by Sanctuary
“Uncle Shaul,” Gil said. “My dad’s partner. We called him Uncle. Shaul was going to sue my dad, because my dad bought some of his assets with business money. Shaul caught him monkeying with the books. Dad realized he was up shit’s creek, could have done time. So he transferred a little over half the assets into my mom’s name.”
“Why didn’t Shaul keep the assets for himself?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?”
“We know he’s here in Israel. Do you know where he is specifically?”
“No. Wish I did. Shaul’s a good guy. Rough but straight. He was around a lot, especially when my dad was out of town. Which was all the time. Used to take us out to dinner. My mom liked him. He liked my mom. Who didn’t like my mom? She was a wonderful…”
Again, the boy’s eyes welled up with tears. He made a quick swipe at his face.
“Do you know what happened when Milligan found out your dad didn’t own all the assets?”
“Not totally. But once at work I accidentally picked up the extension. She was yelling at my dad that he was a traitor. My dad was pleading, just begging her for another chance he was so hot for her. God, it was pathetic. But she wouldn’t have it or him. She totally blew him off.”
Gil bit his nail.
“Dov and I thought it was finally over.”
“When was this?”
“A year ago, maybe longer. But it wasn’t over. Maybe a month or two after I overheard her blow him off, Dov overheard my dad talking to Milligan…again. Dov said that Dad sounded real up about something…money opportunities in the Mideast if the Palestinians ever got their own state. Dov said Dad did most of the talking. Milligan just listened.”
Gil looked at Rina.
“Dad went yo-yo after that. For a year, he was lunatic. One minute he was on top of the world, saying he was going to make it big enough to buy out all of Israel. The next minute he’d be paranoid, sure someone was out to get him.”
“Did you believe him?”
“That someone was out to get him?” Gil shook his head. “Not really. But my mom was real worried.”
“She felt he was in danger?”
“Mostly she felt he was coking again. Dad used to do a lot of coke. The way he was acting, it sure looked like he was having a relapse. She felt that under the influence, he might be doing some stupid things. And you can’t do stupid things in diamonds. Because the business is dangerous enough just being what it is—all cash and stones. Dealers have been gunned down in broad daylight. She was the one who told us to get out immediately if we saw the dogs turned around. I don’t think she ever trusted my dad.”
“She knew about the affair?”
Gil looked pained. “Probably. She never said anything.”
“When did you first notice the porcelain dogs had been turned around?”
“As soon as we came home from school,” Gil said. “They’re right in the open.” His breathing became audible. “We panicked. We knew it was bad. Mom had special money for us put aside—”
“In the mezuzah?”
“God, you do know everything!”
“How many Jewish families post a mezuzah on the inside of the door?”
“Yeah, you would notice that. If you were Jewish.” Gil paused. “Anyway, Mom told us not to take my car, that we might be followed. We just grabbed the money, grabbed our passports, and walked down to the shopping center. We took a bus to the airport—several buses. We already had about a half-dozen flight plans mapped out. Bought some tickets and…”
Again, Gil looked up at the ceiling.
“I have never been so fucking scared in my entire life! Not even when your husband pulled me out of the yeshiva. As much as I want to die and start over, you know…I know I can’t. Mom wouldn’t have wanted that.” He paused. “God, I loved her.”
The boy broke into unrestrained sobs. Rina reached out for him and he fell into her arms, hugged her tightly.
“I gotta take care of my brother,” he wept. “I’m almost a man, but I’m such a goddamn kid.”
“Gil,” Rina said softly. “That’s what family is for. You have grandparents who love you. You have an aunt in Los Angeles who loves you, too.”
The boy broke from Rina’s embrace and wiped his eyes. “Yeah, we can probably stay with her until we both graduate. Their house isn’t as big—”
“I’m sure that’s not a problem.”
Gil smiled through tears.
Rina said, “Gil, we need to talk to your brother.”
“I know. But I’ve gotta talk to him first. There are complications.”
