by Jacob Ganani
“For you, that may not have been enough time… Well, you always did underestimate Sexta’s organizational ability,” Cantor teased with a smile.
“The only problem is that we have no proof Yeremi made that call to Sexta, right?”
“Wrong. Ezra told me about it during our last conversation. He was sure I left that message. He even thanked me. I’d no idea what he was talking about, but then I put two and two together. Remember, apart from you and me, the only person who had knowledge of our schedule and had something to gain from it was Yeremi. He was the one who called Sexta.”
Haddad thought about this for a long moment and said, “Unbelievable. Strange that Sexta thought it was you who made that call.”
“Actually, it’s not really so strange. I told you, he called me after the whole thing was over. It was quite clear what he thought of my principles. But, ultimately, we have proof of Yeremi’s three crimes: two murders, and selling top secret police intelligence to a crime organization. On the other hand, Sexta’s hired assassin was never identified or caught, and even you got off scot free after the inquiry the lieutenant forced you to go through.”
“It was no big deal,” Haddad said humbly.
“I was never worried about you. I also came out of this mess okay with my transfer to CID homicide. By the way, I never asked if it was based on your recommendation.”
“What do you think?”
“I believe it was.”
“And you happen to be right. You must understand that, in light of what happened, we couldn’t afford to remain partners. When I start thinking about what we did, I can’t believe I was dragged into it. What I did went completely against everything I believe in -”
“Sometimes the wheels of justice need a little push, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Well, yes, I already figured it all came naturally for you. Your Mossad training will always be deeply rooted in you. Never mind, it’s all history now. I just thought that working with you and your crazy ideas would eventually lead to my dishonorable discharge and the loss of my hard-earned pension. One never knows when you’ll get the urge to give the wheels of justice another little nudge. You know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you?”
“Yeah, sometimes I’m an idiot, but I’m never a fool.”
“And you’re pleased with your new post, so everything’s good. In my opinion, you’ll be much better in homicide. Not enough adrenaline for you in narcotics. Tell me something: what do you think about Ezra Sexta’s latest interviews in the media promoting his legitimate businesses?”
“Listen, he’s one talented guy. He’s done a great job going from someone who stayed in the shadows to someone who’s openly addressing the public through a media campaign. I bet he has some great PR guys.”
“I suppose we each make our own luck,” Haddad philosophized. “I must admit, I may have underestimated Ezra Sexta’s skillset.”
“Yeah, you and your preconceptions.”
“Perhaps. With the exception of one preconception that suits his success perfectly.”
“I’m all ears, Albert. There’s nothing I enjoy more than hearing a stubborn oaf like you admit he was wrong.”
“Behind every large fortune lies a small crime!”
The spontaneous roar of laughter that erupted from them both startled the two women, who turned their head in surprise, while one plate, masterfully decorated three generations ago, slipped out of Dolly’s hand and made its last journey to the floor in accordance with the laws of gravity.
And Cantor, whose eyes followed the broken pieces that scattered in all directions with the zeal of a sports enthusiast, thought it was a fitting ending to Operation White Night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jacob Ganani is a graduate of The National Security College of the Israel Defense Forces and holds an MBA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem with a Specialization in Economics from Stanford University. A former government analyst he is now an independent consultant.
An avid motorcyclist, pilot and adventurous traveler, he is a fan of mystery and action thrillers.
Crossing The Lines ih his third novel.
Acknowledgments
Anyone who writes knows that a mind-blowing idea - even writing a broad draft of a story that has already been written - is not the end of the road, but the beginning of it. Therefore, I would like to thank my director and scriptwriter, my good friend Uri Ravid, for without his professional assistance and the many hours he devoted to formulating ideas, establishing the correct structure of the story and polishing the writing, I doubt that this book would have been published.
I also want to thank Miri and Micha, Iron and Hagai for reading the drafts and for their helpful comments on improving the text.
All errors and inaccuracies in this book are, of course, my sole responsibility.
