“Which are many,” Luke added.
“It seemed easier at the time,” Eva said. “And it hasn’t cost Dad a penny. David’s paying it back.”
“Where were you this evening?” Decker asked Eva.
“At home until I heard…” She looked down and turned away.
Decker’s eyes went to Luke.
“I was at work,” he said. “I finished up with a client around eight and was in my office doing paperwork until Bram called me.”
“You work at the Bomb Shelter?” Decker asked.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Yes, I work at the Bomb Shelter. Yes, I was an addict. Yes, I no doubt ingested thousands of dollars up my nose. Yes, I am now flat broke. Yes, I am now also sober. Yes, I’ve been sober for three years. Yes, I was alone for two hours in my office. No, nobody saw me. And no, I didn’t kill my father.”
Bram stifled a smile. Luke caught it and smiled back. Paul said, “I’m glad you two can find humor at a time like this.”
Luke said, “My dad is…was a wealthy man, Lieutenant. He and my mom hardly spent a dime. They, unlike me, are simple, modest people. I also went to him when I needed something especially in my glorious drug days. We all borrowed from Dad…well, not Bram. He’s the golden boy-”
Paul said, “Guy made a vow of poverty, and he’s the only one of us with money in the bank.”
“Church gives him everything,” Luke said to Decker.
Quietly, Bram said, “Can we change the subject?”
Luke said, “All I know is you’ve upward of fifty grand-”
“Luke!” Maggie said.
“What would you like me to do with my stipend, Lucas?” Bram said.
“Give it to me,” Luke said.
“Speaking of money,” Bram said, “did Dad have a will?”
No one answered.
Michael said, “I know Dad has a lawyer. The guy from the church.”
“Which guy, Michael?” Luke asked. “There are lots of guys-”
Michael glared at Luke. “With the white hair and the veiny, red nose.”
Luke said, “Well, that narrows it to about three thousand-”
“He’s an elder on the council,” Michael tried again. “He lost his wife a couple of years ago. Gosh, I can’t think of his name!”
“I know who you mean,” Maggie said. “Waterman.”
“Waterson,” Luke and Paul said simultaneously.
“William Waterson,” Bram said. “Paul, you take care of the funeral arrangements so Mom doesn’t have to be bothered with them.”
Paul’s eyelids twitched. “You expect me to pay?”
Bram was patient. “No. If need be, I’ll pay. But if Dad had a will and left us anything, maybe we can borrow against some of the funds to pay for the funeral. Save Mom some unnecessary heartache. And since you know about finance, it makes the most sense for you to call up Waterson and ask the questions.”
Paul’s voice was tight. “I have no problem with that, Abram. I just didn’t know what you meant.”
“So, now you know,” Bram said. “I’ll handle the service tomorrow. I’ll do as much of the calling as I can tonight, then I’ll finish up in the morning. I’m not going to sleep anyway. Any objections?”
No one spoke.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to get started. Dad had lots of friends and admirers, and it’s going to take me a while.” Bram turned to Decker. “Can you drive me back to St. Thomas’s?”
“I’d be happy to,” Decker said. “I just need a little bit more information.” He turned to Eva. “Can I get your last name, ma’am?”
“Shapiro.”
Decker’s pause was fractional before he wrote it down. Suddenly, Eva burst into tears. “It was all so stupid!” She looked at Bram with wet eyes. “Why is life so stupid!”
“I don’t know why.” Bram turned to Paul. “Maybe you should take her home.”
“Everything is so meaningless!” Eva opened a Gucci bag, pulled out a silk handkerchief, and dabbed her eyes. “I didn’t even have a chance to say good-bye. Or to say I love you. And just when we were starting to get along!”
Maggie broke down into heavy sobs. Bram said, “Michael, could you check on Mom? It’s been a while.”
Wordlessly, Michael went up the stairs.
Eva faced Decker. “My parents and I haven’t been on very good terms for some time.”
Bram said, “You don’t need to get into this, Eva.”
“He’s going to find out anyway,” Eva said. “It’s actually my husband and my father. They don’t get along. I’m caught in the middle.”
Bram said, “Eva, honey, maybe we should save this-”
“You see, my parents are very devout people,” Eva continued. “Religious, good people. But…”
“But your husband’s Jewish,” Decker said. “It’s created some problems.”
Eva stared at him, dumbfounded.
Bram rubbed his eyes. “Last name, Eva. It’s a giveaway.”
Decker said, “I can understand how intermarriage might cause conflict.”
“It isn’t that David’s religious,” Eva said. “Quite the contrary, he isn’t religious at all. Neither are his parents. David never grew up with any kind of religious training. And from the start, he’s had no objection to me raising the kids as Christians. They’ve been baptized and confirmed. The kids and I attend church regularly. David doesn’t care. But for some stubborn reason, he refuses to convert! Jews are very stubborn peo-”
“Eva,” Bram chided.
“Bram, you can’t deny that it says right in the Bible that they’re stiff-necked-”
“Eva, enough.”
“It doesn’t say that in the Bible?”
“You’re quoting Bible to me?”
Eva stood up from the couch, fire in her eyes. “I’m telling you what it says right in the holy book.” She picked up the Bible from the coffee table. “Would you like me to find the passage?”
“Exodus thirty-two, nine,” he said wearily. “You’re being literal-”
“And you’re being condescending.”
“Eva, can we save the biblical exegesis-”
“You know, Bram, maybe I don’t know Hebrew like you do. But I do know Jews-”
“Fine, Eva, you’re a mavin on contemporary Jewish Zeitgeist. Can we move on?”
“What in the world is a Zeitgeist?” Paul asked. “Sounds like something from a fifties horror flick.”
“Honestly, Bram, I think you pull these words out of a hat!” Eva exclaimed.
“Isn’t it a sociology term?” Maggie said.
Bram said, “It’s the intellectual, moral, and cultural state of a people in a given era.”
“Sure, I knew that,” Luke said.
“What’s a mavin?” Paul asked.
“Expert,” Bram said. “Comes from the Hebrew word lehaveen-to understand.”
“So why didn’t you just say ‘so you’re an expert on Jews.’” Eva crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “You’re just infuriating sometimes. Always complicating everything. Just like David. He couldn’t make things easy on me and the family and just convert. No, he had to be spiteful-”
“Maybe the poor guy was just trying to assert himself,” Paul said. “Dad can be very intimidating.”
“The word is bossy,” Luke said.
“How can you talk about him like that after what happened to him!” Eva yelled out.
“You know, Eva, you don’t have a monopoly on grief,” Luke said. “I’m just as devastated as you are.”
Eva went on. “If David really cared about his family, he could have converted. Of course, now it’s too late!”
“Cold nights ahead for David,” Luke muttered.
Paul stifled a smile. A beeper went off. The priest looked at his belt, checked the number, then stood up. “Excuse me for a moment.”
After Bram left the room, Eva turned her ire to Paul. “You know when Spencer was sick, David sure didn’t mind Dad handling all the surgeries and the medical expenses. Suddenly, Dad’s take-charge attitude didn’t bother him a bit!”
“What was wrong with Spencer?” Decker asked.