Murder At The Mikvah (41 page)

 Fifty-nine

After leaving the office of her Princeton client, Judith flew north up the turnpike toward Manhattan, trying to drown out her own thoughts with talk radio. It wasn’t something she had
planned
to say, she reminded herself, but once she saw Lauren's suitcase—still open from the day before when Sonia stopped by with her new baby—she had just blurted it out:

It's probably best that you go now Lauren. The kids will have an easier time getting back to their old routine; you know, the one they had before you moved in
.

The girl was packing anyway, Judith reminded herself, so why then did she feel so guilty?

Judith glanced at the clock. It was a few minutes before one. Yehuda and the kids were probably leaving the hospital and heading over to school for the final Chanukah play rehearsal. Tomorrow was the big event! If all went smoothly at the office this afternoon—thankfully, Judith had only one deposition to attend—she would be back in Arden Station tonight by dinner, in time for a pre-production celebration. Rachel was ecstatic Judith was coming. “
Nana’s very first school event!”
she had announced innocently. Still, Judith cringed at those words. How could she have let this happen? How could she have wasted so much time?

Judith raised the radio volume. Mavis Murphy, the famous baby-boomer psychologist was discussing her new book
Love Don’t Live Here Anymore.

“Women have been sold a bill of goods,” Mavis was saying to the interviewer. “Feminism told us that we could have it all. That we could be like men. Earn like men,
bleep
like men… Oh sorry.”

“It’s okay, we have a six second time delay.”

“And don't I need it!” Mavis laughed. Her voice was scratchy, probably from years of smoking. “As I was saying… women were told they could do everything a man could, but what they
weren’t
told was that there was a catch. That in order to reap the benefits bestowed on
man
kind, we had to bury our femininity. In essence, resurrect ourselves as men. On some unconscious level, women understood this. There was a time early in the movement when women even began dressing like men… ”

The interviewer chimed in. “I remember: pin striped suits, ties and… ”

“That’s right,” Mavis interrupted right back. “Of course that came on the heels of bra burning. Remember… how we dress on the outside tells the world what’s going on in the inside. Our clothes define us.”

It sounded like something Hannah would say, Judith thought. She ran a hand down one of her pant legs. It figured she had pin stripes on.

“So your advice to women is…?”

Mavis sighed dramatically. “How much time have we got?”

“Apparently not enough,” the interviewer said. “But seriously, your message is what exactly? Are you suggesting that gender roles should be more clearly drawn? And, if so, wouldn’t that only serve to subjugate women to the very limitations that they fought so hard to overcome?”

“The goal of my book
Love don’t live here anymore—
which is available online and in bookstores nationwide—does not seek to tell women what they should or should not do with their lives,” Mavis said. “The message of my book is directed to women in their fifties and sixties who were swept up in the feminist movement. Sadly, many of these women are suddenly awakening to the harsh reality that something is missing from their lives. I challenge these women to entertain the possibility that what is missing is a man! Too many of us are ashamed of our biological drives. We equate
wanting
a man with
needing
a man.”

“What a
crock
,” Judith mumbled. She switched off the radio but couldn’t get Mavis Murphy's voice out of her head.
Women have been sold a bill of goods…
followed by the more sincere words of Lewis Danzig:
your only mistake was choosing a man not worthy of you.

Her heart fluttered. What was the matter with her? Why couldn’t she get Lewis Danzig out of her head? She missed him, that was why. After their impromptu meeting outside the township building, Lewis had been calling her every day. “Just checking in,” he would say. They would chat for a few minutes and then he would end the call with “I hope you have a day as lovely as you are, Judith.” Sure it was corny, but she had come to look forward to hearing his voice. A voice of reason, she called it. After all, he was the one who convinced her that even if Lauren
did
by some remote chance harbor a crush on Yehuda, it was not in his character to betray his family.

But now that Peter Stem had been released from prison, the call frequency had decreased significantly. Lewis was spending long hours at the rectory overseeing Peter's care. From what little he told her, Peter was making progress every day.

Judith gripped the wheel tightly as she contemplated the fact that a killer was still on the loose. Naturally her first concern had been for Hannah. Was she in danger? Would the guy come after her to finish the job?

An RV barreled past her, the license plate from Texas. She was just recovering from the scare when her cell phone rang, making her heart jump yet again.

“Hello?”

“Judith?”

She didn’t recognize the voice at first. “Yes, this is Judith Orenstein.”

A pause and then, “This is Janine Miller….”

“Janine! Yes, of course. What is it dear? Oh no… Is something the matter with Yehuda?”

“No, but I’m trying to reach him.”

Judith relaxed. The call was apparently work related. “He’s not with me, dear. I’m in the car—on the way to Manhattan. Did you try his cell?”

“Yes, but there was no answer.”