“What kind of complications?”
“I can’t say. Besides, he might not agree to it. He’s in real bad shape. Super-scared of Milligan. Especially after we found out about my parents in the mountains. Milligan’s vicious. I know she set my parents up.”
“You know that for a fact?”
“No…I mean, my dad was always doing secret meetings with her—obviously. He didn’t want my mom to know…even though she did know. Dov and I could understand how my dad fell into the trap. We couldn’t understand why my mom would. Only thing we could figure out is…” He lowered his head. “She must have known we were due home from school soon. She must have left the house to get Milligan or her men away…to protect us. Why else would she have gone with my dad to the mountains?”
He looked at Rina.
“You know where Milligan is?”
“No. But she’s a wanted woman, Gil. Everyone’s looking for her. Israeli police, my husband and the American police. Even people who she thought were on her side.”
“What does that mean?”
“We think Milligan may have been behind some terrorist acts in Israel.”
“The bomb in my yeshiva?”
“And other things. But her plans went awry. We think the people she worked with may want to find her as well. Please, Gil. Tell me where your brother is.”
The teen covered his face, then dropped his hands, and blew out air. “I wish I knew who to trust.” The boy shook his head. “You’ll just have to wait.”
Rina bit her lip.
“You’re pissed at me,” Gil said.
“No, of course not.” Rina took the boy’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m just concerned about Dov. You know, even if you don’t tell me, your grandparents have a right—”
Rina stopped talking.
The one person she and Peter hadn’t had time to visit. “He’s with your other grandmother, isn’t he? That’s why she’s not here with you.”
Gil closed his eyes and flopped back on his pillow.
Rina patted his hands. “Don’t fret, Gil. You didn’t tell me. I guessed.”
38
An hour’s nap and Decker felt much better. He showered, shaved, then dressed, automatically reaching for a nonexistent shoulder harness. He was still brooding over his nakedness when his phone rang. He picked up the receiver.
“I need to talk to you. Please.”
A female voice—familiar.
“Where are you?” Decker played along.
“Downstairs,” she said. “I’d like to come up to your room. Make this as private as possible.”
The light bulb went off. Honey Klein. Decker said, “Fine.” He gave her his room number. A minute later, he answered a knock.
Had Decker not heard the voice, he wouldn’t have recognized the person. While in Decker’s home, Honey had dressed modestly in keeping with Orthodox tradition—a dress below her knees with long sleeves—and her hair had always been covered. But judging from the way she looked, Decker knew that something inside of her had snapped. Only the face was visible among the drapery of black that swathed her body. A gaunt face with sunken eyes ringed with dark shadows. She looked more like a nun in habit than any Orthodox Jewish woman Decker had known.
She looked around the hotel room, then zeroed in on Decker with tired eyes. “Where’s Rina?”
“She’s not here.”
Sitting down on the bed, Honey blew out air. “I read this morning about what you did at the yeshiva—a real mitzvah. I’m happy for Rina that she remarried such a tzaddik—such a righteous man.”
There was pain in her voice.
“The article said you two originally came here for vacation. I know you and Rina hadn’t planned on any vacation. Now I know you’re here because of your case. But with Rina? I was wondering if she came here to look for me.”
“She did indeed. She was very concerned about you and the children.”
“That’s Rina. A tzedeikess for a tzaddik. She’s a good woman. I could take lessons in middos from her.” Honey looked at Decker. “I can’t hide anymore, Akiva. Not that I couldn’t have done it physically…you wouldn’t have recognized me, right?”
“Not at all.”
“I can’t hide mentally. I can’t do that to my children. I’m here to bring resolution to the mess I created. What do you want to do with me?”
“The authorities want to ask you some questions, Honey.”
“Ask.”
“It would be better if we conducted the interview in America.”
Honey’s shoulders slumped. “It wasn’t supposed to work out like this.” Tears formed in her eyes. “All I wanted was a second chance. It wasn’t…”
Decker waited.
