“Sit,” she said as she sank down onto the couch.
She flashed a dirty look at another couple who were about to sit beside her. When they ignored her, she waved her ID at them. They apologized in hushed voices and walked away.
Cristal glanced at Harry, unsure of what to do next. Harry gave her a small and comforting smile.
Yaffa opened her handbag and rummaged about until she pulled out her smartphone. She swiped the screen and tapped icons before turning the phone towards them.
On the screen was a photo of the inside of an airplane. The people visible in the photo were screaming, as if fearing for their lives. Cristal felt Harry’s hand cover hers. Her stomach was twisting into knots.
Yaffa swiped the screen to display another photo. In this one, Kerim was reclined in his seat, and Cristal’s head was resting on his shoulder. Cristal bit her bottom lip, wondering what Harry was thinking.
“Look closer,” Yaffa said as she pinched the screen, zooming into a close-up of Kerim’s head.
As the photo sharpened, Cristal saw something odd. Surrounding Kerim’s head was a soft white glow, almost like an aura. Were her eyes playing tricks on her?
“Who is this man?” Yaffa asked.
Cristal cleared her throat before answering, and replied, “That’s Kerim Ilgaz.”
“How you know him?” Yaffa inquired.
Cristal paused. Her insides were shaking. Part of her was afraid to lose control and cause another event.
She managed to say, “Kerim is a subcontractor that Harry hired. Maybe you should ask Harry.”
“Ah, yes, Harry told me. Excuse, my English is not so good. I want to know who is Kerim to you? Lover?”
“What?” Cristal asked, trying her best not to sound defensive.
Yaffa pursed her lips, and her nostrils flared even more than before, as she said, “We were on same flight. Two of us agents are always on flights from New York to Tel Aviv. After the plane stop shaking, I check to see that passengers are safe. When I come back, I saw you with this man. I took the picture. Submitted it with report.”
Cristal crossed her arms. She is driving me nuts.
“I still don’t know what the issue is.”
“You see the halo around him?” Yaffa said gruffly.
Harry took the phone from her hand and examined the picture more carefully.
“Very good Photoshop job, Yaffa,” he said with a grin.
“Hmph!” Yaffa snorted and grabbed the phone back.
“This is photo I took. No Photoshop.” She swiped the screen quickly and more photos of Kerim and Cristal flashed before them. The same weird light was around Kerim’s head in each photo. The last one was a video. Yaffa tapped the “Play” button.
In the video, the glow surrounding Kerim’s head was more obvious. Harry’s gaze met Cristal’s briefly. Yaffa snorted, pleased that she had finally gotten the attention of both Cristal and Harry.
“So, you want to answer my questions now?” she asked, facing Cristal.
Her other hand waved for Harry to keep his mouth shut.
“Kerim is a friend, a good friend. It was my first time flying on an international flight. He was helping me relax and keep calm.” It was true.
Yaffa scribbled notes in her notepad, while mumbling to herself, “Hmph…friend.”
Cristal looked at Yaffa sideways and asked, “Why do you say friend that way? It’s like you don’t believe me!”
Yaffa’s pea green eyes met hers. Her smile widened, which pushed her chipmunk cheeks aside.
“When Ilgaz asked me to give my seat to him, he tell me you are his half-sister and you are afraid to fly in airplanes.”
Cristal choked back her laughter. “I’m not laughing at your English, Yaffa, really. I’m not good at languages. But I think Kerim pulled a fast one on you. Maybe he thought you would give up your seat if you thought we were brother and sister.”
Yaffa’s eyebrows raised as she spoke. “Ah…is that so?”
She scribbled again in her notepad. Putting down her pen, she raised her head and focused her eyes on Cristal.
“Okay, I want to know more about Kerim. Who he is, his past, who his friends are, and why he is in Israel. From our investigation, we do not have much information on Kerim Ilgaz before 2009. No family, no friends, no lovers, no work history, shvm dbr–nothing.”
Harry said, “I told you everything about Kerim. He is here as a subcontractor for Global Nation. He provides security for Cristal, myself, and the staff at the GN office in Haifa. You can check this with our head office. Cristal does not know much about him because I was the one who hired him.”
Yaffa sighed, giving him a polite smile before standing up.
“Yes, yes, you tell me this. It is time now for me to go. Take my information. You remember more, contact me. Like I tell Harry in Hebrew, Kerim Ilgaz is considered threat to national security. Here, we say someone is guilty until he proves he is innocent.”