That Day the Rabbi Left Town (27 page)

“I mentioned it to one of the trustees I was friendly with, and he was aghast. He was afraid that if the story got out, it would ruin the reputation of the college. He thought that anyone that Kent had flunked might even be able to sue the college. So I kept quiet about it. After all, I had no proof; only Bishop's word.

“On my next sabbatical, my wife and I went to England, and I checked it out. And Bishop was right: no Kent or Canty at either place. But there wasn't anything I could do about it since Kent was now married to Matilda Clark. I felt I ought to tell President Macomber at least, but I decided not to. He's such a straight arrow that he'd be sure to want to do something about it and would get into a row with the Board of Trustees. And between a president who can be readily replaced and several million dollars of endowment, there's no question which the Board would choose. If I told him, it might very well cost him his job.” He took a long swig of his coffee. “You might say that in approving the listing in the catalog of Malcolm Kent, M.A., University of Liverpool, I was also a faker.” He chuckled. “I suppose a bit of skulduggery is endemic to every institution. But now it's over. Another cup of coffee, Rabbi?”

About the Author

Harry Kemelman (1908–1996) was best known for his popular rabbinical mystery series featuring the amateur sleuth Rabbi David Small. Kemelman wrote twelve novels in the series, the first of which,
Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. This book was also adapted as an NBC made-for-TV movie, and the Rabbi Small Mysteries were the inspiration for the NBC television show
Lanigan's Rabbi
. Kemelman's novels garnered praise for their unique combination of mystery and Judaism, and with Rabbi Small, the author created a protagonist who played a part-time detective with wit and charm. Kemelman also wrote a series of short stories about Nicky Welt, a college professor who used logic to solve crimes, which were published in a collection entitled
The Nine Mile Walk
.

Aside from being an award-winning novelist, Kemelman, originally from Boston, was also an English professor.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 1996 by Harry Kemelman

Cover design by Jason Gabbert

ISBN: 978-1-5040-1614-8

This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

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New York, NY 10014

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