“I’m not angry with you,” she cut him off in a hoarse voice.
“Then what is bothering you? Ever since we came back from Sunnyvale, you’ve been avoiding me. I didn’t pressure you, because I hoped you’d find the right moment to explain to me what you’re going through. I think I have the right to know, Liah.” He reached out his hand again and placed it on her arm. Liah tried to pull back but stopped herself and remained motionless.
“I love you, you’re my best friend, I trust you with my life. That’s the reason I’ve chosen to spend the rest of my life with you. I’m asking you to please tell me what’s been bothering you.”
Liah slowly raised her head. Ronnie’s breath was stolen away from him at the sight of the deep despair reflected in her eyes. She slowly rose from the table, poured herself a glass of water and sipped from it with her back turned. Suddenly, she seemed so small and vulnerable to him. He felt all his strength draining away.
“There’s something I must tell you” — her back was still turned to him, but her voice was surprisingly steady — “but I want you to promise not to cut me off. I’ve been trying to have this conversation from the moment you proposed to me, but I could never find the courage to do it.” She turned around and sent him a pleading look. Her drooping shoulders projected defeat.
Ronnie yearned to go to her, take her in his arms and tell her to never mind. No need for her to say whatever it was she found so difficult to reveal. But he didn’t move and simply nodded. “I promise.”
“I wanted to reveal this secret to you long ago but was afraid you’d leave me the moment the truth came out.” Liah took a deep breath, closed her eyes and quickly uttered, “I’m married.”
Ronnie turned pale.
Liah continued, “When I was twenty, I fell in love with a thirty-two-year-old lawyer. He charmed me with his wisdom and experience and spoiled me in every possible way. It was love at first sight. My parents strongly opposed our relationship, but the more they objected, the stronger my love grew. After six exciting months, we got married in the rabbinate. We didn’t invite anyone. It was just the two of us, the rabbi, and two incidental witnesses. I thought if I forced my parents to face the fact we were married, they’d learn to accept my husband and see what I’d seen in him when we fell in love. At first, they did try to be nice to him, but it was clear they were doing it only because they were afraid to lose me. Very quickly, family gatherings became uncomfortable and I found myself drawing further and further away from them. The idyllic relationship between me and my husband lasted a little less than six months. The first crisis took place when I found out he was up to his neck in debt. He’d gambled on failing real estate projects, lost everything he had, and owed everything he didn’t. Apparently, he’d sold, without my knowledge of course, the apartment my parents had bought for me before I got married. But even that didn’t help him get back on his feet, and pretty soon he went bankrupt. I tried to support him as much as I could. I gave up studying medicine at Tel Aviv University and started working odd jobs. But nothing helped. My husband began to suffer from melancholy and for a long time refused to even leave the house. All our conversations began and ended with him pressuring me to take money from my parents to cover what he referred to as ‘our debts.’ Our married life continued to deteriorate, and my husband, in an attempt to find answers to his troubles, discovered God and became very religious, a baal teshuva who turned to orthodoxy as a way to repent.”
She rinsed her mug in the sink and sat down. “My life became unbearable, but I kept on believing we got married for good or ill and that if we only wanted to badly enough, we’d manage to survive this rough patch of our lives together. The straw that broke the camel’s back was his religious fanaticism and the violent tantrums he’d throw every time I would refuse to go bathe in the mikveh or to study the sacred laws of halakha with the rabbi’s wife. I finally gave up and asked him to let me go and give me a divorce. He agreed right away, but conditioned it on my parents covering his debts. Two and a half million dollars. When I told him my parents didn’t have anywhere near that amount, he told me I’m their only daughter, and he was convinced they’d agree to sell all their assets in order to offer me a better life. I went to the rabbinate, but I didn’t stand a chance against the rabbinical student who only sought reconciliation. Finally, as a desperate measure, I applied for a scholarship in the United States and ran away to study medicine in New York.”
“How…” Ronnie began, but went quiet when she raised her hand, begging him to stop.
