GD00 - ToxiCity by Libby Fischer Hellmann Page A

looked over. “Too bad.”
    Georgia flashed her a smile. “But thanks.”
    Clark grunted. “So?”
    “So what?”
    “Why are you here?”
    Georgia pulled out a picture of Julie Romano. “Do you recognize this woman?”
    Clark studied the picture. “Can’t say that I do.” She called to the bartender. “Hannah, come on over a sec.”
    Hannah, a large burly woman with short red hair lumbered over. “You know this woman?”
    Georgia passed her the picture.
    Hannah grunted. “Doesn’t look familiar.”
    Clark put her arm around Georgia. “This here is—what did you say your name was?”
    “I didn’t. I’m Georgia Davis.”
    Clark grinned. “Sweet Georgia here is an officer of the law. She’s on a case. Needs to find this person.”
    Hannah looked Georgia up and down. Georgia realized she’d never been eyeballed quite like this before—at least by women. Then Hannah pointed behind her. “Check with Donna over in that booth. She knows everybody.”
    Georgia and Clark went over to a Hispanic woman eating a burger and fries. Another woman sat across from her working on a chopped salad. After Clark introduced them, Donna looked at the picture, shook her head, and shared the snapshot with her companion. Georgia saw a flicker of recognition on the companion’s face.
    “Do you know her?”
    The companion, whose cropped grey hair reminded Georgia of the sisters at St. Michael’s, looked up. “Sorry. Never saw her before.”
    “Really? I thought—”
    “I don’t know her,” the woman repeated.
    Donna reached across and patted her hand. “That’s okay, honey.”
    “What s your name?” Georgia asked.
    “Why?”
    “In case I need to talk to you again.”
    “Brenda Hartman,” the woman said.
    Georgia wrote it down. “You’re sure you don’t recognize this woman?”
    “I’m sure.”
    “Can I have your number?”
    “Just call me.” Donna smiled at Brenda and recited a number. Georgia wrote it down. She dug out a card and asked them to call her if their memories cleared up.
    She was about to leave when Clark tapped her on the shoulder. Georgia spun around. “Can I have one of those?”
    Georgia eyed her suspiciously.
    Clark threw up her palms. “A card.”
    Georgia considered it. She handed one over.

Chapter Eleven

    Afterward services that evening Matt grabbed some coffee in the synagogue kitchen, where six or seven people had gathered. Next to Rabbi Altman was a woman Matt didn’t know. Slender, with silky dark hair, she was dressed in a brown paisley skirt and ribbed turtleneck that emphasized every curve. With luminous eyes, a thin nose, and a determined chin, she wasn’t the kind of woman you could look away from for long. She smiled at him between sips of coffee. Matt smiled back.
    “So what do you think of this week’s Torah portion?” Rabbi Altman stirred his coffee with a stick.
    “This parshah’s important because it’s the first time anyone ever designated a piece of land as holy,” one man said, biting into a bagel. “It’s the first time we see that God is in charge of staking out new territory, not man.”
    Several others nodded.
    Encouraged, the man went on. “Personally, I think Jacob’s dream plants the flag for the family of Israel. Kind of like the astronauts staking out the moon with an American flag. Symbolically, of course.”
    “Speaking of families,” another man said, “I think the most interesting part comes later. In the part we haven’t read.”
    Rabbi Altman tilted his head. “What’s that, Howard?”
    “The part where Laban cons Jacob into working for him for seven years, thinking he’s ‘gonna marry Rachel. But then Laban springs Leah on him instead, and Jacob has to work seven more years.”
    “Why is that interesting?”
    “Well, remember last week when we read how Jacob stole Esau’s birthright and tricked his father into giving him Esau’s blessing? With the fur on his arms?”
    Altman nodded.
    “I think this week is payback time. God