by Sanctuary
“If I understood Gold correctly, that’s true.”
“And if Russia is only dealing with this VerHauten, what could Yalom possibly hope to gain by going to Russia?”
“Only thing that comes to me is maybe Yalom’s talking to people sub rosa,” Decker said. “Maybe he’s making inroads that Gold doesn’t know about.”
“He’s double-dealing his partner?”
“It’s been known to happen.”
“His partner finds out, gets mad, and whacks him?”
“It’s been known to happen.”
“I still like the idea of him being an agent,” Marge announced. “What else could explain all that traveling?”
Decker laughed softly.
“Go ahead,” Marge said, testily. “Scoff.”
Decker smiled again. “No, it’s not that.” He glanced around the house. “I’m just thinking that Mossad must pay pretty damn well.”
“Didn’t you say the wife paid for the house?”
Decker nodded. “I’ll ask Gold about his partner’s wanderlust.”
“Maybe they’re in some kind of covert operation together, Pete,” Marge said. “Maybe that’s why they used to meet at Yalom’s house instead of the office downtown.”
Decker remembered Gold not wanting to talk in front of the secretary. And when he asked about the meetings at the house, about Mrs. Yalom.
Dalia is not a problem.
Yalom and Gold—agents.
Six years in the Israeli army. Makes you comfortable with guns.
Decker didn’t know what comprised mandatory conscription for the Israeli army. He made a mental note to ask Rina. Then he laughed to himself, surprised by his runaway imagination.
“What’s so funny?” Marge asked.
Decker said, “Nothing really. Just thinking about the blanks in the case, how the mind fills in the blanks with foolishness. We should stick to what we know.”
“Which isn’t much.”
“We know a family disappeared. Yet the house looks undisturbed to the eye. No signs of sudden packing, valuables in place.”
“So let’s assume the family didn’t take off on their own. Assume murder.”
“What would be the motivation for a murder?” Decker asked. “No apparent robbery had taken place. By Gold’s own account, no stones were missing from inventory.”
“That’s why I like my spy theory. Someone wanted them out of the way for reasons other than money.”
Decker’s head began to pound. “Money could still be the motive.”
“What do you mean?”
“Marge, who would benefit from the parents missing?”
“The boys.”
“Right. And their passports are missing. Who else would benefit?”
“Possibly Orit. And maybe the partner, Gold, too.”
“Also consider this,” Decker said. “We really don’t know if the stones are missing. Could be Gold took the diamonds or Orit took the jewels. They could be telling us that nothing’s missing, but in reality, they could have cashed out the goods.”
Marge was silent. Then she said, “What we really need is an old-fashioned body.”
“It would help.” Decker rubbed his eyes with his bicep. “I’m going over to that shopping center. Where Dov made the phone call to Sharona. At least it puts him alive as of forty-eight hours ago.”
“I still like my spy thing,” Marge said.
Decker said, “So do I.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. I’d love to get my hands on Gold’s passport. See if it’s as funny-looking as Yalom’s. I wonder if we’re getting in over our heads.” Decker smiled. “Maybe I’ve read too many novels about Mossad.” Again, he waited a beat. “Then again, Mossad agents did kill the wrong guy in Norway about a decade ago. Even spies make mistakes.”
Marge said, “Hey, if you think this guy is into some kind of secret shit, I’m outta here. Cattle prods on the genitals is not my idea of a good time.”
Decker said, “Let’s not get carried away. But I am keeping an open mind. Though he downplays himself, Gold’s no dummy. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“Know what I do think?” Marge said.
“What?”
“I think it’s time to get some lunch.”
Decker’s house was eerily quiet except for the electronic chatter of a game-show host.
Rina never watched game shows.
A moment later, Ginger pranced out and jumped on Decker’s chest, spraying a cloud of red fur and dander into his eyes.
“What’s going on, girl?” Decker asked the Irish setter. “Who’s watching TV?”
The dog licked Decker’s face. Decker shouted out “Hello?” but there was no answer.
“Someone leave the TV on, girl?”
Decker stepped into the dining area and stopped in his tracks. Seated around his homemade cherrywood table were four children who looked straight from the prairie. The two girls were garbed in high-necked dresses and opaque stockings; the boys had on black suits, white shirts, and hats. The eldest, who looked to be around Sammy’s age, was reading a volume of Talmud. The other three kids were engaged with the TV. Upon Decker’s entrance, their eyes went from the screen, to Decker, then back to the screen. The oldest boy looked up from his religious book, then quickly buried himself back in his study.
No one said anything. No one moved. Decker cleared his throat. “You’re the Klein kids?”
Silence except for the television. Finally, the older girl spoke, her eyes still on the TV monitor. “Are we in your way?”
Decker hesitated. “Uh, no. Not at all.”
The youngest, a boy, raised his head and caught Decker’s eye. Shyly, he asked, “Are you the cowboy?”
His sister elbowed the boy in the ribs.
“The cowboy,” Decker repeated. “Well, I ride horses and wear a hat. So I guess some people would call me a cowboy. Anyone know where Mrs. Decker is?”
