One Fine Day the Rabbi Bought a Cross by Harry Kemelman

or maybe the other didn’t give it. What do you think?”
    â€œIt’s probably just a guy wanting to talk and finding someone to listen. Transatlantic flights can be pretty boring after a while. Still …” His fingers drummed the desk as he took thought.
    â€œYou think he might—”
    â€œI think we shouldn’t take any chances. I’ll alert one of our people in Athens. This other guy, the one who mailed the letter, he doesn’t mention his name, either. Now he knows he’s in touch with you because your name was on the envelope.”
    â€œBut he’s here in the States now—”
    â€œSure, but he could have tipped off someone before he left Athens. Let’s see that envelope.” He focused his attention on the back of the envelope.
    â€œWhat are you looking for?” asked El Dhamouri.
    â€œTo see if it’s been steamed open and resealed.” He tossed it back. “If it has been, I can’t tell. All right, I’ll get on to Athens as soon as I get back to the hotel.”
    In the studio apartment Avram watched as Gavriel threw darts at a cork target affixed to the wall. Gavriel squinted and tossed his last dart. “Bull’s-eye!” he exclaimed.
    â€œPure luck,” said Avram. “You jerk it. You’ll never get accuracy that way. You’ve got to follow through.”
    The telephone rang, and Gavriel picked it up from the floor. He listened and said, “Uh-huh. All right, I’ll get back to you.” To Avram he said, “El Dhamouri was visited by an Albert Houseman, the second or third time, always in the afternoon after the secretary has gone.”
    â€œIs that so?”
    â€œYou know him? Who is he?”
    â€œOh, you never served on the West Coast. He used to be Ibn Hosni, Abdul Ibn Hosni. He changed his name, officially, which is interesting. Used to be years ago, anyone coming to America, first thing they did was to Americanize their name. Sometimes it was done for them at Immigration. So Hans became Henry and Jorge became George, and Yitzchak became Isaac or Isadore or Irving or Irwin.”
    â€œIt’s no different in Israel,” said Gavriel. “There Irwin or Irving becomes Yitzchak and Greenberg becomes Ben Gurion and Scholnick becomes Eshkol.”
    Avram nodded. “Sure, but not nowadays here. At least, not so much. You notice El Dhamouri is still El Dhamouri. Nowadays here people tend to keep their original names. Heinrich remains Heinrich, and Ian and Ivan aren’t changed to John. As for our people, we now have Moshe instead of Moses or Morris, and Yaacov instead of Jacob. Notice that the older one is Isaac Stern, but the younger one is Yitzchak Perlman.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œSo it’s funny in a way that Abdul Ibn Hosni should become Albert Houseman.”
    â€œYou think it’s to cover up his Arab origin?”
    â€œNo-o, not in the sense that he might try to deny it. Maybe he just finds it easier. Chances are that if he went to a hotel and registered as Abdul Ibn Hosni, the clerk would automatically signal to the hotel detective, but as Albert Houseman, even though he looks Arab, probably not.”
    â€œYou know him well?”
    â€œWell enough. He’s one of Ibrahim’s bully boys.”
    â€œDangerous?”
    Avram shrugged. “He’s a long way from home.”
    â€œHe’s staying at the Holiday Inn in Cambridge.”
    â€œIs that so? He’s Druse, you know, like Ibrahim.”
    â€œSo is El Dhamouri.”
    â€œSo it might be just a social call. Still, it might be something else. It might be interesting to know what else he does besides visit El Dhamouri. I don’t mean to follow him around, but just kind of keep an eye peeled for him.”
    â€œOkay. Are you going to pass it on?”
    â€œNaturally. Fortunately, we don’t have to evaluate information, just gather it.”

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    As a Conservative rabbi, David