This time Decker passed up the smoke. He sat next to Rina, across from Kreisman, and kept a flat expression while being questioned. Kreisman asked about his case, about Gil and Dov Yalom, about Arik Yalom’s schemes and how they dovetailed with Milligan’s investments. Then Kreisman zeroed in on Milligan. He asked about Rina’s excursion into Hebron, asked her to repeat the conversation she had overheard word for word. He asked about Donald—the mystery man. The lull came after an hour and a half of interviewing. Decker took advantage to formulate his own questions.

“When was the bomb scheduled to go off?”

Kreisman pretended not to hear. The two men had formed a cold truce, but as yet no trust.

“Look, Sgan Nitzav,” Decker said, “I’m working on a case. You’re working on a case. I’m gathering information just like you. How about a little interdepartmental cooperation?”

Kreisman scratched his head. “Let’s go back to the bomb at the yeshiva.”

Rina was about to interject something. Decker patted her hand and said, “Sure. What do you want to know?”

“Let’s go over it one more time.”

Rina couldn’t help it. “Why?” She launched into Hebrew. Kreisman answered her back. It was interesting to Decker’s ear. When they spoke English, their tone of voice and manner were distinctly American. Talking in Hebrew, they had both become Israelis—the pauses, the inflections, and the gesticulations of the hands.

Abruptly, Rina folded her hands across her chest. “Okay, I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”

Kreisman said, “A very good idea.”

Decker was about to speak, but Rina stopped him with a gentle squeeze on the leg.

Kreisman said, “Detective, you said your wife told you to stop this guy whom you didn’t know at all.”

“Yes.”

“So you took off after him and you didn’t know why.”

“Rina told me he didn’t belong. That was reason enough.”

“But you didn’t know why she suspected him.”

“No.”

“In other words, you blindly listened to your wife.”

“She knows the nuances of this country, of the religion. I don’t. I didn’t listen to her because she was my wife. I listened to her as one listens to an expert witness.”

Kreisman stared at him. Decker stared back, waiting for the pissing contest to be over. He understood Kreisman’s suspicions. On the other hand, based on Decker’s information, a bomb in the Bursa had been discovered. He knew that was worth a lot.

Kreisman went on, “So you caught up with this guy.”

“I caught up with the suspect, yes.”

“And he just suddenly blurted out there was a bomb in the yeshiva.”

Decker paused. “After a little physical prodding, yes.”

“And then you just let him go?”