Decker 01 by Faye Kellerman

Author:Faye Kellerman [Kellerman, Faye]
Format: epub
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2010-02-17T08:10:36+00:00

"Yes. Just forget it!"

Sammy was holding back tears. Rina brushed the hair out of his eyes and repinned his kipah.

"It's just not fair," he said in a cracked voice.

"No, it isn't," she agreed. "Listen, maybe we can work something out with another organization who'd - "

Decker walked in, hair wet and slicked back, carrying a big box.

"Why the long faces?" he asked.

Rina waved her hand in the air, and he didn't press it.

"Don't beg, Ginger." Decker placed the carton on an empty chair, then poured out a bowl of dry dog food.

"Can I give Ginger some chicken?" Jacob asked.

"The grease isn't good for her, Jake."

"What've you got in the box?" asked Sammy.

"These are some Jewish books and articles that my ex-wife's grandfather brought over from Europe. When he died, no one in the family wanted them, so I took 'em. I've been meaning to take them to the yeshiva." Decker ripped open the sealed top and held up a leather-bound book with pages edged in gilt.

"Does this mean anything to you?" he asked.

"Wait a minute," Rina said. "My hands are dirty." She and the boys washed their hands, and Decker took the carton of books into the living room.

Jake picked up the book that Decker had been holding. "That's a machzor" he said.

"A what?"

Sammy took it and opened it carefully. "It's a prayer book for the New Year. This side is Hebrew, but I don't know what language this is." He handed the book to Rina.

"It's German," she said. "Was her grandfather from Germany?"

"I don't know," said Decker.

"Look at all these beautiful sepharim" Rina said, pulling out another volume. It was bound in dark green leather, the cover lettering stenciled in gold. She looked at the date of publication - 1798.

"A lot of sepharim were destroyed during World War Two. These may be very valuable, Peter."

"Look at this, Eema," said Sammy, holding up an elaborately filigreed, foot-long scroll case. "Yeah, what is that?" Decker asked. "See, you pull this tab over here, and the text comes out of this slit. It's illustrated with all this beautiful artwork - "

"This is unbelievable!" Rina said, pulling on the tab gingerly.

"Megillas Esther," Sammy said.

"Fantastic." Rina was awestruck. "Look how clear the lettering is."

"Can you read it?" Decker asked her.

"It's easy," Jake said, rattling off the first line.

"You know what it means?" the detective asked.

"Yeah, it's talking about this king, Ahashverus, and his kingdom," Sammy said.

"Hodu v'od Kush? What are those countries again?"

"India and Ethiopia," said Rina.

"Amazing," Decker said.

"The kids are bilingual," Rina explained. "Yitzchak only spoke Hebrew to them."

"What do you do with this?" Decker asked.

"You read it on Purim, of course," Jake said.

"Of course," Decker repeated.

"It's my favorite holiday," Jake explained. "You get to dress up in a costume, and the shul has a big Purim party after they read the megilla. All the older boys get drunk and throw up. It's so gross, but it's real funny. The next day you get to stuff your face with cookies and candies that your friends bring you.

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