Double Interest

by Odeda Yaari

  Edo tried to ask some questions, to see what had happened, what had changed, but the line went dead. What was he to do? If he went back, they might kill him just to make sure he stayed quiet. If he stayed, Ron and David might expose him. He had the feeling they were already starting to suspect something. And on top of everything, he’d been trying to reach Sophie for the past couple of days, just so that he could talk to someone and regain a small sense of sanity, but she wasn’t returning his calls.

  He stood by the phone, helpless. What do I do now? he thought. Despite the hefty sum that had been promised to him back in Colombia, he did not feel the slightest desire to go back there, not even for a short while, and he couldn’t even be sure he’d ever be able to make it back out of there. His legs carried him through the city streets, passing by vehicles still adorned with flags for Yom Ha’atzmaut, the Israeli Independence Day, past bustling food stalls and families out for a Saturday walk. Edo heard and saw none of it. After a half an hour or so, he found himself at the entrance to a quiet café on a street he did not know. He sat down with a sigh and ordered a strong, black coffee.

  The waitress looked at the handsome guy, the only customer in the café. She smiled at him, trying to get a smile back. He was deep in thought and looked outside every now and then, as if searching for something he had lost. After about ten minutes, he stepped out for a minute and then returned carrying an envelope, writing pad, and pen. The waitress came up to him with a glass of aromatic herbal tea and a small plate with almond cookies.

  “On the house. Maybe that’ll help bring a smile to your face.”

  Edo made an effort to return her smile.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  He looked at her for a moment and then buried himself back in the pile of crumpled papers on his table, on which he had been drafting a letter. A long while passed. Eventually, he got up, looking lighter somehow, left a large money note on the table, and approached the waitress.“What’s your name?”

  “Maya.”

  “Goodbye, Maya. Thank you,” he said, and leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

  Feeling a bit better, he left the café. He walked to the small hotel he had been staying at, collected his few belongings, and checked out, without asking for a refund for the days already paid. He stepped out into the street and hailed a cab.

  “Airport, please,” he said.

  “Going on vacation? Where to?” asked the driver.

  “Colombia.”

  The driver kept talking to Edo. Young people today knew how to enjoy life. He smiled, and told one joke after another. He must have been in good spirits, and Edo didn’t stop him. After about a ten-minute drive, Edo spoke up in a decisive voice. “Wait, turn around please.” The driver did as he asked and took him to two final stops before the airport.

  ***

  Judge Bar shook hands with Bob. He was calm and collected. His vast experience as an attorney meant he was standing on firm, familiar ground. He invited Bob to the hotel bar for a drink before sitting down to discuss the details of the deal. Bob could tell he was facing an experienced man, shrewd and sentiment-free, yet fair. For the sake of good order, Bar presented Bob with a letter, signed by all the company partners, giving him power of attorney.

  Bar had a way of letting whoever met him feel like he was in good, loyal hands, that he could trust him, and Bob fell for his charm. He shared that they were in trouble, and that two years of experiments were meant to come to a conclusion in a week’s time.“I wanted to retire at the height of my career, to make a great finale, with an invention in my name that would benefit humanity. You see, when I was young, I had dreams of helping mankind, like all kids do. Instead, I gave in to the security and money of a big company. Then two years ago, I was given the opportunity to realize my dream. The son of our company’s president died of a drug overdose, and the president swore he wouldn’t rest until we found a way to demolish the drug market. He asked me to work on developing the anti-drug. For me, this was the opportunity I had been waiting for, as well as a way to help a dear friend. But now, just short of the finish line, we’ve hit a dead end.”

  How stupid, thought Judge Bar. This man is laying out all the cards, showing me all his weak spots, before we’ve even begun negotiations. Or maybe he thinks if he plays the emotional bit, he can get a better deal, like a defendant in court?

  “Perhaps,” Bob went on passionately, oblivious to the fact that he was losing his conversation partner, “if I had asked for an extension, the research division would have gotten one. But I won’t be there to reap the fruits of my labor, and I want to be remembered for making history. I won’t lie to you. I’ve heard from Yossi, Ron, and David’s friend that their study is yielding good results. I want that development. And I have something to offer in return. We have the financial strength. If you combine forces, their young minds with the brain of an experienced scientist like me, we could actually do something great for humanity.”

  After a couple more drinks, Bar felt ready to move to the issue at hand.

  “So far, everything sounds good,” he said quietly. “But you realize we’ve invested a lot of money into this company and, unlike you, we don’t have anyone breathing down our necks,” he said calmly, without giving any indication of the concern he had regarding the Colombians. “Which is why we’re expecting an offer that is seriously worth considering.”

  Bob grabbed a napkin from the bar and wrote down the amount of five million dollars.

  “I think this is a very reasonable offer. According to our estimates, you put about two million dollars into the company. Our offer certainly seems like a fair yield for your money.”

  Bar looked at the napkin with a smile. The number on it had been written by a sure and steady hand, which meant Bob still had a lot of wiggle room. He decided to keep playing the game, grabbed another napkin and wrote down twenty million dollars.“You’re out of your mind,” said Bob. “Your product isn’t even fully developed and more funds need to go into it. I’m sure you know this figure is farfetched.”

