Hana had trouble containing her excitement during her morning Skype session with Daud. In two days she would see him in Jerusalem. However, the investigator was in a serious mood.
“Is everything okay?” Hana asked.
“Yes, yes,” he answered. “I’m under stress related to another matter and hope it won’t spill over into the time when you arrive.”
“I’ll understand if you need to be working on something else. There will be things Jakob and I can do.”
“Of course, but I want us to be efficient and productive. I’ve made progress with the man who holds a grudge against the Zadan clan. I’m certain he will meet with us and may be a key to unlocking information the Shin Bet didn’t find.”
“Good.”
“But I’m not sure where Jakob Brodsky fits in. From what you’ve told me, he seems like a liability, not an asset,” Daud said.
“Mr. Lowenstein has the same concerns, but Jakob has put his heart and soul into this case. We can make it work.”
“He will need to be flexible.”
“I’ll be responsible for him,” Hana said, knowing the job would fall to her anyway.
“What is the status of the police investigation into the physical attack and destruction of his car?”
“I’ve not heard anything new for several weeks.”
“What did you decide about seeing your family during this trip?” Daud asked.
“They don’t know I’m coming. If I’m able to squeeze in a visit to Reineh, it will be a huge surprise.”
“I think keeping the trip confidential is a good idea.”
“Me too.” Hana checked the time. “Listen, I need to leave for work. I have a lot to do.”
“Okay. I won’t be available in the morning, so the next time we see each other will be at the airport.”
Hana’s heart leapt in anticipation. She spoke a formal farewell in Arabic that included the promise of a soon reunion. Daud smiled.
“I haven’t heard anyone say that in a long time,” he said. “My grandfather used to say that to my grandmother before he would leave for a week away from home.”
“I think it is a lot better than ‘bye,’” Hana replied in English.
During the month since returning to Atlanta, Hana had talked several times with Sylvia Armstrong at the US Attorney’s Office in New York. None of the conversations yielded any more new information, but Mr. Lowenstein insisted that the lines of communication stay open. Armstrong called Hana again.
“Are you still scheduled to go to Israel?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“My contacts inform me that your investigator has been active.”
“That’s why we hired him,” Hana answered, glad about the favorable opinion of Daud’s efforts from a third party.
“If you need help convincing the Israelis to work with you, let me know. I sent emails to several people this morning letting them know you’re on the way and our interests are consistent.”
“Thank you,” Hana replied. “Can you provide me any names?”
“Yes, one name is Aaron Levy. He works in an antiterrorism unit in Tel Aviv and knows as much about the Neumann murder as anyone. Daud Hasan has already contacted him.”
Hana didn’t recall Daud mentioning that name in any of his reports.
“Okay,” Hana said. “Anything else?”
“Safe travels.”
After the call ended, Hana sent a quick memo to Mr. Lowenstein, Jakob, Ben, and Daud about the phone call. She expected Daud to respond with additional information about Aaron Levy, but he didn’t.
The following morning, Hana arrived very early at the office. Janet was already at her desk.
“Why are you here now?” Hana asked.
“This is what assistants do when one of their bosses is leaving the country.”
Hana thought about her backlog of work. She’d given up hope of having it all done and resigned herself to handling it remotely.
“There are a few extra things you can do,” she said slowly.
“Bring it on.”
As the two women were going over the projects, the phone buzzed. It was Gladys Applewhite.
“Good, you’re here,” Gladys said. “Mr. Lowenstein wants to meet with you first thing. He pulled into the parking deck and should be in his office in five minutes.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Pep talk or thunderstorm?” Janet asked.
“I have no idea.”
The senior partner’s door was open and Gladys, who was on the phone, motioned for Hana to enter. Mr. Lowenstein was standing and drinking a cup of coffee.
“It sounds like Ms. Armstrong is cooperating.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Build on it. She could be more help than our investigator and a lot cheaper. Remind her that our tax dollars pay her salary.”
“Are you serious?”
“No, but I talked to Armstrong’s boss after I received your email. They want to help but expect reciprocity of information.”
“Daud Hasan wants to protect the identity of some of his sources.”
“You’re in charge, not him. You’ll be the clearinghouse.”
Hana wasn’t sure how to follow Mr. Lowenstein’s orders. It was like trying to predict the weather a month in advance.
“And that goes double for Jakob Brodsky,” Mr. Lowenstein continued, tapping his desk with his index finger. “You know I don’t like him tagging along, and your comment about the investigator gives me an idea. Hasan can exclude Brodsky from meetings and interviews. The fact that Brodsky is Jewish should work for any situation in which Arabs are present.”
Hana didn’t want to mention that Daud had the same problem with Jakob.
“I understand.”
“And your former involvement with security personnel at the airport would be another justification,” Mr. Lowenstein said. “The Israeli authorities will likely be comfortable with you in the room and prefer to keep Brodsky out.”
Once again, the older lawyer’s ability to quickly come up with innovative ways to deal with a situation impressed Hana, even if she didn’t like the ideas he gave.
