“Because I’m at racted to you?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s have cof ee at the hotel. It’s air-conditioned and my old buddy Coby says it’s on the house.”
“The manager?”
“Yes.”
“I have to save what I have on my computer.”
“I’l wait.”
“Wait for me there. Don’t wait here.”
I sat down at my computer and stared at the screen. Sir Anthony may have the let er Martha sent about the inheritance, I wrote. If the Countess sees the let er, her sweet, innocent daughter wil be banished from the palace at once and her life wil be in grave danger. Bandits roaming the countryside had already—
I gave up. I closed the file and made my way across the street.
Ra was waiting for me in the lobby of the City Beach Hotel. He rose when he saw me and smiled. I didn’t smile back. I fol owed him to the dining room: pink and blue owers in slender vases on each table, four or ve foreign journalists stu ng themselves with food from the breakfast buf et.
We sat in the corner and drank co ee. Ra watched me with his black eyes. I remembered reading somewhere that irises couldn’t real y be black, only very dark brown.
He produced a pack of cigaret es from his back pocket and with the casual urgency of an addict placed a cigaret e in his mouth while looking around for matches. I stared at his hands, his mouth, and remembered Daniel’s hands turning the key to his grandmother’s flat.
“You smoke.”
“Less than I used to. Does it bother you?”
“No, I just hate it when people smoke. I had a friend who died of lung cancer, someone I met in the army. She gave me this locket when our sergeant hurt my feelings.” I showed him the tiny gold heart, my mother’s smiling face nestled inside. “It’s a miserable way to die.”
“You’re right,” Rafi said, inhaling deeply. “What happened with the sergeant?”
“She said it was a good thing my mother was dead, so she wouldn’t have to see what a loser her daughter was.”
“I guess since she couldn’t make you dig a hole.”
“I did clean a lot of toilets.”
“Toilets plus insults.”
“But at least no holes. Did you dig holes?”
“But at least no holes. Did you dig holes?”
“No, not even once. I was a model soldier.”
“Daniel was a dysfunctional soldier. They got so mad at him they almost kil ed him.”
“They were so happy with me they almost kil ed me,” Rafi said, laughing.
“I realize now that I’ve seen you lots of times,” I said. “I just got confused because you didn’t have hair back then. You used to shave your head and you wore sunglasses.”
“I stil wear sunglasses.”
“Also the red basebal cap is new.”
“It was lost. I just found it the other day. It was lost for years.”
“Where did you find it?”
“My brother had it al along. I left it at his place once, and it got stuck in a drawer. For several years.”
I said, “I don’t know why you asked me here.”
“This is not what you think,” Rafi replied. “Things aren’t always what they appear to be. As you of al people know.”
“Don’t confuse me.”
“But you’re not easily confused.”
“No, so don’t try, it’s a waste of time.”
He laughed again. He was in a good mood.
“I don’t know why you’re here,” I repeated. “I’m married, I love my husband, I’m loyal to him.”
“I’m married, too,” Rafi said.
“I shouldn’t be sit ing here with you.”
“I guess I’m going to have to report you. I don’t want to, but I real y have no choice. It’s my duty.”
“I don’t know anything about you. I’m afraid of you.”
He said, “Don’t be afraid, because I’l protect you and I won’t let anything or anyone harm you, not my wife,
