“Glad to hear it. We can celebrate both triumphs tonight,” Jamie suggests cheerfully.
“Totally!”
“Great. Let’s meet at Crazy Joe’s at seven.”
“Seven it is. See you tonight.”
“Okay, bye.”
Jamie hangs up. Turning her attention back to driving, she begins to think again about Seth. He really is a good man. Seth actually cares about helping people and doing the right thing. In a way, Jamie decides, he’s like a superhero, but with scientific abilities instead of superhuman strength. He solves crimes and catches bad guys, all from his lab. Not as glamorous as comic book superheroes, but noble nonetheless.
Thinking about the chocolate ice cream bars, Jamie decides she should surprise him with a gift as well. Now all she has to do is figure out what to get for him. As she is driving out of Philadelphia, singing along to her favorite Coldplay CD, she sees an advertisement for a vineyard in Chadds Ford. Wine would be a perfect gift for Seth! She follows the billboards to the exit and makes the detour. In the end, Jamie leaves with a bottle of 2009 Merlot and a 2010 Riesling.
Her mind drifts back to her discovery. She is curious to know the significance of August 8th. She turns her Bluetooth back on and calls Rabbi Silverman.
“Hello?”
“Hi, this is Jamie Golding.”
“Ah, Jamie how are you doing?”
“Great, thanks, and you?”
“Thank God. I got your message and was planning on calling you.”
“Well, I would like to pick up where we left off last meeting,” Jamie explains. “Preferably tomorrow.”
“Right, well, the Kollel learns from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 p.m., so how about one o’clock tomorrow? Will that work?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll put you down then,” Rabbi Silverman confirms.
“I have another quick question, if you have a moment.”
“Go ahead.”
“I want to know the significance of August 8th, 2012.”
“You mentioned that in your message. I don’t know offhand. Why?”
“There was another murder, but it occurred on August 8th, and not on Purim or Hoshana Raba. It was done by the same killer, and the note he left had ‘adal ya’ and the initials H.F. on it. But I don’t know the significance of August 8th. It did not coincide with any Jewish holiday that I could find.”
“I will see what I can come up with. We will talk tomorrow.”
“That’s fine. Tomorrow it is.”
“Wonderful. I will see you then, im yirtsa Hashem,” Rabbi Silverman tells her cordially.
“Yes, and thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it.” Jamie does not bother to ask what the Hebrew phrase meant.
“It’s my pleasure.”
“Bye.”
By the time Jamie arrives back in Virginia, she is so ecstatic that she can hardly think about going back in to work for the last a couple of hours. Instead, she drives to her apartment to chill before she goes out to dinner with Seth.
Their favorite bar is within walking distance, and the weather is so nice that Jamie decides to take the stroll. Jamie goes inside and sits down at a free table. She does not have to wait long before she sees Seth walking into the pub. With a wave of her hand, Jamie gets his attention.
“Hey! How about a big hug for a great success today!” Seth offers as he approaches Jamie.
“Sure!” Jamie responds, standing up and meeting his embrace. “What a day! All of our hard work and persistence paid off!”
“I can drink to that,” Seth agrees, grinning. He looks around and calls a waiter to their table.
They both order beer and an entree. Once the waiter leaves, Jamie pulls out the wine from under the table.
“I have a present for you,” she says, presenting the gift bag.
“You didn’t have to get me anything…especially since I didn’t get you anything,” Seth responds, clearly abashed.
“No, no, don’t worry—the ice cream bars were perfect. But I thought you might want to celebrate tonight with this instead.” Jamie flashes an evil grin.
“Wait, I know that smile, and I don’t trust you.” Seth grins back.
“Well, you enjoyed it the night we put dish soap in the fountain,” Jamie counters, her wicked smile only widening.
Seth instantly begins laughing. After calming himself down, he answers very seriously, “I thought we were never going to talk about that again.”
“Well, here, open it already,” Jamie encourages, ignoring his playful admonition, as she slides the present across the small, round table.
“Alright, but whatever is in there had better not bite.”