“I don’t know exactly how, but Gadi discovered this secret, and a few days ago he confronted me and demanded that I tell you everything. I swore to him I’d do that, and before he left he promised to help me solve the problem. I was very scared. I know what Gadi is capable of doing to protect your interests. I begged him to stay out of this. He wouldn’t agree to anything and demanded over and over that I speak with you and that we try and solve this problem together.”
Liah leaned her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands.
“When you read out loud a short news item about the death of a Shlomo Klein who’d been murdered in Bnei Brak, probably at the hands of a robber, I felt as though my world had just come to an end. Shlomo Klein was my husband. The first thought that came to me was that Gadi was somehow behind it. I tried to talk to him, but he wasn’t available for three days. I didn’t know what to think. I still can’t shake the feeling Gadi decided to take the law into his own hands and release us both from my recalcitrant husband.”
“How could you keep something like this from me for so long?” Ronnie erupted. “What else are you hiding?” He got up and hurled his mug at the kitchen wall, trailing coffee across the room and down the bright yellow paint.
“That’s the reason I didn’t tell you anything. When you told me about your girlfriend, who cheated on you with her ex-boyfriend, I realized I couldn’t possibly bring myself to hurt you with a similar admission.”
“So you decided to cheat on me in another way? By hiding your marriage? You didn’t believe my love for you was strong enough to fight for it with you? Only when Gadi discovered your secret did you realize you had no choice but to share it with me? And when were you going to tell me? Right after the bigamist wedding you planned for us?”
Liah bit her lower lip, trying hard not to burst into tears. “Ronnie, enough, I love you, you’re my whole life.”
“I’m not sure that’s enough.” Ronnie got up and silently limped to the bedroom, leaving Liah depressed and despondent. After what seemed to her like an eternity, he came out, holding a crutch and a suitcase. “I’m moving to a hotel. You can stay in the apartment for as long as you’d like.” He walked past her and left.
“Ronnie!” Liah shouted and ran after him. “Come back, please. I promise we’ll solve this. Please. Without you, I’ll go back to Israel.”
Ronnie turned around and gave her a hard look. “You do what you want. But personally, I suggest you take your last exam before you go. You’ve already ruined my life, no need to ruin yours as well.”
The elevator arrived and he hobbled inside. He kept his back turned to her until he heard the doors sliding shut behind him.
Chapter 41
New York, October 29, 2013, 10:02 AM
Ronnie lay in bed and stared at the ceiling of his room in the Hyatt Times Square. Just fifteen days ago, he was on top of the world. He was promoted to partner much sooner than he’d anticipated, was awarded chairmanship of one of the most promising companies in the fund and, most importantly, Liah said yes to his marriage proposal. Today, he was lying by himself in a lonely hotel room after leaving Liah and the apartment he’d bought. His relationship with the two managing partners in the fund had hit rock bottom, and the pain in his leg reminded him just how deeply he’d complicated his life in his attempt to rescue TDO.
On the pillow beside him lay a letter that had been pushed beneath his hotel room door that morning. Although he knew it
by heart he picked it up and read again:
Ronnie my love,
Sadly, I’ve realized it’s too late and the damage I’ve caused is irreversible. Nevertheless, I feel the need to tell you that yesterday afternoon I received a letter from the rabbinical court releasing me from my marriage after my ex-husband received my compromise offer. The letter arrived by regular mail. It had been sent on — believe it or not — October 13th, the day before you proposed to me. I’ve been waiting for this letter for so long so I could show it to you while telling you the truth, and now, it turns out my ex-husband and his friends in the rabbinate managed to give me the final, and cruelest, blow when they decided to save on the postal fees and send this crucially important letter via regular mail.
I can’t stop thinking about the danger you’re in because of your insistence on “rescuing” TDO. The more I think about what happened in the operations, the more convinced I am someone sabotaged the medicine before it was sent. There is no chemical way to cause the same reactions with two different patients by using human interference during the operation. Therefore, I suggest you check the numerator. I think this is where you might find the answer.
