“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.”

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.”