Disappearance (A Mystery and Espionage Thriller)

by Niv Kaplan

  Yossi smiled for the first time. He turned, looked at his brother and started to chuckle.

  "What a country," he said shaking his head in amusement, "if it wasn't for the Arabs, we would have done ourselves in by now." Their eyes met and they both started to laugh a desperate laugh. "Why did I ever follow your lead?" Yossi heckled between gasps, referring to his chosen career.

  They calmed down, the hysterical outburst subsiding. They were rational again.

  "Go home Gabi," Yossi said, "Rachel is worried. She called an hour ago. Get some rest and wait for my call."

  "Can you handle it alone? I…"

  Yossi cut him off. "It's the only way I can do it, Gabi. I can't trust anyone with this."

  They stood up.

  "Sorry little brother, I ran out of options," Gadot said.

  Yossi shook his hand. His eyes had a spark in them signaling he was ready. "Wait for my call," he said and disappeared in the crowd.

  -------

  Mikki felt drained. He had slept and eaten little in the last four days. He had no appetite, no stamina, and his weakened body ached. He had been questioned and interviewed and was by now wary of everyone. Reporters flocked the kibbutz and would not go away; television and radio crews set up shop to flash hourly news bulletins to their affiliates around the world, and the police, along with various security and intelligence agencies, kept coming back for more details.

  Everyone was after him and he had no place to hide. Now, Karen's father had called from their hotel. They were on their way and he was in no shape to face them. He felt guilty; he felt pity, and worst of all, he knew nothing of consequence that would help shed light on the fate of their daughter.

  He sat in the lobby of the kibbutz's guest house. The Geffen guest house was a luxurious inn which offered accommodation to those touring the Upper Galilee and Northern Israel. As one of the oldest and most established guest houses in northern Israel, it was known around the world for its enchanting setting and Sabra type hospitality, providing tourists with comfortable proximity to all attractions while granting a firsthand look into kibbutz life.

  May was an average month, but with members of the media swarming for scoops, the place was packed. To his amazement, Mikki realized word had gotten out about the family's arrival. Members of the kibbutz managed to keep the media out of the lobby, but outside cameras were rolled out of the news vans, lights were being set up, tapes were reeling, and eager reporters stood ready with pencils and notebooks. A buzz of excitement had rippled through as everyone tensely awaited the arrival of the woeful family.

  Mikki noticed his coffee mug shaking. He put it down, got up and nervously began pacing the floor. The lobby was relatively empty, the only people in it being a small group of newly-arrived guests being attended to at the reception counter and a few curious onlookers who kept out of his way. He blessed the kibbutz for giving him the support. They kept reporters away and handled matters with the authorities. His family and friends were there when he needed them. Meeting Karen"s family was a matter he felt he needed to handle alone and had asked David and his parents to stay home.

  He was trying to establish justifications to the general lack of information surrounding Karen’s disappearance, feeling guilty about the benign effort that had been administered. He had remained with the last of the search crews, doing everything within his power to help. When they pulled out he organized his own search team with Shlomo and Ronni. They searched everywhere and questioned everyone with no success. He met Gadot's police investigators and together they traced their entire route once again looking for clues, pestering, questioning anyone who might have noticed something, anything. When the Volvo was found, he was asked to get to the airport to take a look at the car and the possessions found inside. He identified the ear-ring and once again replayed their trip over and over in his mind trying to recall whether the car looked familiar in any way, but came up empty. Frustrated at not being allowed to get more involved, he had watched from afar as veteran detectives from every discipline of Israeli investigative bureaux threw everything they had at solving the mystery, but with no results.

  He stopped pacing.

  A gray, four door sedan, pulled up to the curb in front of the lobby and was instantly mobbed. Mikki anxiously watched as the family stepped out of the car, shielding their eyes from the flood of flashing lights. He watched Shlomo, Ronni and other kibbutz members shield off zealous reporters with their bodies, creating a flimsy corridor for Karen's parents and sister to pass through. The two women lowered their heads and hastily trotted toward the lobby door. The father held his head high and slowly followed behind, conspicuously unaware of the commotion, his expression concerned, his eyes focused straight ahead.

