Faye Kellerman - Sanctuary

This time Decker passed up the smoke. He sat next to Rina, across from Kreisman, and kept a flat expression while being questioned. Kreisman asked about his case, about Gil and Dov Yalom, about Arik Yalom’s schemes and how they dovetailed with Milligan’s investments. Then Kreisman zeroed in on Milligan. He asked about Rina’s excursion into Hebron, asked her to repeat the conversation she had overheard word for word. He asked about Donald-the mystery man. The lull came after an hour and a half of interviewing. Decker took advantage to formulate his own questions.

“When was the bomb scheduled to go off?”

Kreisman pretended not to hear. The two men had formed a cold truce, but as yet no trust.

“Look, Sgan Nitzav,” Decker said, “I’m working on a case. You’re working on a case. I’m gathering information just like you. How about a little interdepartmental cooperation?”

Kreisman scratched his head. “Let’s go back to the bomb at the yeshiva.”

Rina was about to interject something. Decker patted her hand and said, “Sure. What do you want to know?”

“Let’s go over it one more time.”

Rina couldn’t help it. “Why?” She launched into Hebrew. Kreisman answered her back. It was interesting to Decker’s ear. When they spoke English, their tone of voice and manner were distinctly American. Talking in Hebrew, they had both become Israelis-the pauses, the inflections, and the gesticulations of the hands.

Abruptly, Rina folded her hands across her chest. “Okay, I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”

Kreisman said, “A very good idea.”

Decker was about to speak, but Rina stopped him with a gentle squeeze on the leg.

Kreisman said, “Detective, you said your wife told you to stop this guy whom you didn’t know at all.”

“Yes.”

“So you took off after him and you didn’t know why.”

“Rina told me he didn’t belong. That was reason enough.”

“But you didn’t know why she suspected him.”

“No.”

“In other words, you blindly listened to your wife.”

“She knows the nuances of this country, of the religion. I don’t. I didn’t listen to her because she was my wife. I listened to her as one listens to an expert witness.”

Kreisman stared at him. Decker stared back, waiting for the pissing contest to be over. He understood Kreisman’s suspicions. On the other hand, based on Decker’s information, a bomb in the Bursa had been discovered. He knew that was worth a lot.

Kreisman went on, “So you caught up with this guy.”

“I caught up with the suspect, yes.”

“And he just suddenly blurted out there was a bomb in the yeshiva.”

Decker paused. “After a little physical prodding, yes.”

“And then you just let him go?”

“Not at all. I handed him over to someone in the crowd, emphasizing the importance of detaining him until the police arrived. He had a firm grasp on him as I handed him over. But the bomber must have been limber and strong. He escaped.”

“Why didn’t you stay with the suspect and have other people go and help out at the yeshiva?”

Decker said, “It was a judgment call. I cared more about the boys than about apprehending the suspect.” He bit his mustache. “Did someone call my captain in Los Angeles?”

“Yes.”

“So you know I’m-”

“We’ve been told that you were sent over here to find Gil and Dov Yalom. They’re wanted for questioning in the deaths of their parents-Arik and Dalia Yalom. That’s all good and fine. But it doesn’t explain drek about your fatal attraction for bombs.”

“Nonfatal attraction. No one died.”

Kreisman glared at him.

Decker said, “You want to know how I think Milligan got a bomb through security?”

Kreisman studied Decker’s face. “Are you telling me firsthand knowledge or is this conjecture?”

“Conjecture.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Fair enough. Do you want my opinion?”

“I want your opinion,” Rina piped in.

Kreisman glared at her. “You’re trying my patience, Mrs. Decker.”

“You have no patience,” Rina shot back. “Why don’t you open your mind a little?”

“You want to visit our jails, g’veret?”

“I’ve been in worse places-”

“Rina…” Decker interrupted.

“All right, I won’t say another word.”

Kreisman exhaled, then broke into a smile. “Only in this country. What would happen to her if she spoke that way to your captain?”

Decker shrugged. “You want my take on the bomb?”

“Go on.”

“Milligan couldn’t bring an assembled bomb inside the Bursa,” Decker said. “Security is too tight.”

“Is this going to get better?”

“Can I just get the thought out?”

“Hurry up.”

“Milligan brought in the explosive bit by bit. Every time she visited the Bursa, she toted in another piece of the bomb. Yalom told me it was rare to see her on the floor itself. Mostly she went to offices or to the trader’s lounge where it was quieter to conduct business.”

Decker noticed Kreisman was suddenly listening.

“What do people do in the business lounge? They talk. They relax. They read the papers. They catch a little TV. And you know how lounge TVs work. They’re communal. So nobody would have looked twice if Milligan got up and adjusted the color or changed the channel.”

The room was quiet.

Decker said, “Every time she made an adjustment, she dropped off a part of the bomb in back of the TV set. Yesterday, when she was at the Bursa, I’m betting the TV broke down. So no one thought it was odd when some guy with credentials and a toolbox suddenly showed up to repair it.”

“Security checks people out,” Kreisman said.

“Security takes your passport, checks out your business there, and maybe they run your name inside a computer to make sure you’re not a terrorist or a felon. So if your name comes up clean because you’re using falsified credentials, how are they going to check that out on the spot?”

“Someone would have checked this guy out at the door.”

“I’m sure someone did. So what did they see? A repairman with his toolbox. I’m sure they went through the toolbox and all they saw was tools. So what’s the big deal? If the TV was broken, then a repairman and his tools had legitimate business in the Bursa.”

Kreisman’s face darkened. “Pretending he was fixing the TV, he assembled the bomb on the spot.”

Decker said, “He probably wasn’t even pretending. I’m sure he knew about the workings of a TV set. He also knew bombs as well. How was the bomb rigged?”

Kreisman pursed his lips. “It was set to detonate as soon as someone turned on the TV.”

“So the repairman hooked the detonator up to the power switch on the television set.”

Kreisman nodded. “A basic device. Nothing fancy. One that could be assembled in maybe ten, fifteen minutes.”

“How powerful was the bomb?” Decker said.

“It wouldn’t have ripped the building from the foundation,” Kreisman stated. “But potentially it could have done bad damage on the trading floor. The back of the TV was packed with plastiques.”

“Not to mention the psychological damage it would have done,” Rina said. “It’s demoralizing when the impenetrable becomes penetrable.”

Kreisman nodded. “I can’t believe Milligan got past security.”

“She brought in the pieces, bit by bit,” Decker said. “Besides, she was a trusted and respected person in the business.” He turned to Kreisman. “Are you bringing her in?”

Kreisman bit his lip, then sighed.

“You can’t find her,” Decker said.

“We’ve checked every goddamn hotel in the country.”