Tuesday The Rabbi Saw Red

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

In the short time that had elapsed since the incident, the Windemere folder had assumed sizeable proportions, there were photographs of the offices of Professor Hendryx and Dean Hanbury, as well as floor plans to show their relation to each other. Most of the folder, however, consisted of typed statements made by the various people questioned by Sergeant Schroeder.

He read over the statements now in preparation for his conference with the assistant district attorney, he had worked with Bradford Ames before and had great respect for him. When Ames prepared a case, nothing was left to chance. Schroeder smiled as he came to Dean Hanbury's statement:.. .The girl then said something insulting and I decided to leave.

QUERY: What did she say, Miss Hanbury?

ANSWER: I'd rather not repeat it. It was a four-letter word.

QUERY: Was it directed at you?

ANSWER: It was addressed to me. I'm not used to— I cannot tolerate that kind of language spoken to me by a snip of a— by a student. In any case, I decided that it was pointless to continue the discussion, so I said. "I must go now" and I left. I left the building and went to my car and drove home.

QUERY: And what time was that. Miss Hanbury?

ANSWER: About half-past three. If the exact time is important. I'm sure you can get it from the Barnard's Crossing police, because I called them almost as soon as I arrived home. I suppose they register all calls. You see, there was a window open—

QUERY: No, no, I'm interested in what time you left the meeting.

ANSWER: Well, it was scheduled for two-thirty, they were prompt. I'll say that for them, we talked for about ten or fifteen minutes when that girl—

QUERY: Yes. Miss Hanbury, then would you say it was two forty-five?

ANSWER: That's about right.

QUERY: Two forty-five to three-thirty, that's pretty fast time to Barnard's Crossing isn't it?

ANSWER: Well, traffic was light, and it may have been that I left as early as two-forty, are you going to charge me with speeding. Sergeant?

The four students in their statements differed markedly with the dean, and to some extent with each other, as to the reason for her departure, insisting that she had not really been offended but had used the remark as an excuse to break off the discussion. Judy Ballantine, who had precipitated the incident, naturally was most insistent that it was merely a ruse, Abner Selzer, on the other hand, was inclined to feel the dean may have been genuinely distressed. "You ought to see my mother when someone talks like that, especially a girl." He also confirmed the dean's time of departure.

ANSWER: It was a few minutes of three when we all got back to the office after looking for her because I looked at my watch and said we'd wait until three and then split. It must have taken us five or ten minutes to search the building, so that would mean she left between two-forty and ten of.

QUERY: And you all left at three?

ANSWER: That's right.

QUERY: Then what did you do?

ANSWER: Oh, we wandered down to the comer diner for a cup of coffee and to talk it over, and we just about got there when we heard this boom. So we ran out and saw smoke coming from the administration building. So naturally we ran back to take a look, and in a couple of minutes— Jeez, there's a whole mob and fire engines, we stood around for a while and then split.

QUERY: Where'd you get the bomb?

ANSWER: Where'd I— Look, get this, we had nothing to do with the bombing.

QUERY: Then who did?

ANSWER: How do I know? Maybe the guy that tossed the last one.

QUERY: And who was that?

ANSWER: How would I know?

QUERY: Look, Abner, if you cooperate with us—ANSWER: I'm not saying another word, not another goddam word.

He had tried it on each of them, a series of innocuous questions followed by the sudden accusation, not in any real hope of getting them to confess but on the chance of upsetting them enough so he could bore in, he could have saved his breath. Yance Allworth said, "Man, I wouldn't know what a bomb looks like." O'Brien said. "You got the wrong picture. Sergeant, we're just a bunch of do-gooding liberals." Judy's response had been. "Why don't you get off the jerk, copper?" And when he asked who could have done it if not her group, she had said. "Maybe the dean laid an egg and it exploded."

The last sheet in his folder was a time chart based on the testimonies of those he had questioned:

1:00-1:15: Hendryx leaves apartment and goes to his office. (Mrs. O'Rourke's statement. No corroboration.)

2:01-2:03: Rabbi enters his office. (Class runs from 1:00-2:00.)

2:10: Rabbi leaves building. (His statement.)

2:30: Committee arrives at dean's office. (Statements of all members of committee and dean.)

2:40-2:50: Dean leaves meeting and starts for home. (Statements of committee and dean. Earlier time probable on basis of time of her arrival home.)

2:45-2:55: Mrs. O'Rourke leaves to catch 3:00 bus. (Her statement, not corroborated.)

3:00: Committee leaves building. (Their statements. N.B.: Selzer looked at his watch.)

3:05: Bomb explodes. (Statement of Lt. Hawkins, Station 15.)

He remembered he did not as yet have the report of the medical examiner. It was not particularly important in this situation with the cause and time of death known. On the other hand, not having it would mean sloppy preparation, something Ames would never permit.

He called the receptionist and asked whether the medical examiner's report had come in yet.

"About half an hour ago. I put it in your box."

"Jennie, be a good kid and get it for me.»

He slit the envelope and ran an expert eye over the report. Cause of death was given as a blow from an object weighing approximately sixty pounds."...skull crushed.., fragments of cranial bones embedded in brain..." Death was practically instantaneous. "Time of death: between 2:10 P.M, and 2:40 P.M., November 13.»

He spotted the mistake immediately, the good doctor had no doubt meant between 2:40 and 3:10. Probably his secretary had transcribed her notes incorrectly.

He called the receptionist and asked her to get him Dr. Lagrange. He waited impatiently, gnawing on his lower lip in vexation, then the phone rang, but it was Jennie. "He's not in, he's gone away for a few days, and won't be back until Monday."

"Where'd he go? Did they say?"

"On a camping trip."

"Well, doesn't he call in or keep in touch?"

"I asked, but his girl said he hasn't so far. I told her to have him contact us when he does."

"Call her again and let me talk to her. «When he was put through, he said. "Oh look, miss. I’ve got Dr. Lagrange's report in front of me. Did he dictate his notes to you?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, I think you must have transcribed them wrong. It says here that time of death was between two-ten and two-forty. I'm sure he reversed the figures and meant between two-forty and three-ten."

"Just a minute. Sergeant. I'll check my notes." There was a pause while she got her notes. "Here it is. Sergeant. 'Time of death: between 2:10 P.M, and 2:40 P.M....’ I remember his remarking that he was able to pinpoint it so closely because the examination was made so close to the time of death. I'm sorry, Sergeant, the report is correct."