The Bar Mitzvah Murder by Lee Harris

forthcoming as the cousins I had come to know and love in Oakwood.
    â€œYou’re Chris,” he said, giving me a firm handshake. “Come to my room. We can talk. I assume there’s news.”
    Mel delivered it quickly, then suddenly began to cry. Being stalwart had served her well today, but this was a terrible turn of events. I put my arm around her and held her.
    â€œIt’s so awful,” she said. “How could this have happened?”
    â€œWe’ll find out,” Lenny said. “You gonna be all right?”
    â€œYes. But it won’t be easy.”
    â€œThat’s our Mel. We’ll have to help Marnie out all we can. I assume they’ll take her somewhere to identify Gabe.”
    â€œThey will.”
    â€œI’ll go with her.”
    â€œShe’s talking to the police now,” I said. “We can go down in a minute. I just want you to tell me what you observed yesterday at the party.”
    â€œAh, you’re the friend that solves the murders. Glad you’re here now, Chris. The police have been no help whatever these last twenty-four hours. Maybe your input will move things along. Let’s see. I heard Marnie scream. That must have been the first I knew something was wrong. I went along with the crowd and found Gabe lying around a corner from where we all were at our tables and on the patio dance floor. I found a pulse, but it was weak. I assumed it was a heart attack and began to give him CPR—”
    â€œYou asked to have an ambulance called,” I interrupted.
    â€œYes. Probably when I saw him or when I got to him. It didn’t take long for them to come. I had hardly begun the CPR when two attendants dashed over with a gurney.”
    â€œDid they seem to know what they were doing?”
    â€œWhy do you ask?”
    â€œBecause they didn’t come from a hospital in Jerusalem. They were never called by anyone in the hotel that we could find, although I have to admit we haven’t talked to the guests yet.”
    â€œI doubt one of the guests called. They’d need to know the number. They would have had to get help from the hotel staff inside. What you’re saying is, you don’t think anyone called an ambulance.”
    â€œThat’s right. But one showed up. Did you notice anything unusual about Gabe?”
    â€œI didn’t spend much time looking. He had a weak pulse and his breathing was shallow. I was trying to resuscitate him. I don’t believe I did.”
    â€œDid you offer to go to the hospital with him?”
    â€œYes, but Marnie said she’d go in the ambulance. My wife and I were going for our car when I realized I didn’t know where the ambulance was going. And no one else seemed to know, either. We dashed back to find out, but the ambulance was gone.”
    â€œDid he say anything, Lenny?” I asked. “Did you talk to him?”
    â€œI talked to him, but he never responded. I told him who I was and assured him he’d be taken care of. You never know what the patient can hear and I wanted him to feel that he was going to be OK.”
    â€œDid you see the ambulance?”
    â€œI walked over to it with the attendants. I saw it from behind. I never saw the inside of it. They had backed up so when they took off all you could see was the back, and I never walked around to the side. Where are you going with this?” He looked at both of us.
    Mel answered, “I think we think Gabe may have been murdered.”
    â€œQuite an elaborate murder, if you’re right. You gals have any idea what the motive would be?”
    â€œI don’t,” I said, “but I didn’t know him.”
    â€œI don’t, either,” Mel said, “and I
did
know him. All I can think of is that he had a nasty divorce.”
    â€œThat was years ago, Mel. And Debby is well taken care of. I know there was a lot of animosity, but that’s history.”
    â€œI wonder,” I