ARAB (33 page)

He stopped for a moment at the door of Liana’s office—a glassed-in cubicle.

“Take care of yourself,” he said to Bashir, who rose from a chair and rushed to him. “Thank you,” he said, tears flooding his eyes, holding out both hands. “I’ll never forget you.”

“Your friend Foad has been released,” Nick told him.

*

He had been sitting in a waiting room at the embassy for a ride to an army airfield when Isaac found him. Isaac wasn’t happy. He didn’t sit down although the seat next to Nick was empty. No one else was in the room.

“You know I can’t touch him now,” Isaac said.

“I did what you asked me to do,” Nick said. “Not my fault the city police brought him in for questioning. And it was Captain Huzayfi who brought him to the Department of Internal Affairs.”

“In other words, you’ve covered your ass,” Isaac said.

“I did what you asked me to do. I found Bashir Yassin.”

“Fuck you,” Isaac said, turned and stomped out of the room.

*

Bashir was allowed two phone calls. The first was to Umm Sayid. The second was to Nuha Za’im.

Her roommate took the call. “Hey, Bashir! Where you been?”

“Is Nuha there?”

“She’ll be here later.”

“Will you tell her that I love her?”

The roommate laughed. “She’ll throw a shoe at me, but I’ll tell her.”

*****