retreating quickly.
“No trouble, ma’am,” he growled through the mask.
Right before I crossed the street, I looked back. The man, with the rhino mask in his hand, was standing at the door, watching me. I waved, not knowing exactly why, and then got into my car and drove off. But the image of the man in a rhino mask stayed in my mind for a long time. In the image, the rhino mask had replaced the human head. The Rhino Man, he became in my mind.
• • •
I called Melinda and told her I had to see her. In no time, I was at her place in West Orange, New Jersey. The four-bedroom Melinda Palace, as she liked to call it, complete with a swimming pool, was off the main street but not visible from the road, because it was surrounded by trees. I threw my orange kikoi, which I used as a scarf, on the couch and delved right into the reason for my visit.
“Are you crazy?” Melinda asked, alarmed. “Why put your life in danger?”
“Couldn’t help it. As it turns out, it’s only a curio shop,” I said. “Aren’t you a little bit curious that I found it open so soon after we found it closed?”
“That’s why it alarms me. How could an adoption agency turn out to be a curio shop in the course of a few weeks? And who talked to Zack? Who faxed him those papers?”
“My questions exactly. The adoption must exist someplace. Did you find anything in cyberspace? An online existence of Kasla?”
“No,” she said. “I have tried all sorts of search engines, but nothing like that comes up. I will keep trying. But tell you what: Why don’t you ask Zack? Talk it over with him candidly. If I were still married to Mark, I would also probe.”
“Don’t let it worry you. I have decided to quit this nonsense.”
“Good.”
“Unless Ben comes up with something substantial.”
“Ben?” she asked.
“Oh, a police officer I knew as a student.”
“You went to see the police?” she asked, sounding surprised.
“Yes, I did. In a personal way. I didn’t want to alarm Zack with speculation.”
“Oh, Mugure, aren’t you taking this too far? Why bring the police into it?”
“I just told you. I went to see Ben as a friend.”
“Perhaps I should put it more bluntly,” Melinda said. “You don’t know who else the police may be working for. The best of them give tips to newspapers and get paid for it. The Murdoch virus. I am not saying that Ben is like that. But I don’t trust the police.”
“Noted,” I said. “But please, Melinda, this is between us, okay?”
“You know you can trust me.”
Of course, I thought as I rushed to the car. I had to race back in time to collect Kobi from school—a challenge, given the New York traffic—but I was lucky and managed to beat the afternoon rush. Melinda was right: I had to talk to Zack candidly, minus the bit about Ben.
During dinner, Zack asked after my day, as usual.
“It was okay,” I said in a noncommittal tone.
“What did you do?”
“Well, I just . . . you know, the usual, with the girls, shopping, Kobi . . . that kind of thing. And you? How was your day?” I asked, trying to change the focus.
This would have been a good opening for the conversation I really wanted to have, but I waited until Kobi had gone to bed, when we were sitting in the living room. Zack made us glasses of gin and tonic. He beat me to the questions. “Someone said they saw you in Manhattan?”
I almost jumped out of my seat. “Manhattan, why, yes, I was looking for Tiffany’s. That diamond necklace I have been threatening to buy. I couldn’t find the branch I wanted and ended up lost in some deserted area. I will try again tomorrow.”
“It’s dangerous out there, you know,” he said. “You really have to use your GPS and even then confine yourself to the city center. I am not so sure venturing into perilous areas is a good idea.”
My frustrations welled up inside me, and something snapped. “Why are you giving me a lecture about safety?” I said.
“No trouble, ma’am,” he growled through the mask.
Right before I crossed the street, I looked back. The man, with the rhino mask in his hand, was standing at the door, watching me. I waved, not knowing exactly why, and then got into my car and drove off. But the image of the man in a rhino mask stayed in my mind for a long time. In the image, the rhino mask had replaced the human head. The Rhino Man, he became in my mind.
• • •
I called Melinda and told her I had to see her. In no time, I was at her place in West Orange, New Jersey. The four-bedroom Melinda Palace, as she liked to call it, complete with a swimming pool, was off the main street but not visible from the road, because it was surrounded by trees. I threw my orange kikoi, which I used as a scarf, on the couch and delved right into the reason for my visit.
“Are you crazy?” Melinda asked, alarmed. “Why put your life in danger?”
“Couldn’t help it. As it turns out, it’s only a curio shop,” I said. “Aren’t you a little bit curious that I found it open so soon after we found it closed?”
“That’s why it alarms me. How could an adoption agency turn out to be a curio shop in the course of a few weeks? And who talked to Zack? Who faxed him those papers?”
“My questions exactly. The adoption must exist someplace. Did you find anything in cyberspace? An online existence of Kasla?”
“No,” she said. “I have tried all sorts of search engines, but nothing like that comes up. I will keep trying. But tell you what: Why don’t you ask Zack? Talk it over with him candidly. If I were still married to Mark, I would also probe.”
“Don’t let it worry you. I have decided to quit this nonsense.”
“Good.”
“Unless Ben comes up with something substantial.”
“Ben?” she asked.
“Oh, a police officer I knew as a student.”
“You went to see the police?” she asked, sounding surprised.
“Yes, I did. In a personal way. I didn’t want to alarm Zack with speculation.”
“Oh, Mugure, aren’t you taking this too far? Why bring the police into it?”
“I just told you. I went to see Ben as a friend.”
“Perhaps I should put it more bluntly,” Melinda said. “You don’t know who else the police may be working for. The best of them give tips to newspapers and get paid for it. The Murdoch virus. I am not saying that Ben is like that. But I don’t trust the police.”
“Noted,” I said. “But please, Melinda, this is between us, okay?”
“You know you can trust me.”
Of course, I thought as I rushed to the car. I had to race back in time to collect Kobi from school—a challenge, given the New York traffic—but I was lucky and managed to beat the afternoon rush. Melinda was right: I had to talk to Zack candidly, minus the bit about Ben.
During dinner, Zack asked after my day, as usual.
“It was okay,” I said in a noncommittal tone.
“What did you do?”
“Well, I just . . . you know, the usual, with the girls, shopping, Kobi . . . that kind of thing. And you? How was your day?” I asked, trying to change the focus.
This would have been a good opening for the conversation I really wanted to have, but I waited until Kobi had gone to bed, when we were sitting in the living room. Zack made us glasses of gin and tonic. He beat me to the questions. “Someone said they saw you in Manhattan?”
I almost jumped out of my seat. “Manhattan, why, yes, I was looking for Tiffany’s. That diamond necklace I have been threatening to buy. I couldn’t find the branch I wanted and ended up lost in some deserted area. I will try again tomorrow.”
“It’s dangerous out there, you know,” he said. “You really have to use your GPS and even then confine yourself to the city center. I am not so sure venturing into perilous areas is a good idea.”
My frustrations welled up inside me, and something snapped. “Why are you giving me a lecture about safety?” I said.
Similar Books
