The Bar Mitzvah Murder by Lee Harris Page B

made me feel very good. I had watched him change from a detective sergeant with unruly hair to a better-dressed and more serious lieutenant with a law degree. This trip, this job, were the culmination of years of work, study, late nights, and doing two important things at one time and doing them well. I was truly proud of him.
    â€œWhat are you thinking about?”
    â€œHow lucky we are to be here. You’ve really made it, Jack Brooks.”
    â€œCouldn’t have done it without you, honey. Oh, I almost forgot. Joshua’s wife knows a registered tour guide who’s a Christian Arab. He can take you around the Old City.”
    â€œA private tour?”
    â€œAsk Mel if she wants to join you, but yes, a private tour. I think you should do it. He’ll show you all the sights and take you to some churches you might not see otherwise.”
    â€œIt’s the Holy Sepulchre I want to see most.”
    â€œI know. It’s on his list. I talked to Rachel Davidson. Can I call her and say yes?”
    â€œSure. Is it very expensive?”
    â€œChris.”
    I laughed. “Yes, thank you. I’ll do it.”
    â€œYou know what I’ve been thinking? Are we the last Americans who don’t own a computer?”
    I put my glass of sherry down, startled by the question. “I didn’t think we needed one. Arnold gave me the word processor so I could do his jobs. I didn’t see why—”
    â€œWell, I can give you a hundred reasons why. Eddie’s turning five. I don’t want him to be the only kid in the class that doesn’t have access to a computer. And you know what? I have buddies I haven’t seen for a long time that I could stay in touch with via e-mail. I bet you do, too.”
    â€œThen let’s do it.”
    â€œGlad you agree.” He took a last sip of his brandy and called the waiter over for the check. “Nice night,” he said.
    â€œIt’s beautiful.”
    â€œLet’s go upstairs and make it even nicer.”
    There was a message from Mel. I called her back and talked to Hal for a few minutes. He had taken the kids to a lot of places and come home to hear Mel’s story of our day.
    â€œIt’s like a bad dream,” he said.
    I agreed.
    â€œGabe was the most generous, the kindest guy in the world.”
    â€œWe’ll figure it out, Hal.”
    â€œHere’s Mel, wearing the greatest necklace I’ve ever seen.”
    I smiled. Mel and I were both lucky to have generous husbands.
    â€œChris. I did some sleuthing on my own. I hope you don’t mind.”
    â€œI don’t mind at all. I can’t even imagine what you’ve done.”
    â€œWell, I had an idea. I decided to call some hotels and make some inquiries and I hit pay dirt. Gabe’s daughter is in Jerusalem.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI tried our hotel first, although I didn’t think either of his kids would be likely to stay here. They weren’t. Then I called the hotel where the party was yesterday. There’s a Judith Silverman registered. That’s Judy’s married name. She was married last June, but she’s registered in her name only. How does that grab you?”
    â€œIt’s making me dizzy. I’ll see to it that Officer Davidson gets the word.”
    In the morning I drove Jack to the police station and took the car. He promised to call Mrs. Davidson to arrange for the tour of the Old City and to tell Joshua what Mel had learned. After I left Jack off, I drove to the hotel where the party had taken place on Sunday. I used the house phone to call Judith Silverman, and while she was reticent, she agreed to talk to me in her room.
    I had spoken to Mel and told her Judy might be more open with someone who wasn’t a relative of her father, and Mel said she would wait in her room for my call after the interview. She also said she would love a tour for two through the Old City. I was delighted to have