  Mikki took a deep breath and moved toward the entrance. The photographers lined up along the large windows adding drama to the eerie scene. Cameras were clicking away as the lofty glass lobby doors swung open letting the family slide in, leaving the mob of eager reporters pitted outside.

  They stood facing each other. No one said a word. Mikki felt weak. He lowered his gaze and looked at the floor, warily shuffling his feet.

  He felt awkward sneaking a peek at the family. They too looked uncertain. He met Lisa’s gaze then her father jumped in.

  "Mikki," he began in a businesslike manner, "where can we talk?"

  Gadi, the kibbutz's secretary appeared out of nowhere.

  "We can use the small conference room on the second floor," he addressed them. "It's all set up."

  Despite all the drama, Mikki couldn't help noticing Shlomo and Ronni sneaking admiring peeks at Lisa. He couldn't blame them. She was stunning, resembling Karen in many ways. She looked to be the same height and had virtually the same build with long slender legs, a little fuller at the hips, her curly brown hair flowing down, covering her shoulders. Her skin was smooth and tanned and her straight nose and curved lips were a replica of her sister's; only the color of her eyes was different, a striking green. She had the same seductive look as Karen but seemed less fragile.

  Gadi led the way to the conference room, stopping Shlomo at the door. "You'll have to leave us alone in there," he said. Shlomo looked disappointed but did not argue.

  "And do me a favor," Gadi called after him, as he was turning to leave, "keep those reporters away when they leave." Shlomo retreated downstairs without saying a word. They entered the conference room. There was a pot of coffee, cookies, and china cups set up on the large conference table. They each helped themselves to some and settled back in their seats; the three members of the family on one side, Mikki and Gadi facing them on the other side: an interrogation scene.

  Mikki studied the parents. Karen had told him her father was fifty-four, but he looked older with an aura of prominence, impeccably dressed in a three piece black suit and a red tie which appeared odd in such a place and under such circumstances. He looked quite intimidating, his gray hair neatly combed back, his stone face glaring somewhere into space with a look of impatience about him that made Mikki feel quite insignificant.

  Martha spoke first. Mikki could see a striking resemblance to her daughters. He could tell she was attractive in her youth but the worry and noticeable wrinkles around her eyes and mouth aged her considerably. Her skin was deathly white and her frail frame denoted she was enduring pain.

  "Mikki, please tell us what happened," she said anxiously, renewing his guilt that he was the last person to see her daughter.

  He described everything in great detail, feeling compelled to share everything in hopes of relieving some of the burden he himself felt. It was, after all, the first time he could share the account with people who cared for Karen as much as he did. They intently listened as he recalled the events that led to their daughter's disappearance. Mrs. Glass focused her attention on her fingernails, nervously scratching the red nail polish off and Lisa focused her stare directly at him. He ended up talking mostly to her.

  "… the entire country's been looking for her for alm
ost a week," he said in conclusion, "but so far we got nothing."

  There was a long pause during which he saw Martha make one of her fingernails bleed. Lisa moved uneasily in her seat and the father remained expressionless.

  "I've replayed each moment a million times over in my mind," he pleaded, trying to make them understand, "I just can't come up with anything. We were so involved arguing over the damn credit, I didn't pay attention. I had no idea she was in danger.. I'm sorry..." He fell silent, feeling somewhat relieved.

  "Do you think she is alive?" Lisa asked, not mincing words. Mikki was not hesitant with his answer.

  "Yes, Lisa, I think she is alive," he began, relating the theory he had developed in his head. "Nothing in what little that was found indicates otherwise. She was in the Volvo but it's not clear why it was left at the airport. Why bother with the airport when you snatch someone at the other end of the country, unless you plan to fly them out? But since she never left the country, at least not through there, it does point to some kind of a plan; maybe an diversion of some kind but certainly not a random act."