Jamie just laughs again at his mock suspicion. “Don’t worry—you will love it!”
“Oh, Merlot, my favorite,” Seth exclaims, pulling the bottle of wine out of the bag. “And a Riesling! Thanks.”
“Found a vineyard on the way home from Philly. Thought you might like a bottle.” Jamie smiles from ear to ear.
“You’re right! We will have to go home and enjoy this together.”
The waiter arrives with their beers and greets them with a smile, “Glad you guys are enjoying yourselves tonight.” He takes their order and off into the crowd again.
“For as crowded as it is, at least we are getting fast service,” Seth remarks, taking a sip of own beer.
“Well, I guess we aren’t the only ones with something to celebrate,” Jamie speculates, surveying the crowd.
“Here’s your order, the citrus salmon, mashed potatoes with asparagus,—” announces the waiter, putting a steaming plate in front of Jamie.
“Thanks,” Jamie replies, startled by his sudden reappearance.
“—And a shepherd's pie with ground beef and mixed veggies, and mashed potatoes with gravy,” the waiter finishes as he sets the other plate in front of Seth.
“It looks great, thanks.”
“Need anything else?”
“No I’m good,” Jamie replies.
“Nope, thanks,” Seth echoes.
“Enjoy your meal!” The waiter is off to another table.
“Cheers to our successes today,” Jamie says, holding up her beer.
“Cheers,” Seth agrees, clinking his beer against hers.
They recap the events of the day. Jamie tells Seth about her impromptu visit to Shap. Seth tells her he seems to have been better lately. Jamie mentions that she has not seen Chris in a while. When it comes time to pay Seth takes out his wallet.
“No way! I’m paying tonight. It’s my treat,” Jamie protests.
At that moment, the waiter walks by the table. “Are you guys ready for some boxes and checks?”
“Yes,” Jamie bursts out before Seth can speak up. “But it’s one check, and I will be taking it.”
“Great. I will be right back.” The waiter again disappears, this time toward the cash register.
“Right. So where should we go for dessert, then?” Seth asks hopefully.
“I’ve got some ice cream at my place already, or did you forget,” Jamie suggests, her grin returning.
“That’s a great idea.”
“Here’s your check, ma’am, and boxes for both of you,” the waiter proclaims, as he comes to the table. He puts the boxes down and lowers the check in the middle between Seth and Jamie. Seth reaches out to grab it, but he is just a little too slow. Jamie snatches it up and puts her credit card in without looking. She hands it back to the waiter and looks at Seth with sly triumph.
“Fine, but I get to pay next time.”
“Deal,” Jamie concedes with a laugh at his expression.
As they walk through the door, Jamie says, slightly embarrassed, “Since it was a beautiful night, I walked…”
“Good, me too. Guess we are on the same wavelength.” Seth winks at her.
“Let’s go,” Jamie says, threading her arm through his.
Jamie smiles at Seth and really looks at him. He is very handsome in his black s
lacks, red button-up, and sport coat. One thing Seth had always been good about is dressing well.
“You look nice,” Jamie compliments him, as they start walking down the street.
“Thanks,” Seth replies, clearly taken aback. “You look great too, as usual.”
When they reach her apartment, Jamie unlocks the front door lets them in. “Sorry about the mess. I got back today and didn’t really clean up after myself,” Jamie apologizes, as she pushes her traveling bag out of the way.
“No problem. I’ve seen it in worse shape.”
“Okay, good point,” Jamie concedes. “I’ll get some wineglasses. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable.”
“Sure.” Seth walks away toward the living room.
Since it is a special occasion, Jamie pulls out two of her fancy wineglasses, and a corkscrew, then meets Seth in the living room.
“I’m excited to try your Merlot. The woman at the vineyard said it is really good,” Jamie tells him, putting the glasses on the coffee table. She takes a seat next to Seth on the couch.
“Alright then, let’s do this,” Seth declares, opening the bottle of wine. He pours it slowly into one of the glasses and hands it to Jamie.
“Thanks,” Jamie says gently, swirling her cup of wine.
