Eye of the Beholder (26 page)

Gordy didn’t say anything for half a minute and then said, “What can I do to make this right? You’re about to stand up with me for one of the most important events of my life, which probably wouldn’t have happened at all if it hadn’t been for you and Margaret. I don’t want hard feelings.”

Will looked up and caught his gaze. “No matter how I feel about this need you have to defend Muslims, I’m thrilled you and Pam are getting married. I’m honored to be your best man.”

Gordy raised his eyebrows. “Sure?”

“Of course I’m sure.”

Gordy waited a few seconds, then put one arm around Will’s neck and jabbed him playfully in the ribs.

“All right, now that we’ve settled that,” Will said, “I’d like to go eat my dinner before Margaret does. The woman can’t be trusted.”

Gordy laughed. “What happened to her diet?”

“She’s starved herself all week so she can eat whatever she wants on the weekend. And believe me, everything’s fair game.”

Will ate half of his pineapple bread pudding and laid down his spoon. “All right, Margaret, it’s all yours.”

“Thanks.” She slid the dish over in front of her and took a bite. “Mmm … this is delicious. I think I like it even better than Pam’s triple chocolate mousse cake.”

“Honey, why don’t you just eat sensibly all week instead of starving yourself? You’re never going to lose ten pounds binging like this on the weekends.”

Will’s cell phone vibrated and he took it off his belt clip. “Sorry, I’d better take this. Chief Seevers.”

“It’s Al Backus. I’m down at the mall with my wife and daughter and just bumped into a security guard friend of mine. He told me a Jewish kid called mall security just after closing last night and reported some thugs had roughed him up in the men’s room.”

“Why do I need to know this on a Saturday night?”

“Sounds like a hate crime. They allegedly choked the kid till he thought he was a goner, then held his face in the toilet and kicked him repeatedly. They laughed the entire time, and one of them said that Jews were scum and that Hitler had the right idea.”

“How many were there? Did he give a description?”

“Never saw their faces. The whole thing was over in a couple of minutes. They left him slumped over the toilet bowl and said if he turned around before they were gone, they’d kill him. All he could tell my friend is that there were at least two, and they sounded about his age, maybe sixteen or seventeen.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, they didn’t even rob the kid, and he had fifty bucks on him.”

“All right. Jack Rutgers is on duty tonight. I’ll send him over to get the boy’s statement, jog his memory a little. Maybe he’s calmed down and will remember more details. Give me a name and address.”

“Unfortunately, the kid wouldn’t leave his name. Said he didn’t want any trouble but thought they needed to beef up their security at the mall so no one else had to go through what he did.”

“Could be a hoax.”

“My friend said the kid sounded really shaken.”

Will paused to picture the scene Al had described to him. “You thinking what I am—that this could be retaliation for the mosque incident?”

“That Hitler remark is sure a red flag.”

“All we need is for this thing to escalate. I don’t know what
we can do about it, other than make sure we patrol the area around the synagogue.”

“Sorry to butt into your night out with Margaret, but I thought you should know.”

“Thanks, Al. You did the right thing.”

Will put his phone back on his belt.

“What happened?” Margaret said.

“Oh, a Jewish kid got roughed up in the men’s room at the mall last night. The thugs told him he was scum and that Hitler had the right idea.”

“How awful. Is this because of what happened at the mosque?”

“I’d like to tell you no, but my gut tells me yes.” Will lifted his eyebrows. “And just when we thought we got rid of the gangs.” He put a five-dollar bill on the table and slid out of the booth. “Put this on the credit card. I’ll go get the car and meet you at the end of the pier.”

“Please don’t let this spoil your mood, Will. I’ve really been looking forward to this movie and a nice relaxing evening.”

“I’m fine, honey. It’ll be good to get my mind on something else.”

Will picked up a toothpick and went out the front door and walked down the pier. He spotted his Buick and smiled at the thought that he and Margaret were out on a real date. It had been a while since he had parked the squad car for the weekend and given himself permission to enjoy time with just her.

