Breznitz by Haim Lapid

Breznitz resumed the interrogation of Suzy without delay, to make up for the time lost in the incident and to utilize the powerful impression it must have on her. For the record and the sake of propriety he called in Michal, who after two years in the force--admittedly in the Youth Section--was still thrilled by such opportunities.
He used the first, routine questions in order to take a good look at his prisoner. He had found out that the expression "English rose" which Mofeid had used to describe her was usually applied to delicate English girls, not in the least sensual or plebeian. He was surprised to discover that it did not take a great leap of the imagination or excessive generosity to apply it to the Tiberian woman. Her naturally fair hair could suggest a cool, soft English garden, if one ignored its frizzy sunburnt ends, which the last couple of days in the police cell had not improved. But the main resemblance to the Anglo-Saxon model was in the rosy complexion with blue-grey eyes, the delicate cheekbones and the hint of dimples, that-as in old-fashioned novels-seemed to invite the seeking male mouth. It would have been easy to picture her in a straw hat amid ferns and fragrant flowerbeds. Nor did her expression, which was slightly remote, like a high-bred captive, tally with her occupation. All this came into Breznitz's aroused imagination, and to balance it he tried to see her through Michal's eyes, and noted the tightly stretched skin, the too wide nose, the curving lower lip and the perfect upper one, which covered strong white teeth, and the refined, melancholy, somewhat unnatural cast of the total impression.
Her voice, however, did not quite match her appearance. Indeed, in retrospect, it was the start of her fall. Hoarse, scorched, and sometimes, when she grew excited, a touch vulgar. At the same time, it held a note of languor, both a quality she had adopted and an effect of the present terrifying and amazing situation. There was something in her voice that suggested a state of trance, though it was gradually dispelled. She was like a swooning Greek maiden captured by a barbarian, a Hercules who made people fly out of windows like birds. She was at his mercy. She had done all she could to protect her secret, her lover. Now she tilted her head back and awaited the consequences with open eyes.
In addition to the nickname Suzy, by which she was known around Bait Shemesh, she was known in her native Tiberias by her original name, Tovah Elkayam. It went with a perfectly banal story of a gradual entanglement in prostitution, beginning with a brief career as a hairdresser's assistant-"but it was men who came rather than women, they were like flies, no, like mosquitoes, even from Tel Aviv"-leading up to her connection with Adi, her pimp-"but only mine, he's only got me, cause in the meantime he drives a taxi, that is, until his uncle, that you know and the whole police knows, gets out of the picture." She told the story frankly but with a theatrical flourish, full of repetitions and melodramatic ornamentation which had become a part of it, the whole thing taken down breathlessly by Michal. Though he observed her with cool indifference, he drew her story out of her with skill and sympathy, suppressing the urge to gallop ahead to his man, the victim, the abandoned and violated body in the woods. Only the sound self-discipline of a veteran hunter careful not to startle his prey, strengthened by the pleasure of self-mortification, enabled him to continue putting together the countless details she volunteered, as though he had time to spare, till there was no reason to put off the question: "Why did you run away to Tiberias?"
Her answer surprised him. "Because I didn't want to be put to the test."
"What test?"
"That I'll speak against Adi."
"About the body?"
"Yes, about the body, what I told Mofeid.' Seeing that he continued to look at her sympathetically, she went on, suppressing a sly grin." You heard about me from Mofeid, didn't you?"
"Why did you tell Mofeid?"
"Because he's stingy. Because he's a nuisance. And an Arab. I wanted him to leave. I was afraid Adi would get mad, and it would only lead to bad things." "What kind of bad things?"
"Nobody knows Adi like me. He's a clean person, he's a genius. He has a great destiny. But his background and his uncle, everything's pressuring him. It's like the Jews in Germany. That's what people don't know. His uncle doesn't let him set foot in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem or Haifa. Nowhere, just Bait Shemesh. You know who his uncle is?" she asked with obvious pride.
"Yes. A big villain."
"That's why Adi's in trouble. This pressure. He's got a lot of problems, believe me. That's how he got mixed up with the dead guy, even though I told him a thousand times... You believe me?" Breznitz nodded.
"You won't trick him, will you? It's so hard on him." She caught Breznitz's hand, but he pulled it back gently. Michal was waiting too eagerly, but there was no need to worry-the girl had already made up her mind to trust them.
"He told me he killed him because he was a snout. That's what he said at first. But then he forgot and said it had to do with the drugs. I'll bet you anything he's lying. He wouldn't know how to kill. He doesn't even know who this man was. Ask him, you'll see he doesn't know. I don't know how he even heard about this dead man, but from that moment he just wouldn't let it drop. It stuck in his mind. I bet it's on account of that witch Lily, his fortune-teller. Twice he dragged me over there, to the corpse itself, even though I didn't want to. I was scared. You've got to show respect for the dead. But he was like a deaf man. Like a boy with some crazy idea that the grownups can't knock out of his head. ÔGreat things will come out of this dead guy, you'll see,' that's what he kept telling me. But I don't think he meant anything. He doesn't know what he's talking about. I saw him myself, sitting beside the dead body for maybe an hour, like this, with his arms crossed, just to show me he wasn't scared. He dragged me there by force."
"When was the last time he took you there?"
"How would I know? Some months ago. He took me there three times. Then, I don't know what happened, something bothered him and he didn't want to take me there any more. He said I should forget all about it."
"Did anyone else know about it?"
"Hell no. He was always careful and hid it deep under the leaves. And on the way there he took a lot turnings to throw off any followers."
"And he didn't tell anybody, maybe one of his friends?"
"What friends? I told you, he's not part of anything, he's a card without a deck. He's got me, that all he's got. Me-and that uncle of his who calls him three times a day to ask what's up, and to make sure he is not out of town."
"Why did he take you to see the dead man?"
"He said I wasn't tough enough. Also, to show me what happens to someone who betrays him. Like warning me not to leave him. But he didn't really mean it, he just worried that I might leave him. I told him that me and him were made in heaven, he could ask his witch, I said no matter what happens, he's the best thing in my life. But he's always worrying. He even worries that his uncle will take me, and he watches me like a hawk, like his uncle watches him. But because of his uncle nobody dares to bother us, not even all the girls who were eating their hearts out seeing the money I was making. The punters fought over me with knives."
"Where's the money?"
"He's got it. I gave him every penny."
Michal, who had been controlling herself well, let out a squawk.
"What do you think he did with the money?' she turned on her. ÔWhat do you think? Other than the money he needs to keep up his position-come on, say what you think! Is she yours?' she asked Breznitz.
"She works for me."
"She's yours, anyway. And she's lucky-you're crazy, just like Adi, but you won't do for her what he did for me. Here, look."
She thrust her fingers into her mouth and with a quick, adroit movement pulled something out. Her fine front teeth were out, were dumped dramatically on the long, closely-written statement sheets, moistening them with saliva, while her upper lip sank grotesquely, her mouth darkened and became comical, like the beak of an old goose.
"There, you see... A punter broke my teeth, on purpose. All of them. He was nuts, a mad junkie. I hid myself. I wanted to die, just didn't know how. But Adi found me. He looked everywhere till he found me and he fixed this. It cost more than a taxi. It's the best. Years of money, just to get my face back."
The teeth went back in.
"You'll never find him! He's too smart for you. You can search till you drop, but you won't find him... Not unless his uncle fucks him from behind."