Again, the elder girl piped up. “She had a doctor’s appointment with the baby that she forgot about. She’ll be back soon. Then we’re going to the zoo or something like that. Our mother told us to sit here and don’t move a muscle. Are you sure we’re not in your way? If we are, we can move.”
The kids didn’t seem unduly nervous at being dropped into a foreign land. As a matter of fact, they seemed unusually trusting, a testament to their sheltered life.
“I’m positive you’re not in my way.” Decker paused. “Your mother went with Mrs. Decker?”
The youngest boy said, “She took a walk. She told us to sit here and not move.”
The older girl squinted at the TV, eyes a mixture of awe and cynicism. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Pardon?” Decker asked.
“In this game. I think if she guesses the price of the washing machine, she actually gets to keep it?”
Decker bit his mustache. “Uh, yeah, I think that’s how it works.”
The girl turned to him, her face full of confusion. “It isn’t a joke?”
“Uh…no, it’s no joke.”
“That is unbelievable!” the girl said. “You mean they just give that lady a washing machine?”
“If she wins, yes.”
“How can they do that!” the girl exclaimed. “Why would they give away a washing machine? Isn’t that expensive?”
“And the automobile,” the little boy chimed in. “That’s real ispensive!”
Decker paused. How do you explain the corporate world and prime-time advertising to kids who never owned TVs.
The girl still had her eyes glued to the monitor. “How do you get to play that game? You got to give them money or something?”
“Minda!” the oldest boy rebuked her sharply. “This is not our world!”
“Mendel, Mama could really use a new washing machine.”
“Then Papa will buy her one.”
“Yeah, sure. He never buys us anything.”
“Minda!” the boy scolde
d.
Minda fell silent. The little boy smiled at Decker. “I saw the horses.”
Decker smiled back. “Would you like to ride one?”
The boy’s eyes grew big. “Can I?”
“Pessy, wait for Mama,” the oldest boy said.
“Good idea,” Decker said, wondering where the hell Mama was. Instead he turned to Mendel and asked him what he was learning. The teenager shrugged, leaning over the volume of Talmud as if hiding his paper from a potential cheater.
Again, Decker bit his mustache. “Anyone hungry?”
“We’ll wait until our mother comes back,” Mendel said. “But thank you anyway.”
Decker shuffled his feet. “How long has your mother been gone, kids?”
Minda said, “About half an hour. Before Joker in the Deck…will you look at that! She won a whole living room full of furniture! I can’t believe it!”
Decker smiled tightly. “Is anyone hungry?” He looked at the youngest. “Are you hungry, Pessy?”
“He’ll wait,” Mendel said.
“Don’t be such a meanie, Mendel,” Minda said. “Are you hungry, Pessy?”
The little boy looked at his brother. His brother nodded. Pessy said, “I’m a little hungry.”
“I can fix you a sandwich,” Decker said. “What would you like? Tuna? Egg salad? Peanut butter and jelly?”
“Peanut butter and jelly,” Pessy said. “Please.”
“Coming right up.” Decker stood. “How about you, Mendel? Anything?”
Mendel blushed. “I’m okay.”
“You’re sure?”
Minda said, “Go ahead, Mendel. You already checked out the kitchen. It was fine.”
Mendel glared at his sister. Decker said, “I’m glad you checked out the kitchen. I want you kids to feel comfortable here.”
Minda said, “Thank you very much. And thank you for letting us stay here. I’ve never seen a game like this in my life. It’s fascinating!”
“It’s beetul Torah,” Mendel said.
“Mendel, relax, okay?” Minda said. “It’s vacation!”
Decker smiled. “I’ll make you a sandwich, Pessy. Who else is hungry?”
Slowly, the younger girl raised her hand. Decker hadn’t really noticed her before. She was so waifish, so thin, Decker wondered if she wasn’t undernourished. Her name was Bryna. Not that she told Decker her name. Minda volunteered the information.
Mercifully, Decker heard a key being inserted in the front lock. The door opened, Rina shouting out hello.
“We’re in the dining room,” Decker shouted back.
Rina walked in, Hannah riding her hip. Decker smiled at his daughter, then relieved his wife of her sitting appendage.
“Hello, Hannah Rosie!” Decker lifted her into the air. “How was your checkup?”
“She got a shot for hepatitis.”
“Oh.” Decker lowered her gently. “What leg was it in?”
“Her right thigh. She has a high pain threshold. She couldn’t decide if she should really cry or not. When she saw me smiling, she figured it was okay not to cry.” Rina looked at the children. “Hi, kids. Where’s your mother?”
“Out for a walk,” Minda said. “Are we in your way?”
Pessy added, “Mama told us not to move.”
Rina frowned. “No, of course you’re not in our way. What do you mean, she went out for a walk?”
Minda said, “Just that she went out for a walk. She likes to walk. I can’t believe this show isn’t a joke. Mrs. Decker, how can they give away things like washing machines and furniture?”
“The show makes money on the commercials,” Rina answered.
“The commercials give the stuff away?”
Rina said, “I’ll sit down and explain it to you tonight, Minda.”
Decker forced out a smile. “I was just about to make some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Why don’t you come help me out, Rina?”