He unlocked the car and started to get in when he felt his cell phone vibrate. He took it off his belt clip and resisted the urge to pitch it across the parking lot. It vibrated again.

“This is Chief Seevers, who happens to be out on a date with his wife, so this better be important.”

“It is. It’s Rutgers. I’m over at Bougainvillea Park where those boys threatened the Muslim couple’s kids. An Iranian student from the junior college was found beaten half to death. He’s in an
ambulance headed for Seaport Community.”

“Good grief. Who called it in?”

“An old couple out for a stroll. They can’t really tell us anything.”

“Anybody else see anything?”

“If they did, they’re not saying.”

“Okay, Jack. I’m on my way.”

Will pulled the car to the end of the pier, the window rolled down, and saw Margaret approaching, humming a song and looking as content as she had in long time.

She caught his gaze and her countenance fell. “What?”

“Sorry, honey. We may have to catch the late show.”

Fifteen minutes later, Will got out of his squad car and hurried over to where he saw his officers sectioning off an area of Bougainvillea Park with yellow crime scene tape. He spotted Jack Rutgers and went over and stood beside him. “Just what we needed.”

“Smells like a hate crime, but everyone’s suddenly deaf, dumb, and blind.”

“How do you know he goes to the junior college?”

“We found his student ID. Name’s Dairyoosh something-or-other. I never can pronounce their names. His parents have been notified.”

Jack’s cell phone rang. “Rutgers … That’s too bad. Can’t say I’m surprised, though … Yeah, okay. Thanks.” He looked at Will. “Our victim’s not breathing on his own. I’m sure the organ harvesters are starting to circle.”

Will saw the Crime Scene Investigators van pull up. “Keep all these people back and let the CSIs do their work.”

Will stood off to the side, his arms folded, his eyes slowly moving across the faces of curiosity seekers standing outside the sectioned off area. One young man in round, thick glasses
appeared more anxious than curious. Will casually walked around the perimeter of the crowd and then came and stood next to him.

“It’s a terrible thing that happened here,” Will said.

The young man didn’t take his eyes off the crime scene. “Yeah, I heard.”

“Did you know the victim?”

“Victim? Did he die?”

“He’s not breathing on his own. Did you know him?”

“He’s in my English class.”

“What’s your name, son?”

“Isaac Kohler.”

“I’m Police Chief Will Seevers, Isaac. Can you tell me the victim’s name?”

“Yes, sir. Daryoush Fassih. His friends called him Dary.”

“Was he your friend?”

“Are you kidding? I’m Jewish. Dary’s Muslim.”

“Know anything else about him?”

“His family moved here about a year ago from Iran. He’s studying to become a citizen and trying to get better at English before he goes to FSU next year.”

“How do you know that?”

“We were assigned to critique each other’s papers. He wrote an essay about why he wanted to come to America.”

“What’d he say?”

Isaac glanced at another youth, then put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. “I didn’t take it seriously. How can we believe anything Muslims say about stuff like that? Everyone knows they didn’t come here looking for the American dream. They hate us and want to convert us all to Islam.”

“Is that what you believe Dary wanted?”

Isaac shrugged and pushed a pebble with the side of his foot. “I suppose he wanted a good education.”

“Did he ever talk about his religious beliefs?”

“No. He knows I’m Jewish. I was surprised he talked to me at all.”

“Did he act resentful toward Jews?”

Isaac lowered his voice. “Dary treated me with respect, all right? I can’t speak for anyone else and don’t know who did this to him, if that’s where you’re going.”

“You live on campus?”

“No, I live with my parents. My dad’s a cardiologist: David Kohler. Maybe you’ve heard of him.”

“How’d you happen to be in the park?”

Isaac pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Will. “I needed a quiet place to memorize these for class.”

Will glanced at several poems on the paper and recognized “The Road Less Traveled” by Robert Frost. He handed the paper back to Isaac. “Where were you when Dary was attacked?”

“Sitting up there.” Isaac pointed to a park bench about a hundred yards away at the top of a gentle slope. “I remember glancing up and seeing people milling around. I didn’t pay much attention till I saw flashing lights and realized the police were here.”

