Chosen People

by Robert Whitlow

  “No thanks,” Ben replied.

  “I’m fine,” Hana added.

  Using his right hand to steady himself, Jakob stood. Thankfully, he was able to walk normally to the door and leave. Once in the hallway, he leaned against the wall until he trusted himself to descend the stairs.

  Hana turned to Ben as soon as Jakob left the room and closed the door. “That’s what happened at the hospital, only it lasted longer,” she said. “I’ve researched the effects of a severe concussion, which can include fainting spells called syncope.”

  “He was wobbly when he stood up,” Ben noted. “His doctor told him not to drive a car, and I don’t see any way he can go with you to Israel.”

  The door opened and Jakob entered. He returned to his desk and took a bite from an apple.

  “I feel rude eating in front of you,” he began. “Are you sure you aren’t hungry?”

  “No, it’s okay,” Ben answered. “You have to take care of yourself.”

  “Would you like a water?” Jakob asked.

  “Sure,” Hana replied.

  Jakob opened a drawer of his large desk and took out a bottle of water. He started to get up.

  “No, I’ll come to you,” Hana said as she quickly stepped over and retrieved the water from his hand. “Thanks.”

  Hana unscrewed the top of the water bottle and took a drink. When she set it down on the small table beside her chair, she noticed a brown necklace in front of the brass lamp. Picking it up, she examined it and held it up. “Do you know what this is?” she asked.

  “It’s a necklace,” Jakob answered. “I found it the other day.”

  “It’s a misbaha—prayer beads,” Hana said. “They’re also called subha beads.”

  “Prayer beads,” Jakob said.

  “Yes. A misbaha is used by religious men in Islam when they glorify Allah. The beads help them keep track of where they are in the ritual. Most misbaha have ninety-nine beads, but some, like this one, have thirty-three. They’re also used as stress relievers or ‘worry beads.’ Some of the most expensive are made of amber and give off a fragrance when touched.”

  Ben nodded. “I’ve seen them hanging in shops in the Arab market in Jerusalem. At first I thought they were rosary beads for sale to Catholics, but one of the guys in our group explained the difference.”

  “Where did you buy this?” Hana asked Jakob. “I hope you didn’t pay much for it.”

  Jakob’s face looked pale. “I didn’t buy it,” he said. “It was in the bushes by the apartment where I was attacked.”

  Hana glanced at Ben, who was now staring wide-eyed at the misbaha. “Do you think there might be a link between the attack on Jakob and my case?” he asked Hana.

  “Don’t jump to conclusions,” Jakob quickly said. “I was knocked out at the top of the stairs by a mugger who stole my wallet. I found the—whatever you called it—in the bushes.”

  “Is that all you remember about the attack?” Hana asked.

  Jakob rubbed his left temple. “The police report claims the assailant dragged me down the stairs, but I didn’t learn that part until the other day.”

  “It could have been an attempted kidnapping,” Hana said. “And something caused the man who attacked you to flee.”

  “No, no,” Jakob said and held up his hands. “We’re not going all conspiracy theory here.”

  Hana glanced down at the misbaha. The beads were wooden and irregular in shape. The necklace was crudely fashioned, perhaps even homemade. That thought made a chill run down her spine. Anyone who went to the trouble to construct his own misbaha was serious about its use.

  “Carrying around prayer beads doesn’t prove anything,” Hana said, reining in her imagination. “A lot of peaceful old men and women sit in the sun and chat while fingering the beads. But where you found these might be important.”

  “Maybe you should show that to the police,” Ben suggested.

  “Probably won’t do much good after Hana and I have handled it like we owned it,” Jakob said.

  Hana quickly returned the misbaha to the lamp table.

  “If someone was targeting me, do you really think it would be someone who lived near my friend’s apartment?” Jakob asked. “That’s too random.”

  “That argument doesn’t make me feel any better,” Ben replied. “Especially in regard to Sadie.”

