“And you wonder, Rosen, what I find so endearing about those snails I am — or rather, was — collecting”

Previously:

On the first night of Chanukah, Nachum receives a call from Jerusalem’s chief police inspector that the Shtilerman’s shtibel menorah was stolen. Later, the gabbai reveals that he fell asleep right after candlelighting and awoke to discover the menorah was gone. On the second night of Chanukah, a similar theft occurs in the home of a Mr. Benny Butler. After he meets Nachum to discuss the case, Nachum determines that Benny is lying.

“H

ow do you know he lied to you?” I asked.

“He blatantly contradicted himself,” Nachum replied. “I’m sure even you were able to notice that.”

I shook my head.

“No? You didn’t hear how he said he had only gotten the pieces several days ago but that the menorah has always reminded him of the Golan Heights? ‘Always reminded him’ — that is not a phrase you would likely use when talking about something you’ve only recently acquired, is it, Rosen?”

I had to admit it was not.

“Perhaps you’ll say he was just confused — maybe a bit disoriented from the sleepy episode last night — so I tested him: I told him I had two last questions for him, but asked only one. He noticed this discrepancy straightaway, so we can conclude that he had a clear head when he said, ‘always remembered.’ A bad liar he may be, but disoriented he was not.” Nachum picked up the morning newspaper and directed it at my face. “Rosen, mark my words: The rest of the items on display were new, but that menorah was not a recently acquired item. No, no. I’d guess that Benny and that menorah go way back.”

“Wait a minute,” I said with rising excitement. “Didn’t Reb Yoel say that Dovid Shtilerman bought the menorah from a dealer whose first and last name began with the same letter? That must have been Benny Butler!”

Nachum blinked at me, smiling.

“And you wonder, Rosen, what I find so endearing about those snails I am — or rather, was — collecting. It might take them three days to move across a room, but they’re such determined little guys. They’ll get there eventually.”

“Oh,” I said, feeling a little deflated, “so you already thought of it. Should have known. Anyway, what was that fuss you made about the picture?” I pointed to the menorah on the cover.

“I’m wondering how the Jerusalem Post got a picture of a Zecharya Karsh menorah so quickly.”