Гарри Кемельман - Tuesday The Rabbi Saw Red

"Well, don't. I'll have somebody there right away. Just wait there. Or better, wait outside, the cruising car will be around any minute."

When the cruising car arrived, Officer Keenan accompanied her from room to room while his fellow officer remained at the wheel. "Everything look all right to you, Miss Hanbury? Nothing missing?"

He examined the open window from the inside and the outside. "There's nothing that looks like a jimmy mark on the sash," he said. "And of course there wouldn't be any footprints on this concrete path. Was the window locked. Miss Hanbury?"

"I'm quite sure it was."

"Well, it's no big job to open a window with one of these old-fashioned latches. You can do it easy enough with a piece of plastic or one of these thin metal rulers. You ought to get the new type of latch for these windows on the first floor, Miss Hanbury."

From the cruising car came a loud, insistent honking. Keenan ran outside and came hurrying back. "Say, Miss Hanbury, a call just came in to the station, there was an explosion in your school, a bomb, they think, they want you back in Boston right away, we can drive you if you like."

"Oh David! I was going to call, but I didn't know where. I was so worried. Thank God you're safe!" Bursting into tears, Miriam threw herself in his arms.

"What's the matter?" He held her away and looked at her. "Pull yourself together, Miriam. I know I'm late, but I only stopped for a cup of coffee."

"Then you don't know?" she cried. "You weren't there when it happened?"

"Don't know what?" He was getting exasperated. "When what happened?"

"The explosion! There's been an explosion in your school, in the administration building."

"What kind of explosion? When did it happen? Make sense, Miriam."

"A bomb! They're sure it was a bomb," she said, taking out a handkerchief to dry her eyes. "I was watching 'Way of Life' and then they interrupted the program with a news flash, only about fifteen minutes ago, they said no one appeared to be hurt, but with you not home yet..."He put his arms around her and soothed her.

"You always get home around three,” she said against his chest, "and here it was almost half-past. I tried to tell myself you sometimes get involved in something and lose all track of time."

"That's about what happened,” he admitted sheepishly. "I started to read a book over my coffee and just didn't notice."

"Yes, of course,” she said. "It doesn't matter. Nothing matters except that you're all right."

"I'm fine,” he said. "I'm only sorry I made you worry. But I still don't understand it, a bombing? You sure they didn't say anything more?"

"No, that's all. It was a news flash. But maybe you could call someone. Lanigan? Wouldn't he know what happened?"

"No, it's something for the Boston police." He was very disturbed of course, but did not want to show it for fear of upsetting her further. "We'll get more details on the evening broadcast, I'm sure. In the meantime, the Sabbath is approaching."

While she made ready, he showered and changed, and then played for a while with his children Jonathan and Hepzibah, he did not want to leave Miriam alone, so he decided not to go to the temple for the afternoon Mincha service. By the time he had finished it was time for the news.

They sat together on the sofa, his arm around her, watching the picture in front of them. "Tonight's lead story." the announcer said. "At 3:05 this afternoon a bomb was exploded in the administration building of Windemere Christian College in Boston's Fenway. Police from Station 15 responded within minutes and the fire apparatus from the Boylston Street station immediately after, the explosion occurred in the dean's office and damage was minor, according to Inspector Frank Laplace of the Fire Department."

The building was presumed empty since no classes are scheduled at that time on Fridays. However. Lieutenant Hawkins of Station 15 instituted an intensive search of the premises and found the body of a man in one of the locked offices, he was identified by Mr. Laferty, the custodian of the building, as Professor John Hendryx. For a statement from Lieutenant Hawkins, we switch you now..."

Sitting on the bed, she watched him gather his few possessions together and stuff them into the duffle bag, they had not quarreled, he had not appeared angry. But then of course he never got angry; that's what she liked about him, he had merely announced he had to be pushing along and then resurrected his duffle bag from the depths of the closet.

If they had one rule, tacitly agreed on, it was that each was free to come and go as he pleased; should either of them decide to leave for any reason there would be no recriminations. But still she felt an explanation was— not due her, but, but— well yes, dammit, due her. However, she molded her voice so that it showed no hint of hurt, only normal curiosity: "Anything happen, Ekko?"

"The goddam school blows up and she asks if anything happened. One minute the place is peaceful like a morgue, then Boom! It's a regular Fourth of July carnival with cops and fire engines, even the guy with the popcorn cart."

"Oh that! I meant between us, are you sore because I sounded off at the meeting?"

"Nah,” he said. "She was just looking for an out. If it hadn't been that, it would’ve been something else."

"So then why are you splitting?"

He threw more things into the bag. "Because they'll be coming after us, baby, they'll get hold of Hanbury and she'll tell them about the meeting and how she walked out and left us behind, and she'll give them our names and they'll pick us up, then they'll start questioning and they'll find out I was in Nam, and in Ordnance, and next thing you know I'm in the slammer."

"But they haven't got anything on you."

"They don't need anything to start pushing, baby. When I got out of the Army, I made up my mind I wasn't ever going to let anyone push me around again so long as I could help it."

"But if you split now, won't that be suspicious?" she said. "Then they'll be sure you did it."

"They can think what they want, so long as I'm not around." She was silent, trying to understand why he would invite suspicion by running away, hesitantly, she asked: "Did— did you do it. Ekko?"He snorted. "Why would I blow up the goddam school? For Roger Fine?"

"Then who did?"

"Probably those goddam Weathervane crazies. Same as last time, they're stoned out of their heads most of the time, they must have found out about our meeting somehow, they see Hanbury leave, then fifteen minutes later they see us leave. So they get a clear road. Blooey: the Fourth of July!"

She looked at him. "How did you know they did it last time?"

"I just know." He continued with his packing. "They could catch you tomorrow,” she said.

"Sure, and I could be run over by a car and dead tomorrow. In the meantime. I'll be free."In a quiet voice: "Are you coming back?"

"Sure, after things cool down, the college won't push this— bad publicity. Like the last time, the computer was wrecked and they gave out to the papers it was only minor damage. Same way now, the college won't press, and after a while the pigs will have to drop it, then I'll come back."

"But you’ve paid for your tuition."

"Half a semester. So I've had half a semester. Big deal; the stuff is a lot of crap anyway, maybe I'll get me a job as a carpenter like my old man, there, when you do some work, you can at least see something for it. Yeah, maybe that's what I'll do. Carpentering. Ten bucks an hour some places." He pulled the cords and closed the mouth of the bag.

"But you won't get the chance,” she appealed to him. "Once they start looking, they won't let up till they find you, they got your picture in the school files and with that bald head they won't have any trouble finding you."