Love you, but also understand and ache over your disappointment in me.
You’ll always be the man of my dreams,
Liah
He wanted to scream until his lungs were bereft of air but knew by doing so all he’d achieve would be to bring the hotel’s security personnel into the room, not Liah. He felt defeated. Beaten. His phone vibrated for the tenth time. He gave it a quick glance. Ronnie, answer me please, said the message that appeared on the screen. He shut his eyes tightly, clenching his fists until he felt his nails puncturing the skin of his palms. He opened his eyes, took a deep breath, picked up the phone and dialed.
“What are you doing at the Hyatt Hotel?” Gadi answered, as usual, after the first ring.
Ronnie didn’t bother to ask how his friend knew where he was staying. “It’s because of you,” he yelled angrily. “Tell me, did you murder Liah’s husband?”
“Tell me you’re not asking this seriously,” Gadi’s voice turned dark and solemn at once.
“I’m very serious. Where did you disappear to for three days? Were you in Israel? You know, with my connections I can check it in less than a minute.”
“So check, you idiot.”
“Where have you been?”
“That’s none of your fucking business.” Gadi hung up the call.
Ronnie remained seated, panting with frustration. Now I’ve accused my best friend of murder and ruined the last good thing I had in my life. He dialed Gadi again. The phone rang for a long time before Gadi finally answered.
“I’m sorry,” Ronnie blurted in a weak voice. “Everything’s falling apart around me, and I need you as the last anchor of sanity I have left in the world. I never thought I’d say something like this, but I really don’t know who to trust anymore. Hold on a moment, someone’s knocking on the door.” Ronnie got up with great effort and walked clumsily to the door. Through the peephole, Gadi’s face smiled back at him. Ronnie opened the door and embraced him tightly.
“Would you like a kiss as well?” Gadi gently pushed Ronnie into the room. Ronnie let go and measured him with a careful look. Finally, he blurted, “I’m sorry.”
It was hard for Gadi to see Ronnie so broken up. “How can I help you?” he asked, changing the topic of conversation.
Ronnie sighed and sat on the bed, trying to organize his thoughts. “How did you know I was staying at the Hyatt?” he asked. “Are you following me?”
“Yes. I don’t believe whoever attacked you will stop there. Only this time, I plan to be ready for him.” Gadi pushed aside his coat and exposed a gun that was shoved in his waistband. “Good thing they don’t check your bags or have security checkpoints everywhere like they do in Israel,” he said, chuckling.
“Where did you get the gun? What will you do if you get arrested?”
“Why would the police arrest me?” Gadi chose to reply only to the second question. “Now that Liah is out of the way, tell me all the little details about the assault.”
In the following minutes, Ronnie described carefully everything that’d happened from the moment he’d left the office on his way home. Gadi listened to him attentively.
“The kick that the bastard sent to my knee was of surgical precision. He’s a professional and undoubtedly a martial arts expert. His cold-bloodedness was sadistic, and he ignored all the people around us on the street. I don’t think he’s afraid of anything. The man is very dangerous.”
“Is there a way to recognize him?”
Ronnie described the honor society ring to Gadi and also showed him a photo of one he’d found on the web. Once he was finished, he added, “In spite of everything that happened, I don’t believe the guy will attack me again. If he does, I’ll be ready. I think even on one foot I still have a trick or two up my sleeve that might just surprise him. Otherwise, everything I learned during all my military service was a big waste of time.”
“Still, I prefer to stick around.”
“No. I need your help elsewhere.”
“OK, whatever you say.” Gadi realized no argument could make Ronnie change his mind. Even so, he was glad to discover Ronnie had gradually recovered during the conversation and returned to the self-possessed man he remembered and admired.