“He probably has it turned off because of the play rehearsal,” Judith said.

“Oh I forgot—the school play…”

“I can barely hear you dear. Why are you whispering?”

“I’m at the police station… in the ladies room actually…” Judith noted the growing panic in Janine's voice. “I really need to speak with Yehuda.”

“The police station? What on earth are you doing at the police station, Janine?”

Janine ignored Judith’s question. “Is there any way you could get in touch with him?”

“What is this all about Janine?” Judith demanded.

Janine didn’t answer.

“Janine!”

“Yeah… Sorry. I’m here.” She swallowed. “Two officers came into the center and asked me to come in for questioning.”

“Questioning? What about?”

“They have an eye witness who saw my car at the mikvah the night Hannah was attacked…”

Judith’s heart jumped at what sounded like a freight train, but was actually the horn of a tractor-trailer trying to nudge her out of the left lane. She took a deep breath and eased into the right lane, allowing the truck to pass.

Judith wasn’t sure she heard correctly. “Someone saw your car at the mikvah the night Estelle was killed?”

“Yes.”

Judith collected herself before she spoke. “Have you been read your rights Janine? You do realize you have a right to legal counsel?”

“Yes, I mean
no
… They told me I could call a lawyer, but I don’t need one! I wasn’t involved!” She paused. “You don’t think I was involved do you Judith?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Judith said, “but if an eyewitness saw your car at a crime scene, then you have some explaining to do.”

“I didn’t understand it either,” Janine continued. “When the police showed up, I was so flustered… I didn’t know what was going on… up until ten minutes ago, I couldn’t figure it out…”

“Did something change in the last ten minutes?” Judith asked.

“No, nothing changed. It's just that I remembered…”

“Remembered what?”

“That someone had the keys to my apartment and access to my car.”

“What?… Who?” Judith racked her brain trying to remember the name of Janine's boyfriend. Was it
Hank
?

Janine hesitated. “I should probably talk to Yehuda first. I don't want to accuse anyone of…”

“Who was it Janine?” Judith asked more urgently.
Howard
. Howard was Janine's boyfriend!
Howard
something.

“I don't know if I should…”

“Who was it?”

“Lauren.”

Judith nearly dropped the phone.

“Janine, are you telling me
Lauren
drove your car to the mikvah?”

“No… I'm not saying that at all! I’m just saying that Lauren had
access
to my car.”

Judith fought to retain her composure. “Is she the only one? Are you sure no one else has a key?”

“I'm positive. Lauren's the only one who could have taken my car.”

Somehow Judith continued to drive even as her heart pounded violently against her chest. Could it be? Could it be that it wasn’t a man, but a
woman
who had attacked Estelle and Hannah? Oh God; now it made perfect sense. Judith wasn’t crazy after all! She had been right all along! It was all beginning to make perfect sense. Lauren
was
after Yehuda! In fact, she wanted him so badly, she was willing to kill for him! Judith thought of Hannah, naked and vulnerable in the mikvah water.
Lauren had tried to drown her!

“Janine,” Judith sputtered, “listen to me! You must tell the police immediately!”

Janine hesitated.

“Janine!” Judith screamed, sounding much more crazed than she would have liked. “Did you hear what I just said?”

“Yes… yes I did… Okay, I'll do it. I'll tell them right now.”

Judith got off at the very next exit and turned her car around.
It wasn’t Peter Stem. It wasn’t any man.
She grabbed her phone and dialed directory assistance. “Arden Station, Pennsylvania. This is an emergency! I need the number for the township police!”

 Sixty

Judith hoped Yehuda and the kids would be home by now; but to her disappointment, the house appeared empty. She finally found her key and unlocked the front door, noting the time on her watch:
4:05
. She had redialed Yehuda's number during the rush back, each time being automatically dumped into his voice mail. To her frustration, the school office wasn’t picking up either. Fortunately, Detective Smith at the Arden Station police headquarters had been easier to reach; especially when she mentioned that Janine Miller, their “person of interest” had called from a bathroom stall and provided her with some important information. Once the detective got on the phone, Judith practically talked his ear off. She told him
everything
: how Lauren had suddenly come into the Orenstein's lives less than a year ago. How she had cared for the children while Hannah was on bed rest (she probably developed her infatuation with Yehuda during that time, Judith speculated). The fact was that
somehow
this manipulative woman had fooled all of them, including her brilliant son the rabbi!

There was no need to barge in and disrupt the Chanukah play rehearsal, the detective assured Judith when she suggested that he send Arden Station's version of a S.W.A.T. team. He was concerned about igniting a wave of panic around the community. She reluctantly agreed, adding that her son's family had been through enough tumult already. The only urgency seemed to be in locating Lauren and bringing her in for questioning. The Center City, Philadelphia precinct had been notified; they were dispatching a unit to Lauren Donnelly's apartment immediately.

