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Jake and Mindy waited outside the Sopoynik Rebbe’s home for Pinky to arrive.
Jake checked the time on his phone. “He knows I hate being late,” he said.
“He’ll be here,” Mindy replied. “Have patience. Nobody expects us to be precisely on time for a luncheon.”
Jake was relieved when he heard the roar, and then saw Pinky’s Lamborghini round the corner.
He anxiously waited for his friend to take his time parallel parking his precious vehicle behind his refurbished Nova.
When Pinky emerged, Jake frantically waved, and tapped the imaginary watch on his wrist.
He was about to turn, and head toward the Rebbe’s home when the Lamborghini’s passenger door flung open. The salt and pepper head of retired Detective Roberts emerged, and waved at Jake.
Pinky shot a thumb toward Roberts. “Surprise!”
“Wow!” Jake said to Roberts. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Yup!” Roberts replied. “Got a personal invite from the man himself.” Roberts held up a Challah ‘N More bakery box. “Even stopped to bring dessert.”
The Rebbe and Rebbetzin greeted the four guests at the door. They exchanged greetings, and were seated at one end of an enormously long dining room table.
Their end of the plain white tablecloth was laden with a tuna noodle casserole, a fresh salad, and a large glass pitcher of iced tea. A braided challah rested before the Rebbe.
“Shall we wash?” the Rebbe asked.
He led everyone to the kitchen where they cleansed their hands, and recited the proper blessing while drying them.
Jake talked Roberts through the unfamiliar ceremony.
They returned to their seats, and waited silently.
Roberts started to reach for the iced tea, but Jake discreetly touched his arm motioning him to wait.
The Rebbe lifted the challah, and recited the blessing for bread. He sliced it up, and dipped the slices in salt before biting into one slice, and passing the rest around.
“Dig in everyone,” the Rebbetzin said. “Don’t be shy—we're not formal when it’s just us.”
She passed around the casserole and salad.
After they filled their bellies, and had ample time to chat, the Rebbe cleared his throat loudly while wiping his mouth with a white linen napkin.
“I want to thank the three of you,” he said, nodding at Jake, Pinky, and Roberts, “for helping us root out the troublemakers disrupting our little community. You are each remarkable people. And you Detective Roberts—so nice to meet a real mensch.”
“Retired detective,” Roberts corrected. “But the real heroes here are Jake and Pinky. Me? I just lent a hand where I could.”
“So, what happens now?” the Rebbetzin asked Roberts.
“Well, our friend Benny is in real hot water,” Roberts explained. “They’re charging him for Muttle’s murder. He’ll also be charged with assault, and possibly attempted murder for knocking Jake overboard. Then there’s the matter of his—his little photography sideline,” Roberts continued while winking at the Rebbe. “One way or another he’s getting locked up for a very long time. He may also be charged with another murder. The prints found on the camera belong to Benny, and match prints found on the baseball bat used to kill his adoptive father. Raizy says Benny was trying to save her, but her word may not carry much weight. Seems she and Benny have been scamming Jewish communities like yours all over the country. They’re not even Jewish. They’ve been on the FBI’s radar for years. But they move frequently, and embed themselves in communities that won’t turn their own over to the authorities. Those two were pretty clever, I’ll give ‘em that. They learned how Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities openly welcome newcomers, and help support them. They leveraged that play to the hilt. And the real genius of it was nobody questioned their ignorance of Ultra-Orthodoxy because they posed as secular Jews who decided to become religious.”
“What about Rose Katz?” the Rebbetzin asked.
“She’ll probably get immunity if she follows through and testifies,” Roberts replied.
“You know,” Jake said. “I find the whole Benny and Rose thing strangely befitting.”
“Oh? How so?” the Rebbe asked.
“Benny and Rose got into this mess because Benny pursued Muttle’s wife. And the Torah passage Muttle was fixing for me is what got him killed.”
“I don’t follow,” the Rebbe said.
“Muttle was fixing a faded letter in the tenth commandment—the part about don’t covet your neighbor’s wife.”
“Amazing,” the Rebbe said. “You really don’t miss a thing.”
“The good part is,” Pinky added, “Tuvia Weiss got his diamonds, and now knows his grandfather didn’t let them down. He really did save money for America. I even bought back the one Benny sold to Reuven Grossman.”
The Rebbetzin turned to Jake. “I heard you discovered Benny had the diamonds when you sold the engagement ring you bought for Mindy.”
She nodded toward the Rebbe.
"The Rebbe and I agree we made a bad shidduch matching Rose with Muttle.” The Rebbetzin wagged a finger between Jake and Mindy as she said, “But we absolutely adore the two of you as a couple. You’ve been together so long. What’s the problem Jake?”
“It's not me,” Jake said while cupping his fingers to his chest. “I’ve proposed repeatedly.”
“Well then,” the Rebbetzin said in a chipper tone, “maybe you should just ask one more time.”
Before Jake could respond Mindy blurted, “Yes, maybe he should.”
*****
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JAKE COOPER NOVELS BY IRV SEGAL
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#2 Fatal Flaw in the Tenth Commandment (2024)
#3 Murder of a Kosher Pig (coming soon)