  Bar pulled back the napkin and added “plus fifty percent of all future profits.”

  Bob was a science man, not a businessman. Although he had been involved in the purchase deals of patents, products, and companies during his career, this time he had a personal stake in the matter. He was emotionally involved and unable to keep his cool. The opponent before him was a tough nut to crack, a professional, not some small-time inventor looking for a chance to make just enough money to keep him rolling.

  “Ten million plus twenty percent of the profit,” said Bob. “That’s the best I can offer. Anything higher than that would require the approval of the board and I don’t think they’ll agree to more.”

  “That’s fine by me,” said Bar, in a completely relaxed manner. “You pass our demands on to your board: twenty million plus fifty percent of the profits. And, of course, the young men get credit for their invention—it has to be made public under their names.”

  As long as it only had to do with money, Bob managed to maintain a businesslike composure. Now that it involved reputation and credit, he became resentful.

  “I won’t be pushed into a corner entirely as nothing more than funding. We’ll have to find a way that will ensure fair credit for the invention.”

  “If we can agree on the sum, then yes, of course.”

  With everything said and done, there was nothing more to discuss. Bob said he’d contact his board immediately with the details of the Israeli investors’ offer, and that he’d contact Bar as soon as he had an answer.

  28

  Judge Bar left and headed home feeling good. He had extensive negotiating experience and could tell when the other side was eager to close the deal. In cases like that, he let himself stretch the limit. He was working under the assumption that the Americans weren’t going to accept his offer fully, but that they would counter with another offer for him to negotiate with.

  Before he had left to meet Bo
b, he told his wife that Ron and David were coming for dinner. Her tone of voice suggested she wasn’t too happy about it, yet still he knew that he would find a perfect dinner ready and waiting when he got home. They had been together long enough and he knew her well.

  He had time to get home, change into more casual attire, and help himself to a drink to quiet the adrenaline that was still pumping through his veins. This was the most content he had felt in a long time. Legal work was important to him, but he missed the suspense and drama of litigating—the intellectual challenge, always thinking two steps ahead, watching his opponent, and assessing the situation. His relationship with Ron had also been given a new twist all of a sudden. For years, he had learned to suppress his feelings toward his younger son so as not be so devastatingly hurt once again. Now he felt he had to make up for years of ignoring him. He couldn’t wait to tell Ron and David about the meeting with Bob.

  ***

  Ron had arranged to meet Dana for lunch, but she canceled at the last minute and, to his own surprise, he was very understanding about that. He spent a quiet Saturday at home, listening to his favorite music. At around six p.m., he began to lose his patience, wondering how his father’s meeting with Bob had gone. But beyond that, it was as if a pestering fly kept buzzing in his ear. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that something about Edo’s behavior seemed strange, though he had no actual proof. He thought back to everything he had told them, on that first surprising phone call and in the interview, but couldn’t find anything. In fact, he thought, Edo answered all our questions, but we were so eager to have him start work that we must have not asked the right questions. Finally, he decided he’d go by the office and take a closer look, see if anything had come up, before dinner at his parents’ house.

  When he got to the office, it was dark and quiet but as inviting as ever. Ron took a look around. He went to the labs on the lower floor. Edo’s latest work was in place and provided no clue to go on. Then he returned to the offices. At first, he felt bad snooping around and invading Edo’s privacy, but then he reminded himself who was boss, and went to Edo’s cubicle. His desk was suspiciously clean. Not a scrap of paper was on it. He bent down and started opening the drawers. The first one was empty, apart from two pens that looked like they had never been touched. The second drawer was also empty, except for an envelope. He picked up the envelope, which had the words “To Ron and David” written on it in big, black letters. He quickly tore it open and found a letter written in a sloppy, almost illegible handwriting, with many deletions. It had been written that same day:

  Dear Ron and David,

  I am forced to leave work unexpectedly. I wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation for you hiring me and trusting me fully, in a way that I did not deserve.Here Edo revealed everything that had happened to him in Colombia, including his entanglement with the drug lords and his admission about the large amount of money they had offered him.I don’t know if you two, coming from prosperous families, will be able to understand the dilemma I was facing. Still, I know that does not justify what I did. I wanted you to know it was me who led the Colombians to your company, and me who kept them informed of everything that has happened since I started working for you. My intention was never to steal your formula, but to try and get you in a position where you would need their money and cross to the other side. But I suppose it doesn’t matter now. Now you’re in negotiations with an American company that’ll nurture you, and it is my understanding that the Colombians have decided to back down. They said I have to go back there, which I really don’t want to do.

  But since I have my family to think about, I have to drop everything and travel back. I need you to know I’m not a bad person. All sorts of circumstances led me here. And I hope it’s not too late to say I’m sorry. I think the world of what you’ve done here. Your company is something I would have loved to take part in, under different circumstances.I wish you lots of luck with the project you have taken on. Edo.

