Free The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) by David Carner Page B

panels or something of that nature, he probably wouldn ’ t have much luck.  John began searching Tom ’ s desk, bookshelf, and looked around for any hidden wall safes.  After three hours of thoroughly searching the study, and three glasses of ice tea, John asked permission to take Tom ’ s computer tower back to New York.  Joan agreed.  John walked back into the study and took one more look to make sure he hadn ’ t missed anything.  He couldn ’ t help the feeling that he had missed something.  As he glanced around, he realized he hadn ’ t checked the back of the study door.  He really didn ’ t expect to find a sign with the name of the murderer, but he would take anything at this point.  John closed the door to the study and looked at the back of the door.
                  John gave a low whistle.  Now while what he found wasn ’ t a smoking gun, it was a lead.  A small one, and possibly nothing but a wild goose chase, but it was the first lead he had found in a two week old case.  He walked back into the kitchen where he found Joan.  She was looking through some photo albums at the kitchen table.  John motioned to the seat beside her and she nodded. 
                  “ Joan, did you ever know of Tom living in Kentucky? ”
                  Joan looked stunned.  “ Agent Fowler . . . how did you know? ”

              Chapter 23
                  John smiled inwardly at Joan ’ s astonishment.  It felt good to see one of his hunches had actually paid off.  It had been so long since he had one, he had been hesitant to even broach the topic.
    John had found the same familiar blue and white calendar that was hanging in John ’ s apartment with his favorite college basketball team on the back of Tom ’ s study door.  John thought Tom was close to John ’ s age, mid to late 30s.  Now while it was possible Tom never lived in Kentucky and was enough of a fan of the Cats to hang a current basketball calendar in his personal study, John doubted it.  Typically if someone was enough of a fan to hang a calendar at Tom ’ s age, there had to be a person al connection to the team.  John knew from experience if you had ever lived in Kentucky it was a tradition in many houses for one of two different college basketball calendars to hang.  It was a bit of a leap in logic, but it didn ’ t hurt to ask.
                  “ I think he did, ” Joan said, looking a little ashamed.  “ He never talked about it, but there were things he said every now or then . . .  Every year in March he watches college basketball and roots for the Kentucky team like it ’ s . . . ”
                  “ A religion? ”   John finished the thought for her.  Joan ’ s face lit up.
                  “ Yes!! ”   She was very excited now.  “ Oh and if the games were close . . . he would pace the house like a man possessed. ”   Her eyes were sparkling talking about Tom.  John smiled inwardly.  After all he had been through with Sam; he knew telling these stories about Tom were therapeutic for her.
                  “ Was he a quiet man, or loud and boisterous . . . somewhere in between? ”   John asked.
                  “ Oh he was a very quiet, patient, courteous man . . . except when basketball was on! ”   Joan was shaking her head and started chuckling.  “ One year they went into double overtime during the tournament and I thought he would have a stroke!! ”
                  John chuckled.  It sounded like every Cats fan he had ever known.  John needed to steer Joan to remember things she didn ’ t know she knew. 
                  “ When do you think he was there ; high school, middle school, younger? ”   John asked.
                  Joan paused for a minute.  John thought he had made a mistake and Joan was about to become emotional, but