Rani Stein scratched his head as he exited his modest home in Haifa, moving like a man far older than his thirty-eight years. The son of an accountant and a seamstress, he’d spent his life in sedentary pursuits, and the lack of exercise was evident in his weight as well as his energy level. Rani was over three hundred pounds, none of it muscle. His main problem was that he liked to eat. A lot. More than almost anything in the world. This had interfered with his social life, resulting in his remaining a bachelor long after most of his peers had tied the knot.
“Mrs. Veldt! Good morning!” he called agreeably to his neighbor, a feisty seventy-year-old, who was already out in her front garden trying to coax life into her sickly collection of plants.
“Good morning to you, too, Rani. And how are you this beautiful day?”
“Never better, Mrs. Veldt, never better.”
Rani trundled to his sensible sedan and opened the door, tossing his briefcase into the passenger seat before wedging himself behind the wheel.
“You go cure someone today, do you hear?” the old woman called to him.
“I will. You can count on that!” he replied with false cheer, then shut the door and started the car.
He backed out of his driveway with customary care, slowly, methodically, as he did everything in life.
Rani didn’t notice the car a hundred yards down the street as it joined him on his eight-minute journey to his office building. Even if someone had pointed it out to him, he wouldn’t have been concerned. Rani was a man who bore nobody a grudge, and who had gone through life without making any enemies. The last thing he would have believed possible was that he could be in any sort of danger.
He made it to his office parking lot in good time. As he closed his door, he sensed a presence immediately behind him, and turned as quickly as his girth would allow. Facing him was an extraordinarily beautiful woman with a neutral expression on her face.
“Rani?”
“Hmm. Yes? And who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”
“Do you have a moment?” she asked, ignoring the question.
“Well, hmm, actually not. I have patients waiting…”
“Then I’ll be brief. I need to know when you last saw David, and where.” Jet spoke softly, eyes roving over the other vehicles in the lot to confirm they were alone.
Rani had a terrible poker face.
“David? I…I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” he stammered.
“Rani. I know David. We’re…close. I know he’s hurt, and I know you’re his friend,” she explained. “And I know you’re a doctor.”
He blanched. “There’s no law against being a doctor…”
“True. But David’s in trouble, and I need to find him.”
“I told you I have no ide–”
“Cut the shit, Rani. You went to university together, and he was your roommate. He told me about you. That’s how I know,” she explained.
He seemed surprised, but relaxed a little.
“Oh, that David? He – he told you about that?”
“Like I said. We’re close.”
Rani swallowed, his fleshy throat bobbing in a walrus-like manner.
“He warned me not to tell anyone, under any circumstances.”
So Rani did know where he was.
“David didn’t realize I was going to show up.”
He eyed her warily. “Look, assuming I knew how to get in touch with him…let’s say I could call him or something. Who would I say was asking for him?”
She debated forcing him into the car, but thought better of it. Perhaps a little gentle persuasion would be more effective. She could always use more drastic methods later if he didn’t cooperate.
“Tell him ‘his angel’ is looking for him. Describe me to him.” She debated saying more, but decided against it. “I’ll see you later, Rani – have an answer for me when I do. I’d hate for this to deteriorate into something unpleasant, but it will if you don’t tell me where to find him. You have one hour.”
He nodded, beads of sweat beginning to form on his brow.
Jet turned and walked away, Rani staring at her as she left. He shook his head and muttered to himself, then felt in his jacket for his cell. He dialed a number then spoke in a hushed voice as he slowly approached his office.