The Silent Bride Read Online Free PDF

Sergeant Woo. I'll be working on the case with Lieutenant Sanchez," she introduced herself a minute later.
    Rabbi Levi was a small, ascetic-looking man in black robes. He did not look at her or respond.
    "Anything you need, any questions you have about procedure, I'll do my best to help," she continued politely.
    "Are you the liaison they were talking about?" He tilted his head as if the wind, not a person, were speaking to him.
    "For now, yes. Anything you need, you can run it by me and I'll see what can be done."
    At this the rabbi separated himself from the other men and gestured with a finger for April to follow at a short distance.
    "I do have some issues I told the officer—I don't know your ranks. Not the precinct commander. The heavy ... I think he was a chief." He waved his hand impatiently at his memory, letting the identification go. "Can we talk in my study?"
    "No, we can't go in. Crime Scene is not finished with the building yet," April said apologetically.
    "What kind of investigation is this?" he demanded.
    "It's routine," she assured him.
    "The killer came into the lobby, that's all. He shot through the door. I was there. Everybody was there. What routine could take the police into my study?" he asked softly.
    "I don't know that they will go into your study, Rabbi Levi. It's more a question of preserving the integrity of the crime scene."
    "Is that a cruel joke?"
    "Sir?"
    "You're telling me about integrity?"
    April rephrased. "They don't want people walking there, touching things until they're finished with it."
    "Everybody walked there," he said angrily.
    "Yes, sir."
    "Well, there is a side entrance. Can I use that?"
    "As soon as they say so."
    "And how long will that be? We have evening prayers... . The caterers want to clean up."
    "The reception was here?"
    "Yes, the party is always here."
    Ah. Then there were caterers, too. "I understand. Is there a particular time you need to pray, and if necessary is there another place you could pray tonight? This will take several hours at least." Maybe several days. She didn't want to tell him that now.
    "How many hours?"
    "It's a large space. Sometimes it takes as long as five hours. Sometimes longer."
    "Why so long?"
    "The Crime Scene Unit is very thorough. It can make a difference later."
    "What kind of difference? The harm's already been done." Then he threw up his hands in another gesture of impatient compliance and changed the subject.
    "That chief told me there is no way to prevent an autopsy."
    "No, it's the law with homicides."
He managed to keep his eyes focused inward. "No way to oppose it?"
"No. I'm sorry. I know how difficult it is. If it's any solace to you, the autopsy may help us find Tovah's killer. I know you want that as much as we do."
"We have our laws, too."
"I understand."
"Our laws say she must never be alone. She must be cared for by us. Her father and mother want to stay with her. Her body must not be defiled. We must have her back today. We will bury her tomorrow."
April blinked. These were impossible requests.
"And we need her gown tomorrow," he said firmly.
April didn't want to query the need for the gown and lose face by betraying her ignorance of unfamiliar customs. She pressed her lips together. The other things could be negotiated, but the gown happened to be evidence in a homicide. From the bullet holes, exact calculations could be made about the movement of the victim and the people around her when the shots were fired. The path of the bullets could determine where the shooter stood and even his height. Sometimes the prosecution even dressed a mannequin in the victim's clothes to make some point to the jury. A wedding dress would have profound emotional impact in a courtroom. They'd never get it.
"We need the gown tomorrow," Rabbi Levi insisted. "No compromises. And the veil, too."
A sudden fear that they intended to bury the poor girl in her bloody wedding dress brought April's fist to her lips. Such profound cruelty would be