  The mention of the little girl caused Hana’s thoughts to take a U-turn. “Ben’s right,” she said slowly. “It’s one thing to consider the risk to us, but Sadie is another matter.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Hana barely noticed her surroundings as she drove back to her office. It was possible, but not likely, that a terrorist network would target Jakob Brodsky. Most groups were regional and didn’t have the level of organization to operate on the other side of the world. Al-Qaeda had been the exception. An even bigger question was how Jakob had shown up on someone’s radar in the first place.

  “I like Mr. Humid in Israel,” Janet bubbled as soon as Hana appeared. “He called, and I talked to him for a few minutes. He has a dreamy voice, so deep and masculine. Why isn’t there a photo on his website? I’m dying to see what he looks like.”

  “It’s Hasan,” Hana replied. “And he doesn’t want to be easily identified.”

  “I think you should meet with him before you talk to anyone else. Take a photo on your phone when he’s not looking and send it to me so—”

  “Janet, please.”

  “Okay, sorry. I’m a lousy matchmaker, but my motives are pure. I want people to be as happy as I am.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  Ten minutes later Hana made her way to Mr. Lowenstein’s office to tell him about Jakob Brodsky’s status and the Islamic prayer beads.

  “Do you think there might be a connection between these beads and the attack?” the senior partner asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “It sounds far-fetched to me, except for the fact that Brodsky cast a broad net trying to find cocounsel in the case. Lawyer forums aren’t as private as some attorneys think they are. A savvy internet researcher who’s keeping tabs on anyone expressing interest in Gloria Neumann’s death could have picked up on his post, and he’d never know it.”

  “What about Ben and Sadie? I’m worried about their safety.”

  Mr. Lowenstein eyed Hana for a moment. “What are you really asking? Get to the root of it.”

  Hana cleared her throat before answering. “If Ben wants to continue with the investigation, I’m ready to proceed,” she said. “But that has to be his decision more than mine.”

  “I agree.”

  Hana spent the rest of the afternoon working on a project for Mr. Collins and barely made it to the doggie day care center in time to avoid a late fee. Leon weakly wagged his tail when he saw her.

  “Is he okay?” Hana asked the young woman attendant who brought the dog to her.

  “Did you watch him any on the spy cam today?” the woman replied. “He plays as hard as any dog here. I’m surprised you’re not carrying him to the car like a child in the middle of a nap.”

  Hana smiled and picked up the puppy. His fur was damp.

  “Did he have a bath?” she asked.

  “Yes,” the woman said, pointing to the daily summary in Hana’s hand. “Read about it. Part of the play with a couple of other dogs ended up being messy.”

  Leon lay on the passenger seat of the car and struggled to keep his eyelids open during the drive home. He revived when Hana poured dog food into his metal dish but soon fell asleep for good.

  When Hana slipped out of bed around three thirty in the morning, her first thoughts went to the Neumann case and the attack on Jakob Brodsky. Thinking about it in the dark of night made her nervous for her own safety. She tiptoed into the kitchen to make sure she’d locked the front door and then turned on the outside lights for a few seconds to make sure no one was in the small yard. Leon didn’t stir in his kennel.

  Hana hated giving in to fear, b
ut she couldn’t help it. She spent thirty minutes reading scriptures on the topic. The most help came from the Psalms and Isaiah. She returned to bed repeating Isaiah 12:2: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” It was a beautiful promise, but she couldn’t escape passages with a different message. Daniel spent a night in the lions’ den; Paul was whipped and beaten. Sometimes God delivered people from danger; other times he was with them as they passed through it.

  The following morning one of the other lawyers in their office building gave Jakob a ride to work. Jakob had been seated at his desk for only a few minutes when there was a knock on his door.

  “Come in!” he said.

  It was Butch Watson. The beefy lawyer’s eyes revealed deep fatigue.

  “You look terrible,” Jakob said.

  “Did you check yourself in the mirror before you left for work?” Butch replied. “You look like a potato about to sprout and bud.”

