Matty lay on the floor, a cushion under his head. He laid his comic book aside and watched the final commercial before the evening news began.

Annie came into the room and sat in her armchair, placing a cup of coffee on the stand beside the chair. She leaned forward slightly, her hands in her lap, and looked at the TV, waiting for the broadcast to begin.

The Channel 7 Action News logo flashed, teasers ran, music played as the anchor shuffled his papers, the camera zoomed in, and the newscast began.

“Our top story: The senseless murder of a Richmond Hill man yesterday has struck fear into citizens of this city. With the story, here’s Lisa Krunk.”

The scene showed a gurney, covered with a white sheet, being wheeled from an alleyway toward a waiting ambulance. Yellow tape could be seen in the foreground, flapping gently in the evening breeze.

The camera panned, showing a car parked awkwardly in the middle of the street, its door wide open, detectives and officers milling about everywhere, the entire area cordoned off. Lisa began her voiceover as the camera continued to display the crime scene.

“This city was shocked to hear of a murder late yesterday evening. Thirty-five year old Werner Shaft was gunned down, receiving several shots before finally succumbing to his wounds. The unknown assailant fled the scene leaving police baffled by the killing. There didn’t appear to be any witnesses to this tragedy.”

Lisa’s face appeared on television screens throughout the city, standing at the same scene, the area now cleared as if nothing had happened the day before. She continued.

“Today, everything’s back to normal at the place where this grisly crime took place, but the owners of these establishments are on their guard. Police declined to comment earlier, but I have been told that, as of today, they have evidence pointing directly to one suspect.”

A picture of a man appeared on the screen. Jake recognized the face from the photo in the police reports as Lisa continued.

“Thirty-three year old Michael Norton is wanted for the murder of Shaft. Norton is an ex-convict, sentenced several years ago for burglary, and subsequently spent time in federal custody.”

The TV showed Lisa knocking on the door of the Norton house. The door opened a crack and then closed abruptly. Lisa turned around, the camera zoomed in on her, and she shrugged.

“The Norton family refused to comment, but sources state the family claims no knowledge of the whereabouts of this dangerous man. The refusal of Norton’s wife to talk to me leads me to believe she’s covering for her husband, and though there’s no evidence against her, police are looking at Tammy Norton closely. She’s certainly a person of interest in this case.

“Sources state it’s only a matter of time before this dangerous man is apprehended, and he’s believed to be nearby, possibly still in the immediate area.

“A search of the Norton residence this morning resulted in no further information on the fugitive’s location, and his wife declined to state whether or not she knew of his plans and where he might be hiding.”

Jake dropped his feet off the couch, sat forward, and pointed to the television. “She’s making this stuff up,” he said. “How can she draw a conclusion like that because Tammy Norton doesn’t want to comment?”

“She’s just being Lisa,” Annie said.

“Sounds more like slander to me.”

The television screen flickered and the scene moved to the inside of a house. Jake recognized Maria Shaft, sitting in a chair, the camera trained on her worried face. The view pulled back revealing a man standing at her side. It was Rocky Shaft, his thick brows in a tight line.

Lisa continued.

“I spoke earlier with the family of the victim, Maria Shaft, and the victim’s brother, Rocky. Rocky had this to say:”

“We want that killer caught. If I get ahold of you, I’ll break your worthless neck.”

“Maria, what can you tell me about the relationship between your husband and the suspect, Michael Norton?”

“There’s no relationship and there hasn’t been for years. My husband was a good man and he didn’t deserve this.”

The scene changed to a shot of Lisa, standing in front of the police station, a smug look on her face as she spoke.

“My sources inside this building inform me Mrs. Shaft’s statement is not true; there is in fact a relationship between the victim and Michael Norton, going back several years. The victim was Norton’s accomplice in the burglary case, and both men spent some time in prison.”

Jake tried to remain patient when a photo of him and Annie came on the screen and Lisa continued.

“Sources also confirm Lincoln Investigations, whom you will all recognize as being involved in several high profile cases lately, have now turned their attention to this baffling mystery.

“Viewers will remember, the Lincolns, along with this reporter, were instrumental in bringing a killer to justice in recent history, and I’m willing to aid the police with my expertise in investigative journalism once again.”

Annie almost choked on her coffee. “She’s mighty high on herself.”

Jake laughed. “She’s a narcissist with an ego that just won’t quit.”

A photo of Norton came on the screen. It was his mug shot, taken several years ago when he was first arrested.

Lisa said,

“If you have seen this man, or have any knowledge as to his whereabouts, I urge you to contact the police immediately.

“I will be following this story closely, and will bring you breaking news as it happens.

“For Channel 7 Action News, I’m Lisa Krunk.”

Jake switched off the television, leaned back, and said, “There wasn’t much new there. Mostly Lisa blowing her own horn, but Rocky Shaft was pretty angry.”

“We’d better find Norton before he does. Rocky threatened to kill Norton, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried.”

Jake looked at Annie. “I wonder why she always mentions our names.”

“So she can claim credit. Whether it’s us or the police, she has a need to feel involved,” Annie said. She sat back, took the last sip of her coffee, and sat the cup on the stand. “I think she believes her own exaggerations.”

“She doesn’t seem like a nice woman,” Matty said, as he stood and wandered away.

Annie laughed. “From the mouth of babes.”

“Even Matty can see right through her,” Jake said. “But forget about her. We need to concentrate on finding Michael Norton.”

“Let me sleep on it,” Annie said. “I’ll come up with something tomorrow.”

Jake was pretty sure she would.

Chapter 19

Tuesday, 6:13 p.m.

HANK LOOKED up as Detective King approached his desk and flopped into a chair. The cop looked worn out, grumpy, and in need of a change of clothes—nothing unusual there.

“No luck today, Hank,” King said. He yawned and leaned back, dropping one foot on the edge of Hank’s desk. “Nobody has seen or heard from Norton in a while.”