“Very nice,” the Reverend Coyle said, not very convincingly.
“They gave him something, for the pain, I suppose,” Wohl said. “He’s sleeping. We’re waiting for him to wake up. But I think you could stick your head in, maybe he’s just dozing.”
“Martha,” Lowenstein said, “your husband is not the silent gumshoe of legend. Why don’t you stick your head in? That way, if Matt’s asleep, he’ll stay that way.”
“Perhaps the both of us?” the Reverend Coyle said.
“Go on, Reverend,” Lowenstein said. There was something in his eyes that kept Jason from challenging the “suggestion” not to go in.
As Mrs. Washington, trailed by Reverend Coyle, disappeared into Matt’s room, Lowenstein took a paper from his pocket and handed it to Washington.
ISLAMIC LIBERATION ARMY
There Is No God But God,
And Allah Is His Name
PRESS RELEASE:
Allah has taken our Beloved Brother Abu Ben Mohammed into his arms in Heaven. Blessed be the Name of Allah!
But the cold-blooded murder of our Beloved Brother Abu Ben Mohammed by the infidel lackeys of the infidel sons of Zion, who call themselves police, shall not go unpunished!
Death to the murderers of our Brother!
Death to those who bear false witness against the Brothers of the Islamic Liberation Army in their Holy War against the infidel sons of Zion, who for too long have victimized the African Brothers (Islamic and other) and other minorities of Philadelphia.
Death to the Zionist oppressors of our people and the murderers who call themselves police!
Freedom Now!
Abdullah el Sikkim
Chief of Staff
Islamic Liberation Army
Washington read it, and then looked at Lowenstein.
“Sent by messenger to Mickey O’Hara at the Bulletin,” Lowenstein said. “And to the other papers, and the TV and radio stations.”
“The question, obviously, is, who sent this?” Washington said. “And the immediate next question is, is it for real, or are we dealing with kooks?”
“I think we have to work on the presumption that there’s something to it,” Wohl said.
“What’s something?”
“The first question that occurred to me was who did we miss, maybe how many, when we picked up those people this morning?” Wohl went on.
“There were eight people in the store; eight people Mr. Monahan identified from photographs; the eight people we had warrants for.”
“There was probably, almost certainly,” Lowenstein said, “a ninth man. Who drove the van.”
“Muhammed el Sikkim is a guy named Randolph George Dawes,” Washington said. “Little guy.” He held up his hand at shoulder level. “Who is this Abdullah el Sikkim? His brother?”
“Dawes has two brothers,” Lowenstein said. “One of them is nine years old. The other one’s in Lewisburg.”
“He could be the one guy we missed, the one driving the van,” Wohl said. “Or he could be any one of any number of people we don’t know about.”