  "And what’s your part in all this?" Glass snapped at him.

  The two women looked at each other, shaken, but said nothing. Mikki swallowed hard, anticipating the question.

  “Karen and I fell in love. We’re in this together. This is very difficult for me. I haven't slept for four days looking for her. If you think I am involved in any way…”

  “You’re the last person to be with her…"

  "That's right, celebrating her birthday! I have no idea what happened but she disappeared. I wish I knew more."

  “She loves him, dad,” Lisa suddenly said. “She wrote me about him."

  “He could have seduced her..."

  “Stop this!” Martha burst in. “Look at the boy. He's her age. He's in love with her. Why would he want to hurt her? No one suspects him including the people we met today."

  “Which people, Martha, those who said nothing?"

  "I don’t know. Police detectives, government investigators, the people in charge…"

  Glass dismissed her with a wave of his hand and looked at Mikki. "These people met with us a few hours ago," he said, raising his voice an octave higher. "They had absolutely nothing to tell us and they never even got to propose the theories you are trying to sell."

  He leaned forward and spoke through clenched teeth, his neck turning red, the corners of his mouth dropping and his whole face becoming distorted. "Now you're telling me they are total morons, or they know something they are not willing to tell!" He froze in a frightening pose, eyes directed intently on the two facing him.

  "What are you saying?" Gadi shot back, trying to protect Mikki.

  "I'm saying that your so-called 'people in charge' are not doing their job!"

  "Look, Mr. Glass, I know it must be really difficult for you, but I've seen the effort they put into this…"

  Glass cut him off again. This time he ruthlessly attacked.

  "Cut the crap! You're in way over your heads. These people simply don't give a fuck! They do what they are ordered to do, and looking for my daughter just isn't high on their priority list!"

  Mikki lost his composure, feeling as though he’d been kicked in the gut, not so much for what was said, but the abusive manner in which Glass had said it.

  But Lisa jumped in before he could respond.

  "Lay off dad!" she exclaimed, "it's…"

  "Keep quiet you!" her father roared and sprung out of his chair. "I'm not finished with them!" he shouted pointing a finger at her.

  Lisa retreated. In a frenzy, Glass turned his attention back to Gadi and Mikki.

  "My daughter disappeared five days ago and you assholes do not have a goddamn clue as to what happened or what to look for!" He held up his hand and started tallying the points he was making with his fingers. "This place is smaller than LA County with one-third the population. You have the most sophisticated intelligence operation in the world and probably the finest trained personnel. All you do around here is getting better in this business! You even managed to free a plane full of hostages out of Africa for Christ’s sake."

  He lowered his voice to a hiss and leaned over the table.

  "You expect me to believe that the mighty Israeli intelligence service can't figure this one out? I've seen the freakin' Los Angeles police department get faster results!"

  He abruptly stopped and waited for a reply, leaning with both hands on the conference table, a deranged look on his face, as if tempting them to start a fight.

  Mikki was dumbstruck. The ferocious verbal assault stunned him. His mind went blank and he couldn't react. He tried to gather himself but couldn't do it fast enough. Glass pulled back, straightened his suit and tie, shoved his chair back and stormed out of the room. Martha got up and ran after her husband. Gadi ran after the two of them.

  Mikki and Lisa were left sitting across from each other as a paralyzing silence filled the room. It was a long minute before either spoke.

  "Do you love her, Mikki?" Lisa asked gently.

  "I do, very much," he replied, avoiding her gaze.

  "Were you happy?"

  He looked up. "I was," he answered passionately, "and, at times, I think she was too."

