With feigned confidence, she went up to him, opting to keep the shades because it made her look official.

“Police,” Rina said, in Hebrew. “I need to speak to the boy—Gil Yalom.”

“ID.”

Now what? Rina fished through her purse. Hoping the guard couldn’t read English, she brought out her rental-car contract. “My official papers to interview him.”

The guard said, “This is in English.”

Rina appeared exasperated. “Of course they’re in English. I’m the liaison between the American and Israeli police departments. Bomb division. Northwest—Tel Aviv. Sgan Nitzav Kreisman’s office. You heard what happened this morning at the Bursa, didn’t you?”

The guard’s cheeks took a blush.

“Ach!” Rina said. “You haven’t heard. No wonder you don’t know what’s going on.” She snatched the rental-car contract out of his hands. “These papers allow me to interview Gil Yalom and search his car. He has a Subaru. See here?” Rina showed him the contract. “Subaru. This is the model number and the license plates. Can’t go around searching cars without knowing which cars to search.”

She shoved the contract back in her purse and snapped it shut. “I’m pressed for time. Shalom.”

The guard let her pass.

She stepped inside the room. Her heart sank. Another guard posted on the inside. He sat up when he saw Rina, started coming toward her, blocking her view of Gil Yalom as well as Moshe and Tziril Yalom, who were keeping vigil by their grandson’s bedside.

“I have papers.” Once again, Rina took out the contract. The guard grabbed them and read.

“Nice,” the guard said in accented English. “You rent a Subaru.” He grabbed her arm. “You’re under arrest.”

Tziril Yalom stood and came to her defense. “Are you crazy? Let her go. I know her. She is a very nice young lady.”

The guard continued to hold Rina. “My strict orders were not to let anyone in here other than relatives. Orders are orders—”

“Orders are orders? So this is the Third Reich?” Tziril came up to him and whacked him on the shoulder. “I tell you I know this young woman. She came here to help. Let her go!”

“Only relatives, g’veret. Sorry, but—”

“She is my illegitimate daughter,” Moshe Yalom announced.

All eyes fell upon him.

“It happens to the best of us.” Yalom shrugged. “Just ask anyone at the Bursa. I took her there yesterday and introduced everyone to her as my daughter.”

The guard laughed. “You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes, I do,” Yalom said gravely.

The guard continued to hold Rina, but looked at Moshe. “Then why didn’t you say that in the first place?”

“I should embarrass my wife by making such an announcement out loud?” Yalom retorted. “Let her go. She is a relative.”

Reluctantly, the guard released Rina’s arm.