Sanctuary

“Did Dov say anything to you about a vacation?”

“No. I already told my mother that I don’t know where he is.” She grew agitated. “I don’t know where anyone is, I swear.”

Decker stood motionless, then raised his eyes. “You swear, huh?”

“What do you want from me?” The girl burst into tears.

Decker blew out air. “Can we talk somewhere a little more private?”

Sharona took two steps backward. “Who are you?”

She was clearly spooked. Decker said, “Sharona, we can talk right here. Or if you’d prefer, I’ll come to your home tonight and talk to you with your parents around—”

“No!”

Decker was surprised by the vehemence in her voice. “No? Why not?”

“Just …” Sharona’s voice had become tiny. “Just because. Please don’t make me talk in front of my parents. Please! I don’t want anyone mad at me. I didn’t know what …”

The girl appeared to be swaying. Decker gently took her arm and led the frail teen to an empty room. He placed her in a chair, then sat across from her, making sure the door was kept open. He took out his pad and a pencil. “Sharona, it’s important for you to tell me everything you know.”

Sharona’s eyes went from her lap, to the door, to Decker, back to the door, then to the ceiling.

Decker said, “You care about your cousins?”

The girl nodded.

“Talk to me.”

“He told me not to tell anyone.”

“Who? Dov or Gil?”

“Dov. Told me not to tell anyone he called.”

“When did he call?”

“Two days ago. Before Eema called the police.” She glanced at Decker, then looked away. “He said he was going away. He didn’t say where. He sounded nervous. He told me not to tell anyone, especially Eema and Abba. I asked him if he was in trouble …”

Decker nodded encouragingly.

Sharona met his eyes. “He hung up. That was it.”

“And you haven’t heard from him since?”

“I swear I haven’t.”

“Why didn’t you tell your eema about the call after she called the police?”

“I don’t know.” Her lip began to quiver. “I was scared she’d get mad at me for not telling her sooner. And I kept expecting to hear from Dov. I didn’t know Dov would be … I didn’t know the whole family …”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t think they were missing. I thought Dov had just had enough. I thought he just needed to get away from it all, you know?”

Decker said, “No, I don’t know. Please tell me.”

Sharona covered her face, then wiped her cheeks. “My uncle’s a diamond dealer. He’s very rich. Did you see the house?”

Decker nodded.

“Isn’t it humongous?”

Again, Decker nodded.

“Uncle Arik is really rich. I mean really, really rich! He made a fortune in diamonds during the eighties. Dov told me he made lots of his money selling big stones to the Japanese and the Chinese living in Hong Kong.”

“Dov seems to know a lot about the business.”

“He works there. They work there—both of them. My cousins … you’d think they’d be spoiled rotten, right?”

“Possibly.”

“Well, they’re not, at all. They have to beg for everything they get. That’s my uncle. Eema used to say he was the same way as a kid.”

“What does she mean by that?” Decker asked.

“I think she meant he was always a tightass—” Sharona blushed. “I mean he was tight with a buck.”

“His kids resent him?”

The girl looked at her lap. “It’s not like my cousins don’t believe in work. I believe in working, too. Everyone has to work to feel useful. My mom doesn’t have to work but she does. Aunt Dalia certainly doesn’t need to work, but she does. My uncle just overdoes it. Dov and Gil are carrying a full load at school, plus after-school sports and music lessons. Gil’s a top swimmer. They’re both good students. But that’s not enough. Uncle Arik makes them go downtown two days a week and on the weekends to learn about the diamond business. I don’t talk to Gil so much, but I know it’s a big drain for Dov. He’s very resentful.”

“How does he express his resentment?”

“Sulks. Escapes into his head. What can he do?”

“Escapes? You mean drugs?”

Sharona shrugged. “Maybe a little pot. But mostly I meant escape by being spiritual. He used to be very religious. I think deep down he’s still religious, but …”

Decker encouraged her to continue.

“Dov wanted to be more Orthodox … traditional.”

“I’m traditional, I understand.”

Sharona eyed him. “You don’t look Jewish, you know that?”