And because she felt a connection to the case he was looking into, she was going to help guide him the best she could.
That meant talking to her family about it.
“I don’t suppose there are any donuts left from today, are there?”
“No,” her mother said. “We always sell out on the weekends. You got a dozen earlier in the week.”
“They weren’t for me,” she said.
“You didn’t tell me that,” her mother said.
“I use them as bribery.”
“Gale,” her mother said, rolling her eyes. “You’re never going to change.”
“And we wouldn’t want her to,” her father said when he came into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Ford and Reenie entered with Clay and Meredith, and her mother was setting the table after pushing everyone out.
Gale got her independent nature from her mother, her stubbornness from her father. And her father was right: she wouldn’t change a thing about it.
Once they were seated at the table, she filled her family in.
“So, remember the Rene Connors murder?”
“Hard to forget it,” her father said. “Cooper seems to be doing well. I haven’t talked to him in months, but the last time I did, life was going as smoothly as could be.”
She hadn’t realized her father still talked to his old friend. “When did you two get back in touch?”
“After your father broke his back,” her mother said. “Abbie reached out and we reconnected some. Not much more than on social media, but you know Dad does nothing with that.”
“I’m glad things are good. So, here is the thing. I’ll just cut into it fast. Last week I was in the courthouse and there was this guy in there asking for copies of the court records from the trial. I was standing back and listening. He said he’s an author and is writing a book and would like to base some of it on that.”
“Interesting,” her mother said. “But not unheard of. I’m surprised there hasn’t been more media on it. It seems like every time you turn around there is some documentary or quick show up to see if they can help solve the case.”
“I thought that too. I helped get him the records. Or he’ll get them on Monday. The next day I brought Barb the donuts and got the guy’s name. I had handed my card to him and said I grew up here and wouldn’t mind helping.”
“Of course you did,” Clay said. “Always have to get your mouth in everyone’s pie.”
“There isn’t anything wrong with that. I’ve got a sweet tooth.”
Her mother shook her head. “So what’s his name?”
“His pen name is Rory Rene, but I found out quickly that it’s Rory Connors, Rene’s older brother.”
“And he’s back in town looking for the court records,” Ford asked. She knew that would get her older brother’s attention.
“Yes. He was a cop in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for about five years and left to pursue his writing career. A great career. He’s not here to research his next book—he’s been trying to solve this case for years. I joked he spent some of his career on one side ofthe law, and now his imagination is in the mind of a killer as if he were trying to see what could make someone do that.”
“What did he say?” Clay asked.
“That he never thought of it that way, but it made sense. He and his mother have never let this rest.”
“I couldn’t,” her father said. “I don’t think anyone at this table could.”
She looked around, and everyone was shaking their heads.
“Agreed. His parents are divorced. His mother and he think alike, but his father put his head in the sand. We didn’t get into that too much. But he’s got lists of clues, thoughts, and leads he’s discovered over the years, worked every angle he could, then crossed it off. But he has a new lead. I should say clue.”
