I needed to confront Kassian about his lies. Deception didn’t sit kindly with me, and I wondered what other things he’d been lying about. Maybe, with a little persuasion from me, he’d remember something about my father’s last moments and a little velvet bag of diamonds. If Detective Morris wanted evidence, I’d do my best to come up with some.

On my way home from the police station, I swung by the Hebrew Home to see if Kassian was there. A young woman with much less facial hair had replaced the old guy at the desk. She waved me through, barely glancing at my ID.

I checked the TV lounge and the card room, but came up empty. On my way to the snack bar, I bumped into DeRon, pushing a mop bucket down the hall. His face brightened. “Hello, Josh. How you doing today?”

“Fine, DeRon. You?”

“Dandy.” He kicked the bucket with the toe of his work boot. “Just cleaned up some puke. Couldn’t be better.”

I flashed him a little smile to show I felt his pain. “Have you seen Kassian today?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Last I saw him was day before yesterday, in the evening. Had a special New Year’s program a lot of the residents enjoyed. Showed some old Lawrence Welk and Guy Lombardo tapes. But I haven’t seen him since.”

Probably back in the woods on stakeout. “Okay, thanks.” I turned to leave, but stopped. “Do you remember the day my father died?”

DeRon screwed his face up. “I remember Ms. Wolfe being upset. And Kassian too, when she told him. Tough to forget that.”

“Right. The last time we talked, you said Kassian had been here all day, for some activities,” I said, trying to prompt his memory.

“Yup. Fridays are music and movie days. I don’t remember what we showed, though.”

“Do you remember what time he got here?” I asked, trying to be casual with the question. Not sure I was pulling it off very well.

DeRon thought a moment. “Well, we show the movie at one. Before that was lunch, and before that we had some type of music program and then either Rabbi Roundtable or some arts and crafts project. That Friday was …” He ran a hand over his hair. “I think we had the Rabbi in. Yes, that’s right, Rabbi Cohen.”

“And Kassian was here for that?”

“Yes. He likes to sit up front. Even asks a question or two. He’s not as uneducated as he lets on.”

“So you’re positive Kassian was here the entire day?”

DeRon cocked his head at me. Lifted his chin. “As far as I remember. What are you getting at?”

“Would someone else also remember seeing him?”

DeRon squinted at me.

“I’m not saying you don’t remember. But it was probably busy, lots of people coming and going, and …”

“Sure it’s busy. But if I said he was here, he was here,” DeRon said, eyeing me as if I’d called his mother a round-heeled schvartz. “If you don’t take my word, feel free to ask around.” He grabbed the mop handle with both hands. “Bye, Mr. Handleman.” He pushed the mop bucket down the hall, not looking back. I certainly wasn’t trying, but I seemed to be pissing off a lot of people lately.

On my way out, I stopped in the lobby and called Rachel. It was after three-thirty, so I figured school had already let out and her little charges had scattered to the four winds. I composed a cute greeting in my mind while I waited for her to answer, but when she did, all I eked out was a glum, “Hello.”

“Hi Josh Handleman,” Rachel said, and I perked right up. Funny how small things can have such a large impact.

“I was thinking about you.”

“I would have been thinking about you, too, but I’ve got a class of very active third-graders that command my attention.” She laughed, and I could picture her crooked smile and scrunched-up nose. “Where are you?”

“At the Hebrew Home.”

“What are you doing there? Checking out your father’s library? Making sure the overdue fines are being collected?”

“Every quarter helps,” I said. “Actually, I’m not doing much of anything.”

“Say hi to Nana while you’re there. She really likes you, John.” More laughing. “Tell her we got married and I’m pregnant. That’ll make her day.”

“I tell her that, it might be her last day. Anyway, I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner tonight.” I needed a rational shoulder to lean on. Kassian’s lies and my visit to the police station had unnerved me. I felt as if my life had spun into the Twilight Zone.

“Oh, I’d love to, but I can’t. Going to yoga class with a friend.”

“Oh. Okay.” My mood dipped again. I needed to get off this emotional roller coaster.

“But I’m free tomorrow night.”

Back up the incline. “Great. It’s a date.” After some more innocuous flirting, I clicked off. I still needed to talk to Kassian. That should deflate my mood again.

The balmy weather we’d enjoyed the past couple of days had given way to a typically frigid January, and I jammed my hands deep in my pockets as I walked through the parking lot. Parked two cars away from mine was STOX3, Lev’s SUV.

Maybe he’d like to hear about my discussion with Detective Morris. At least I could get him off my back. I marched back into the lobby and signed in again. Wondered if Carol pored through the visitor logs to see who was coming and going, and I wondered if there was some kind of limit to the number of times you could enter in a week. Getting barred from the Hebrew Home would be quite an accomplishment.

I expanded upon my earlier search and found Lev playing chess in the game room. As soon as he saw me, he hit the chess clock with the palm of his hand. Then he whispered something to his opponent, sprang up, and strode my way.

“Hello, Joshua. Have you been thinking about my plea to you?”

I held up both hands, palms out. “Relax, Lev. I went to the police today. Talked with a detective.”

Lev’s eyes got large. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out into the hallway. Then he glanced around and led me to an alcove in front of the men’s room. “You told him about Kassian killing your father? What did he say?”

“I told him I thought my father’s death wasn’t an accident. That it was murder.”

“And that Kassian killed him?” Lev eyed me.

I took a deep breath. “Actually, I don’t believe I mentioned Kassian.”

Lev’s scowl deepened. “What did the detective say?”

“He showed me some photos. They are sure it is an accident. And I’m inclined to—”

“What about the diamonds? Did you tell them Kassian stole them after he killed your father?”

“I mentioned the missing diamonds. But I don’t have any proof—receipts, insurance papers, anything—that proves they even exist. I’m not—”

“I will tell him. I have seen these diamonds.” Lev tapped his chest with a finger.

“When? Ten years ago? My father could have sold them since then. You can’t …” I broke it off. It was no use. Going to the cops had been a mistake, but I wouldn’t be able to convince Lev of that.

“But they must investigate. They are the police. Please tell me it is not like in Russia. Where the police do only what the corrupt officials tell them. This is America.”

“Evidence, Lev. Evidence. They’re not going to spend time and money investigating just because the grief-stricken son of the victim and the victim’s best friend have a feeling. They need something tangible.”

Lev stared at me, face of granite.

I felt bad. Lev’s last hope dashed. “Well, the detective did say he’d keep the file open on his desk, in case something came up. So …”

Lev’s stare intensified and the muscles in his jaw rippled.

“I’m sorry, Lev. It’s time for you to let go. It’s time to let my father rest in peace.” As I left, I glanced back over my shoulder at Lev. He watched me go, eyes narrowed to slits, body inert, fists clenched by his sides.