Free On a Killer's Trail by Susan Page Davis Page A

about our unit.”
    “I hope I’m not interrupting your investigation,” Kate said.
    “No,” Neil said. “We were just talking about the Riley case.”
    “That’s right.” Connor looked toward the windows. A few snowflakes fluttered down outside, but it didn’t look serious. “We don’t think Mr. Riley killed his wife, largely for two reasons. We didn’t find any gunshot residue on him, and we haven’t found the weapon.”
    Kate nodded. “I hear you. If he did it, how did he get rid of the gun?”
    “And if he did do it, we should have found residue on his hands and his clothes,” Connor added.
    “Even if he washed his hands and changed his clothes?” Kate asked.
    “Yeah,” Neil said. “Most people don’t get it off when they wash up, and we checked all his laundry for that very reason.”
    Connor lifted his hands in resignation. “It had to be an outsider.”
    “But why would an outsider do that?” Neil asked. “Why would he go into someone’s house on Christmas Day, shoot an old lady, not steal anything, go out and lock the door, leaving her lying on the floor by a loaded Christmas tree?”
    “Were the Christmas presents opened?” Kate said.
    “What?” Neil asked.
    “The Rileys’ Christmas packages. The gun could be in one of them. Did you open them when you searched the house?”

FIVE
    “O h, come on. That’s too…” Neil stopped. He and Connor looked at each other. “You know the gun went out the door with the shooter, Connor.”
    “ If he went out the door. If he stayed, maybe the gun stayed.”
    “So what do you want me to do?”
    “Go open the gifts.”
    “Oh, come on. We both know Gerald Riley didn’t do it.”
    “I’ll keep wondering about him if you don’t do this. Take another officer with you. I’ll call Brad. Take some tape and seal them up again after. And be very careful with the paper. I’ve got to go do this interview with Kate. Do it now, Neil.” Connor picked up his phone and called downstairs, asking the day patrol sergeant for a uniformed officer to work on the detail.
    Neil knew sputtering would do no good, so he put on his jacket.
    “Kate, let’s go into our interview room,” Connor said. “I’ll get us some coffee, and we—” His phone rang, and he picked it up with a grimace. “Sorry.”
    Kate smiled and shrugged.
    “What?” Connor asked, an urgency creeping into his voice. “Okay. Yeah. Are you all right? I’ll be there in…” He glanced at his watch. “Twenty minutes. Got it.” He hung up. “I’m sorry, Kate, but it looks like we’ll have to reschedule. Adri’s water broke. I’m meeting her at the hospital.”
    Kate’s jaw dropped. “She’s not supposed to go for another three weeks.”
    “I know. Tell that to the baby.” Connor grabbed his coat.
    Kate chased him to the stairway door. “What about Matthew? Should I go home?”
    “No, Adri said the pastor’s wife is picking him up and driving her to the hospital. I’ll call you later.”
    “Should I come with you?”
    “Well, it could take hours. I’ll see you there later.”
    The door shut behind him. Kate turned and looked at Neil. “Now what?”
    Neil wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I don’t suppose you feel like unwrapping gifts?”
    She laughed. “Might as well, if you’re sure I’m allowed.”
    “Well, it’s not officially a crime scene anymore. If the Riley family is at the house, I’ll just ask their permission to look around again.”
    The house was still empty, and Neil felt a little bit like a trespasser as they entered. He opened the first gift with trepidation. A cordless drill. He tried to put the paper back on exactly the way it had been, but he couldn’t make the edges fold right.
    “Hey, why don’t you let me do that?” Kate asked. “You open them, I’ll wrap them up again.”
    “Great idea.”
    An hour later, all of the gifts had been opened, checked and rewrapped for nothing.
    “Sorry.” Kate stared mournfully at the heap of