  "Please don't give up on her…" Lisa said, choking with grief. Tears were now visibly flowing down her face, smearing her makeup. She kept staring straight at him, periodically wiping the tears away. Her body began to shake uncontrollably. Mikki reached for some table napkins and went around to her. He stood behind her, patiently waiting for the emotion to subside, feeling a lump in his throat. He too, wanted to release his grief, but his tears wouldn't come. Her body finally relaxed and she hesitantly stood up. He helped her steady herself and gently wiped off the black mascara marks under her eyes. She managed a faint smile of gratitude as he firmly grasped her shoulders and led her out of the room.

  When they reached the lobby, her parents were there in front of the cameras.

  -------

  The phone rang at 4:15 in the morning.

  Captain Gadot was wide awake. He grabbed it before it could ring a second time.

  "I have it!" he heard his brother declare, sounding upbeat.

  "Thank God, where are you?"

  "Phone booth."

  "Is everything OK?"

  "I hope, let's meet."

  "Where?"

  "The Coffee Shop... Central bus station, ten minutes."

  "You're in town?"

  He got a dial tone for an answer.

  He quickly dressed, slipped into his leather boots and raced out to the car. Headlights piercing the darkness as he drove through the deserted, winding, twisting, Haifa streets making his destination in eight minutes.

  The terminal in lower Haifa, on the foothills of Mount Carmel touching the Mediterranean coast, was a massive concrete structure with several bus ramps curling around its sides. Since it served as the main transportation link to northern Israel with the major bus lines, it was a bustling hub of activity from 6:00 in the morning until midnight, but at such early hour it was dim and relatively abandoned. Most shops and restaurants were still closed and rows of blue and red Leyland and Scandia buses stood silent, waiting for their drivers to ignite them into action.

  Gadot parked his unmarked police Ford Escort in a red zone on one of the bus ramps, jumped over the concrete divider and landed on the second floor of the main arrival terminal.

  Just beyond the empty disembarking platforms was a strip of small shops. The Coffee Shop was the only one lit and open for business at that early hour.

  Yossi was there waiting, seated at a hidden corner table, sipping coffee and reading the morning paper.

  It was cozy and warm inside. The place was filled with savory scents of fresh coffee and baked goods. A couple of station security guards were talking to a weary vendor behind the counter and a few groggy soldiers were scattered around the tables idly waiting for the early buses.

  Gadot ordered co
ffee with a croissant and approached the table. He silently settled in his seat and began the ritual of adding sugar to his coffee, when his brother stuck the front page in his face.

  A large photograph of Paul and Martha Glass surrounded by reporters appeared next to the now very familiar photo of their missing daughter.

  ‘MISSING GIRL'S DAD ALLEGES MISHANDLING OF INVESTIGATION’

  ‘In a press conference late last night at the Upper Galilee settlement of Geffen, industrialist Paul Glass, the father of the American tourist Karen Glass who has been missing since Saturday, told reporters he has reason to believe the Israeli authorities “were not doing everything within their power to find his daughter…

  ‘Karen Glass was last seen at a Kiryat Shmona Delek gas station on her way back to Kibbutz Geffen from a tour of northern Israel. Michael Dotan, a member of the kibbutz with whom she was traveling, and the gas station manager were the last to see her.

  ‘Mr. Glass alleges: “Since that time, absolutely no progress has been made by the police and other authorities involved in the investigation."

  ‘Mr. Glass revealed he had met with the heads of the investigation yesterday in Tel Aviv, shortly after his arrival at Ben Gurion International airport, and insisted they were clueless and totally confused.

  ‘ “They seem to have absolutely no leads and no organized plan of action," he commented, openly disgusted. "It's hard to believe, with the sophisticated intelligence system you have here, you are unable to come up with anything significant in almost a week," he said, pointing a finger at the police and various security agencies.

  ‘ “I will not accept this kind of incompetency and I will not rest until my daughter is found." He ended with an emotional reckoning.

  ‘Mr. and Mrs. Glass vowed to stay in Israel for as long as it took and do whatever was necessary to find their daughter.’