  Jakob shrugged. “You win that argument. How are the boys?”

  “I don’t want to say they’re too healthy because that’s not possible. But they have the appetites of hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Nelle continually stays in the red zone. I spend my time getting one of the babies ready for her to feed and then cleaning up the other one. Her folks are there today, and I received a hall pass so I can earn enough money to pay for diapers.” Butch rubbed his eyes. “By the way, Nelle was blown away by your cleanup job in the kitchen. The only problem is that now she’s going to expect me to do it.”

  “A few more sleepless nights should drive that out of her mind.”

  “There’s something else I need to tell you,” Butch said. “A woman who lives in our apartment complex stopped by yesterday. She was at home the evening of your attack.”

  “Did she see anything?” Jakob asked.

  “Not directly. She lives in the next building and heard all the sirens from the police and ambulance. About an hour earlier, she was taking trash to the Dumpster when a car flew around the corner and almost hit her. Garbage went everywhere. She yelled for the driver to stop. Someone got out on the passenger side and shined a flashlight at her. He said something in a language she didn’t understand and got back in the car.”

  “What’s the connection?” Jakob asked.

  “How long were you in our apartment providing maid service?”

  “I don’t know. It could have been thirty minutes, maybe forty. Do you think the guys in the car were the ones who knocked me in the head?”

  “Possibly. Nelle told our neighbor to get in touch with the police. It might create a lead.”

  “Did she describe the car?”

  “She thinks it was big and blue.”

  “That’s a large universe.”

  “Yeah. She didn’t remember the make or model, license plate, or anything more helpful. But to be fair, she was up to her elbows in garbage.”

  Jakob glanced down at the desk drawer where he’d stored the misbaha beads after the meeting with Ben and Hana. He decided not to show the beads to Butch. The new father had enough to worry about.

  “Even if there’s nothing to it, it will give me a good reason to check with the detective working the investigation and ask how it’s going,” he said.

  After Butch left, Jakob called the detective and left a voice mail. A moment later an email from Hana Abboud appeared. She wanted to meet again as soon as possible with Jakob and Ben. Jakob called her office. Hana wasn’t available, and the receptionist directed him to her assistant.

  “Would you be available at four o’clock?” the woman asked.

  Jakob glanced at his computer. “I can make it, but I’m not sure about Ben Neumann.”

  “He accepted an email invite a few minutes ago.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there.”

  Jakob took a smelly taxi to Collins, Lowenstein, and Capella. When he got out, he made up his mind to contact Emily Johnson for future rides. The sporty yellow car was clean and the driver skilled.

  Ben and Sadie came through the door a few minutes after Jakob arrived. The little girl’s face was flushed and her hair disheveled. As soon as Ben sat down, she brushed a loose strand away from her face, climbed into her father’s lap, and closed her eyes.

  “Is she sick?” Jakob asked.

  “No,” Ben said, stroking her head. “It was field day at school, and she’s been running around outside. She fell asleep during the car ride.”

  The door to the office suites opened, and a middle-aged woman came out. “I’m Hana’s assistant,” she said. “Please come with me.”

  Ben carried Sadie, who rested her head on his right shoulder. When Sadie saw Hana, she raised her head and extended her arms toward her. Ben transferred the child to the female lawyer. Sadie promptly laid her head on Hana’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

  “Does she have a fever?” Hana asked.

  Ben told Hana about field day, which included a much lengthier explanation than the one he’d given Jakob. While Ben talked, Jakob saw a folder labeled “Neumann v. Doe et al.” on the table beside Hana’s laptop. The folder was much thicker than the last time they’d met.

  “Do you think she’ll sleep through this meeting?” Hana asked as she sat down with Sadie in her arms.

  “We’ll see,” Ben answered. “She can be cranky when she wakes up.”

  “How are you feeling?” Hana asked Jakob.

  “Traveling at the speed of light on the road to recovery,” Jakob replied. “Ready to book a flight to Israel.”