“Nothing can help me,” Honey whispered. “It was all my fault. The Rebbe told me to be patient with Gershon.” She looked at him. “I ran out of patience, Akiva. I simply…gave up. You should never, ever give up.”
“You stuck with Gershon a long time, Honey.”
She swiped at wet eyes with the back of her hands. “I know you won’t believe me, but I had nothing to do with his death.”
“I believe you,” Decker said. “But for your own protection, I suggest you don’t talk to me without a lawyer. Because I am a sworn officer of the law. And if you say something incriminating, I could use it against you.”
Honey nodded. “But I can talk to you if I want?”
Decker threw up his hands. “Please don’t. Wait until you’re back in New York.”
“But I want to explain it to you. I was trying to divorce Gershon—”
“Honey—”
“He refused to give me a get. I was stuck. It wasn’t supposed to work out like that. I didn’t…”
“I know,” Decker said. “You went to the Rebbe for help, didn’t you?”
Honey was quiet, her eyes far-away. “It’s too bad you and Rina didn’t know Gershon when I first married him. He was…wonderful! Handsome and kind…a wonderful father.”
She closed her eyes and opened them.
“The changes happened so subtly. I blinked…and the next thing I knew I was married to a stranger. Looking back, I wonder if it wasn’t something organic—a tumor or a mental breakdown. Because a person doesn’t change just like that.”
She adjusted the black scarf that covered every inch of her hair.
“It was so subtle. First it was the davening all day. Then it was him becoming a Nazir. It was only when he started in on the children that I knew it was hopeless. Preaching to them. He’d sit them down and preach to them for hours, screaming at them if they moved a muscle or squirmed or blinked.”
She licked her lips.
“He’d make them wear sackcloth when he sermonized. Then, when he started making them fast once a week, I knew I had…do you know what kind of mental damage he did? Baruch Hashem, the Rebbe was there to neutralize him.”
“Why didn’t you just leave him, Honey?”
“He swore he’d see me dead before he’d give me a get. The Rebbe tried to get a dispensation…you can divorce a crazy person. Unfortunately, Gershon was rational in his fanaticism. If you talked to him, he could answer you back. He was coherent…but he wasn’t.”
“Did the Rebbe talk to him?”
“Of course!” Honey said. “Everyone could see what was happening to him. They all did what they could to try to make Gershon see reason.”
“But he wouldn’t listen to reason. His yaitzer harah had invaded his yaitzer tov.”
Honey broke into tears and nodded.
Decker said, “No one meant any harm, only to get Gershon’s yaitzer tov back.”
“So you do understand.”
“Of course.” Decker spoke very softly. “The Rebbe had no choice. He did what he had to do. What he was allowed to do halachically, what he was permitted by Jewish law.”
Honey’s head shot up. “What? What are you suggesting?”
Her voice had turned cold. She wasn’t about to incriminate her beloved leader.
“Honey,” Decker said. “You may not verbalize what happened. But I know what happened. I know it was probably an accident. But that doesn’t mean it’s not murder. Keeping quiet to protect individuals isn’t going to help anyone.”
Honey hesitated, then said, “Let me put it this way. I know that some…people in my town were going to talk to Gershon, try to convince him to give me a get.”
There was a long stretch of silence.
“That’s why I came out to Los Angeles. So people could talk to Gershon alone.”
“And that’s why you’re here using a false passport?”
“Akiva, I knew that if it didn’t work, Gershon would be furious. I didn’t care for me. But I feared for the kids. I knew I would have to go far away. That’s why I bothered with forged passports.”
Decker sat beside her. “Honey, listen to me. Because what I’m saying is from the heart. I’m sorry for all your tragedy. Because this really is a tragedy. But I think the best way to deal with it is to face it head-on. You get yourself a lawyer, get great legal representation for the Rebbe—”
“He had nothing to do with this!” Honey snapped.
