The Bar Mitzvah Murder (15 page)

21

I felt a little sad the next morning. Today I was completely on my own. There were several places I wanted to visit, but I would have to check the map carefully and write myself clear notes that I could glance at as I drove, since my super navigator was winging her way home.

I dropped Jack off and went back to the room to get myself set for my day. My first stop would be Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial site.

It was a beautiful spot. Inside in the dim light of the cavelike atmosphere, I felt the magnitude of all the deaths, all the suffering. As I had many other times, I wondered how people could treat other people so harshly.

Outside, the sun blinded me for a moment and tears formed in my eyes. I brushed them away and began to walk along the Street of the Righteous Gentiles. Here were the names of some people who had helped, who managed to save lives. I read every name.

It was an awesome experience. I had weighed whether or not to visit this place, but I was glad I had. I would remember it in a special way.

I had lunch and did a little more sightseeing before I returned to the hotel. Jack and I had decided to spend our weekend in the western part of the country, and I wanted to check routes on the map and mark the places we hoped to visit. I sat at the desk and figured out how we would drive. Like last Friday, I would pick Jack up and we would take off.

As I was making notes, the phone rang. When I picked it up, I recognized Marnie Gross's voice.

“Chris? Is this a bad time to call?”

“No, not at all. Is something up?”

“I want to talk to you. When are you coming home?”

“Next Wednesday.”

“That's almost a week away.” She sounded very unhappy.

I explained about Jack taking extra weekend days and how he had to make it up at the end.

“I don't know,” she said.

“Don't know what?”

“I have to talk to someone. I trust you, Chris. You seem to know what you're doing and you're not family.”

I smiled at that. There was something positive about not being family. “Maybe you should talk to the police about whatever it is.”

“I can't.”

I waited, but she said nothing more. “What is it, Marnie? You called me all this distance away. It must be important.”

“It is.” She said something that sounded more like a moan than a word. “I found something in the safe that's not on the inventory.”

“I see.” I could feel anticipation building, remembering what Joseph had said. “You have the inventory?” I asked.

“I found it, yes. Everything on it is in the safe, but there's something else in there, too. Gabe must have—I don't know. Maybe he put something in at the last minute and didn't write it down.”

“Will you tell me what it is?”

“It's—I don't know, Chris. It's very upsetting. He never said a word to me about it. I think maybe he was planning to give me a present.”

“A present.”

“It's a small bag. I didn't see it at first. Then, when I went over the contents of the safe with the inventory in my hand, I spotted it. It has some diamonds in it, loose diamonds, each one wrapped in something that looks like pale blue parchment. That's what I wanted to tell you.”

“Diamonds,” I said, trying to keep from sounding as surprised as I felt.

“Five, I think. A good size. I have a beautiful diamond engagement ring. These are all larger than that.”

“You're right,” I said. “He must have been planning to surprise you.”

“Why aren't they on the inventory then?”

“I don't know.”

“I'm not doing anything with them, Chris. They're in my safe, so they belong to me. Everything in that safe belongs to me. It's just, as I said, I was unsettled when I found them.”

“I can understand why. Marnie, I have a question to ask you.”

“Sure.”

“Do you know a man named Simon Kaplan? Or did Gabe know him or mention him?”

“It doesn't ring a bell.”

“He's in his seventies, I think, rimless glasses, kind of roly-poly, a pleasant-looking man.”

“No, I don't think so. Why?”

“He approached me in the hotel you were staying in. He claims to have done business with Gabe and his father.”

“Really?” She sounded surprised.

“That's what he said. He told me a few things that seemed to be helpful, but in the end, I don't think they were. He makes me uneasy. I just wondered if the name or description rang a bell.”

“I can call Gabe's secretary and ask.”

“That would be a good idea. Let me know, OK?”

“I will. I'm writing down what you said. Chris, will you call me as soon as you get home? I want to see you in person and talk to you about what I found.”

“I'll call you when we get back.”

“Thank you, Chris. Thank you very much. I feel better now that I've told you.”

I wondered if I did.

I called Jack and told him Sister Joseph might have been on the right track, that Marnie had found something in the safe.

“You gonna tell me what or leave me hanging?”

“Jack, this has to be between you and me.”

