That there had been some "trouble" at Beth Shalom Synagogue, as Dr. Chernievski had put it, was a serious understatement: It was a murder and a hate crime rolled into one. Rabbi Jacob Klemme had been killed by a blow to the head, apparently when he surprised someone spraying anti-Semitic slogans on the walls inside the synagogue.
In his fourteen years with the Pine Bluff Police Department in Illinois, Detective Mihdí Montgomery had risen through the ranks. He had been a detective now for three years. He was respected and admired in the community for his fairmindedness and his keen sense of justice. His reliance on the Bahá'í principle of consultation seemed unconventional at times, but it yielded results and often earned the trust of his peers. This case, however, would put to the test every resource he had.
Was it the real estate agent who was hoping to buy the synagogue if the congregation moved out? Was it the jealous ex-boyfriend of the woman who was in love with the rabbi? Was it the white nationalist with a history of posting racist flyers in the area? With such a diversity of suspects, Detective Montgomery would have to move quickly to pinpoint the killer and keep the synagogue, the town, and his family out of harm's way.