Judith looked at her watch again. That conversation with the detective had occurred over an hour ago. Chances were good they now had Lauren in custody. What a relief! Judith kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the couch. And now, she would just sit tight until Lewis got here. She had called him after she hung up with the detective and asked him to come over as soon as he could, promising to explain everything once he arrived.

Judith closed her eyes, trying to relax, but was jolted by a thud coming from the upstairs bedroom. Had the family been here the whole time? No, that wasn’t possible; she would have heard the kids before. Besides, the car wasn’t in the driveway.

Judith grabbed her cell phone and tiptoed cautiously up the steps. She reached the top of the landing and paused. There was a slight rustling coming from the master bedroom. She waited while her breathing returned to normal before continuing down the hall. She reached the master bedroom. The door was open a crack and it was easy to see the figure sitting at the base of the armoire.

Lauren.

“What the hell's going on here!”

Lauren jumped up. “Mrs. Orenstein… I… I didn’t hear you come in! I thought you were at the rehearsal.”

“No, I had business appointments.” Judith tried to sound calm despite her pounding chest. Looking past Lauren, she shook her head in disgust. The bottom drawer of the armoire was pulled open and a pile of clothing was strewn about the floor. “I can’t believe you would actually go through her things! But then, there isn't much you
wouldn’t
do, is there?”

“What?”

“Suddenly you have a hearing problem?” Judith said sarcastically. “I said, I can't believe you have the nerve to go through Hannah's things.”

“No, I… uh…”

“You what?” Judith snapped.

“I was just looking for…”

“You were just
looking
? What did you want to do? Take more of my daughter in law’s things?

Lauren's face went white. “What? I never took…”

“Don’t lie! I saw you wearing her clothes.”

The moleskin skirt from the basement.
“No! it's not what you think!”

“I know about girls like you Lauren! Your own life isn't good enough, so you think you can just move on in to someone else’s!” Judith crossed her arms tightly against her chest. “I see the way you look at him.”

“Look at who?” Lauren asked. Tears streamed down her face.

“My son… the way you look at my son, the
rabbi
.”

Lauren shook her head fervently. “No! No! You don’t understand!”

“Oh I understand perfectly, Lauren… it’s
you
who doesn’t understand! My son is a good man. There is no way in hell he would betray his wife, destroy his family for a fling with you or
anyone
!”

Lauren covered her mouth. “Oh my God… is that what you think? That I wanted to…”

“You thought it wasn’t obvious?” Judith said, her hands on her hips, “the endless flirting with my son! First you act like my grandkids'
mother
, then you parade around in Hannah's clothes, and now I catch you red handed, going through Hannah’s things—God only knows
what you’ve stolen
!”

Lauren shook her head. “Flirting? No! And I would never steal!… I can explain if you’ll just give me a chance!”

“I’m not interested in your lies!” Judith shrieked. “But you know what I am interested in?”

Lauren shook her head, defeated.

“I’m interested in what
really
happened at the mikvah.”

Lauren started trembling. “You think I had something to do with Estelle's death? With Hannah…?”

“You tell me.”

“I didn’t! I swear I had nothing to do with it!”

“Really? Then why were you there that night?”

Lauren’s eyes widened.

“That’s right. I know!” Judith shouted, wagging her finger at Lauren. “The police know too. And they're out looking for you as we speak.”

“Oh my God…!”

“What did you think? By using Janine's car, she would be blamed for this?”

“I only borrowed hers because mine wouldn’t start!”

“So you admit it!… you
were
there!”

Lauren swung her head around as if the room was closing in on her. “I have to get out of here… I have to go…” She ran toward the bedroom door, pushing past Judith. Judith fell to the ground with a thud and landed on her rear end.
Meanwhile, Lauren bolted down the steps, nearly running over Lewis.

“Helloooo! Judith? Are you here?” Lewis’s voice called up the steps.

“Lewis! Up here! I’m upstairs!”

Lewis bounded up the steps. “What happened?” he asked, giving Judith a hand and simultaneously eyeing the mess near Hannah’s closet. “Lauren just ran past me like the house was on fire.”

“I caught her going through Hannah’s things!” Judith said breathlessly as she plopped on the bed. The excitement and potential danger of a confrontation with a murderer was just now catching up to her. “And then, she assaulted me!… I called 911… they're sending an officer, but maybe we can stop her…”

She stood, but Lewis grabbed her arm. “Sit! Catch your breath!” he ordered. He gave her a quick once over. “Are you hurt?”

She ignored his question and tried to pull away. “Don't you understand? We have to stop her!”

“Calm down, Judith! Whatever she took can be replaced.”

Judith realized he didn’t have the slightest idea what was going on. “No! It's not about that! She didn’t steal anything…”

“Then what?” He took her hand, trying to calm her.

