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 Chana, they ve been talking about getting tickets
for four months. The season is practically over. Plus,
the seats Peter got 
 Peter? Chana asked.
 Detective Decker got box seats. Some commissioner
gave them to him. I just couldn t put Shmueli off any
longer.
 You re getting awfully friendly with him, don t you
think? Ruthie said.
 I don t have to justify my actions to anyone. Hashem
knows what s in my heart.
168 / Faye Kellerman
The women made no attempt to hide their disapprov-
al.
 Rina, I ve got a cousin coming out from Baltimore,
Chana said.  He s twenty-eight and a very nice boy.
He reminds me of Yitzchak, except he s a little more
fun-loving. He s already asked me about Universal
Studios and Disneyland 
 When s he coming out? Rina asked.
 Chol Hamoed Sukkos.
She shrugged.  If he s nice, I ll go out with him.
Where does he learn? Ner Yisroel?
 He actually just got smicha. He s looking for a job.
Maybe even here. We can always use a good Rav.
 Did you mention me? Rina asked.
 In passing, Chana admitted.
 Did you tell him I had children?
 Yes.
 And what did he say?
 He didn t say anything. He said he d like to meet
you. I told him how pretty you are. Shimon has an eye
for pretty women. So then I ll tell him to call you?
 All right, Rina said unenthusiastically. She opened
the navi and reread the passage in which David first
saw Bathsheva.  & from the roof, he saw her bathing.
And she was very beautiful to look upon.
She wasn t simply bathing, Rina knew. She was
immersing herself in the mikvah.
Rina found him sitting underneath a sprawling elm.
Directly behind the shade tree, filling
THE RITUAL BATH / 169
the air with the pungent scent of menthol, was a grove
of eucalyptus that tapered into the thick, woodland
brush. The day sweltered under a blazing furnace of a
sky. Briefly she thought about her boys at the game
and sunstroke, but then dismissed worry from her
mind. Peter had common sense.
Moshe had a prayer book on his lap, his eyes fixed
on the page. He rocked back and forth on his
haunches, muttering words that extolled the glory of
the Lord. He was dressed as always: black coat,
wrinkled white shirt, threadbare wool slacks and a
tattered black hat. Beads of sweat had coalesced on
his forehead, but he seemed unbothered by the fire of
the sun.
Rina sat down on a mound of leaves a foot away
from him. He was neither happy nor upset by her
presence. He was oblivious to it.
 Moshele, she said softly.
The man rocked back and forth.
 Moshele, I know you hear me. Please, answer me,
Moishy.
His eyes trailed a path to her own. He nodded.
 How are you? she asked.
 Baruch Hashem, I m fine, thank you. Yes, very fine,
thank you very much. I m fine, Baruch Hashem.
 Moshe, did Zvi explain to you what went on that
night?
 Yes. Yes, he did. He explained everything. Yes he
did.
170 / Faye Kellerman
 Did he explain to you how you had to stay out of
the hills at night?
 Yes, he did. Thank you very much. He did. He did.
 Moshe, it is very important that you listen to him.
You can t go in the hills at night until the police catch
the attacker. Otherwise, they re going to think you re
the attacker.
 Yes, I understand. I understand what you are say-
ing. Thank you very much. I understand.
 I ve seen you in the hills at night, Moshe. Flo and
I saw you two times last week. And I saw you on
Shabbos when Steve Gilbert walked me home. You
have to stop wandering alone at night. You must stay
put for your own sake, do you understand?
 I understand. Thank you very much, he murmured.
 I understand. I understand what you are saying. I
understand, thank you.
 Moishy, it s important. It s important for you, it s
important for shem tov for your good name. It would
be a chillul Hashem if someone mistook you for the
attacker. We cannot let the goyim think we re a bunch
of hoodlums.
 That s right. That s correct. Shem tov is very import-
ant. It is very important to have a good name. Rav
Hillel says it s very important. He was a gadol, Rav
Hillel. It s very important.
The conversation was breaking her heart. She re-
membered him and Yitzchak, the sparks in their eyes
as they learned, the animation, the excitement. Now
one was dead, the other a zombie. For a second she
felt over-
THE RITUAL BATH / 171
whelmingly angry at Hashem. Yitzchak was bad
enough, but how could He abandon Moshe so cruelly?
But her ire was quickly quelled by the immediate guilt
that followed whenever she doubted her faith.
 Please, Moshele. Stay out of the brush at night.
Please.
 Yes I will. Thank you very much. I will. Thank you
very much. I will.
She got up and left, leaving him to flounder in his
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