Fire in a Haystack: A Thrilling Novel (Legal Mystery Book Book 1) (16 page)

Yoav embraced his shoulders. “The journey continues,” he said. “There’s a very simple way to try and understand what happened to him.”

“What is it?” asked Ofer.

“To do what your mother wouldn’t allow. An autopsy. After ten years, there’s no need for her permission. You lawmen call it ‘statute of limitations.’ And I don’t think your dad will mind either.”

Chapter 22

With no warning, the lights turned off, and a moment later the emergency lights went on.

Gali tried to open the door again with all her might, but it persisted and remained locked.

A great fear filled her. She would undoubtedly get caught now. Soon the doors would open and the security people would find her. She feverishly searched her mind for an excuse. What could she say? How would she explain her presence there?

Thoughts about excuses were pushed back and were replaced by dread. She was a lawyer, a trespassing lawyer who had entered a restricted area. Who had infiltrated a factory that was involved in a legal action she herself had an active part in, as the factory’s rival.

Perhaps her ambition had caused her to become too rash and uninhibited? So many ethical obstacles and she leaped over all of them, as if she were a mischievous child in a playground.

Enough self-flagellation. There would be plenty of time for that later. What should she do now?

Perhaps there was a power outage, and as soon as the electricity returned the doors would open.

Perhaps the cameras recognized the fact she came down to the restricted area and some sort of automated lockdown procedure was activated.

Thoughts and concerns passed through her mind. But being an optimist, she continued to search for a solution. She reminded herself of all the good qualities that characterized her and were always mentioned in each job interview.

She checked her cellular phone. There was no reception. And even if there had been, who could she call and share her current situation and location with?

Her feet trembled. She massaged them to get warmer, but nothing helped. How stupid of her to dress that way; a short skirt and a revealing blouse may be suitable for fooling horny guards such as Yanai but were definitely not suitable for surviving a frozen cellar.

She discovered a thermometer above one of the refrigerators. The needle showed it was forty degrees Fahrenheit. She began to run in place and did some jumping jacks. Her breath shortened, but her body temperature remained the same.
Forty. Four zero. You yourself are one big zero
. She never gave herself any undeserved credit.

She decided to try and distract herself with other things. She walked about the laboratory. Next to the small refrigerator was a small cabinet with ring binders. She went over to it, took out one binder after another and began to go through the documents.

They were full of equations and scientific terminology. One of the binders was titled “Development Results 2015,” and there were dozens of pages in the notebook. “Gotta start somewhere,” she muttered and put all the pages into her bag. The computer was on. She went over to it and looked at length at the icons on the screen. They all included scientific terms that were unfamiliar to her.

She noticed an icon bearing the title “New Developments.”

She opened it and read about a new vaccine.

She checked the thermometer again. It hadn’t budged.
I’ll freeze to death in here
.

The only way to survive was to ignore it all, let the time pass, continue to read the material. Interest distracted her attention from the freezing temperatures. She read without comprehending anything. The file contained laboratory processes for completing an experiment for a new product. She noticed that the file mentioned the same code that was written on the test tube she had taken—UUVAR1.

Every ten minutes, she rose and did some exercises. The same ones. She didn’t have any energy to invent new ones. There was nothing to eat or drink in the laboratory. So many refrigerators and nothing in any of them to revive the soul. Her stomach grumbled. She desperately searched her bag. Perhaps she forgot some fruit or a chocolate bar in there. There was nothing. She took the lip balm from her bag and ran it over her lips again and again. Perhaps the balm contained some calories and was worth eating?

Time passed. Her lips turned blue. Her body was aching from the chill. Tiredness almost paralyzed her, and it became more and more difficult to demonstrate discipline and perform the exercises.

She looked at the thermometer and the clock again and again. There was nothing to cover herself with. Nowhere to run. For a moment, she thought about taking out the paper from the small printer beside the computer and covering herself with it.

She returned to playing with the computer. She pressed the “print” icon. The file about the new experiment came out of the printer. She placed it in her bag as well.

The fact that a few hours had passed convinced her that the laboratory doors had some sort of automatic lockdown mechanism and by some misfortune she got trapped inside. There was some comfort in the thought. The doors hadn’t locked down because of her, and probably no one knew that she was there. Even if there were cameras, they likely did not cover the inside of the laboratories, only the public areas. If anyone was suspicious or looking for her, they would have found her immediately.

If she wanted to stay alive, her main concern should be to find a way out of there.

There was no point in messing with the doors. If she could manage to escape now, she would probably activate an alarm system or be seen on one of the television screens on the security desk. But if she had to wait until morning—what would she say to the poor lab rat who opened the door? That’s assuming she hadn’t been reduced to an ice cube in a short skirt by then.

