Chapter 47
Samuel was staring at the screen, incredulous. He could not imagine for one second, the Hebrew words were real. Both Mark and Lypsick were staring at the message, too, apparently uncomprehending.
אנא ראה את דודה של רווחה. המשפחה מחכה לה בוושינגטון. היא ננסה אותה שנינות בפלורידה. הדוד שלך הוא מחכה לה ללכת
(Please see to your aunt’s welfare. The family is waiting for her in Washington. She will then try her wit in Florida. Your uncle is waiting for her to go.)
“What does that mean?” Mark asked from over Samuel’s shoulder.
“In your language it means that I have to look after Talya. She is going to be arrested and tried in Florida. Sadir is waiting for her arrest.”
“There must be a mistake. Are you sure? You’re not trying to trick us, by any chance?”
“No, Mark, I am not. Let me send the message to Mr. Gibson. He must have a translator in Ottawa.” Samuel turned to face Lypsick. “Even better, why don’t you translate it?” The CIA agent crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the floor. “I seem to remember something about you spending sometime in Israel. It is in your dossier, isn’t it?”
“When have you read my dossier?” Lypsick seemed offended.
“Not lately, but you had dealings with Mossad in the past, didn’t you? And the name stuck. So, please tell Agent Gilford what the message means—what it says in English—so he could confirm with Ottawa that I’m not lying or fabricating anything.”
Mark went to sit down on the sofa. He looked abashed. “I don’t need any confirmation, Samuel. I can understand what Mossad is doing.”
“And what would that be in your opinion?” Lypsick was defiant, scornful. He sneered, “Since when did you begin to understand what Mossad is doing?”
“Don’t be such a prick, Lypsick. Just read what it says.” Mark was on his feet again. He went toward the computer and pointed to the screen. “Read it, for heaven’s sakes,” he yelled. “Whichever way you want to interpret it, it tells you the same thing; Mossad is prepared to sacrifice Talya to the wolves, in order for them to clean their chicken coop.” He was furious. “And you know what’s worse, Lypsick? They’re absolutely right! Sadir will be waiting to testify at her trial, unless I get to him and make him pay.”
Samuel pushed the chair from under him brutally and stood up. “No, Mark, please!” His face was inches from Mark’s. “We would be killed. Please believe me. It’s no use fighting.”
“Don’t be such a defeatist, Samuel.” Mark put both hands on the Mossad agent’s shoulders and pushed him away from him roughly. “Mossad was clever enough to think I was going to react to such an order. And, they were very careful to tell me not to use any weapons in Vancouver. They knew—and that includes you, Lypsick—we were not going to find anything against Sadir in Vancouver. There’s no terrorist cell that’s even heard of the guy. But what they wanted was to have Talya arrested, and bring her down to Florida along with Sadir as a witness for the prosecution.”
“That’s the only way we could see Sadir in a courtroom, Mark…”
“Don’t give me that shit, Lypsick!” Mark stopped and took in a breath. “And, there is no way Khalid is going to let her go to Florida in handcuffs.”
“Nor will I,” Samuel said unexpectedly. “She cannot take that sort of risk. If she’s found guilty, there’s a needle waiting for her. She’ll face the death penalty.”
“And how do you propose we get Mr. Sadir to take her place then?” Lypsick barked. “Not even Mossad could find a solution to this problem. We all know he’s responsible—guilty as charged—if you like, but we have no evidence to that effect. Zero, zilch. Nothing.”
Samuel’s eyes had followed Lypsick’s pacing across the room. “But isn’t the CIA recording your conversations?”
It seemed Lypsick didn’t want to answer. Mark glared at him. “What are you thinking?” The CIA agent spun on his heels. “Well…? What are you waiting for? Answer the man!”
When he reached the terrace door, Lypsick finally replied, “Yes, we are, and we did record some of Sadir’s conversations, especially after Slimane’s death.”
“And what did that tell you?” Mark wanted to strangle the diminutive fellow with one hand.
“Not enough, Agent Gilford. Not enough. Not even his laptop revealed anything we could take to court. Mind you the forensic guys are not quite done with it yet.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s your prerogative, Agent Gilford.” Lypsick was on the defensive now. “But why would I push Sadir to come here then? If I had found a shred of evidence in the intel we have in D.C. on the guy, I would not have bothered forcing him to come here. Now would I?”
Samuel sat down at the computer desk again and typed a few words in reply to the message.
Mark asked Lypsick, “What is he saying?” Both men were watching Samuel from behind him again.
“He is asking who has some information on his uncle... and... if the stranger is in Vancouver.”
“Good. Let’s see what they answer.”
“If they have anything, it won’t take long...” Samuel turned again to the two men towering over him. “Besides you bringing Sadir in front of the Florida courts as a material witness, which you could have done in the States, there must be a reason why Sadir came here and Mossad knows it, I’m sure of it. But they have not said anything to me so far, because that wasn’t part of my assignment.”
“So, you’re trying to get them to open up.” Mark said.
“Yes, mate. We’ll just have to wait.”
Within a few minutes they heard the little bell alert them there was a new message in the inbox.
את הנסיך שידעה את הדוד למשך תקופה ארוכה. הוא יעזור.
Samuel translated the words literally this time. “The prince has known your uncle for a long time. He will help.”
“Of course!” Mark slammed both fists on the back of Samuel’s chair.
Lypsick looked at the floor again; his arms still folded over his chest.
“What?” Mark looked down at him. “What’s wrong now? You organized tomorrow’s breakfast meeting between Sadir, the prince and me yourself, so what’s bugging you?”
“Even if we find evidence against Sadir, we still have to bring her in.” His voice was quiet, concerned.
Mark was about to grab him by the shoulders and shake him like a plum tree. Lypsick turned away from him and went to sit down. “The Florida police want her to stand trial, Agent Gilford. She’s got to face the music one way or the other.”
Samuel rose from his chair. “If we can prove Sadir was responsible for Talya getting shot or my killing Slimane, why do we have to bring her in front of the courts then?”
“Because those are two separate issues, Samuel.” Lypsick using the Mossad man’s first name for the first time since they met surprised Mark. “Ms Kartz killed a man and in the eyes of the Florida police, she’s got to be tried for that crime.”
“But didn’t you say that file was closed?”
“Yes, Agent Gilford, as far as the FBI was concerned, it was. But when the Florida police examined the river bed and found another stash of cocaine, they re-opened the case.”
“Do you have a warrant for her arrest then?”
“Not yet. Until we talk to her…”
Mark shook his head. “She won’t tell you anything about that—she didn’t know. Nor did I. And again, let me remind you that she knifed the man in self-defence.”
“Yes, that’s what you’ve said all along, but no one was there to verify the fact.”
“WRONG!” Mark yelled. “Aziz was there.”
“Ha, yes, Dr. Hendrix. But he’s hardly an impartial witness, is he?”
“Don’t you start playing both sides against the middle, Lypsick. I thought you wanted Sadir to pay for what he’s done—not drag Talya through the courts.”