Free On a Killer's Trail by Susan Page Davis

next morning at the station.
    “Mr. Hepburn was found lying in his kitchen by his neighbor, Mrs. Poulin,” Neil said. “She tried to call him Saturday to tell him one of his cats was after the birds at her feeder, and got no answer. Yesterday, she tried again and still no answer, so she went over. No one came to the door, and she looked in a window and saw him lying there and called it in. Small-caliber gunshot to the heart. No weapon found in the house. All doors and windows locked.”
    “Robbery?” Connor asked.
    “Don’t think so. His wallet was on his dresser. He lived alone,but his sister lives in town, and his children have been notified. The oldest daughter should arrive today.”
    “Where are you heading with it now?”
    “The usual,” Neil said. “We’ll run the ballistics and the fingerprints, question the neighbors, look for a motive. Do you think these two cases are related?”
    “That question came up at yesterday’s press conference. They look alike in several ways, but it’s too soon to be sure.”
    Chief Mike Crowley came in through the door that led to the stairway and walked over to Connor’s desk.
    “You guys ready for an early prayer meeting? I’ve got to spend a couple of hours with the new deputy chief this morning, and I didn’t want to go into it without prayer.”
    The new deputy had started his job in Portland the day before. Mike had been without a deputy for several months and was hoping the new man, Jack Plourde, could take some of the pressure off him. Plourde’s résumé looked good, but he was still an unknown quantity.
    They went into the break room, and the three of them prayed about Plourde and the homicide cases, and for Adrienne’s health and the baby’s. Neil prayed for wisdom in trying to talk to his family about his savior.
    When Mike left them, Connor said to Neil, “Adrienne and I are supposed to have our last Lamaze class tonight, but she’s not feeling great.”
    “Uh, that would be natural childbirth lessons?” Not exactly a topic Neil was well versed in.
    “Right. To help Adrienne when she delivers the baby.”
    “And you’re doing this voluntarily?”
    Connor smiled. “Of course. I want to be there when it happens. The classes teach the father what to do to help the mother.”
    “What, like getting the doctor to put her to sleep?”
    Connor laughed. “I don’t expect you to understand this yet, Neil. The whole pregnancy thing is an adventure. I want to be part of every phase, including the birth. The baby is God’s gift to us.”
    “I know, Connor, but isn’t it kind of…”
    “What?”
    “Oh, I dunno.” What did it seem like? Embarrassing? Alarming? Frightening?
    “No, it’s not. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not. It’s fantastic.”
    “If you say so. Did you take these classes before Matthew was born?”
    “No, but Adri and I both wish we had.”
    Neil nodded. “I just can’t see what’s so appealing about a roomful of pregnant women sitting around telling you how rotten they feel.”
    “I’ll remind you someday that you said that.” Connor sighed. “I feel like I’m at a dead end on the Riley case. We’ve pretty much ruled out Gerald Riley, and I don’t have any other suspects.”
    “I know what you mean. But you always tell me to keep on following the evidence. Something will break.”
    The elevator moaned and the doors opened. Kate Richards stepped off, looking sophisticated in a gray skirt suit and high heels. Neil leaped to his feet, finding it slightly hard to breathe. He’d thought he was beyond being dazzled by a woman. Apparently not.
    Connor stood, too. “Hello, Kate. You found us all right.”
    “No problem.” She smiled at Neil. “Hi.”
    Connor said, “The city editor called this morning and asked if I’d give Kate a few minutes for an exclusive interview.”
    “Wow. That’s great.”
    “Kate’s editor was so impressed with the stories she did over the weekend that he wants an in-depth piece