The Instrumental Rabbi (A Professor McCauley Mystery) Read online

  “If you remain here and investigate this murder, then I want to be here as well” she pushed back forcefully.

  Jenny could not believe her ears. She did not understand why the Professor had tried to push her away like this. They seemed to be working so well together, so perfectly in fact, that it just did not make sense that he would try and dismiss her like this.

  “Jenny, I need you to help the Detective complete the paperwork regarding our visit today,” said McCauley again, raising his rather stern voice. Everyone could see that the Professor was not asking for her cooperation. He was effectively ordering the former student to go and do this.

  Detective Iaconi glanced over at Paul Hendrickson as the situation grew more tense and uncomfortable. Hendrickson stood noncommittal with a stoic expression on his face. Neither man wanted to be involved in this argument. Jenny just stared at the Professor as her soft white complexion began to glow red.

  “I think that I can be of more help here, Stuart, than down at the station.” said Jenny as firmly as she dared. “We can always go down to the station after we look around and conclude this investigation. “Paperwork can always wait.” Those are your words!”

  “She will not go easily,” thought McCauley with a strange sense of pride. “This young woman has quite a mind of her own.”

  Of course Jenny Smith was right. The mere fact that Stuart McCauley wanted to do paperwork instead of investigating a murder was ludicrous at best. It was a ruse and everyone at the crime scene seemed to know it. Jenny would not stand for it.

  “I’m going to walk down to the shoreline and look for the point of entry now. If you and the detectives would like to join me, you are welcome to follow along.” said Jenny turning quickly and walking away. McCauley’s command had managed to rouse her Irish temper and that was evident to all three of the men as she walked away.

  As they stood and watched Jenny move down to the shoreline, the three men looked at each other for a moment and McCauley nodded slightly to Detective Iaconi. The detective turned and walked back toward his car. After a few more minutes, Detective Hendrickson, Patrolman Chan, and the rest of the CSP crime team wrapped up the investigation, loaded the body of Irwin Chandler into the CSP morgue wagon and headed back to headquarters with Detective Iaconi following close behind.

  The Shoreline, Hemlock Reservoir

  The wind whipped off the water with a warm, moist morning breeze. It contrasted with the chill that had developed between the Professor and Jenny as they walked. McCauley felt badly that it had developed this way, but it was a necessary attempt, even unavoidable, as she might soon see.

  Jenny Smith walked briskly along the shoreline with her eyes scanning from the water’s edge in an arc to distance about 20 feet inland. She was still upset about McCauley’s behavior a few minutes ago.

  “How dare he treat me like that in front of everyone!” she steamed while treading forward through the brush. McCauley followed closely behind her with his eyes scanning a greater area more thoroughly and completely.

  After 15 minutes of brisk walking, Jenny stopped and said quietly, “It happened here.” She pointed to a trail of grass, dirt, and leaves that led from the turnout above down to where they were at the water. She still did not look at McCauley “There are traces of blood all along the path.”

  McCauley reached her side and knelt down to study the grass and tracks in the dirt. “It was only one man.” he said, rising to look into her eyes. “We should follow it up to the turnout and find the location of the murder.”

  With that he pivoted quickly and walked up toward the road.

  “That’s it?” thought Jenny, feeling heat return to her face. By now, she understood the Professor and really didn’t expect a long explanation or detailed apology, but she did expect something.

  “He’s not going to get away with this.” she thought as she quickly followed him up towards the turnout. “I won’t let him treat me like this. I don’t deserve it. I don’t care who he is. I don’t need this job, or him!”

  McCauley now stood in a clearing, forty feet from Irwin Chandler’s abandoned car, staring at the ground when Jenny approached. The ground was covered in blood and showed the obvious signs of a struggle to his trained eye. He reasoned two men, one substantially heavier than the other, struggled in this spot with the heavier man winning the battle.

  “The footprints indicate a fight between two men, one heavier than the other, before the shooting.” said Jenny breaking the silence.

  “You are correct, Miss Smith, that is surely how it unfolded.” The Professor still marveled at Jenny’s perception and deductive capabilities.

  “I’m certain that they knew each other and that this location was chosen for being close by and immediately accessible, but still removed from the killer’s base of operations.” he said.

  “So that’s it?” she thought, “He’s just going to let it pass without saying another word? He humiliated me in front of those men and now he’s just going to try and let it drop.”

  The investigation be damned, it was more than she could bear.

  “Why would you say that to me?” blurted out Jenny before she could stop herself.

  McCauley turned toward her and looked directly into her eyes. She had been crying and it showed. He had just been so preoccupied with looking about that he had not even noticed it before.

  “I’m sorry, are you upset about something?” muttered McCauley as he glanced around rather uncharacteristically.

  “Am I upset about something?” shouted Jenny unable to control herself. “Am I upset about something? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  “You try and send me off like a little errand girl and you ask me if I’m upset about something? You embarrass me in front of detectives and the CSP officers and you ask me if I’m upset about something?” she was losing control now.

