Page 216 - LEIBY

216 Leiby – Border Smuggler

The detectives shrugged. “Some newspaper reporters arrived, so
they decided to do it today. It certainly makes no difference to
the dead people.”

“Everything makes a difference! We Jews have our rules about
how to live and die, and in Poland, freedom of religion is still
legal.”

“In Russia there’s also religious freedom.”

Leiby almost snorted in derision at the mere idea of religious
freedom in Stalinist Russia, but his years in the forest alongside
Russian partisans had taught him to never dare disparage the
system.

“I’ll join you… At least I’ll recite kaddish in their memory.”

The detectives exchanged glances, unsure of how to react. After
a moment of hesitation, the Jewish detective nodded in assent.
They gave the soldiers final orders to continue their search of
the farm, to place a strict guard on the windows, and not to
allow anyone to enter or leave. After making sure that their
orders were fully understood, they finally left.

A brand-new gleaming army car was standing at the farm gate,
a young uniformed Russian driver sitting impatiently inside.
He sped down the dust paths, tree branches brushing against
the vehicle all the time. He seemed to be afraid of an ambush,
glancing around suspiciously in all directions as he drove. The
passengers in the car were also tense and on edge, gripping their
drawn rifles tightly in their hands and listening out intently for
any questionable sounds.

They arrived at a clearing in the forest not far from the border,
dark, swampy, and sinister looking, and Leiby reflected glumly
on the fact that this was the place that the poor hapless Jews
had spent their last living moments…

A representative delegation awaited them at the site. There was
a tall, dark gentleman who introduced himself as William Bein,
the Joint’s representative in Poland. Beside him stood a short