“Exactly. It’s possible she’s going to mistake my professional intentions for something nefarious and accusatory.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Tziril said.

Decker paused. Honesty is the best policy…sometimes. He turned to Tziril. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask you unpleasant questions.”

“Ani mayveenah—I understand. What?”

“Did they say why they were scared? Why the police might come and ask you two questions?”

Tziril said, “You be scared, too, if your parents were killed.”

“Yes, I’d be scared,” Decker said. “Especially if I killed them.”

Tziril’s mouth dropped open.

“I’m sorry, but I need to ask—”

“You are a terrible, terrible man!” the old woman stood up from the uncushioned couch and wagged her finger, drool escaping from the corner of her mouth. “You should be shamed. You…you…”

Rina spoke quickly in Hebrew. Whatever she said seemed to have a palliative effect. Tziril, though fuming, nodded briskly. After a minute of silence, she turned to Decker. “I am sorry.”

“It’s all right. I underst—”

“You’re not a terrible man. But your job makes you ask terrible questions.”

Decker agreed with her.

Tziril looked him in the eye. “They were scared because someone killed their parents. They were scared for theirselfs.”

“They said specifically that someone else killed their parents?”

Tziril spoke in Hebrew. Rina said, “She said they sounded too frightened to make much sense.”

Tziril spoke again.

“She—Mrs. Yalom—asked the boys where they were. They wouldn’t say.”

“Which one did she talk to?” Decker asked.

“Both,” Tziril answered. “They talk to me for five minutes maybe. They told me they are alive and in Israel. I tried to find out where are they. But they spoke too fast. They said they will call me later. But they don’t…didn’t.” The tears came back. “I’m very frightened. Maybe something happened to them.”

Decker said, “Has anyone else been here? Anyone else asked you questions about your grandsons?”

“No. Just you. I only said I would talk to you because Oritie said you were working hard. She said I need to answer your questions. If she didn’t tell me, I would not talk to you. My grandsons were very frightened. I don’t know who I trust.”

“You’re very smart,” Decker said. “So you haven’t talked to anyone?”

“Just you.”

“And the boys didn’t say where they were?”

Tziril shook her head. “I wish I just knew they were live. If I knew, I wouldn’t…” She bit her knuckle and wiped away tears.

Decker said, “We’re on the same side, Mrs. Yalom. We want the same things.”

Again, she held her hand to her throat.

Decker said, “So the boys spoke to you for only a few minutes. They told you that someone was after them. They told you they came to Israel to hide.”

Tziril nodded.