Friday The Rabbi Slept Late

dress off and it was hanging in the closet. Suppose Joe came into her room just after and persuaded her to go out for a short walk. Since it was raining and she'd be wearing a coat anyway, she wouldn't go to the trouble of putting her dress on again. Besides, if they were that cozy he'd seen her in a lot less than a slip. Mrs. Serafino would be asleep and wouldn't know a thing about it.'

'Now that has real possibilities, Hugh,' declared Eban enthusiastically. 'They could have gone for a walk and got as far as the temple when it really began to come down. Only natural that they'd take shelter in the rabbi's car.'

'What's more, both Stanley and Celia, who was Elspeth's particular pal, hinted at some connection between Serafino and the girl. And I got the feeling that Mrs. Serafino was a little afraid her husband might be connected with the case. It's too bad I didn't get a chance to see him first thing in the morning.'

'I did. We got him out of bed to identify the body. He was upset, but nothing more than you'd expect under the circumstances.' 'What kind of car does he drive?' 'Buick convertible.' 'I didn't see it.'

'We might ask him a few questions,' said Jennings. Lanigan laughed. 'And you'll find he was at that club of his from about eight o'clock Thursday evening to two o'clock Friday morning, and probably in plain sight of half a dozen employees and several dozen diners ail the time. What I'm trying to tell you, Eban, is that if you're going to consider who could possibly have done it, there's no limit to the number of suspects. Here's another one: Celia. She was supposed to be the only one the dead girl knew. She's a big, strong, strapping young woman.'

'You're forgetting that Elspeth was knocked up. Celia couldn't have done that no matter how big and strong and strapping she is.'

'No I'm not. You're assuming the one responsible for her pregnancy is the one who killed her. It doesn't necessarily follow. Suppose Celia was in love with some man and Elspeth beat her time with him. Suppose he was responsible for the girl's pregnancy and suppose Celia found out. She admitted to me that she knew Elspeth had said something about going to a doctor for a check-up. Well, suppose she suspected what was really wrong, or suppose Elspeth confided in her. That would be only natural since she was all alone here. She'd want.to confide in an older woman, and that could be only Celia. She might even tell her who was responsible, not knowing how Celia felt about the same man.'

'But Elspeth didn't know any men.'

'That's Celia's story. Mrs. Serafino didn't think she knew any man, but did mention something about some letters Elspeth got regularly, postmarked in Canada. I might also point out that Celia was away for the evening and probably got home late. Mrs. Hoskins would be asleep so she wouldn't know what time Celia got in. Suppose Celia noticed a light in Elspeth's room. She knew the girl had been to see the doctor, so she drops in to find out what happened. The girl had just had her fears confirmed and she wants to talk to someone about it. Celia persuades her to toss a coat on-her attire makes sense if she's with a girlfriend-and they go for a walk. It's raining quite hard by the time they come to the temple, so they get in the rabbi's car. It's then that Elspeth tells her who the man is and Celia, in a rage, chokes her.'

'Any more?'

Hugh smiled. 'That'll do for a starter.'

'I'm still voting for the rabbi,' said Eban.

Immediately after Lanigan left, the rabbi went to the temple. He did so out of a sense of fitness, not because he thought he could be of any help. There was nothing, unfortunately, he could do for the poor girl. And he was helpless when it came to police matters. Come to think of ft, what more could he do at the temple than he could at home? But since the temple was involved he felt he should be there.

From his study, he watched the police go about busily measuring and photographing and searching. A group of idlers, some women but mostly men, followed the policemen about the parking lot, edging up close whenever they spoke. He wondered how so many managed to be free at that hour, but then he saw that the crowd was constantly changing. A man would stop his car and inquire what happened. When someone told him, he would join the group for a while and then leave. The crowd never varied very much in size.

There was actually little to see, but the rabbi could not tear himself away from the window. He had the Venetian blind drawn and adjusted the slats so that he could look out without himself being observed from the parking lot. A uniformed officer was standing guard over his car, telling anyone who came too close to move on. There were reporters and news photographers on the scene now, and he wondered how long it would be before they discovered he was in his study and came up to interview him. He had no idea what to say to them, or whether he ought to talk to them at all. Perhaps the best thing would be to refer them to Mr. Wasserman, who would probably in turn refer them to the attorney who handled the temple legal affairs. But then, would not his refusal to discuss the case be regarded as suspicious?

The knock on the door, when it came, turned out to be not the reporters but the police. A tall, watery-eyed man introduced himself as Lieutenant Jennings. 'Stanley told me you were here,' he said. The rabbi motioned him to a seat. 'We'd like to take your car down to the police garage, rabbi. We want to give it a good going-over and we can do it better down there.' 'Certainly, lieutenant.' 'You got a lawyer representing you, rabbi?' The rabbi shook his head. 'Should I have?' 'Well, maybe I shouldn't be the one to tell you, but we like to do things friendly- like. Maybe if you had a lawyer, he might tell you that you don't have to agree if you don't want to. Of course, if you didn't, we'd get a court order easy enough-'

'It's quite all right, lieutenant. If you think that taking my car downtown will help you in this shocking business, go right ahead.' 'If you got your keys handy…' 'Of course.' The rabbi detached them from the ring that was still lying on the desk. 'This one is for the ignition and glove compartment, and this one is for the trunk.'

'I'll give you a receipt for the car.'

'It's not necessary.'

He watched from the window as the lieutenant got into his car and drove off, and was pleased to see a good portion of the crowd leave with him.

Several times during the course of the day the rabbi tried to call his wife, but each time the line was reported busy. He called Mr. Wasserman's office, but was told that he was away and was not expected back.

He opened one of the books on his desk to leaf through it. Presently he made a note on a card. He checked a passage in another book and made another note. Soon he was completely absorbed in his research.

The phone rang. It was Miriam.

'I tried to get you three or four times, but the line was busy,' he said.

'I took the receiver off the hook,' she explained. 'It started just after you left, people calling to ask if we had heard the news, and wanting to know if there was anything they could do. There was even one call to tell me that you had been arrested. That was when I took the receiver off, but then it makes funny little scratchy noises and you start wondering if it might be an important call. Didn't anyone call you?'

'Not a single call.' He chuckled. 'Guess no one wants to admit he's on speaking terms with Barnard's Crossing's Public Enemy Number One.'

'Please don't! It's nothing to joke about.' Then: 'What are we going to do, David?'

'Do? Why, what is there to do?'

'I thought, what with all this-well, Mrs. Wasserman called up and invited us to stay with them-'

'But that's silly, Miriam. Tonight is the Sabbath and I intend to welcome it in my own house and at my own table. Don't worry, it will be all right. I'll be home in time for dinner, and then we'll go to the services as always.'

'And what are you doing now?'

'Why I'm working on my Maimonides paper.'

'Do you have to do that now?'

He wondered at the edge in her voice. 'What else would I do?' he asked simply.

13

There were four or five times as many people at Evening services than as usual, much to the consternation of the members of Sisterhood, who had prepared cake and tea for the collation in the vestry afterward.