An Accidental Murder: An Avram Cohen Mystery (30 page)

He said hello, and then listened to the voice at the other end, aware that everyone—except Shvilli—was staring at him.

“It is safe now,” he said to the negotiating officer on the end of the line. There was a pause and then he said, “I am retired Deputy Commander Avram Cohen. We will need ambulances.” Then he hung up, too tired to talk anymore.

Nonetheless, even after the medics ripped away his shirt and put the first bandage on him before strapping him into the stretcher for the ride down the elevator, out into the bright sun and then into the cool shade of the ambulance, he forced himself to stay awake.

Only in the ambulance carrying him to the hospital did he dare close his eyes. When he awoke, he thought, as the siren began its whoop, he’d tell Ahuva that he was moving to Tel Aviv. Maybe she’d let him move in. “Maybe,” he murmured out loud, before dropping into the welcoming darkness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Born and raised in Boston, and living in Israel since 1973, Robert Rosenberg has been writing professionally since 1976, in a career that has spanned daily, weekly, and monthly journalism, as well as the Avram Cohen mysteries.

In 1995 he founded Ariga, an online web ‘ publishing for business, pleasure and peace in the Middle East at http://www.ariga.com He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, the artist Silvia Cherbakoff, and their daughter, Amber.