“Lauren was
there
—at the mikvah—the night of the attack!”

“Wait,” he said, “You think that young girl had something to do with Estelle's death?” He looked doubtful.

“Why else would she be there and not tell anyone?”

He scratched his head. “I can't say, but there's got to be a logical explanation.”

Judith yanked her hand from his and stood up. “What is it with you men? she screamed, her face red. “You see a pretty girl and your brain shuts down?”

Lewis knew no matter what he said, she would argue. Judith had never liked Lauren, that he
did
know. He just didn’t realize how deep her disdain ran until this very moment. Her ranting was coming from a place of pure emotion, without one iota of logic.

Yehuda felt an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu when he saw the township police car parked in front of his house.
Oh God, what now?
He set Nehama's baby carrier down on the porch and fumbled for his house key, but soon realized the door was unlocked. Inside, his mother, Lewis Danzig, and two detectives were milling about the living room, speaking in low voices. Ron Smith—the detective who had informed him of Peter Stem's arrest, and then of his subsequent release—was scribbling something on a pad.

“Mom? What’s going on?” Two words came to mind at once.
Hannah
and
relief
. Was this about Hannah? Was she all right? Had she suddenly take a turn for the worse? But he was relieved the kids weren't with him to hear whatever information would be given. Fortunately, by chance, Rachel, Eli, David and Yitzi had all decided to stay behind at school to help set up the chairs for tomorrow's performance. They would be getting a ride home with a neighbor in an hour or so.

Judith wasted no time. “These gentlemen have some news for you,” she said, gesturing toward the detectives.

“Rabbi Orenstein, we have an eyewitness who saw Janine Miller’s car in the high school parking lot the night of the attack,” Ron said.

“Janine at the mikvah?” Yehuda had a flash of thought about what Janine—an unmarried woman—might be doing at the mikvah. There were occasions having nothing to do with family purity when women sometimes immersed in mikvah waters. Most had to do with major life changes: religious conversion, divorce, overcoming an addiction. Some women went after overcoming a bout with a serious illness. Other times, women who had never been to a mikvah simply felt curious and wanted to see what the mystery was all about. It was not unheard of for a mikvah attendant to give a personal tour, especially to newly religious women who were weighing the decision whether or not to take the monthly plunge. But so late at night?

“Miss Miller didn’t drive the car that night,” Ron continued. “Actually, she was out of town.”

Judith stepped forward, nearly bursting. “It was Lauren!
Lauren
had Janine's car!” She delivered this additional piece of information with what sounded like victory after a bet.

John nodded. “We've confirmed that at the time, Miss Miller was in Atlantic City at Caesar's Hotel and Casino with a gentleman named Howard Freed,” he said.

“Yehuda,” Judith said, “it was
Lauren
.”

“Lauren Donnelly drove Janine's Miller's car to the mikvah,” Ron said. “She was there a little after 10:00. Your mother said she confessed this fact to her directly.”

When she didn’t get the anticipated shocked reaction from her son, Judith stepped forward. “Lauren was
here
, Yehuda! She attacked me!”

He stared at her for a few seconds. To Judith’s dismay, there wasn’t a hint of concern for her safety in his eyes. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, Judith was even more shocked. “Where is Lauren now?” he asked the officers.

It must be that Yehuda was in a state of shock, Judith told herself; how else could she explain his misplaced concern?

“She ran out,” Rabbi Orenstein,” Ron said. “We have two patrol cars looking for her.”

Yehuda didn’t respond. He kneeled down and reached into Nehama's carrier and carefully removed the sleeping baby's snowsuit.

Judith approached him. “Did you hear what the detective just said?”

“I heard him.”

Was that agitation in his voice?

Yehuda looked past his mother at Lewis and the detectives. “Would any of you men care for a drink of water?”

Lewis held up his hand while John and Ron looked at each other, very much confused by the rabbi’s calm demeanor, before verbally declining the offer. Without saying anything more, and to Judith's chagrin, Yehuda left the room. A minute later he returned a cup of water in one hand, a piece of paper in the other. “What's this?” he asked, waving the paper accusingly at Judith.

“I don’t know,” Judith sputtered, “I haven’t been in the kitchen since…”

But Yehuda cut her off. “I'll tell you what it is, Mom. It's a note from Lauren.”

“Oh?”

“It says, 'I think it would be best for everyone if I return to my apartment in the city'.”

Judith shrugged. “Seems reasonable. I guess she moved out.”

“You wouldn’t by chance have anything to do with this, would you, Mom?”

Judith pointed to herself. “Me? Why would you think I had something to do with it?”

Yehuda took a deep breath. “Maybe because she told me you did?”

Judith folded her arms defensively. “So?… What does it matter why she left… Don't you see, Yehuda? She was
there.
At the mikvah. She was
involved
!”