  “YES STUART! I’M UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING!” her voice cracked as her eyes began to tear. “I can’t believe you treated me like that in front of everyone.” she said as she began to cry, unable to hold back the tears.

  “Jenny…” stammered McCauley, trying to calm her but not knowing what to say. He glanced around the area like he was afraid that someone might see them or hear what was happening. She thought this strange for the normally confident Professor.

  “Don’t Jenny me!” said the former student. “You can’t treat me like that Stuart! I thought we worked well. I thought we were good together. I thought you respected what I had to say… I thought you liked me…” her voice broke off slowly and she was now crying intensely.

  “Jenny…” said McCauley softly, realizing what he had done. He looked behind her and then approached, putting his hands on her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes.

  Her eyes were pink and red pools of green and she looked so young, so vulnerable and so alone. “I’m sorry if it came across like that.” he said softly, “I did not mean it in that way.”

  Incredible as it seems, and unlike him in so many ways, Stuart McCauley was now genuinely at a loss for words.

  He stared into Jenny’s beautiful green eyes and found himself unable to find the words that could ease her pain. Jenny felt the awkward moment and tried to gather her composure by padding her eyes and staring back at the Professor.

  “Well, just how did you mean it, Stuart?” she said in a tepid response.

  “There are things that you do not know.” replied McCauley, “Things about the case and how we expected these events to unfold.”

  “You could have included me!” snapped Jenny not liking the path that his explanation was taking.

  It was over the next few moments that Jenny would experience two polar opposite emotions, one good and the other bad.

  “I was trying to protect you.” said the Professor, his voice now barely a whisper. “I was trying to get you away from here so you would be safe.”

  Jenny stared at him in shock. “Did he just say protect me?” she thought as her mind raced.
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  She could see by the concern in his eyes that he was telling her the truth. She instantly realized that had not been dismissing her, he was simply trying to get her away from this location without telling her why. Obviously, Iaconi and Hendrickson must have been in on it from the beginning. That must be why she saw McCauley and Iaconi whispering to each other earlier.

  “Stuart, you could have told me,” said Jenny in a more consolatory tone, “I would have understood.”

  Instinctively, she reached out to touch his hand but their hands would never make that connection. They both turned quickly and looked toward the turnout as they heard the unique “click” of a Heckler & Koch pistol being readied for firing.

  Chapter 13

  Hemlock Reservoir, Easton, CT

  “I’m sorry to break up such a tender scene.” grinned the burly Karl Heinz Stockmann standing before them quite proud of his stealth and approach.

  Stockmann had driven back to the turnout but had parked a quarter mile up the road off Cricker Brook Lane. He made his way quietly to where Jenny and the Professor were standing by following the contour of the road’s path but remaining 10 to 20 feet deep in the brush. No one had seen him approach from the road of this he was quite certain.

  McCauley was furious with himself. He had anticipated Stockmann and planned for his return. He had arranged with Hendrickson and Iaconi for Jenny to be removed and relocated to a safe location so this exact thing would not happen.

  He had not intended, and had no right, to place her life in danger. He was to be the “bait.” He had failed to protect this young girl and now he realized that it was too late.

  McCauley had borrowed Detective Iaconi’s extra service revolver and had planned to lay in wait for Stockmann to return to the scene of the crime. He had purposely antagonized Stockmann in the conference room to get him back to the reservoir. He had planned to disarm the Security Chief and have him waiting for Iaconi and Hendrickson’s return within the hour.

  Jenny Smith’s behavior had complicated the plan. With her outburst and refusal to leave earlier, McCauley knew that he would have to be especially diligent so as not to place Jenny in harm’s way. He couldn’t risk telling her the truth while Stockmann might be lurking about and watching or listening.

  McCauley had kept scanning the area looking for any sign of Stockmann’s return but had lost his concentration when Jenny began to cry. Try as he may to deny it, he had begun to grow fond of her presence and now that emotion would now cost them both dearly.

  “Please be so kind as to empty your pockets and throw the contents on the ground in front of you.” said Stockmann. “And Professor,” he added, “be extra careful or I will put a bullet through the young girl’s skull.”

  Jenny looked over at McCauley with a terrified expression as Stockmann aimed his pistol at her face. Experience can calm the nerves in these types of situations but unfortunately she had none.

  “It’s alright, Jenny,” said McCauley, forcing a calm and steady voice as he tossed Iaconi’s spare revolver at the feet of the former weightlifter.

  “Yes, it’s alright,” mimicked Stockmann, “soon you won’t have to worry about any of this.”

  “Shut your mouth!” snapped McCauley so loud and so fast that it startled Jenny. It was quite out of character for him to act in such a manner.

  “I suppose that is the way you talked while you chopped up all of those poor girls in Boston.” McCauley feigned in an attempt to elicit information.