It got colder and colder. Dark thoughts about the fact that she may not survive the night took over her.

So this is what the end looks like?
she asked herself.

She tried to fill her head with positive thoughts. To think about her mother and sister; she hadn’t seen much of them since she’d gotten drawn into the association’s activities.

The image of Ofer appeared before her eyes. She had been so happy to see him in court. He had become a man. She recalled the memory of that night in the grove, during the days of his father’s shiva. The memory of pure pleasure. But the circumstances under which they had met did not allow them to conduct a friendly conversation. Perhaps he’d call her?
But I didn’t leave him my number, I’m so stupid
, she was angry at herself.
Besides, he’s with the bad guys now.

Why were all the good men always claimed or on the other side of the fence?

She thought about Igor Harsovsky.
What will he do if I don’t get out of here? Will he continue to support the association? What will become of the association? What will Giora do? What will become of all the people consuming the poison that’s coming out of this factory?

And what about the results I’m waiting for from the main laboratory? Who will pick them up?

The moment I’m out of here, I’ll go there and bring everything into the open. Timed correctly, one press conference will achieve everything that a thousand legal claims and prosecutions never will. The judicial system is too slow to address such an urgent matter.

She reached a final decision. That was exactly what she will do. But in order for that to happen, one small miracle needed to take place. She needed to survive and get out of the factory. Safely.

Last time I’m doing something so suicidal
, she said to herself.

She closed her eyes and tried to think of positive things. To create a list of everything she had done. Of things she hadn’t done and wanted to. Of things she never will do.
I wonder where my Dad is.
Out of nowhere, he popped into her mind. They had not been in touch for many years.
Will he come to my funeral?

She fell asleep for a short while, dreaming of her happy childhood, summer days and sandy beaches and soothing waves. Her body recalled the warm touch of sand. The scent of seawater.

A sudden noise awoke her. For a moment, she couldn’t recall where she was. As soon as she regained her composure, she realized the noise was the sound of the doors unlocking. She looked at her watch. It was a quarter past six. There was no point in looking at the thermometer.

Her entire body was aching. She could barely move. All her visible body parts were blue. She painfully moved her hands and passed them over her face. She felt as if her frozen nose was about to fall off.

No time. Every second was critical. She had to get out of there. She leaned on the door and it yielded to her touch immediately. Then she peeked into the corridor. It was empty. She went to the elevator and pressed the ground floor button. She prayed with all her heart that it would work. The prayer was answered. Now it was obvious to her the lockdown mechanism of the doors and elevators was activated at the end of the workday. Once a new day begins, everything is released.

The elevator door opened. Gali went inside, and it immediately sped upwards. Gali went out of the elevator and crossed the entrance hall. She slowed down on the final straightaway. Outside, she could see the guard drinking a steaming cup of coffee. Luckily for her, it wasn’t Yanai. She continued to march forward. Self-confidence, that’s what it’s all about, she reminded herself.

The guard didn’t ask her anything. They were concerned about people getting in, not coming out. 

She passed through the glass door, reached the first gate and continued beyond it. Only now did she notice that tiny water drops had collected on her clothes, and the fabric of her skirt had lost its softness and became stiff from the cold.

She accelerated and strode towards the exit. The parking lot was empty. The employees did not arrive at such an early hour. She noticed a covered parking space. A sign above it declared “CEO Parking.” It was the only spot with a vehicle in it.

She peeked over her shoulder and saw the management building in the distance. It seemed to her that someone was standing at the manager’s office window. She turned her head and began to run.

The guard at the main entrance didn’t ask any questions either.

She escaped outside. A light-haired phone technician wearing blue coveralls and a visored cap was repairing the communication cabinet next to the factory fence. He turned his face from Gali and stuck his head inside the cabinet. Gali passed him by quickly, trying to avoid eye contact as well.

Her small Mini Minor was patiently waiting in the exact spot she had parked it yesterday. Thankfully, she was warm, so warm that she wanted to take off her short skirt and her blouse as well.

Chapter 23

Vladimir, the large doorman of the Dizengoff Tower office building, gave Ofer a pleasant smile. The kind of smile only eternal optimists can give you
.

On an ordinary day, he would exchange a few words with Vladimir. But Ofer wasn’t in any mood for small talk. He evaded the doorman’s wide smile, rushed to the elevator and went up to the twelfth floor of the tower.

The light in the law offices of Geller, Schneider and Associates was still on, even at this late hour. Ofer walked towards Geller’s office. The dark mahogany door was closed. The evening secretary said he had just finished a meeting with a client and was now available.