“But how do I keep Jakob busy? He can’t sit in a hotel room all day.”
“Give him research tasks that he can do online or interviews with English speakers who aren’t very important. And he can always be a tourist, even though I don’t like paying for it.”
“The money he and the client deposited in our trust account is funding the trip,” Hana said and then braced for a negative reaction.
“Good point,” Mr. Lowenstein said with a smile. “Hana, I wanted to tell you that I have the highest confidence in you. You’ve handled everything we’ve thrown at you superbly since you joined the firm. You may be tentative at first, which is good because you don’t charge off in the wrong direction, but once you get your bearings you do impressive work. If Ben Neumann has a case, I believe you’ll find a way to move forward.”
“Thank you.”
Mr. Lowenstein stood. “Copy me on everything you send out, no matter how minor it seems. I can separate the important from the trivial.”
The senior lawyer escorted her to the door of his office. “Gladys, is there anything you want Hana to bring you from the Holy Land? I know you and the people who attend your church are interested in Israel.”
“No, sir.”
“If you change your mind, let her know.”
Mr. Lowenstein returned to his office and closed his door.
“There’s one thing,” Gladys said to Hana.
“What? I’d be glad to pick something up for you or the congregation.”
Gladys, a serious look on her face, spoke in a low voice. “I want you to be careful and come back safe and sound. That will be plenty for me. I’ll be praying every day until I see you standing exactly where you are right now.”
“Thank you,” Hana said gratefully.
Jakob pressed down hard to close his large suitcase. The small carry-on bag containing his laptop leaned against the foot of the bed. Emily was scheduled to pick him up in ten minutes. Jakob bent over to shut another latch on the suitcase, then stood and hit the right side of his head on the corner of a chest of drawers. He caught his breath and winced sharply in pain. Feeling slightly nauseous, he dragged his suitcase to the front door, then made his way to the couch and sat down. He closed his eyes and tried to forget about the throbbing pain.
The sound of loud banging on the front door of his apartment startled him. Shaking his head to get rid of fogginess, he stumbled across the room and opened the door. Emily was standing on the landing outside his door.
“Why weren’t you downstairs?” she demanded. “I waited five minutes, texted three times, and called twice.”
“Uh, I must have dozed off on the couch,” Jakob replied.
“Are you okay?” Emily asked, her frown turning into a look of concern. “You look pale. Did you pass out?”
“I’m not sure. I hit my head on the corner of a dresser.”
“Is it bleeding?” Emily stepped closer for a better view.
Jakob touched the spot. There was nothing red on his fingers. “No, but it made me woozy. Come in. I need to eat a snack before we go.”
Jakob bumped into the corner of the couch on his way to the kitchen. Emily followed. He opened the refrigerator and took out a yogurt.
“Would you like one?” he asked. “I have strawberry and peach.”
“We need to get going soon.”
“Okay, okay.”
Jakob took a deep breath and felt steadier on his feet. Grabbing a plastic spoon, he headed toward the front door. Emily was in front of him and reached for his large suitcase.
“No, no,” Jakob said. “I’ll take that one if you can handle the carry-on bag.”
Emily eyed him skeptically. “Sit down and eat your yogurt first,” she said. “I’ll make up the time on the way to the airport.”
Jakob didn’t argue. He peeled the top from the yogurt. “Are you sure you don’t want one, too?” he asked.
“I’ll grab a peach,” Emily replied.
When the first slightly tangy bite hit Jakob’s tongue, he felt mentally clearer. The second spoonful brought him more fully into reality. Emily returned with a peach yogurt and sat on the other end of the couch.
“I had a concussion spell,” Jakob said. “No doubt about it.”
“That worries me,” Emily replied. “Does your head hurt now?”
“Just tender, and I don’t remember what happened for a short time. I guess I just sat here on the couch.”
Jakob leaned over and picked up his phone. Sure enough, there were multiple messages from Emily.
“You blew up my phone,” he said.
“I didn’t have any other option. If I’d known you’d hurt yourself, I would have come up here immediately.”
Jakob moved his head from side to side to see if it bothered him. “I’m okay. Maybe I should start wearing a helmet around the apartment.”
“I wish you weren’t taking this flight,” Emily said. “You should schedule an appointment with your neurologist.”
Jakob ate another bite of yogurt. Emily’s remained unopened.
“Eat your yogurt,” Jakob said to her. “I shouldn’t leave it in the refrigerator since I’m going out of town.”
They ate in silence for a minute.
“Are you sure you should go to the airport?” Emily asked when they finished.
“Yes, the ticket is purchased and nonrefundable.”
Jakob stood to convince himself that he could do so. The room didn’t spin. He took a step and didn’t wobble.
“Tell Hana Abboud to keep an eye on you,” Emily said.
“She’ll do that without being asked.”
“And that you hit your head in the same spot.”
“Sure.” Jakob headed toward the door.
“Don’t you want to throw these empty containers away?” Emily asked, picking up Jakob’s yogurt. “They’ll turn sour.”