“What does that mean?”

“You can't tell the police what Marnie told me.”

“I foresee a problem.”

“That's why I'm saying this. If you feel obliged to pass along what I know, I won't tell you.”

“Why?”

“She told me in confidence. It took her a while before she said it. She's very nervous about this. I can't be responsible for having the police show up at her house with a warrant. I'm not saying anything else till you give me a promise.”

“You'd better keep it to yourself. If you tell me something material, I have to run with it. You know that.”

“OK. I'm getting things together for our trip tomorrow. I'll see you this evening.”

“You bet.”

I felt very awkward. These things had come up before, but not quite this way. This wasn't an informant giving me information that would lead to a killer; this was an innocent person—at least, I believed she was innocent—telling me something that might involve her husband or herself in suspicious activities. The fact that Marnie had told me, the fact that she had been so reluctant, made it seem that she knew nothing at all about the diamonds she had found in the safe. Had I not met Simon Kaplan, I would have assumed the same thing she had, that Gabe had bought some diamonds to make a gift for her. But I had met Simon Kaplan and I could not figure out how all these pieces fit together. It simply couldn't be a coincidence that the little man had mentioned diamonds twenty-four hours before Marnie admitted to finding the stones in her safe.

22

I picked Jack up at the usual time and got into the passenger seat as he neared the car. He slid inside and gave me a quick kiss, then started the motor and took off.

“Looks like your digging on the fake ambulance was a good lead.”

“They find it?”

“It was returned to the owner. Karpen, I think, is the name.”

“Just like that?”

“Yup. Joshua went over and talked to them himself. Then he hauled in the nephew and gave him a hard time.”

“Oh, dear,” I said.

“He's OK. But he gave up the names. Or one of them.”

“The ambulance attendants?”

“If you want to call them that.”

“Then we're close,” I said.

“Well, not that close. Either they really don't know who they were working for or they're good at what they do. They said it was an American, no name, everything in cash; you know the drill.”

“What were they supposed to do?”

“Just what they did. Kidnap Gabe Gross, make a copy of his house key, find out the combination to the safe. Also the code to the security system, but they had a set of priorities. The code was last on the list, and by the time they got the safe combination out of him he was dead.”

“How horrible.”

“But they claim someone else killed him, if you want to believe it. They figured they could get by the security system, but they couldn't get into the safe without the combination. It was all very carefully worked out.”

“And what were they supposed to do when they opened the safe?”

“These guys claim they have no idea, and I believe them. That was all on the U.S. side of things, out of their hands. But they swear they had nothing to do with beating Gabe to death and I don't believe that for a minute.”

“If they didn't do it, who did?” I asked.

“They're playing dumb. Some mysterious guy showed up, took over. It's all crap. They did it. Joshua agrees.”

I found myself agreeing, too. There were enough people involved in this business already, two in Jerusalem, one or two in the States; it was hard to believe there was also an expert in beating someone to death. “So we've got two killers in custody and we still don't know who ordered the kidnapping and killing.”

“Right. If they're telling the truth. They may not be. Remember the Schloss guy told you he didn't know who these two were and, of course, he did. It just took a little probing to get it out of him.” Jack made the turn across traffic into the street where the hotel was. I always held my breath as he did this.

“Well, I'm glad those two are in custody, but I have the feeling the police and I are no closer to figuring out who ordered this.”

“But you've made a lot of progress. The answer may be in the States.”

“Marnie wants to see me when I get back.”

“So she's got more to tell you, huh?”

I smiled. “That's what she says.”

“I have a feeling she may be the key.”

“Well, I'll know next week. I don't think she's going to tell me over the phone, and I'm not bothering her about this. I just want to keep her confidence.”

“I looked up your Simon Kaplan.”

“Oh, tell me. I'd almost forgotten.”

“Clean or dirty, he's not in our database.”

“Under the name Simon Kaplan.”

“Right.”

“I asked Marnie, when I talked to her this afternoon, if she had heard of him. She hadn't.”

“Or said she hadn't.” He parked the car and we got out.

“Goes without saying.”

“Well, tonight we say good-bye to our son for a while.”