Ofer knocked on the door and hurried to get inside as soon as he heard his boss’s voice inviting him in.

Geller was relaxing on his English leather sofa in one corner of the spacious sitting area.

Two large brandy glasses were side by side on the glass table, each containing a pleasant-looking yellow liquid.

“Welcome. How are you, Ofer?” Geller seemed pleased to see him.

“I’m all right.” Ofer’s pale face told an entirely different story.  Geller crossed to the window and opened it. Ofer immediately understood what that was all about. “Are you afraid I’ll infect you?” he asked.

“No, but one can never be too careful, right?” answered Geller immediately.

“I’ll leave if you want me to…” said Ofer and turned on his heel.

“Of course I don’t. Stay right here. The hospital already told us contagion is possible only through food or water. The virus is not transferred through the air.”

“Yes, that’s what I was told as well. A small comfort.”

“So let’s just keep a safe distance, that’s all.” Geller invited him with a motion of his hand to remain in the room. “You look upset,” he added.

Ofer couldn’t help himself. Everything came out of his mouth uncontrollably, “I’m almost certain that Rodety was murdered. He didn’t simply die. They killed him… this is certain… and most importantly, I just now discovered, that he died just like my father.”

Geller looked at him with wondering eyes. Ofer’s excitement, his pale and tortured face and the urgency of his speech startled him.

“What are you talking about?” asked Geller. “Come sit down. Speak slowly please.”

Ofer sat on another sofa at the other end of the room and found it difficult to organize his thoughts. He swallowed his words and spoke distractedly. “My father died in a hotel room. My father died ten years ago. Just like Rodety. Same thing. What does it mean? Can it be that my dad was murdered too?”

“Calm down, Ofer, calm down. You’re in a difficult situation. We understand what you’re going through.”

Ofer trembled.

“Come, have a drink,” suggested Geller. “We’ve heard about what’s going on with you. We know you are under stress because there is no known vaccine and there is a chance you were infected with the deadly virus. Luckily enough, the experts say that it’s not contagious. I’m sitting with you here right now. You need to settle down, we are doing everything we can to help you. The responsibility is ours and we all hope for the best. There’s a chance your immune system will beat this thing. I’ve already spoken with Yitzhak Brick. He said
we
were the ones who sent to you hang out with Rodety, and
we
will do everything we can to make sure you’re all right.”

Ofer was silent, and Geller continued, “You know how important you are to me. You know that you got accepted to the office because of your family, even though your skills are wonderful in themselves. Come, let me tell you something about your father. I knew him well.”

Ofer stopped shivering. The brandy warmed his body and soothed him a bit.

“I was the last person to see your father, may he rest in peace,” said Geller. “I went to see him in the hotel, after he got in trouble and decided to leave home. He got caught selling his employer’s commercial secrets. Large amounts of money were transferred to his account and he refused to explain their origin. An indictment was prepared and the police were on their way to arrest him. I went to debrief him before the arrest. To explain to him about the legal counseling he could receive. I tried to calm him down. We drank brandy together. Just like we do now.” Geller pointed at the glasses on the table. “He continued to drink. And he took medicine. Apparently, this deadly cocktail he had taken by choice killed him. Or perhaps his body betrayed him.”

He paused briefly then continued, “He was determined to do it. He was remorseful and ashamed. I know it’s hard for you to hear. I know it’s painful and unexpected and was hidden from you all these years. But there are moments in life when the truth surfaces and can’t be avoided. And at your age, and as you are about to become an attorney, you need to face the truth instead of trying to avoid it.”

Ofer clung to his silence and lowered his eyes.

“Your father killed himself because he couldn’t face the shame to the family when the police came to arrest him. Do you understand?”

Ofer wanted to say something, but the words refused to leave his mouth. He nodded to indicate he understood.
I won’t cry
, he reminded himself.
I have to face the truth and finally listen to it. Otherwise, I’ll never get this burden off my chest.

“I sat with him in the hotel room and counseled him on how to handle the interrogation,” continued Geller. “I explained his legal rights to him, and he seemed strong and determined to fight for his good name when I left him.”

“So why did he commit suicide? From what you are saying, it sounds as if the thought had not even crossed his mind.”

“He was depressed before that. When I sat with him I thought he had managed to snap out of it… that he had gotten over the difficult emotions and was filled with optimism. I thought perhaps what I had to tell him cheered him up.”

“All right. Let’s drop the subject. I’m sorry I got carried away by my emotions.” Ofer was ashamed that his boss had seen him losing his composure and guessed it wouldn’t do him any good.

“I just finished a conversation with Brick. We spoke about the Viromedical factory— the place your father used to work. They are committed to the family. They are doing everything they can to find a vaccine. At our request, they are making calls worldwide. Let’s be optimistic,” Geller summarized.

