Wednesday the Rabbi got wet

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

There's the accident and there's the fire policies on the Kimberly Place property, and here's a statement for the premiums," said the insurance agent with a sheepish smile. "Saves a stamp."

"Would you like me to pay you now, Murray?" asked Safferstein.

"Well..."

Safferstein reached for his checkbook.

"I can always use the money," said Murray Isaacs, that was what was so nice in dealing with Bill Safferstein, anybody else would at least make him wait until the first of the month.

Safferstein passed the check across the desk. "You going to the board meeting Sunday?"

"You bet," Isaacs assured him. "I'll be there, the missus wanted us to run down to New York for the weekend to see my daughter. But I told her nothing doing, I had to be at the board meeting."

Safferstein clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. "Something special expected at the meeting?"

Isaacs stared at him. "We're voting on the rabbi's motion to reconsider the sale of the Goralsky Block. Didn't you know?"

"Oh sure, but is there any question on it?"

"Well, you can never be too safe, I say, and every vote helps." '

"But it was carried unanimous—"

"Yeah, but that was before the rabbi made his spiel."

"And you mean that could change some votes? I didn't think he was that convincing," said Safferstein easily.

"It's sort of funny about the rabbi, he's such a low-keyed kind of guy, you know, never raises his voice. Even in his sermons, it's like a professor lecturing to a class. So when he does get excited, it makes a special impression, like this is something that means a lot to him." "Yes, but—"

"And remember, Billy, not all the guys that voted for that motion were sold on the idea. I mean, everybody was anxious to sell the Goralsky Block, but not everybody was keen on using the money to buy the property up in Petersville. But where the two are tied together in one motion, they went along."

"So you could always split it into two different motions, couldn't you?"

"Well, of course, but some of the guys have been saying that maybe the board acted hastily, that if it's against the Jewish law like the rabbi says— well, you know, and then there are the guys who weren't at the meeting, and the past presidents. If the rabbi was to contact them.., see what I mean?"

"How does it look to you right now, Murray?" "Oh, we'll win, there's no question about that." But Safferstein detected doubt underneath the brave assurance, and for some minutes after the insurance agent left he sat staring gloomily out the window at the gray afternoon sky, then he reached for the phone and called Kaplan.

"Murray Isaacs is an idiot," declared Chester Kaplan flatly. "Sure some guys will switch their votes, but I'm not worried."

"He said the rabbi made a big impression with his speech at the meeting."

Kaplan laughed. "Yeah, he really had them going for a minute or two. But then do you know what happened? The school bell rang, and it just petered out. Look, the rabbi is a rabbi. It's his job to point out any little corner-cutting ethicswise. But the people on the board are practical men, and they've had a chance to think about it. I'm sure they'll vote the right way Sunday."

"Have you done anything about it, though?" asked Safferstein.

"How do you mean?"

"Have you spoken to each member of the board? Have you done any campaigning?"

"Oh sure. Bill, that goes on all the time. I'm always in touch with the membership. But I'll tell you something that would really clinch it, make it a unanimous vote, in fact."

"What's that?"

"Well, the big thing appears to be Aptaker's lease," said Kaplan. "That's what got the rabbi worked up in the first place. Now if you could give Aptaker a renewal—"

"No." "No?"

"No, I've got special plans for that store. Look, Chet, what you've got to do is call each and every member and make a real strong pitch."

"There's no time, Billy."

"What do you mean, there's no time. You've got tonight and tomorrow—"

"It's the Sabbath. I don't do business on the Sabbath." said Kaplan stiffly. "I could make a couple of calls now and a few Saturday night—"

"If you pick the right ones that could help a lot."

"All right. Billy, I'll do what I can, and don't worry. I'm sure we'll win."

Brave words, but the more Safferstein thought about it, the more it seemed that Kaplan was anything but certain of the outcome, he got up and paced the floor, trying to assess the situation, he felt hemmed in, he opened the door and, taking his hat from the rack, he announced to the receptionist that he was going home.

She glanced at the clock. "You all right, Mr. Safferstein?" "Yeah, I'm all right. Just a little headachy."

"Hadn't you better take your raincoat? It's hanging in the closet. You could be coming down with something."

"No. I'm okay." But Safferstein went back into his office and shrugged into his raincoat, automatically, he thrust his hands into the pockets and felt something unfamiliar in one of them, he drew out a bulky manila envelope and stared at it for a moment, and then he remembered: it was the envelope of pills, the original one that he had got for Mona. Curious, he went to the desk and opened the bottle and shook a couple of pills out on the desktop, then he reached for the phone and called Dr. Muntz.

"Bill Safferstein. You remember about somebody swapping coats with me at Chet Kaplan's the other night, the night of the big storm? Well, the next day I got a refill on that prescription you wrote—"

"From Town-Line Drugs?"

"Sure from Town-Line, they had the prescription, well, I just came across the original pills. See, I got the coat back from Chet and the pills were still in the pocket. What I'm calling about is that they're different from the ones I gave Mona. I mean they're different from the refill, they're the same size and shape, I guess, but these are a different color. So I wonder could it be because they were in my pocket and maybe got wet, or—"

"I'd have to take a look at them, Billy," said Dr. Muntz. "I'm going to be tied up here for another half hour or so. Where are you calling from?"

"From the office, but I'm on my way home right now."

"Suppose I stop off at your house when I get through here. I'd like to see them."

As soon as he hung up. Dr. Muntz smiled broadly and strode into the office of his colleague, Dr. Kantrovitz. "I think I have the solution to the problem of our young friend, Dan Cohen," he said, rubbing his hands, he then described the phone call he had just received from Safferstein.

"I don't get it, Al. How does that help Dan?"

"Don't you see?" said Dr. Muntz. "This is another mistake that Town-Line made on a prescription. But I can do something about this one because it's my patient. Mona Safferstein, who was affected."

"What are you going to do?" asked Kantrovitz.

"I'm not sure yet how I'll handle it, the important thing is that now I can do something. Marcus Aptaker is a nice guy and I wouldn't want to hurt him. But if it's a choice between him getting hurt and Dan Cohen getting hurt, naturally my loyalties have to be with Dan."