“Can you tell me anything about the people you saw? Gender? Race? Age? Distinguishing characteristics or clothing?”

Isaac shook his head. “I’m extremely nearsighted. Everything I saw was a blur.”

“Okay. I appreciate your cooperation. Here’s my card. I want you to call me if you remember anything else that might help us find whoever did this. Where can you be reached if we have more questions?”

The young man’s eyebrows scrunched together, the apprehension in his eyes magnified by his thick lenses. “I just told you everything I know.”

“Is there a problem with us contacting you?”

The young man shifted from one foot to the other. “Well,
yeah. I mean, if I they see me talking to you about a Muslim, you don’t know how miserable they could make my life.”

“
They
meaning your Jewish friends?”

Isaac nodded. “My life’ll be a nightmare if they think I’m sympathetic to Dary.”

“Are you sympathetic?”

Isaac’s eyes turned watery and he quickly looked away.

Will laid his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. If we need to talk to you, we’ll be discreet. I’ll need your address and phone number.”

Ellen sat out on the porch swing, trying to assimilate the severity of Guy’s entanglement with Kinsey and her drug supplier, when Owen came outside and handed her the cordless phone.

“Mrs. Tehrani’s on the phone,” he whispered. “She sounds upset.”

Probably hurt because I haven’t called since the incident at the mosque
. “Hello.” Ellen heard breathing, and then sniffling. “Mina, did something happen? What’s wrong?”

“Our friends’ son was found brutally beaten at Bougainvillea Park. Police think he was dumped there
after
the beating—just a few yards from where those teens threatened to behead Muslim children.” Mina began to sob. “Dary’s family is keeping him on life support only long enough to see if organs can be donated.”

“Oh, Mina, I’m so sorry. This is the first I’ve heard about it. Have the police arrested anyone?”

“No one has admitted seeing anything.”

Ellen heard voices and wailing in the background. “Where are you?”

“Ali and I are at hospital with Dary’s family. I called because I need to hear someone speak of hope. Everyone here is cursing the Jews. Cursing the Christians. Cursing the police, the government, the media. It is too much for me.”

“I’m sure they’re devastated,” Ellen said. “It’s probably just anger talking.”

“Ali and I are angry, too. We don’t understand why anyone would blame all Muslims for actions of extremists. But if our answer for hate is also to hate, then sorrow will never leave us.”

Ellen was thinking Guy should be listening to this. “You’re right, Mina. I’m going to pray and ask my church family to pray for reconciliation between Muslims, Christians, and Jews in this community. And we’ll certainly be praying for Dary’s family.

“I thank Allah for you, my friend. You are light in the darkness. I must go now and join the others.”

“Please tell the parents how very sorry I am.”

“I will tell them.”

Ellen hung up, suddenly aware of Guy standing in the doorway.

“What happened now?” he said. “What parents?”

“Friends of Mina and Ali. Their son was brutally beaten and dumped at Bougainvillea Park.” Ellen told him everything Mina had told her. “Those poor parents. What a senseless crime!”

Guy came and sat next to her. “I’m surprised something like this hasn’t happened before now.”

“Well, it can’t be tolerated! People in the community need to denounce this kind of violence.”

“Some will, but others may find it hard to be sympathetic after all the terrorist attacks and threats. There’s an underlying feeling that Muslims have brought it on themselves.”

“Why do I bother to talk to you about this?” Ellen jumped up and started walking to the door when she felt Guy take her by the arm.

“Ellen, wait. I’m not putting down Muslims. I thought we were having a discussion. It’s important to consider both sides of the issue. Come back and talk to me.”

She hesitated, then went back to the swing and sat. “The only valid side to this issue is that every human being was created
by God and has value. This is America. What ever happened to equal justice for all?”

“I’m sure justice will be served when they find whoever did this.”

“Unless the police don’t want to find them.”

“Don’t underestimate law enforcement. There’s no way they can afford to botch this with the whole world watching.”

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