Mr. Monday and other tales of Jewish Amsterdam

GENERAL EISENHOWER CALLED HIM 14 7

׳THE GREATEST LIVING EXPERT ON SECURITY׳

him a detailed description of the emotions a man feels when he mounts the platform of the gallows and the hangman puts a rope around his neck. What he feels when the support under his feet is drawn away and the noose gets tighter around his neck until, against his will, he has to stick out his tongue. Then in his neck he feels a shock, just a little shock, and everything gets red and he hears the thunder of an ocean far in the distance and then he has returned to his mother. I described all that to Bronkema with full details."

"How did he react," I asked, somewhat shaken.

Oreste laughed. "He grew as pale as a bed sheet. He looked at the window, and in his eyes I read,'I'll jump, then this Pinto cannot torture me any longer.'

So I did not let him go home, tonight he'll sleep in a cell. In the meantime, I'm going to read the Bible."

"The Bible?" I asked surprised.

"Yes. When we searched his house we found a Bible hidden behind the bread basket. Now, who would ever hide a Bible behind a bread basket? So tonight I will read both the Old and New Testament in it very carefully."

Next morning Oreste was waiting for me in my office. He beamed and he started talking immediately. "Bronkema has confessed," he told me. "This morning at seven. He has spilled everything he knew..."

I was flabbergasted.

Oreste said smilingly "I told you, I told you from the start that he was no good. But you were quite right, I didn't have any proof. If he had not hidden that Bible behind the bread basket, he might still be a free man. I read that book very carefully• Page after page, I studied with a mag