“Okay, okay,” Decker backed off. “Okay, we’ll just stick to you. You get yourself a lawyer and you work out your case with him. Where are the kids?”
“Safe.”
“Here?”
“Yes. With people who love them and can care for them. I don’t have to bring them back to America with me, do I?”
“You want to leave them here…alone?”
“They’re not alone here, Akiva.” Honey blinked and regarded Decker’s face. “They are with three million brothers and sisters. That’s an awfully big family.”
“If that’s what you want, fine.”
“That’s what I want.” Honey looked down at her lap and straightened her skirt. “It’s funny. Originally, I moved with Gershon to the village as a refuge against the outside world. But there’s no escaping evil. It comes at you in many forms. It took me time to realize my strength. And now, like Jacob, I’m ready to wrestle with the Ish. You’re right. I have to face whatever is in store for me head-on.” She stood. “Where do I go from here?”
“I’ll get you an official escort back to the States, Honey. Manhattan police will detain you for questioning. Once in America, you hire yourself a good lawyer.”
“I didn’t kill Gershon.”
“I know you didn’t.”
“Thank you, Akiva. Thank you for believing me.”
Kreisman bit into an overstuffed pita. From the smell, Decker figured it was bologna with mustard. He sipped his coffee and waited for the interview to commence. The sgan nitzav was chewing slowly. Decker wondered if it was on purpose. A waiting game.
But he didn’t mind. In fact, the silence was a welcome respite, a chance for him to digest his thoughts. Honey was now in official hands. He couldn’t get her face off his mind, the plaintive way she had looked at him as she was led away by a gentlelooking Israeli policewoman. Honey’s expression had been agony and anguish. And though anguish wasn’t a viable excuse for murder, he sincerely hoped that things might work out for her. Then Rina had called him, describing her conversation with Gil Yalom. He recalled the crack in her voice as she recounted how the teenager had cried in her arms.
Too much pain. So let Kreisman take his time with his damn san
dwich. The sgan nitzav gave a final swallow and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“I got word to be nice to you. That isn’t easy for me. Especially because I don’t fully trust you.”
Decker waited.
“Actually someone called from the prime minister’s office. Some bigwig wants to thank you publicly.”
“You can take my place.”
“Fuck you, Decker. I don’t need to ride the coattails of your glory.”
“Kreisman, I’m not interested in glory. All I want is to collect my suspects, go back home, and sleep for a day.”
“Well, if you’re looking for Milligan or Ibrahim Khouri or Gamal Shabazz, you can stop. They’re gone. However, our detectives did pick up some interesting information from some of the residents of the town.”
“People actually talked to you?”
“We have ways and I don’t mean physical ways.” Kreisman rubbed his thumb against his fingertips. “Works like a charm.”
“Who’s Donald?”
“Donald Haas. He isn’t a Black Muslim, but he is a South African black and a very radical one at that. He’s far left of the ANC and has been responsible for the deaths of at least a dozen people. Some were white, but some were moderate blacks who publicly opposed Haas’s known philosophy of white extermination. The guy did ten years in jail, got sprung shortly after they liberated Nelson Mandela.”
“And what’s the connection between him and Kate Milligan?”
“Pussy connection. They were lovers.”
“Longtime lovers?”
“Who knows? Guess Haas had no problem justifying his inconsistency. A fuck is a fuck. What I don’t get is why a woman like Milligan would go for him? What could she see in him?”
Decker thought about what Rina had told him. How Milligan had slept with Yalom—a Jew whom she probably despised—to get what she wanted. “Maybe she saw a pit bull who could implement her plans.”
“That could be.”
Decker studied his thoughts, recalling his conversation with Marge. Perhaps they had been right all along. Yalom had originally gotten Milligan’s attention by blackmail. Perhaps she and Haas had been longtime forbidden lovers. Had her plan worked, had she been able to raid Palestinian start-up capital, she would have set them both up for life. He said, “Then again, Kreisman, you can’t explain love.”