Free Lie Down in Green Pastures by Debbie Viguié Page A

blanched as she remembered her conversation with him the day before.
    "What is it?" Mark asked.
    "I know he's thinking of asking Jeremiah to replace Dr.Tanner."
    "Of course he is," Mark said with a sigh. "Because, you know, any way that you or the rabbi can get more drawn into this mess. Sometimes I think the two of you are conspiring to give me a heart attack or gray hair at the very least."
    "I was at the pub the other night," she said, deciding she needed to tell Mark her suspicions regardless of whether it contributed to his premature graying. "I overheard Max Diamond say that he wouldn't let anything stop him from buying the camp."
    "That doesn't mean anything unfortunately," Mark said."You could convict and execute me a dozen times over based on the things I say during the day. People exaggerate or are misinterpreted all the time."
    "Well, I looked him up on the internet and a couple of years ago he bought a ranch in Nebraska a month after the owner's wife accidentally overdosed on prescription drugs."
    Mark sighed. "That could be a complete coincidence. Do you even know if the wife opposed the sale? That would at least be something."
    "I don't know," she admitted.
    "Max Diamond is a suspect just like everyone else, but I've met the man and I'm not sure he's behind these killings. He's not a nice man and of course you want to blame him because of it."
    "It's not that," Cindy said.
    "All right, thank you for your help," Mark said as he stood up. "Call me if you think of anything else."
    "What do you want me to do in the meantime?" she asked.
    He looked at her like she had grown a second head. "What do you mean?" he asked.
    "What can I do to help?"
    "Nothing. Cindy, you're not a cop. This isn't your job. What you need to do right now is leave well enough alone and let us professionals handle it. Meanwhile, I'm sorry for pulling you away from your actual job."
    He left the room and she stared after him. "But I can help," she whispered.

    Jeremiah was less than thrilled when Marie showed Mark into his office. Mark closed the door and took a seat across from Jeremiah. "Hello, Rabbi."
    "Detective."
    "I just came from next door. Heads up, the secretary has got her teeth in this and I doubt she'll be letting it go any time soon."
    Jeremiah leaned back in his chair and did his best not to react. "What exactly is it she's got her teeth into?"
    "The man who hit you didn't just have a heart attack. He was murdered."
    Jeremiah had been afraid that might be the case. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but Cindy had seemed so sure and it would make life too simple if it had just been an accident. Simple was something life hadn't been in way too long.
    "I'm sorry to hear that."
    "That he was murdered or that she's determined to get herself involved?"
    "Both. But frankly I am curious as to why you're here."
    "If she's getting herself involved I know it will drag you in, whether you want it to or not. There's a connection between you two."
    "I don't know what you're talking about."
    "Fine. Play that game. I also want to pick your brain more about the accident."
    "I've already told you everything I could remember," Jeremiah said.
    "I know, but I'm going to need to go over everything with you one more time."
    Jeremiah answered Mark's questions as quickly and with as much detail as possible. Just having the detective in his office made him uncomfortable.
    What's wrong with me? he began to wonder. The car accident was the least suspicious thing he had been involved in that the detective had questioned him about since they had met. Still, he felt the urge to just walk out of the interview, hit the street, and keep walking.
    Three years he had been rabbi at the synagogue. Three years he had lived in the same house, gone to work at the same place, bought his groceries at the same store, seen the same people.
    I'm restless, he realized. It was the longest he had been anywhere since he was a kid and something inside of him was telling him it was time