Free Garage Sale Diamonds (Garage Sale Mystery) by Suzi Weinert

followed his lead. “May I respectfully suggest we buy American clothes for you today, so you blend in? And have you a list of the other places you wish to go today?”
    “Yes, I will show you in the car.”
    “Come,” Mahmud gestured, “see my yard.” He opened the dining room’s French doors and they stepped out. Ahmed saw none of this when arriving at the front of the house.    
    “This is the back deck. I installed the high fence for privacy. Many tall trees for shade. Over there, I built two raised gardens for flowers. Two more such gardens will go over here when I find time to build them.” His expression grew serious. “But I guess that isn't likely now unless you help me, is it?”
    In the politeness characterizing host/guest rituals in their homelands, Ahmed said, “Your house is solid and welcoming. Your yard is an oasis that brings peace to eyes fortunate enough to see it. Thank you again for your hospitality, Mahmud. Now would you like to show McLean to me?”
    As the garage door closed behind the men’s departing car, Heba peeked out from the kitchen. She’d listened to all they said.
    17
    Friday, 7:53 am
    Zayneb’s troubled face reflected inner turmoil as she drove toward Safia’s school. She’d known for years her husband didn’t love her, but today she faced her situation with cold objectivity.
    How young, naïve and idealistic she was twenty-six years ago when she felt teenage fervor to develop an identity of her own, distinct from the parents she loved. Repelled by typical rebellious symbols like dyed spiky hair, weird clothes, tattoos or drugs, she chose a different way to distinguish herself from her parents’ generation. At age nineteen, she’d changed religions.
    Baptized in infancy into a Protestant denomination, she decided as an adult that their trinity doctrine confused rather than simplified her concept of one god. When a fellow student explained Muslims worship one god, she investigated. Right or wrong, the change to Islam seemed more a deity name-change than a concept-change. Islam valued her gentleness, shyness and modesty. Both religions spoke of a caring god who oversees human life and desired behavior. Good followers of both obey God’s rules in their holy book as interpreted by church, mosque or temple leaders. Rules and prayers differed, but all posed a path for living a good and worthwhile life.
    She liked the concept of women wearing a hijab, loose clothing, long sleeves and low hems to encourage Muslims to judge each other by their character, not their looks. Modesty played an important role in this attempt at equality. Absent overt sexual attire or behavior, the theory held, men and women could treat each other as fellow human beings rather than objects of desire. Protecting women struck her as the equivalent of valuing and honoring women, much as her father cared about her safety and welfare. She didn’t consider protecting might lead to controlling or that denying Muslim women education in some parts of the world relegated them to a state of  arrested development. Women without skills, education or personal freedom tied many into roles as child-bearing domestics living at the mercy of their protectors.
    In Zayneb’s middle-class American world, this “lateral” conversion seemed daring and original yet safe. Rather than devaluing her as a woman, she thought respectful devotion to a strong, kind future husband appealing. She envisioned him much like her own father—a good-natured, intelligent, gentle man who loved her unconditionally while encouraging her education and the discovery and expression of her talents. She converted to Islam.
    Soon after her conversion she’d met Mahmud. She winced now, remembering her pathetic vulnerability as he swept her away with his foreign good looks, attentive courtship and vows of adoration. Never pursued so ardently, she blossomed under his flattering attention. Thinking back, she cringed at how her trusting, eager