“Uncle Shaul,” Gil said. “My dad’s partner. We called him Uncle. Shaul was going to sue my dad, because my dad bought some of his assets with business money. Shaul caught him monkeying with the books. Dad realized he was up shit’s creek, could have done time. So he transferred a little over half the assets into my mom’s name.”

“Why didn’t Shaul keep the assets for himself?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?”

“We know he’s here in Israel. Do you know where he is specifically?”

“No. Wish I did. Shaul’s a good guy. Rough but straight. He was around a lot, especially when my dad was out of town. Which was all the time. Used to take us out to dinner. My mom liked him. He liked my mom. Who didn’t like my mom? She was a wonderful…”

Again, the boy’s eyes welled up with tears. He made a quick swipe at his face.

“Do you know what happened when Milligan found out your dad didn’t own all the assets?”

“Not totally. But once at work I accidentally picked up the extension. She was yelling at my dad that he was a traitor. My dad was pleading, just begging her for another chance he was so hot for her. God, it was pathetic. But she wouldn’t have it or him. She totally blew him off.”

Gil bit his nail.

“Dov and I thought it was finally over.”

“When was this?”

“A year ago, maybe longer. But it wasn’t over. Maybe a month or two after I overheard her blow him off, Dov overheard my dad talking to Milligan…again. Dov said that Dad sounded real up about something…money opportunities in the Mideast if the Palestinians ever got their own state. Dov said Dad did most of the talking. Milligan just listened.”

Gil looked at Rina.

“Dad went yo-yo after that. For a year, he was lunatic. One minute he was on top of the world, saying he was going to make it big enough to buy out all of Israel. The next minute he’d be paranoid, sure someone was out to get him.”

“Did you believe him?”

“That someone was out to get him?” Gil shook his head. “Not really. But my mom was real worried.”

“She felt he was in danger?”