The Bar Mitzvah Murder Read Online Free PDF Page B

picked up by an ambulance. Did his wife go with him?”
    â€œThey wouldn’t let her. I remember that. She started to climb in the back, to be with him, and the attendants pushed her out. They said she could see him at the hospital.”
    â€œDid they say the name of the hospital?”
    â€œNot that I heard. Not that Marnie heard. The ambulance took off and—I’m not sure what happened next. Marnie was in a terrible state. Someone went and got her a glass of ice water. Then Lenny, the doctor, said, ‘Come on; let’s get to the hospital and see what’s going on.’ I think that’s when we all realized we didn’t know what hospital Gabe went to.”
    â€œJack looked up hospitals on my map,” I said. “There are about half a dozen. Officer Davidson checked them all, or at least some of them, last night.”
    â€œEveryone goes to Hadassah Hospital,” Mel said. “It’s big and it has a fabulous reputation. I think we all just assumed that’s where he was going.”
    â€œDid you call?”
    â€œWe had the concierge make the calls. When we found out Gabe wasn’t at Hadassah—there are two branches and they had no record of being called out to our hotel—he tried some others. Then a few of us got in our cars and drove to Hadassah Hospital to talk to them in person.” She shrugged. “Hal and I were there. We heard the conversations. They never heard of Gabe.”
    â€œMel, I think the first thing we have to do is drive over to the place where the party was and find out what hospital they called. Then at least we know where to ask questions.”
    â€œGood idea. I’ve had enough coffee to hold me all day. Shall we?”

4
    It was a truly magnificent place, with lots of glass to let the sun in, a huge lobby, potted palms, and fantastic floral displays. Mel found the concierge and we asked him about the call to the hospital. He had not been at work at that time, he said, so he turned us over to the maître d’. The maître d’ didn’t know what we were talking about and suggested we ask for the hotel manager.
    We cooled our heels for a few minutes while someone searched for the manager. He arrived with a frown, a stocky man in a suit bought before he put on his last twenty pounds.
    â€œYes, ladies. How can I help you?”
    We explained. He frowned. He asked us to sit while he made some calls. We didn’t say much while we waited. Mel was too fidgety to sit, so she got up and wandered to some shop windows while I kept my eye on the door the manager had walked through, half expecting him to attempt a quick escape. Finally he came out, a sheet of paper in his hand.
    â€œI have checked with the restaurants, with the people behind the desk, the concierge, the bellman, and even the housekeeping department. No one I spoke to called an ambulance yesterday or was asked to call an ambulance. I think you have made a mistake. Perhaps it was another hotel.”
    â€œIt wasn’t another hotel,” Mel said with an uncharacteristic bite in her voice. “It was the party for Gabriel Gross. I’m sure you’re aware of it.”
    â€œAh, Mr. Gross. Yes, of course. You should have mentioned that.”
    â€œI did.” She was quietly fuming.
    â€œAnd Mr. Gross became ill?”
    â€œHe became ill,” Mel said, her voice like a steel rod meant to pierce this man’s innards. “An ambulance came and took him away. We do not know where he was taken. We have been trying to find him since yesterday afternoon.”
    â€œI see. I’m terribly sorry. I promise I will look into it for you. I have Mr. Gross’s Jerusalem phone number here. I will call his wife if I learn anything. I am truly sorry. Good morning, ladies.”
    I nearly slapped my hand over Mel’s mouth to prevent her from saying what she was feeling. The little man waddled away.
    â€œLet’s talk to