“I have something else to tell you,” said Ofer.

“Talk. I’m listening,” said Geller.

“Jacob Rodety was associated with Igor Harsovsky. Maybe Harsovsky is the one who killed him. I think he may have killed the chambermaid who got me in trouble, and I sat in jail because of her. Her name is… more accurately was…Natalia Schulvitz. I was in her apartment and found her body.”

“What are you talking about? Are you delirious? Have you reported this to the police?” wondered Geller.

“No, no. Listen to me. Please, I’m begging you. Natalia Schulvitz was the chambermaid who opened Rodety’s room for me in the hotel. I reported to the police about her death, of course. But that’s not the main thing. Rodety exchanged text messages with Harsovsky. I saw a draft of such a text message on his cell phone. In Natalia’s apartment, I found Harsovsky’s business card. Igor Harsovsky, the one who supports the Environmental Action Association. Obviously, they were in contact.”

“What did the text message say?”

“The fire is burning.’”

“What does it mean?”

“I have no idea.”

“This is incredible news. We knew that there was a problem with this man. On the one hand, he supports an organization that supposedly advocates for the environment and is actually only trying to stop the factory and its privatization, and on the other hand he has his own malicious plans and intentions. We had a feeling things were headed that way.”

Geller rose from the couch and began to walk about the room, his forehead wrinkled with dismay. In his distraction, he reached out to Ofer and touched his shoulder. Ofer felt relieved that Geller was not afraid of infection and allowed himself such physical proximity.

“Brick discovered Harsovsky was already working with Viromedical ten years ago. Even while he was in Russia. This is unbelievable. The new facts you’ve brought me explain everything,” said Geller.

“But wasn’t Rodety on our side? Didn’t he come as an expert to support our tender offer?” asked Ofer.

“Yes, that’s what we thought as well. Apparently, life is full of surprises. I remember Rodety from when he was a new manager in the factory. We had a very good relationship. But sometimes, the one you believe in the most, the one you trust with your eyes closed, turns out to be a different person than the one you thought him to be.” Geller bit his lower lip and sank in thought.

“All right, I’ll be going now, I don’t want to disturb you,” said Ofer.

“Write my number down, just in case,” said Geller. “If you need anything, you can call me anytime.” Geller gave him his number and Ofer typed it in his cell phone.

He thanked his boss, got out of the room, went to his cubicle in the intern room and logged in to the computer. Geller’s warm words and caring conduct calmed him down a bit.

He didn’t know what exactly he was looking for on the computer. He didn’t really expect to find a cure on the internet for the virus that was lurking in his body. He googled “Smallpox,” clicked the first result that came up and read:

“The story of the disease is unique and is very different from that of all other historically documented diseases. The illness has caused the death of hundreds of millions of people throughout history (about five hundred million people in the twentieth century alone) and has left survivors crippled, scarred and deformed. This illness definitely earned its nickname: the great fire. Nevertheless, smallpox is the only disease that has been eradicated from the face of the earth, mainly because of an international cooperative effort that allowed a worldwide vaccination program. It is to combat this disease that the idea of vaccination was effectively demonstrated for the first time, an idea that completely changed attitudes towards infectious diseases. The World Health Organization (Who) announced in 1979 that the disease has been eradicated.

“Today, the virus is officially held only in two secured government laboratories, in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, and in Koltsovo, Siberia. There are some concerns that this terrible disease will return—due to biological warfare or other reasons.”

Koltsovo, isn’t that the city Natalia was born in?
Strange thoughts ran through Ofer’s mind.              He remembered the documents he had taken from his mother. He opened the ancient cardboard folder and began to read. There were handwritten comments on the printed sheets. He recognized the handwriting immediately. His father’s handwriting awoke distant memories in him. The papers contained a scientific description of the development of a new material, discussion of suggested processes for clinical experiments and many chemical equations.

The name of the material was
UUVAR1.

The explanation was long and detailed. He didn't have the necessary energy to delve into it right then. Ofer tucked the paper under his arm and headed home.

On the way out of the building, his phone vibrated. Yoav was on the line. He wanted to check how Ofer was feeling. "If you're up to it, we'll stick to the plan. The professor said we can bring your dad as early as tonight. I'm coming to pick you up," said Yoav and hung up. Perhaps he didn't want to give Ofer an opportunity to change his mind.

Ofer had no chance to argue and wouldn't have anyway. He felt nauseous. He wasn't feeling well at all. Perhaps he was just stressed by their upcoming visit to the cemetery. He was glad someone was at least helping him to find the way and was holding the reins in his hands
.