A Debt of Death by Jonathan Dunsky

Author:Jonathan Dunsky [Dunsky, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-13T22:00:00+00:00

20

They took me back to the station, but this time there was no interrogation. They just shoved me into a holding cell and left me there.

The cell smelled of urine and body odor and an underlying reek of drink-induced vomit. I sat on the cot, leaned against the wall, closed my eyes, and tried to sleep.

There were three cells in total, and only one other detainee—a fat guy who snored like a tank’s engine. Still, it was far less noisy than a crowded Auschwitz barracks—and the smell was not as bad either—so I managed to drift off quite quickly.

I awoke to the clanging of metal on metal. Elkin and the duty guard were standing outside my cell. The guard was banging his truncheon between two bars, saying, “Rise and shine. Supper time.” Elkin held a tray of food. The smell was not enticing.

After the guard opened the door, Elkin set the tray on the cot beside me and regarded me with his youthful eyes.

“What?” I said.

“I was just wondering where you really got those dollars.”

“Exactly where I said.”

He grinned. “All right. Have it your way.”

I shook my head, knowing I’d never convince either him or Leibowitz. I couldn’t blame them. In their place, I wouldn’t have believed me either.

He turned to leave. “Holler for the guard when you’re done.”

“Thank you, Elkin,” I said. “You’re an okay guy.”

He smiled. “Don’t mention it.”

The food wasn’t very good, but I wolfed it down. Something about being imprisoned had ratcheted up my hunger. It kept gnawing at me even when the last morsel was gone. I called for the guard.

“Any chance of getting more?”

He laughed. “Now that’s a first. Sorry, no seconds.” He took the tray, still chuckling, and went back to his post down the hall.

There was a small chipped sink, where I splashed water on my face and drank a few mouthfuls. Then I sat back on the cot and smoked for a while and thought about Gregor and Dov. I could not be one hundred percent certain that they were the ones who’d trashed my apartment, but that was my working assumption. I had encroached on Gregor’s territory that time, and he had responded by invading mine and marking it with his urine like a wild animal.

The question was: Was this just payback, or had they been searching for anything specific? Likely the second, but I had no clue as to what they might have been after. Regardless, I would need to have a chat with Gregor and Dov soon.

I fired up another cigarette and tried hard not to think how long I might be stuck in a cell.

A little before ten that night I got my answer.

Leibowitz delivered it himself. He said, “I don’t quite know what to do with you, Mr. Lapid.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“I do?”

“Yes. Otherwise you wouldn’t have come here. Besides, you’ve had hours to figure it out.”

He allowed himself a brief smile. “I had you checked out. Turns out you were telling the truth about once being a cop.

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