murder. She heard me when I told Adri why I wouldn’t be home forChristmas dinner. I told you she’d moved to Portland and started working at the paper a few weeks ago.”
“No. No, you never mentioned it. If you had, I would certainly remember that.”
“Oh.” Connor gave a contrite shrug. “Sorry. Well, she’s on call for the paper today, and she said if I didn’t let her tag along, she’d just follow me anyway, like any good reporter who accidentally heard a hot tip.”
“That sounds like Kate.” Neil recalled how Kate could dig her heels in during a disagreement. Still, he wondered how many of the officers working under the captain would have stood up to him like that.
“I’m afraid she’s going to have a long wait today.”
“You’re going to brief her, though?”
“I guess I’ll have to.” Connor sighed. “I don’t like giving an exclusive to a relative.”
“Maybe some other newspeople will hear about it on the scanner and show up before you tell her, and you can hold a press conference. Then it won’t look like nepotism.”
“Possible. But it is Christmas Day.” Connor’s face brightened. “Hey, maybe I’ll just make you do a press conference.”
“Oh, no.” Neil was pretty sure Connor was joking, but the slim chance he wasn’t made him nervous. “I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me she’d moved to Portland.”
“To be honest, Adri and I weren’t sure how you’d react, so we put off telling you. Let’s take a look outside,” said Connor.
They went through the kitchen and out the back door. Neil was still mulling over his friend’s actions. At least Connor could have warned him about Kate. The snow on the back steps and the lawn beyond lay in pristine splendor.
“Nobody came in or out this way,” Connor said. He stepped down into the snow and Neil followed, though it meant getting his shoes wet. On each side of the porch, shrubs draped in snow hugged the house, and dead flower stalks thrust up out of the white expanse.
Neil looked up at the windows above the porch. “That’s the window that was unlocked, but I’m sure no one stepped on the roof up there.”
Connor considered the position of the window, the porch roof and the nearest tree. He shook his head. “No way.”
Neil thought about it and looked all around. “So, Mrs. Riley must have opened the door and let him in.”
Connor inhaled deeply. “Either that or the professor did it and is lying through his teeth.”
“I don’t buy that,” Neil said.
“Me, either. There’s the little question of the disappearing weapon. Pete Downey searched Riley’s luggage and stayed with him while he packed his clothes. There’s no way Gerald Riley took a gun out of this house.”
“He could have stashed it before Elaine and Joe got here.”
“Very slim chance, but where?”
Neil shrugged. “We’ve got to keep looking.”
Connor nodded. “That’s part of your job this afternoon. And if someone came in from outside, he arrived and left again between 8:40 and 8:55 this morning. Did he come here on foot?”
Neil followed his reasoning. “So we ask all the neighbors if a car was parked along the street this morning. Also, if they saw anyone walking in the area.”
“Excuse me. Connor?”
Neil and Connor whirled around. Kate stood at the edge of the lawn in a red wool coat and high-topped boots. Her deep chestnut hair waved about her rosy cheeks. Neil looked into her deep blue eyes, and his mouth went dry. Why had he been such an idiot last summer? He shot a glance at Connor.
“Hey, Kate, I thought I asked you to wait in the car,” Connor said.
“Sorry. I just wondered if you could throw me a bone so I can keep my editor happy. He’s threatened to call in a more experienced reporter, and I’d hate to lose my first chance at a big story.”
“Sure.” Connor sighed and glanced at his watch. “Listen, I’ve got to check in at the police station. There’s no way I’m going to make it
“No. No, you never mentioned it. If you had, I would certainly remember that.”
“Oh.” Connor gave a contrite shrug. “Sorry. Well, she’s on call for the paper today, and she said if I didn’t let her tag along, she’d just follow me anyway, like any good reporter who accidentally heard a hot tip.”
“That sounds like Kate.” Neil recalled how Kate could dig her heels in during a disagreement. Still, he wondered how many of the officers working under the captain would have stood up to him like that.
“I’m afraid she’s going to have a long wait today.”
“You’re going to brief her, though?”
“I guess I’ll have to.” Connor sighed. “I don’t like giving an exclusive to a relative.”
“Maybe some other newspeople will hear about it on the scanner and show up before you tell her, and you can hold a press conference. Then it won’t look like nepotism.”
“Possible. But it is Christmas Day.” Connor’s face brightened. “Hey, maybe I’ll just make you do a press conference.”
“Oh, no.” Neil was pretty sure Connor was joking, but the slim chance he wasn’t made him nervous. “I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me she’d moved to Portland.”
“To be honest, Adri and I weren’t sure how you’d react, so we put off telling you. Let’s take a look outside,” said Connor.
They went through the kitchen and out the back door. Neil was still mulling over his friend’s actions. At least Connor could have warned him about Kate. The snow on the back steps and the lawn beyond lay in pristine splendor.
“Nobody came in or out this way,” Connor said. He stepped down into the snow and Neil followed, though it meant getting his shoes wet. On each side of the porch, shrubs draped in snow hugged the house, and dead flower stalks thrust up out of the white expanse.
Neil looked up at the windows above the porch. “That’s the window that was unlocked, but I’m sure no one stepped on the roof up there.”
Connor considered the position of the window, the porch roof and the nearest tree. He shook his head. “No way.”
Neil thought about it and looked all around. “So, Mrs. Riley must have opened the door and let him in.”
Connor inhaled deeply. “Either that or the professor did it and is lying through his teeth.”
“I don’t buy that,” Neil said.
“Me, either. There’s the little question of the disappearing weapon. Pete Downey searched Riley’s luggage and stayed with him while he packed his clothes. There’s no way Gerald Riley took a gun out of this house.”
“He could have stashed it before Elaine and Joe got here.”
“Very slim chance, but where?”
Neil shrugged. “We’ve got to keep looking.”
Connor nodded. “That’s part of your job this afternoon. And if someone came in from outside, he arrived and left again between 8:40 and 8:55 this morning. Did he come here on foot?”
Neil followed his reasoning. “So we ask all the neighbors if a car was parked along the street this morning. Also, if they saw anyone walking in the area.”
“Excuse me. Connor?”
Neil and Connor whirled around. Kate stood at the edge of the lawn in a red wool coat and high-topped boots. Her deep chestnut hair waved about her rosy cheeks. Neil looked into her deep blue eyes, and his mouth went dry. Why had he been such an idiot last summer? He shot a glance at Connor.
“Hey, Kate, I thought I asked you to wait in the car,” Connor said.
“Sorry. I just wondered if you could throw me a bone so I can keep my editor happy. He’s threatened to call in a more experienced reporter, and I’d hate to lose my first chance at a big story.”
“Sure.” Connor sighed and glanced at his watch. “Listen, I’ve got to check in at the police station. There’s no way I’m going to make it
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