  And then, right below his signature, there was something else written, which he apparently had added after finishing the letter:

  I haven’t checked this all the way through, but I have a feeling I’ve found the solution, or at least the direction to get you there. I hope this this helps, and that someday you’ll be able to accept my apology.There was a second page attached to the letter. On it was scribbled a long and complex formula. For a moment, Ron forgot all about what he had just read. His focus was devoted wholly to understanding the formula and establishing how probable it was. He rushed to his office and started making notes. Yes! he thought excitedly. This is really it, and it’s a much simpler formula than we thought.

  Thrilled by the revelation, he forgot about his fears and anxieties, about the Colombians breathing down their necks, and the Americans that would surely want to appropriate the find, and he just gave in to the intoxicating moment of success.

  He was brought back to reality by the telephone ringing in his office. He glanced at his watch. It was seven thirty. He could still make it to dinner on time. He picked up the phone, expecting it to be his mother, calling to remind him not to be late for dinner. On the other line, he heard an unfamiliar voice.

  ***

  David had a vague recollection of Ron’s family house, but this was his first time meeting Ron’s beautiful mother.

  “Hi, I’m David.” He held out a tentative hand for a shake.

  “After all these years, I’m glad to finally meet you,” she said warmly. “I can’t understand how Ron has kept his handsome business partner hidden from us all this time. Come in, please. Ron will probably be here any minute.”

  David stepped into the living room, shook hands with Bar, and sat in a comfortable armchair.

  Ron’s mother handed him a glass of wine and joined the two men. She tried to carry on an easy, sociable chitchat, taking an interest in David’s personal life. Her forte as a socialite was getting people to feel comfortable and talkative, as if she took a real interest in them. She also had a talent for remembering every seemingly unimportant detail, and to ask about them when she met the person next.

  Around eight thirty, all three began to wonder what was keeping Ron. He was usually so punctual, especially when visiting his parents.

  “I don’t understand,” said David. “I spoke to him at six. He said he was just going to drop by the office, and even reminded me to be here at eight on the dot, since you don’t approve of tardiness. Maybe he dozed off?”

  They called Ron’s cell, which was off, and got no answer at his apartment either. Finally, they decided to sit down to dinner, but none of them had much of an appetite. Though they tried to conceal it, they were getting quite concerned.“What if something’s happened to him? I have to make some calls, then we’ll see,” said Bar and went to his den. He rang the police station and all the nearby hospitals.

  “I’ll try his friend, Dana,” said David. “She gave me her business card when we had the meeting with Bob. She might know something.”

  Dana listened to what David had to say. No, she did not know anything. They had had plans to meet, but she had to cancel at the last minute. That was at lunch time. She wrote down the phone numbers of David and the Bar family and promised she would stay in touch.

  Sophie hung up and immediately called Yoni. “Yoni, Ron’s missing!” she said breathlessly, and went on to relay everything David had just told her.

  “Come to the office right away. I’ll gather the team and see what we can do. Even with Bar’s connections, waiting for the police could cost valuable time.”

  Yoni wished he had followed his gut, which had told him something might happen to David or Ron. But he knew now wasn’t the time for self-flagellation. He called everyone on the team and told them to come to an urgent meeting at the office.

  29

  The cab pulled up to an old apartment building. Edo paid the driver and stepped out. Everything had stayed exactly the same. The earth at the front of t
he building was bare, apart from some thorny weeds, which were already starting to turn yellow. The entrances to every other apartment building on the street looked almost identical, and there was graffiti on the peeling walls. A group of teenage boys and girls stood huddled in the corner outside the building. Nothing had changed.

  Edo faced the door to his parents’ home, which clearly showed the marks of the passing years since the family had first moved into the new immigrants’ housing. He took a deep breath and rang the bell. He could hear the sound of his father shuffling his feet in his old slippers and felt a wave of love wash over him. His dad opened the door. He threw himself at Edo with the force of the excitement, calling to his wife loudly in Spanish to come see who was there.

  When the initial excitement finally came to a lull and the tears had dried, Edo asked his parents to sit down and listen to what he had to say without interference. He told them he was in Israel on a confidential security mission, about which he was not allowed to give out any details. In a few hours, he had to leave again. Due to the secretive nature of the mission, he asked them not to tell anyone, no matter how close or distant, that he had been to visit.

  Edo’s mother burst into tears again. “Can’t you at least stay for a few days? We’ve missed you so much. We were nearly crazy last month, not hearing anything from you. And besides, we want to hear about Colombia. Tell them you’ll be staying for a few more days.”

  Edo gave his mother a gentle embrace. The smell of her cooking filled his nose, mingled with her familiar scent. Tears filled his eyes. “I can’t, Mom. I have to fly back today.”

  Before leaving, he shoved a wad of cash into his father’s pocket.

  “This is for my sisters. Tell them I sent my regards, but don’t mention I was here. Just tell them I had a friend deliver the money. The less they know, the safer we all will be.”

  He closed the door behind him with a heavy heart. Perhaps this would be the last time he ever saw them.