“A toast to our successes, and may we celebrate many more,” Seth cries, holding out his glass to Jamie.
“Here, here,” Jamie affirms, tapping her wine glass against Seth’s and taking of sip of the rich wine. A citrus flavor fills her mouth. Jamie thinks to herself that it has been a while since she had Merlot and that she has been missing out.
She lets out a sigh and puts her feet up on the coffee table. “I did over seven hours of driving today. It was worth it, though.”
“Here, give me your feet,” Seth directs her.
“What? Why?”
“I bet you could use some more relaxation, since you’ve been working on such a stressful case,” Seth explains. He takes another sip of his wine then puts it back on the coffee table.
“No way, what if my feet smell,” Jamie refuses with a giggle of embarrassment.
“Don’t be silly. Besides, you have to admit it’s been way too long since you got a foot massage.”
“Okay, fine.” Jamie caves in stretches her legs out across the couch. Seth takes her delicate feet between his strong hands and begins rubbing them. Jamie lets out at a sigh.
“That feels great.”
“Good,” Seth replies, working gently on the ball of her foot.
“Anywhere else that you’re tense?” Seth asks, switching to the other foot.
Jamie reaches for her wine and takes a few, reflective sips. “All that driving really took a toll on my back and neck,” she finally decides after putting her glass back down and rubbing her neck.
“Great, I will tackle them next,” Seth declares, pausing to enjoy a drink from his wineglass.
“Why are you so good to me?” Jamie questions suddenly. “Looking back, you’ve always been good to me.”
Seth just smiles at her.
Jamie feels warm and content. She goes to reach for her wineglass again, only to discover that it is empty. When did that happen? She sits up to get some more but finds herself, unexpectedly, looking Seth full in the face.
“You have such nice eyes,” Jamie tells him, her voice almost a whisper.
“Thanks,” Seth whispers back. “I like your eyes too. They’re beautiful.”
“Here let me get your neck,” Seth offers as he moves closer to Jamie.
She turns her back to him, and he begins to rub her neck. Jamie is lost in the touch of his hands on her skin. She feels herself melt under his strong but tender hands. Seth’s fingers move down to her shoulders. Jamie groans with satisfaction and catches Seth’s right hand between her shoulder and cheek, hugs it tightly. She quickly kisses his hand before he can move it away. Instinctively, she turns to face Seth. The dark brown eyes are sparkling. A delicious chocolate brown.
She feels the excitement of anticipation as she moves closer to Seth’s face. His warm, moist breath smells sweet, like the Merlot. He is moving towards her too. So many emotions well up in Jamie. It is almost as if she has been holding back her feelings for Seth, and they are coming to the surface at this moment.
His warm lips brush hers softly, and Jamie immediately wants more. Before he can pull away, Jamie puts her hand behind his head and kisses him again, bringing him to her. Their breath comes in short gasps, as the small brushing kiss grows more intense.
Jamie’s mind is whirling with passion. She has not felt this kind of desire in a long time. Jamie wants nothing more than to be close to Seth, closer than ever before. She continues to kiss him, her hands wandering to his chest as she starts to unbutton his shirt. At the same time, one of his hands is caressing her face, while the other slides seductively up her thigh. Jamie yearns for him to continue.
Tonight she will get her wish.
Chapter 41
Jamie arrives at the Kollel Learning Center a little before 1:00 p.m. She slowly approaches to look in through the glass walls encasing the study hall. She is curious to what she might see on her second visit. She finds the four pairs of rabbis sitting at the tables, engrossed in large volumes in front of them. Several of the rabbis are swaying rapidly back and forth in their chairs. There is a loud buzz of incomprehensible banter, some of which seems to be uttered in a sing-song tune. No one looks like they are going to strike another today. She stares idly for a moment, amazed at the intensity of their learning. Based on what Rabbi Silverman told her yesterday, they have been doing this for almost four hours straight. Haven’t they mastered it yet? I mean, they are already rabbis. Shouldn’t they know it by now?
