Wounds by Alton Gansky Page B

a David Cohen?”
    â€œ Baruch dayan emet .” Rabbi Singer pushed back from the table. His hands shook.
    â€œExcuse me?” Bud leaned over the table as if his gaze could fix Singer to his chair.
    â€œIt can’t be. Not David.”
    He pronounced the name “ Da-veed .”
    â€œSo you know him?”
    â€œYes, David is our cantor.”
    â€œCantor? What’s a cantor?”
    â€œIt’s a position in the synagogue. A cantor leads the congregation and music. I-I must go to the body.” He stood.
    â€œWait a minute, Rabbi. We’re not quite done.”
    â€œNaomi!” Singer’s voice roared through the house.
    Bud was on his feet and standing between the rabbi and the front door before Carmen could scoot her chair back. “Rabbi, just wait. We don’t know it’s the same person. David Cohen is a common name.”
    Singer, who had been slack-jawed and pale a moment before stood with teeth clinched and red-faced. “In this neighborhood? Near our synagogue? On my property?”
    Naomi appeared in the living room without the children. “What? What is it?”
    â€œCall the chevra kadisha .”
    â€œOh no.” She raised her hands to her mouth.
    â€œDavid Cohen. David . . .” The rest of the words failed to launch.
    â€œ Baruch dayan emet .”
    What did that mean?
    Singer spun to face Bud. “I must stay with the body.”
    â€œI can’t let you do that, sir.”
    â€œYou can’t stop me.”
    Bud stiffened. “Actually—”
    â€œBud!” Carmen stood, then approached the two. “Rabbi, you may stay near the body, but you may not touch it, or interfere with our team. Is that clear?”
    â€œThere are traditions to be upheld.”
    â€œSir . . .” Carmen lowered her voice. “Rabbi, you can do nothing for the man from a holding cell. I know your traditions are important, but so is catching the person or persons who did this. Do you agree?”
    â€œYes, but we must prepare his body for burial.”
    Carmen didn’t break eye contact. “Rabbi, there will be an autopsy.”
    â€œWe bury as soon as possible. Usually within a day.”
    â€œNot this time, Rabbi. You must let us do our work. We’ll do our best to accommodate your beliefs, but some things are not negotiable. Clear?”
    He said yes but didn’t seem happy about it. Naomi had come to his side. Carmen let a few moments pass then looked to Bud. “Let’s get a uniform to stand with the rabbi so he doesn’t accidentally contaminate the scene or interfere with chain of evidence. How’s that sound?”
    â€œFine by me.” Tock said.
    â€œYou okay with that, Rabbi?” Carmen smiled.
    â€œYes, I’m sorry. I’m just in shock.”
    â€œWho wouldn’t be? We’ll make sure you can stay near the body, but we have to be careful about our investigation. Understood?”
    â€œYes.” He stepped to a bookcase and removed a black book. “Can we go now?”
    â€œSure.” Carmen addressed Bud. “I’ll be out in a second.”
    â€œGotcha.”
    Once the men had left, Carmen had a question for Naomi. “What was that you said?”
    â€œWhat I said?”
    â€œYes. Your husband said it too. Said it when he learned the victim was Jewish. “ Baruch something something.”
    â€œ Baruch dayan emet . It means, ‘Blessed be the one true Judge.’ It’s something Jews say when they hear about the death of another Jew.”
    With that, Naomi broke into tears. Carmen had seen such sorrow many times.
    It never got easy.

8
    C armen left the rabbi’s wife to comfort her children who had, as only children can do, adopted the grief of their parents. Seeing one’s mother in tears was unsettling no matter the age of the child. The rabbi’s children were very young, unable to understand what had happened, but they knew their