of heroism was blowing up a school bus, they were working for the wrong person.”

Elhiani’s eyes got wide. “Where do I find this lady?”

“She had a meeting at the American Colonial Inn about two hours ago,” Rina said. “Maybe she’s staying there. I also have license plate numbers for you in my purse. Maybe that will tell you something.”

“That’s why I need Gil Yalom. I was hoping Gil could tell me something.”

Elhiani bit his lip. “But he has been put out. Maybe tomorrow he can talk to both of us.” He picked up the phone and spoke rapid Hebrew. Decker looked to Rina for translation.

“He’s having an underling call up the American Colonial Inn.”

“That is right, g’veret. Your Hebrew is good.” Elhiani sat back in his chair. “I still think this bomb is strange. You don’t use bomb to kill pacific people.”

“Pacific people?” Decker asked.

Elhiani spoke to Rina. She said, “He meant specific people.”

Decker continued his argument. But even as he spoke, he recognized the validity of Elhiani’s point. Want someone dead, take him out directly. Bombing would have been a clumsy way to kill. The phone buzzed. Elhiani picked it up, then slammed it down.

“Milligan’s not there.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Decker said.

“I don’t know if she was staying there, Peter,” Rina said. “Only that she had a meeting there. For all I know, she’s staying with her pal Donald in Hebron.”

“Yeah, I forgot about him.”

“What?” Elhiani said. “Who is Donald?”

Rina said, “The man for whom Ibri and Gamal were working. I think he lives in Hebron.”

A hard pounding at the door echoed through the small chamber. Elhiani frowned, then got up from his seat. He opened the door, revealing an ashen-faced policewoman who spoke using her white-knuckled hands for emphasis. Elhiani punched his fist in his hands. Rina covered her face and muttered an Oh God.

“What?” Decker said. “Another building exploded?”

“Not a building.” Rina had tears in her eyes. “An explosion at Kikar Zion-an open square in the heart of Jerusalem’s shopping district. Someone put a bomb in a garbage can. Two dead, fifteen wounded.”

Elhiani turned to them. “You two can leave your number with me. Now I have other business.”

Assessing his mood, Decker decided he was tired, famished, and pissed-off in that order. It had taken them two hours to retrieve Rina’s purse, another hour to get back to their car. By then night had fallen over the silent city. Two bombings within an hour of one another made people retreat to the safety of their homes. The city was eerie with calm. The curbs once filled with parked cars were empty. Only the Subaru remained alone, sitting like a punished child behind the police ropes.

Decker unlocked the door, and he and Rina dragged themselves inside the car. He rubbed his eyes and smelled his smoke-drenched clothes.

“I sure wouldn’t want to be a bronchiole in Elhiani’s lungs.”

Rina gave him a tired laugh.

“Are you hungry?”

“You can eat?”

Decker nodded. “’Fraid so.”

“Sure, let’s get something to eat.” Rina paused. “First let’s go back to Tel Aviv. Who knows when the next bomb might go off?”

Decker started the car engine. “So you buy Elhiani’s terrorist bomber.”

Rina sighed. “Well, someone’s bombing the city. Maybe it was random, Peter.”

Decker said, “Gil Yalom just happened to be in the yeshiva that blew up?”

“Who knows?” Rina said. “It doesn’t matter now. What matters is that, coincidence or not, you saved lives.” She felt her eyes watering. “I’m very proud of you.”

Decker turned off the motor and leaned over the console to hug his wife. “Thank you. And you should be proud of yourself while you’re at it. You spotted the guy.”

“Baruch Hashem,” Rina sobbed out.

“Baruch Hashem,” Decker repeated.

Rina dried her tears with a tissue from her purse. “So if this was a random terrorist act, maybe Dov Yalom isn’t in danger like you thought.”

“I think he’s still in danger.”

“All I’m saying is, maybe we still have time to find him.”

“Well, hope springs eternal confusion or something like that.” Decker started the car and pulled away from the curb. “You’ll have to navigate me back.”

Rina gave him a series of directions.

Decker said, “How about we go back to the hotel and order room service at outrageous prices? Maybe if they find out we’re heroes they’ll give us a discount.”

“Don’t count on it.” Rina looked at her lap. “A man from the Jerusalem Examiner left his card with me. It’s an English-language newspaper. He wants to interview you-”

“Publicize my case and let my enemy know what I’m doing? Not a chance.”

Decker turned onto the main thoroughfare to Tel Aviv. The night was black, the road surface barely visible. As the car descended down the mountains, he rode the brake and cursed the poor lighting.

“So what’s next?” Rina asked. “Besides food and a hot bath.”

“We’ll have to wait for Gil Yalom to come out of his shock…whenever that’ll be.” Decker pulled to the side, allowing a speeding Fiat to pass him by. Within moments, the car was a red streak in the darkness. Slowly, he accelerated back onto the roadway.

“That driver was obnoxious and you didn’t even comment,” Rina said. “You must be exhausted.”

“You’re right about that.”

They rode for a few minutes in silence. Then Rina said, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“My mind is a bundle of very confused neurons at the moment. Things aren’t adding up, Rina. Elhiani kept talking about the stupidity of using a bomb to kill a specific person.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you argued your case very well, Peter.”