Decker smiled. “Mefakeah, someone brutally murdered this boy’s parents. The boys fled in fear. I think someone was out to murder Gil. But he didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that he was out to get Gil. So he made it look like a random terrorist act. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, your English is okay.” Elhiani puffed away. “And you think your mad bomber will be out to get the other brother?”

“Him or someone else. But yes, I think Dov Yalom, wherever he is, is in danger.”

“It still doesn’t make me sense,” Elhiani said. “To use a bomb. Bomb isn’t missile. Bomb doesn’t aim and hit target. Bomb just explodes. If you are there, you die. If not, you don’t die. Why use something so unperfect? Why not choose to stab him on the street like terrorist usually do?”

Decker said, “Gil was in hiding. Which means the hit man—”

“Hit man?”

“A hit man is an assassin.” Decker paused, then said, “Think about it, Mefakeah Elhiani. In order to get Gil, the assassin would have to go inside the yeshiva to find Gil. Then he’d have to get Gil alone. Then he’d have to get close to Gil to stab him or shoot him. He’d have to make sure that the gun didn’t make too much noise. Or that Gil didn’t scream. Because noise would attract attention. Then he’d have to escape. Wouldn’t it be easier to just sneak inside dressed like a rabbi and drop off a small package inside a crowded bais midrash, hoping that one of those boys is Gil Yalom.”

Elhiani lit up another smoke and puffed away as he thought. “It make some sense.”

Decker rubbed his eyes. “So if they tried this method for Gil, why not for Dov.”

“But fortunately, it didn’t work.”

“We were lucky.”

“Whatever the reason, it didn’t work.”

Decker said, “Maybe they don’t know that. The bomber escaped. I’m sure he didn’t go back to his boss and tell him he messed up. So look what the boss sees. A building with blown-out windows, pandemonium in the streets—”

“What means pandemon—”

Rina translated.

Decker said, “To the bomber’s boss, it looks like success.”

“And who is the bomber’s boss?”

Decker remained cagey. “I’m not sure, Mefakeah. I have my suspects but that’s all.”

“Which is suspects?”

Decker and Rina traded looks. Then Decker said, “There’s a woman in Israel named Kate Milligan. She is a well-known lawyer who has worked for the VerHauten Diamond Company for many years. She’s big, she’s important, and this afternoon my wife tailed her into Hebron. But not before she overheard her talking to two men.”