  “Before we get to that, I need to know what Ben thinks about the possibility that he and Sadie are in danger. I talked to Mr. Lowenstein, and while we aren’t convinced there is a terrorist connection to the attack at the apartment, it raises an issue we should discuss now. I know we’re leaving Sadie’s name out of any lawsuit, but is that enough?”

  Jakob turned to Ben, who was staring at his daughter in Hana’s arms. “That’s why I lay awake last night and couldn’t sleep,” he answered. “I thought about calling Gloria’s parents this morning, but it’s not right to put this decision on them. Sadie is my responsibility.”

  “And you’re the most important person in her life,” Hana added.

  Jakob started to speak but decided to keep his mouth shut. Ben had entered territory where only he could go.

  “I’m going to stick with the choice I made when I decided to pursue a lawsuit in the first place,” Ben said. “I want to keep going.”

  “Okay,” Hana replied.

  “I’m good with that,” Jakob said.

  Hana turned toward Jakob. “Do you think you’ve publicized the case too much?” she asked. “Mr. Lowenstein said the lawyer forums where you posted requests for assistance aren’t always private.”

  “I’m sure he’s right,” Jakob answered. “But it’s a huge leap from a trial lawyers’ list server to me being mugged in north Atlanta.”

  “We should all be careful where and how we communicate,” Hana said.

  Jakob and Ben nodded in agreement.

  “My assistant is completing a memo for you that will bring you up-to-date on everything we’ve done,” Hana said. “I’ll check to see if it’s finished.”

  When Hana stood, Sadie visibly tightened her grip on the lawyer’s neck.

  “Looks like Sadie wants to go with you,” Ben said. “I don’t want her to be a distraction.”

  “It’s fine. All I have to do is proofread the memo when it’s complete.”

  After Hana and Sadie left, Jakob shut his eyes. He felt a headache building. When he opened his eyes, Ben was staring at him.

  “Headache,” Jakob said.

  “It’s not just that,” Ben replied. “You need time to recover, and taking a trip to Israel right now doesn’t make sense to me. It was obvious that you were struggling yesterday at your office.”

  “It looked that bad?”

  “It was that bad. Look, I do
n’t think Hana is trying to squeeze you out of the case, and I’ll be glad to confront her about it if you want me to.”

  Jakob was used to being the one who acted forcibly on behalf of his clients, so it felt strange being on the receiving end of an offer of help.

  “Thanks, but I can talk for myself,” he said.

  “Of course you can, but as the client I have the right to an opinion. You’ve told me that from the beginning of your representation.”

  “True, but I didn’t expect you to take me seriously.” Jakob managed a pained smile. In the back of his mind, though, he knew Ben was right.

  Ben waited.

  “Okay,” Jakob said. “You win. I’ll hold off on this initial trip to Israel.”

  “You know it’s the smart move, don’t you?”

  Jakob nodded. “Yeah. But let me tell Hana.”

  While she waited for Janet, Hana sat in her office chair with Sadie in her arms. She softly hummed a melody from her own childhood. Sadie stirred and raised her head slightly.

  “Does that song have words?” she asked.

  “Yes.” Hana began to sing softly in Arabic. Sadie lowered her head. The song had a haunting melody. It was about a shepherd boy who searched for a lost sheep under the light of the stars. Exhausted, he fell asleep, and when he awoke, he discovered the lamb curled up beside him. Hana’s eyes were usually too heavy to stay open by the time her mother reached the part about the boy falling asleep. Sadie’s breathing was slow and steady. Hana’s door opened, and Janet peeked inside. Hana nodded, and the assistant quietly came in. Hana transitioned to a melody without words. Janet sat across the desk from her and listened. She didn’t speak until Hana stopped.

  “That gave me chill bumps,” Janet whispered, rubbing her arms.

  Hana patted Sadie’s back. “She brings out the best in me.”

  “The mothering instinct if you ask me,” Janet replied in a soft voice. “It’s remarkable how quickly she’s connected with you.”