“Brian, the man who represents TDO at Mount Sinai Hospital, helped me above and beyond in trying to understand what went wrong with the operation during which the Jewish man from Brooklyn died. For reasons not entirely clear to me, Jim, the company’s new CEO, is convinced Brian is unreliable and that it’d be a mistake to rely on him. Jim even hinted he suspects Brian is involved in criminal activities. When I told him I find that hard to believe, our conversation deteriorated into an uncomfortable confrontation. According to Jim, Brian had access to the locked safe in the company office. He claimed that Christian, who’d fallen under Brian’s charms, used to give him the keys and allowed him to take out the medicine without any supervision. According to him, Brian was responsible for keeping the medicine safely locked up until the moment of the operation—”
“So you’re saying he switched the medicines before they were sent?” Gadi thought out loud. “That would explain how the damaged medicine reached Philadelphia as well.”
“Up till now, I also thought that was the only explanation, but last night I found out Brian went to Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia of his own accord. He refused to explain to me what he was looking for down there. I need you to go to the hospital and try to find out what Brian is up to. Wait a minute…” Ronnie went through his wallet until he found a note with a long list of letters and numbers. He typed them on his computer and accessed the TDO server. From there, he made his way quickly into the personnel department’s records. Seconds later, Brian’s photo appeared on the screen.
“This is Brian. I’m sending you an email with his photo.” Ronnie continued to work without waiting for an answer.
“A handsome devil,” Gadi muttered to himself.
“Yes. And he knows how to use it pretty well. All the female nurses and doctors in the New York hospital were dazzled by him. That’s how you’ll find him. I’m sure he’ll use the same tricks in Philadelphia. On second thought, I’ll send you Moses’ photo as well; he’s the TDO representative in the Philadelphia hospital.”
“What do you think Brian’s doing at Jefferson?”
“I have no idea, but if he’s really involved in the tragedies of the final trials, as Jim believes him to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were there to conceal evidence related to his criminal actions.”
“If he has bad intentions, why would he expose himself and tell you he’s in Philadelphia?”
“I’ve been bothered by the same question. The only explanation I’m able to come up with is that Moses accidentally crossed paths with him, and the moment his hospital visit was revealed, Brian reali
zed any attempt to hide it would simply confirm the suspicions against him.”
“OK. I’ll be on the first train to Philadelphia. I’ll update you the moment I have any relevant information. Keep yourself safe.” Gadi turned to leave, but when he reached the door, he turned around and said, “And answer Liah. You have to find a way to forgive her.”
“Before you leave, please take this thumb drive. It contains all the material I’ve gathered about the company from the moment I was appointed as chairman. Take a look at it with your detective’s eyes. Perhaps you’ll be able to find something. I can’t shake the feeling I’m missing something here.”
Gadi took the drive and left the room without adding a word.
When he was by himself again, Ronnie looked at his cell phone once more, then finally deleted all the messages from Liah. He returned to his computer and checked the new Gmail account he’d created. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any reply from Roselyn. He checked his regular mailbox and found an email from the investment bankers:
“We’ve accepted all the changes your lawyers requested. Attached, please find a clean copy of the contract, signed by us. We await a summary session, in which you will sign the contract. Once that happens we will transfer the funds to your designated bank account.
“Sincerely yours,
“Jones.”
This is it. The sand in the hourglass has stopped trickling and started to pour, Ronnie thought. Gadi’s the only one who may still be able to stop it.
Chapter 42
New York, October 29, 2013, 10:12 AM
The Chinese man listened to the voice on the other end of the line. When he hung up, he already knew precisely what he should do. Someone by the name of Brian, apparently a TDO employee, had become a walking menace. If he finds out the local medical examiner with the backing of the police objects to the family’s wishes, and refuses to release the body for burial in the hope they’d give in and agree to an autopsy, things might just get out of hand. He’d never been involved in a job that kept on getting tangled up as much as this one. What does this Brian have to look for in Philadelphia? Out of all the cops in Philadelphia, why did the case have to fall into the hands of the only detective who insists on getting to the bottom of things, and not one that simply wants to close another case?
Green Kills Page 21