Rabbi Silverman looks casually at his watch, then peers around to where Jamie is standing. He waves for her to come in, and they walk to one of the empty tables. Not one of the other rabbis even looks up from his book. It cannot be every day that an FBI agent walks in, yet no one seems remotely interested.
“Do you guys get to graduate any time soon?” Jamie asks.
Rabbi Silverman laughs. “Nope, no graduation from Torah learning. It’s a lifelong pursuit.”
“But four hours straight, that’s really something.”
“Well, in the morning it’s four hours; the afternoon study session is only three hours. It’s a great job.”
“Job? You mean you guys get paid to study?”
“Yes, but we teach, too. Every Tuesday and Thursday, a few of us end at twelve, and we take pizza to various places for lunch-and-learns. Every evening, we teach Torah classes or learn with people from the community that work during the day. It’s a fifteen-hour day. Sundays as well.”
“Fascinating.”
“Speaking of fascinating, what’s going on in your world?”
“We had a press conference and came out about the murders. Did you see it? It was on the news.”
“No, we don’t have a television. Won’t allow one in the house.”
“Okay…Well, after the press conference, we got a call from Edison, New Jersey, and apparently there was a murder there on August 8, 2011. It matched the others—note and all. Adalia and H.F., or Hans Frank, according to what you revealed. I put together a clear pattern for the occasions when the murders took place, except that he skipped Hoshana Raba of last year. Well, one would think that he did, except that he also skipped that note, for Aridata and Wilhelm Frick. So I did some digging and found out that there was a murder this past Hoshana Raba. That puts our total at eight. I’m finding murders, but I’m supposed to be finding the murderer!” She says the last part loud enough for one of the remaining kollel rabbis to look up.
Rabbi Silverman looks around as well, to see if anyone heard what she said. Two of the rabbis are leaving, but the rabbi who looked up catches Rabbi Silverman’s eye and tells him, “I have to be somewhere at two, so I can stay until about ten-of.”
“Okay, that should be fine.” He turns back to
Jamie and says, “We may have to go somewhere else if we’re not done by then. Don’t worry, though, it’s no problem to go upstairs. I can give you as much time as you need.”
Jamie looks at him, clearly confused. He explains, “Unless someone else comes, then we will be here alone. We don’t seclude ourselves with women other than our wives.”
“Oh, right…” she hears herself say, still a little disoriented by the exchange. “Like I was saying, there have been a total of eight murders. There were ten sons of Haman and ten hanged at Nuremberg. Am I supposed to believe that there are to be ten here as well? And only ten? Who says he is going to stop at ten?”
“Were all of these victims Nazis?”
“It is hard to tell in what exact capacity they each acted, but, yes, they were all in Europe during the war, and they weren’t working for the Allies.”
“You know, according to the Midrash, there was an eleventh who died in the Purim story who wasn’t hanged, and there was an eleventh at Nuremberg who wasn’t hanged. Both committed suicide. Haman’s daughter and Hermann Goering. Hermann Goering was scheduled to be hanged with the rest, but he committed suicide a couple of hours before, in his cell. Cyanide or something.”
“I read the book of Esther. I don’t remember anything about Haman’s daughter killing herself.”
“It is only subtly alluded to. You would have to read it in the Hebrew to even notice. The Talmud tells us what happened. When Haman was ordered to parade Mordechai through the town on the King’s horse, people came out to see what was going on. When they approached Haman’s house, Haman’s daughter went to the roof to see what the commotion was. She couldn’t see clearly what was going on. Someone shouted that it was Haman and Mordechai. Obviously, she assumed that her father was on the horse and that Mordechai was leading him through the streets. She figured she would show Mordechai what she thought of him, so she grabbed a chamber pot and dumped it on his head from the roof. It landed right on Haman. Haman, covered with excrement, looked up and saw his daughter. When she saw the mortified look on her father’s face, she jumped off the roof and killed herself. It fits nicely in among the parallels between the two. Eleven deaths, ten hanged and one suicide in both stories.”
The Esther Code Page 25