“Yes. I took out the rest of the trash earlier.”
Jakob carried his large suitcase down the stairs without a problem. He hoisted it into the back seat of Emily’s car. She placed the carry-on bag beside it. Jakob sat in the passenger seat and closed his eyes. Emily didn’t turn on any music. They pulled out of the apartment complex onto a main road.
“Are you still with me?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
Jakob opened his eyes. He touched the side of his head. It remained tender. “No dizziness, no blurred vision,” he said with relief.
It was a fifty-minute drive to the airport. Emily slipped off the expressway twice to avoid common bottlenecks. The second time, she slowed for a moment and moved into the right-hand lane of a four-lane road. She then sped up and zigzagged back and forth between lanes for half a mile.
“I already know you can drive like a Formula One racer,” Jakob said.
“I’m not trying to impress you. The same car has been behind us since we left your apartment. Nobody goes to the airport the way I do.”
Jakob turned in his seat and looked behind them. It was a busy street.
“Which one?” he asked.
“The white Honda.”
Jakob could see several white cars. Emily slowed and changed lanes. Jakob saw a distant car mimic her movement.
“That’s a long way back. How did you spot it?”
“The driver is someone who knows what he’s doing. I thought I lost him at a red light, but he showed up again.”
They returned to the expressway and two miles later took the airport exit. Jakob turned around again.
“Keep looking straight ahead,” Emily said. “If there’s someone else in the car, he may be using binoculars.”
“What are you going to do about this?” Jakob asked. “I don’t feel good about leaving you.”
“I’m staying at the airport until I get another passenger and then I’ll see what happens. That should tell me if they’re interested in you or me. You’re about to enter the most secure zone in the city. You’ll be fine.”
Emily pulled to the curb. Jakob got out and glanced to the left. He didn’t see the Honda.
“Be careful,” he said.
“You be careful,” Emily replied. “And don’t worry. If the white Honda hangs around me, I’ll call down the wrath of God through some of my former colleagues.”
After checking her bag, Hana made her way to the gate. Jakob wasn’t in sight. Hana sat down and opened the app for the doggie day care center. Leon and a brown puppy half his size were chasing each other around a plastic container of dog toys. Next she replied to three email messages. Her out-of-office notice would be up in the morning, but until then she wanted to handle what she could. The gate attendant began calling forward passengers on standby to let them know if there would be a seat for them on the flight to Newark. Hana leaned over and looked down the concourse. In the distance, she saw Jakob walking slowly in her direction. She waited until he came closer and waved him over.
“I was beginning to worry about you.”
“You were right to do so,” he said.
Jakob told her about the blow to his head and the car that followed him and Emily to the airport. “I didn’t check in at the counter until I knew Emily had picked up another fare and determined the white car wasn’t following her.”
“What if someone is watching us now?” Hana glanced around.
“It’s a weird feeling, isn’t it? Not knowing.”
The gate attendant announced it was time to begin boarding. After the business-class passengers, Hana and Jakob were in the next section. When they stood up, Jakob paused for a moment and leaned on the handle of his carry-on bag.
“Are you okay?” Hana asked.
“Dizzy for a second. I have headphones and always sleep on airplanes. Hopefully I’ll be better by the time we get to Newark.”
Jakob sat in the aisle seat with Hana beside him. He took a pair of headphones from his carry-on bag.
“I’m not trying to be rude,” he said, showing them to Hana. “I’ll put them on after the announcements from the flight attendants.”
“Go ahead.”
During the two-hour flight, Hana reviewed everything on her laptop about the Neumann file and made notes detailing next steps. At one point, she noticed that a slightly built middle-aged man in the window seat was trying to read her computer screen. She tilted the computer toward Jakob.
“What language is that?” the man asked, clearly not picking up on her desire for privacy.
One of the reports from Daud was on the screen. Part of it was in Hebrew, part in Arabic.
“It depends,” Hana replied cryptically. “What languages do you read?”
“Uh, English. I took Spanish in high school and struggled to make a C.”
Realizing her suspicions weren’t justified, Hana relaxed. “It’s a combination of Hebrew and Arabic,” she replied. “I live in Israel but work in Atlanta, so it’s helpful to speak multiple languages. But my Spanish is terrible, probably worse than yours.”
“I doubt that,” the man said. “I wish I’d studied harder. My company offered me a couple of Spanish-speaking accounts, but I knew I couldn’t handle it. The commissions would have been great.”
“You could study now. Being motivated makes a difference.”
“That’s exactly what my wife told me. We live in San Antonio, and a working knowledge of Spanish would come in handy in day-to-day life.”
For the next fifteen minutes, the man talked to Hana about his work and family. Finally, he stopped and yawned. “Well, I may get some shut-eye like your friend there,” he said. “I’ve been up since four thirty this morning. This is my third flight of the day, and I still have to take a customer out for a late dinner when I get to New York.”
The man closed his eyes, and in less than a minute his breathing signaled he was asleep. Sitting between two unconscious men, Hana was able to return to work.