She followed him inside the kitchen. He closed the door and whispered, “What the hell is going on? This woman drops her kids into a strange city, into a strange house, parks them in front of the TV, then goes out to take a walk? Is this logical, Rina?”
Rina was concerned. “She wasn’t here when you got home?”
“No, she wasn’t.” Decker made a disgusted face. “Poor kids. They’re so lost. They don’t even know what a game show is. They’ve got that beaten-down look…” He paused. “I wonder if she’s abusing them?”
“Peter!”
“I’ve seen hundreds of abused kids, Rina. It’s not an off-the-cuff diagnosis.”
Suddenly, Rina paled. “Do you really think so professionally? Or are you just grumpy?”
Decker ran his hand down his face. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just tired.”
No one spoke.
“What should I do?” Rina asked.
Decker said, “Probably nothing you can do. If you confront her, she’d probably deny it and leave. End of case. Reminds me of my days in Juvey. Nothing’s worse than murder, but some things come close. Hell, I’m probably wrong. She might just be your average flakey Jake. Occupational hazard and all that jazz.”
“You sound very defeated, Peter. What happened?”
“Nothing. Probably my blood sugar’s low.”
Rina said, “I’ll make some lunch. What would you like? Egg salad?”
“Fine.”
Hannah hit his chest and burped. Decker laughed. “You want to go look at the horsies with me?”
Hannah grinned broadly.
“That’s a good idea,” Rina said. “Take her out to the horses.”
“Should I take the little boy, too? He seemed interested in them. He thinks I’m a cowboy.”
“You ride horses, you’re a cowboy. Isn’t Pessy sweet?”
“Yeah, he seems like a nice boy.” Decker shook his head.
“What?”
“The kids,” Decker said. “Their behavior…I don’t know. They don’t react like normal kids.”
“Peter, imagine if you lived most of your life in eighteenth-century Poland, then you were suddenly beamed into 1990s Los Angeles. They’re in a time warp. They don’t even know what tropical means.”
“Keep people locked up long enough, they become weird.”
“They’re not locked up.”
“For all intents and purposes they are. These little religious sects are nothing but cults.”
“Except that Honey brought them out here.”
“Her rabbi would approve of this excursion?”
“The Leibbener Rebbe isn’t David Koresh or Jim Jones, Peter. He isn’t apocalyptic. That isn’t a Jewish concept. The people are free to come and go as they please.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“Goodness, you are such a cynic!”
“Of course I am. I deal with the dregs of society.” Decker smiled at Hannah. “We’re going to see the horsies, Mommie. I’ll ask Pessy to come join us. If that’s okay with Mendel.”
“He’s protective.”
“I guess I can understand that. Taking care of your family.”
Rina frowned. “I was listening to the news.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
“I heard about the missing family you’re investigating. How’s it going?”
“It’s not,” Decker said. “Could be why I’m in such a bad mood.” He turned to Hannah. “Come on, puddin’. Let’s go see some horsies.”
Hannah flapped her arms excitedly.
Decker turned to Rina. “This woman is coming back to reclaim her kids, isn’t she?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve never heard of the husband who goes out to buy cigarettes and never returns?”
“Oh, Peter…Honey would never…I mean, I don’t think…” Rina put her hand to her mouth, then dropped it. “Sometimes I just can’t read you. Are you serious?”
Decker was deadpan. “What’s four more kids? My life is a mess anyway.”
They both started laughing—a release for both of them. Decker hated Missing Persons cases and this one was very unusual—an entire family gone with only a phone call as a lead. Where was Dov now? he wondered.
He kissed Hannah on the crown of her head and swung her around. Again, the little girl flapped excitedly. Decker brought her over his shoulder and the baby nestled into his chest.
Ah, what couldn’t be cured by a baby’s hug.
12
What a difference a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made. The younger girl smiled and even talked. She said thank you to Decker, and when he offered to show her the horses, she actually looked at him before she averted her eyes. After urges from Minda, Bryna went with her younger brother, Pessy, to give the steeds some chow. She even gave the horses sugar cubes. Afterward, Decker gave her two glasses of milk and she drank them both.
Maybe she was undernourished.
Pessy squealed with delight as he related his tale of horses to brother Mendel. The teenager listened politely, then tousled Pessy’s hair. Minda’s attention was still fixed on the TV. This time she was watching a word game. She responded to the questions, smiling when she got the correct answers, but the competition didn’t hold as much attraction for her as the prize shows. Decker checked the paper’s TV guide, then changed the channel to Wheel of Fortune.
“You can win big things on this one,” Decker told her.
“As big as The Price Is Right?”
“You bet.”
Minda nodded gravely.
Mendel went on with his learning.
And Honey still hadn’t returned.
Finally, just as Decker was about to leave, a knock sounded at the front door. Decker opened it and knew something was wrong. The woman, who seemed light-complexioned to begin with, appeared pale and nervous, hands clasped tightly to one another. Still, she tried out a smile, her voice attempting to be upbeat.
“I’m Honey Klein. I hope my kids haven’t been a bother.”
“No, they’ve been fine.” Decker felt a gush of relief as he stepped out of the way. “Come in. Is everything okay?”