“I'm not concerned,” I said bravely. “He'll be fine.” I wondered if I would. My son and I would be five thousand miles apart for almost a week. Thinking about it made me nervous.

“So will you,” my prescient husband said. “I promise.”

There were lots of hugs and kisses at dinner that night, and I handed my poor mother-in-law a list of things to help her around the house. She had visited enough times that she knew where I kept the silver and dishes and glasses, but I hadn't anticipated that she would have to turn up the heat and put the garbage out. The things we keep in our everyday memory amaze me. No wonder we sometimes think there's no room for anything else.

Eddie assured us he would show Grandma how to do everything and I had a feeling he probably knew a lot more than I thought he did, although the temperature setting on the thermostat was beyond his height and knowledge. As long as he was warm, he didn't ask any questions.

Finally we said good night and got into our respective cars. I felt my eyes tearing a bit. I knew it was silly; I hadn't seen Eddie very much in the time we'd been here, but just the thought of all that distance between us rocked me a little. Jack must have suspected as much, because he put his arm around me as we went to the car and then held my hand as long as he could as he drove.

Tomorrow we were exploring the western part of the country. We still had one adventure left before our stay was over.

At twelve twenty-five on Friday I made a decision. At twelve-thirty I called Joseph. It was the early hour that bothered me. By this time she would have returned from morning prayers. I wasn't sure anyone would even answer the phone, but it didn't hurt to try. I listened to ring after ring and was about to hang up when a familiar voice answered.

“St. Stephen's Convent.” It was a nervous-sounding Sister Angela.

“Angela, it's Chris. Forgive me for calling so early.”

“Kix!” she said excitedly. “Are you calling from the Holy Land?”

“Yes, I am. I'm about to leave for a weekend trip. Is Joseph available?”

“Hold on. I'll get her. I just saw her go by.”

I waited, hoping this wouldn't cost a fortune.

“Hello? Chris? Is that you?”

“Joseph, yes, it's me. I'm so sorry to bother you at this hour.”

“Nonsense, I've been up for hours. You must have something important to tell me.”

I told her quickly.

“Diamonds. Very interesting. I assume she hasn't told the police.”

“She's afraid to. She thinks it'll look as though Gabe was involved in something illegal. She said he probably intended to use them to make a piece of jewelry for her.”

“That's certainly a good possibility, although without seeing the gems we can't know if they're the kind you could use in a necklace or earrings, if there's a pair in the group, or if they're all different and meant to be held as an investment.”

“I see what you mean. I've told you everything she said. When I get home, which won't be for another five or six days, I'll call her. She wants to talk to me in person.”

“And she won't talk to the police.”

“No. So I haven't told Jack what she found. He might be obligated to pass it on.”

“Of course. I must say, I had no idea when I told you something might be put into the safe that this would happen. It's as much a surprise to me as I'm sure it was to you.”

I told her what Jack had learned yesterday about the arrest of the two “ambulance attendants” and what they had said. “And that's about it. I think you know as much as I do today.”

“The answers have to be at home,” she said. “These people behind the murder knew Mr. Gross was going away—far away—for a week or so and planned this very carefully. What on earth did they put diamonds in that safe for, if indeed they did?” She was obviously asking herself the question. “Maybe they were hiding them there, Chris. Maybe someone was afraid the police were on to him and he didn't want the diamonds on his person or his property.”

“Someone who worked for Gabe,” I suggested.

“Or someone who knew him well but wasn't in the small group of best friends and relatives.”

“OK, I have something to think about while we're touring this weekend.”

“Just take lots of pictures and keep good notes. I look forward to a long afternoon with you when you get back. And you'll do the talking.”

“I look forward to it, too. Have a good day.” When I hung up, it was time to pick up Jack.

This time we drove west along the main east–west road from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. When we reached Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea we would turn north. I could see it clearly on the map. We would pass the airport where Eddie and his grandparents had left for home this morning.

“Funny to cross a country in an hour,” Jack said as we drove.

“I can't even get to Albany in an hour,” I said.

The beginning of the trip was more or less downhill from Jerusalem. When we eventually reached the point of turning north, we could see to our left the Mediterranean, a greenish sea with waves rolling onto the beach. I was surprised to find that most of the distance north was built up with apartment houses and businesses. For some reason I had thought the coast would be a continuous beach, but I could see how desirable it would be to live somewhere with a view of the sea, and I was not alone.