  “Oh no Professor,” said Stockmann moving to his left, “you’ve got it all wrong. I’m afraid that all of that particular activity was left up to our dear departed friend, Doctor Chandler to improvise as he saw fit. We were only interested in his deliverables.”

  “Thymus glands.” said McCauley, looking away disinterested.

  “Remarkable...” gasped the weightlifter losing most his breath. “Doctor Scheiter told me you were the one we needed to worry about from the very beginning.”

  “Thymus glands?” said Jenny looking over at McCauley.

  “Yes Jenny, it was all part of their sick game of murder and deceit to conceal the fact that the Chairman of the A.G. Bhermann group was murdering young women and harvesting their thymus glands. The faux priest, the instrumental rabbi, the symbols, and the butchering were all used to lead us away from, and disguise, the true motive in this case.”

  “Elsinger would bring them to Connecticut for processing at the RS1 facility where the staff there concocted some type of serum used to stimulate and artificially elongate the life of their founder, Alfred Scheiter.” said McCauley. “Most of those involved may have not even have known their role or what they were doing it for.” he continued.

  “I’m assuming the processing of the lymphoid organs and the corresponding antibodies occurred at Bhermann’s RS1 facility here in Easton?” asked McCauley turning to Stockmann slowly.

  “Bravo, Professor, bravo,” said Stockmann very impressed, “Dr. Scheiter was really right about you.”

  “And the local authorities will be right about you, Heir Stockmann, when they arrest you and throw you deep into the bowels of a jail.” replied McCauley in his most provocative voice. “Soon you and the mad Doctor Scheiter will be arrested and your entire RS1 operation shut down forever.”

  This made Karl Heinz grin much wider. Unfortunately, for Jenny and Stuart McCauley, it was the grin of a man who knew that he was in total control, above the law and quite untouchable.

  “I’m afraid the reality is that soon you will be dead, my dear Professor, you and your little friend. The Doctor and I will set up facilities in another country and begin our operation once again.” he said.

  “You have no idea of the people, resources, or power that you are dealing with. The Bhermann empire extends around the world. You are like two ants trying to stop a locomotive. No chance at all.”

  Moving toward them he said, “I would love to stay and enlighten you a little more, but now I must be leaving before your friends decide to return.”

  With this, Karl Heinz took another step forward and leveled the Heckler & Koch automatic at Stuart McCauley’s forehead. Jenny turned hysterically and grabbed McCauley’s lapel, burying her face in his chest. “I’m sorry Stuart, I’m so sorry.” she whispered as her voice cracked and whimpered.

  “It’s ok, Jenny, it will be ok.” said the Professor softly while unconsciously stroking the crop of crimson hair jutting out of the back of her head.

  “A touching end to a touching friendship…” said the Chief of Security as he squinted down the pistol’s site, suddenly opening his eyes as a loud CRACK of a gunshot broke the air.

  Jenny jumped at the sound of the shot and clutched McCauley’s jacket tighter. She waited for another shot, her shot, but soon realized that Stuart McCauley was still standing quite erect.

  Instinctively, she pivoted around quickly just in time to see a small red dot in Karl Heinz Stockmann’s forehead ooze out red blood and his lifeless body drop to the ground.

  Confused, she turned back toward Professor McCauley as he watched the body of Karl Stockmann twitch at their feet and Detective Ernesto Iaconi appear over his right shoulder. Iaconi walked up behind them from the lake with his arm still extended and smoke billowing from the Glock 37 in his hand.

  McCauley turned to Jenny Smith and grasped both her shoulders while staring straight into her eyes. “Are you alright?” he asked with an uncharacteristic amount of concern.

  “Yes, I’m fine Stuart.” she said softly even though she was trembling violently. “I didn’t know that Detective Iaconi was behind us.” she said feeling a bit foolish.

  “Neither did I my dear girl.” said McCauley with his voice trailing off. “Neither did I.”

  Chapter 14

  Massachusetts Turnpike, Auburn, MA

  Jenny sat in stunned silence and stared out fall foliage as Iaconi’s car zoomed down the Massachusetts Turnpike eastward toward Weston.

  The events in Connecticut had tak
en their toll on her and she felt exhausted while sitting in the rear seat of the car next to Professor McCauley. They rushed through the paperwork with Detective Hendrickson, thanked him for all of his help, and set off quickly to get back to Massachusetts and back to Doctor Scheiter.

  Hendrickson had his own timetable to keep and so did they.

  Seated in the front seat next to Detective Iaconi was Josh Thompson, Associate Director of the FBI in New York City. Thompson had helicoptered up from the City and was responsible for coordinating the next phase of their plan which involved the FBI, Connecticut Police, and RS1.

  While they were traveling north in the car, the FBI was busy shutting down the RS1 facility in a “black ops” style raid. Everyone was to be detained and no communication was allowed in or out of RS1. Lines were cut and wireless communications were jammed prior to the raid. FBI forensic teams would be working at that facility for the next two weeks.