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She bristled, saying, “They might be whores to you, but they’re humans to me. Maybe I’ll haul you in right now.”

Shoshana took her arm and bored into her eyes. She said, “Don’t do that. We want to help, but we can’t do it in official channels. Please, trust us.”

Lia pulled her arm away halfheartedly, saying nothing, just staring at Shoshana.

Shoshana touched her arm again, this time gently, saying, “Give us a place to meet. Outside of official channels.”

I honestly thought Shoshana’s next words would be “These are not the droids you are looking for,” but that didn’t happen.

Lia said, “Why the secrecy? Why should I do that?”

I said, “Because I’m asking. Nothing more. You want to solve this crime, and I want to solve mine. But I can’t do it officially.”

She said, “Are you CIA? Is that what this is? Is the killer some CIA asset you’re trying to protect?”

I laughed and said, “No, we aren’t CIA, and I have no idea who this killer is, but I think he’s about to kill a lot more people than these women in Rome. And I’m sorry I called them whores. I understand they’re human, and I meant no disparagement by that, but if you can help us find him, it’ll help us both out.”

“So why the unofficial location?”

“Let’s just say it would be better if the government didn’t know we were looking. Both the U.S. government and yours.”

Her brow furrowed, and I could tell she didn’t believe a word I was saying. “So you’re not U.S. State Department?”

Shoshana produced a passport and said, “Actually, we’re Israeli. Following a lead.”

“What?”

I rolled my eyes, now realizing we were going to jail. I thought about calling Jennifer before they took my cell phone, and Shoshana spoke again.

“This guy is killing from the Old Testament. And he’s going to keep killing until he reaches Revelation in the New Testament. We want to stop him.”

I thought,What the hell is she talking about? Old Testament?

Lia said, “So the red cord he used to murder is real?”

Shoshana said, “Yes. It was.”

Lia nodded, and I was beginning to believe they were both crazy.What the hell does a red cord have to do with any of this?

We heard Lia’s name shouted from the stairwell, then the clomping of feet. Lia glanced back, then pulled a card from her pocket, saying, “This is my house. Meet me there tonight at seven. Don’t tell anyone about the meeting. And I meanno one.”

Shoshana took the card, dialed a number on it, and Lia’s phone rang. She said, “That’s my phone. Call it if something happens.”

“What’s that mean?”

Shoshana glanced at me, then said, “The killer doing this will attack anyone he perceives as a threat.Youare that threat.”

The clomping of feet ended, and a man appeared in the doorway. She said, “Rio, no problems. They were just leaving.”

He gave me his hard cop stare, saying, “What did they want?”

She said, “Nothing. Just a mixed-up thing. Let’s get back upstairs.”

They left and we walked back to our car. I said, “What the hell was that about the Old Testament? I mean, I’m glad it worked out, but what was it? You mentioned it the first time you asked me to joinyou, then on the flight to Zurich. Why do you keep talking about that?”

She said, “I’m honestly not sure. I’ve felt from the beginning that the killer of our people and yours wasn’t from Islam. It’s biblical. The murderer of that woman didn’t do it for joy. He has a greater scheme, and I don’t know why, but it involves Israel.”

“Then why is it biblical? Maybe it’s earlier than that. You have your own crazies.”