We reached Caesarea late in the afternoon and went in to see the ruins. I found I was very fond of ruins, and here we could walk among them, sit on them, touch them. We were even able to walk down to the sandy beach and pick up shells and small stones. I fulfilled my promise to Joseph by taking lots of pictures. In a shop I picked up some postcards to send home.

Mrs. Davidson had once again made hotel reservations for Jack and me farther north, and we reached the hotel happy and ready to eat. We had a fine dinner, took a long walk, and went up to our room to look at our maps and guidebook in preparation for tomorrow.

Saturday morning we continued our drive north. The Davidsons had told us there were several interesting things to see, one of them grottoes just at the Lebanese border, the northernmost point of our trip. We took a cable car down to the level of the grottoes and then started walking through them. We were right on the Mediterranean, the sea sweeping in, and as we began our walk a group of boys in their teens swam from the sea right into the grotto. We watched them from our walkway as they scrambled unsuccessfully to climb onto the slick steep rock across the inlet from us. I didn't think they'd make it, but suddenly one did, and he braced himself and helped pull the other two up. They congratulated one another heartily and started walking barefoot on the rocks, having saved the entrance fee and earned themselves an appreciative audience.

We drove south from there and turned east at the city of Nahariya, eventually arriving at a kibbutz where Rachel Davidson had a cousin. The cousin was expecting us and greeted us very warmly, taking us around the kibbutz to see the houses the families lived in, the dining hall, the farm animals, and finally a little shop that sold clothing made from Chinese silk hand-painted by members of the kibbutz. The colors were extraordinary and I selected some scarves for myself and as gifts.

“Get this for Mom,” Jack said, holding up a scarf. “She loves reds and yellows.”

We left with a bagful of beautiful things, thanked Rachel's cousin, and drove back to Nahariya, where we had a hotel reservation. In the evening we drove and walked through the city, admiring the homes that looked out on the sea.

“Too far for a vacation home,” Jack said. “But nice, huh?”

“Very nice. I didn't know you had a vacation home in mind.”

“I didn't till we came here. I like the smell of the sea.”

So did I. A very nice smell.

We managed to find a Catholic church in Accho the next morning, thanks to Rachel's cousin's research. After mass, we visited Capernaum, walking alongside the foundations of the village built over two thousand years ago. We could see the small, wall-less rooms, the entries to the houses, the streets, such as they were, all of this built before Columbus set sail for the New World, before Leif Eriksson. The United States was settled two to three hundred years ago; here there were people living in communities thousands of years ago and the houses were preserved enough that we could see dirt floors and parts of walls and many artifacts, things they had used in their daily lives, like olive presses.

“I called Joseph before I picked you up Friday,” I said to Jack as we walked along a dusty lane back to where the car was parked.

“About your call from Marnie Gross?”

“Yes.”

“You're really making me jealous, Chris. You know I want to know what she told you.”

“And you know I can't let you go to the police too soon.”

“Somebody left something in the Gross safe.”

“Yes.”

“Let's see. Can't be a bomb.”

“It isn't.”

“Must be a letter. Somebody knew something or threatened something, maybe blackmail.” I could almost hear his wheels turning. “But since her husband is dead now, the whole thing's moot.”

“Could be,” I said breezily.

“But it was important enough that you thought Sister Joseph should know.”

“What I wanted her to know is that her suggestion was right, that someone might have put something into the safe, not taken something out.”

“Seems like a very involved scheme to me. Why kill someone just to hide a letter in a safe five thousand miles away? It's overkill.”

“Could be,” I said again, equally breezily.

“You're a tough woman when you want to be.”

“Well, you know those nuns who taught you in school.”

“Don't remind me.”

I just laughed.

We got back to Jerusalem in early evening. Jack had only two days left to work. Our long trip/vacation was nearing its end and I felt sad that we were leaving, disappointed that I hadn't made more progress on the murder. Jack was afraid he would have to work late on Monday just to be sure he got everything done by Tuesday. We were having dinner with the Davidsons Tuesday night, so Jack had to finish everything off by then.