The Bar Mitzvah Murder Read Online Free PDF Page A

They’re not as polite as New Yorkers.”
    That made me laugh. “As New Yorkers?”
    â€œThat’s what he said. I guess we’ll find out.”
    The drive was as short as it had been last night, and we reached the police station well before eight.
    â€œYou gonna be all right with the driving?”
    I was scared to death but refused to show it. “Sure,” I said. “How bad can it be?”
    â€œDrive with Mel. Then at least one of you can look at the map and check the street signs.”
    We both got out and I walked around to the driver’s side. Jack gave me a quick kiss and said, “I’ll find out what I can. You do the same.”
    â€œHave fun at whatever you’re doing.”
    He grinned. “That’s the name of the game.”
    I watched till he was in the building, then got in the car and made my way slowly back to the hotel. I had a tough left turn to get into the compound, but I made it. The parking situation wasn’t great, but I found a spot around the side of the hotel under a tree and left the car there. It was twenty-five after eight as I walked into the lobby and saw Mel.
    â€œOh, Chris, am I glad to see you,” she said, getting up from a chair near a window. She came over and we hugged.
    â€œAny word?”
    â€œNothing. I talked to Marnie—that’s Gabe’s wife—after Jack called last night. She’s distraught; what can I tell you? I didn’t want to call her this early, but I didn’t want to miss you, so I came right over. Hal’s with the kids. I’m so shook up I can’t even remember where he’s taking them.”
    â€œHow ’bout a cup of coffee? We can sit and relax a little— it’s still early—and you can tell me what you know. Jack is hoping this very nice police officer will find something out today. At the latest, I’ll talk to Jack tonight.”
    â€œCoffee sounds good. This is a gorgeous hotel, Chris. It’s so old-world. We’re in a splashy new one with a pool and all kinds of amenities, but I really like the feel of this one.”
    â€œMe, too.” I smiled and led the way to the courtyard restaurant. It was a bit cool, but it was so lovely there, I thought it was better than sitting inside.
    â€œI love it!” Mel sounded delighted. “How about here? There’s a little sun. In fact, I think I’ll take my coat off and let the sun warm me.”
    We ordered coffee and I pulled out my notebook and a pen. “We have to go over this carefully,” I said. “I heard a little from you, a little from Jack, a little from Officer Davidson. I need to know everything you can tell me.”
    â€œOK.” Mel sipped her coffee. “Saturday was the Bar Mitzvah. It was wonderful. It really moved me to tears, Chris. Here was this guy who’d devoted so much of his life to business and he decided to rededicate himself to his roots. We all flew over together, you know, but most of us planned to go home separately. Hal and I wanted to stay on, and a lot of the others did, too. We’re all in the same hotel and Gabe is picking up the bill for as long as we stay. This guy is just so generous. Anyway, Saturday morning we had the Bar Mitzvah in a temple in Rehavia.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œIt’s a part of Jerusalem settled by German Jews in the nineteen-thirties. Gabe was wonderful. He read from the Torah and translated into English so his family would know what he was talking about. Hal made an Aliyah.”
    â€œA what?”
    â€œPeople are selected to come up and say a blessing before and after the Torah is read. It’s called an Aliyah and it’s an honor to be asked.”
    â€œOK. Go on. That was the actual Bar Mitzvah.”
    â€œRight. When it was over, we went to the King David Hotel for a really splendid buffet lunch. It was more like a dinner, if you want to know the truth. The table had the