"That was at 12:45. We checked that first thing because the girl was wearing a raincoat."
"I see. Well, normally it takes me twenty minutes to walk from the temple to my house. I know because we do it every Friday evening and Saturday. But I think I walked more slowly last night. I was thinking of the books I had read."
"But on the other hand, you ran part of the way."
"Oh, that was just the last hundred yards or so. Call it twenty-five minutes and I think that would be fairly accurate. That would mean that I left the temple at twenty past."
"Did you meet anyone on the way?"
"No, just the police officer. I suppose he knew me because he said good evening."
"That would be Officer Norman." He smiled. "He wouldn't have to know you to say good evening. He rings in at one o'clock at the box on Vine Street just beyond the temple. I'll be able to get the time from him when I see him."
"You mean he records it?"
"Probably not, but he'll remember. He's a pretty good man. Now, when you entered the temple, you turned on the light, I suppose."
"No, it wasn't dark yet."
"But you turned on the light in your study of course."
"Of course."
"So that anyone passing by would have seen it."
The rabbi considered. Then he shook his head. "No, I turned on my desk lamp rather than the overhead light. I opened the window, of course, but I lowered the Venetian blind."
"Why?"
"Frankly, so that I wouldn't be interrupted. A member of the congregation might pass by and see the light and come up to chat."
"So no one approaching the temple would guess anyone was there. Is that right, rabbi?"
The rabbi thought a moment and then nodded.
The police chief smiled.
"This has some significance for you?"
"Well, it might help to clarify the time element. Suppose the light could be seen. Then that, in conjunction with your car in the parking lot, would indicate that someone was still in the building and might come out at any time. If that were the case, it would be fair to assume the body had been deposited behind the wall after you left. But with no light showing, it might be assumed your car had been left for the night perhaps because you couldn't get it started. Under those circumstances, the body could have been dropped while you were still upstairs. Now the medical examiner's first estimate was that the girl was killed around one o'clock. At this point in his examination, that's just an educated guess. If your light had been visible, it would tend to corroborate his estimate, but since the light could not be seen the girl could have been dropped near the wall while you were in your study, and that could have been anytime from the early evening on."
"I see."
"Now think carefully, rabbi, did you hear or see anything unusual-a cry? the sound of an automobile driving onto the parking lot?"
The rabbi shook his head.
"And you saw no one either while you were in your study or on your way home?"
"Only the police officer."
"Now you say you do not know Elspeth Bleech. Is it possible that you know her but not by name? After all, she lived with the Serafinos no great distance from the temple."
"It is possible."
"A girl of nineteen or twenty, blonde, about five feet four, a little on the stocky side but not unattractive. Perhaps later I'll be able to show you a picture."
The rabbi shook his head. "I don't recognize her from your description. It would fit many girls I may have seen. Nothing comes to mind at the moment, however."
"Well, let me put it this way: did you give anyone a lift in your car in the last day or two who might answer that description?"
The rabbi smiled and shook his head. "A rabbi, no less than a priest or a minister, finds it necessary to be circumspect about those things. I would be no more likely to offer a lift to a strange young woman then they would. One's congregation might misinterpret it. No, I gave no one a lift."
"Could your wife perhaps?"
"My wife doesn't drive."
Lanigan rose and held out his hand. "You've been very cooperative, rabbi, and I appreciate it."
"Any time."
At the door, Lanigan paused. "I hope you won't be needing your car for a little while. My boys are checking it over."
The rabbi looked his surprise. "You see, the girl's handbag was found in it.
9
Hugh Lanigan knew Stanley, just as he knew all the Old Towners. He found him working in the vestry, setting up a long table on which the Sisterhood would later serve the little cakes and tea things that constituted the usual collation after the Friday evening service. "Just checking on this business, Stanley."
"Sure, Hugh, but I told Eban Jennings all I know."
"Well, you might as well give it to me again. You went to the rabbi's house last night to tell him about a box of books. When did the books arrive?"
"Delivered by Robinson's Express around six o'clock. Maybe a little after. It was his last stop."
"And when did you go over to the rabbi's?"
"Seven-thirty or so. I got this box and it's a pretty big wooden case and it's for the rabbi. I don't know that it's books at first-I mean, the rabbi, he told me about a shipment of books he was expecting, but I had no idea it would come in a wooden box. But then I notice it was shipped from Dropsie College. Well, the rabbi had mentioned that the books were coming from Dropsie College. Now that's a funny name for a college, and I remembered it because my Aunt Mattie-you remember her-well, that's what she had, dropsy, I mean. She was all puffed up, you could hardly see her eyes-"
"Never mind, just tell me about the box."
"Oh yeah, so I see the name and I remember that that's where the books were supposed to come from. So I figure it must be the books. Well, you wouldn't believe it, Hugh, but this rabbi-he's a nice feller and all that- but he wouldn't know which end of a hammer you hit with. So no matter what's in that case, I'm going to have to open it for him anyway. Right? So I figured I might as well do it right then. So I toted the whole business, box and all-and it was heavy as a sonofabitch, Hugh-right up to his study. Then I kind of finished my chores here and I thought I'd let him know that they came, seeing as he was so anxious for them and it was on my way home anyway."
"Where you living now, Stanley?"
"I got a room at Mama Schofield's."
"Didn't you used to live at the temple?"
"Yeah, at the old place. I had me a room up in the attic. Beauty. It was kind of nice, living right at the job, you know. But then they stopped it. They gave me a few bucks more each month to pay for a room, and I've been at Mama Schofield's ever since."
"Why did they stop it?" asked Lanigan.
"I'll tell you the truth, Hugh. They found out I was having some company up there once in a while. No wild parties, you understand, Hugh. I wouldn't do anything like that, and never while the temple was being used. Just a couple of people over for a little talk and a few beers. But I guess they got to thinking I might take it into my head to bring a broad up there, maybe on one of their holy days." He gave a loud chortle and slapped his thigh. "I suppose they were afraid that while they were praying down below, I might be bouncing a broad upstairs, and that would kind of short-circuit their prayers on the way up, see?"