was the first thing Rebecca said. “First Marino is attacked. Now Barbara’s boatman has been murdered and Habib is arrested!” “Everything seems to be falling apart. Marino’s still unconscious. No one knows what’s happened except that his shop was broken into. As for Habib, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He was too weary and preoccupied to go into all the details. He also felt an urgency. He needed information. “I get the picture. Habib is a convenient scapegoat. His skin color and nationality, not to mention his religion, fit the bill these days. I can imagine how you must be feeling. You know what I think about him. He deserves all the efforts you can make on his behalf. And given the backlash we’ve been seeing against immigrants in this country and against anyone who even looks Arab or is suspected of being Muslim, he’s going to need them. The boy has a temper, yes, but murder!” “What do you mean about his temper?” “It’s nothing against him.
