ZERO HERO (The Kate Huntington Mystery series) by Kassandra Lamb Page A
Authors: Kassandra Lamb
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there was a good bit of gray now sprinkled in with the light brown.
Are we gettin’ too old to do this shit? He pushed that thought aside as Mac asked him about the investigation.
~~~~~~~~
On Sunday morning, Kate and Skip were sitting in their usual pew, three rows back from the front. Kate patted her stomach, willing the butterflies to settle down. She should have her head examined. Did she really think people would donate money to bail someone accused of murder out of jail?
Maybe she should...
Too late. Elaine had finished her other announcements at the end of the service and was now looking in Kate’s direction. “I had an unusual request this week from one of our parishioners. I’ll let her explain but I wanted to tell you all that I’ve met with the young man in question. I’m inclined to agree with Kate’s assessment of him and the situation. However, as I said, it’s an unusual request so each of you should do as you see fit.”
Kate stood and smoothed down the jacket of her suit. “I’ll try to condense this as best I can. A young man I know has been arrested on murder charges. I believe he’s innocent and my husband’s agency is looking into the case.” She summarized Pete’s life-saving efforts on 9/11. “Now he’s in jail, with no money for bail, and that’s not a good environment for him.” She stopped to swallow the lump growing in her throat. “He’s a gentle soul, and it will be months before his case comes to trial. The ushers are going to pass the plate again. Anything you feel you can give would be helpful. I know it’s a lot to ask, to take my word for it that he’s innocent.”
“And mine,” Elaine said. “But you don’t need to feel obligated to give.”
A voice came from the back of the church. “Well I think we should feel obligated to give.” A woman Kate didn’t know stood up. “I lost my dad on 9/11. My parents owned a business in the World Trade Center. On the ground floor. My dad shoved my mom out the front door and then he took off for the fire stairs to try to help others get out.” The woman stifled a sob. “They never even found his body.”
The lump in Kate’s throat was now too big to swallow.
“I lost friends on 9/11, in the Pentagon,” a male voice called out.
Another woman stood up. Kate knew her in passing, Jane or Janet something.
“Most of you don’t know this since I’ve only been coming here a few years, but I was widowed on 9/11. My husband was on the Pennsylvania plane. He was one of the ones who rushed the cockpit. Like the guy whose call to his wife ended up on the news, he called me... from his cell...” Tears were streaming down the woman’s cheeks. “Told me to tell the children...” She waved her hand in the air, unable to continue, and sat down. The people on either side wrapped their arms around her.
Kate swiped at the tears on her face with the back of her hand. Skip dug out his handkerchief and handed it to her, even though he was sniffing a bit himself.
Doris Baines stood up.
Kate stifled a groan. The woman was the most negative person she’d ever known.
“Will this young man take off when he’s out on bail?” Doris asked. “I mean, just because he’s a 9/11 hero doesn’t mean he didn’t do what the police think he did.”
Kate had to admit she had a point, at least from the perspective of someone who didn’t know Pete. “I don’t think he’ll go anywhere. His support system is here in Towson. And he’ll have his day in court. But in the meantime, I’m very concerned about what being in jail will do to his mental health. If he’s innocent,
Are we gettin’ too old to do this shit? He pushed that thought aside as Mac asked him about the investigation.
~~~~~~~~
On Sunday morning, Kate and Skip were sitting in their usual pew, three rows back from the front. Kate patted her stomach, willing the butterflies to settle down. She should have her head examined. Did she really think people would donate money to bail someone accused of murder out of jail?
Maybe she should...
Too late. Elaine had finished her other announcements at the end of the service and was now looking in Kate’s direction. “I had an unusual request this week from one of our parishioners. I’ll let her explain but I wanted to tell you all that I’ve met with the young man in question. I’m inclined to agree with Kate’s assessment of him and the situation. However, as I said, it’s an unusual request so each of you should do as you see fit.”
Kate stood and smoothed down the jacket of her suit. “I’ll try to condense this as best I can. A young man I know has been arrested on murder charges. I believe he’s innocent and my husband’s agency is looking into the case.” She summarized Pete’s life-saving efforts on 9/11. “Now he’s in jail, with no money for bail, and that’s not a good environment for him.” She stopped to swallow the lump growing in her throat. “He’s a gentle soul, and it will be months before his case comes to trial. The ushers are going to pass the plate again. Anything you feel you can give would be helpful. I know it’s a lot to ask, to take my word for it that he’s innocent.”
“And mine,” Elaine said. “But you don’t need to feel obligated to give.”
A voice came from the back of the church. “Well I think we should feel obligated to give.” A woman Kate didn’t know stood up. “I lost my dad on 9/11. My parents owned a business in the World Trade Center. On the ground floor. My dad shoved my mom out the front door and then he took off for the fire stairs to try to help others get out.” The woman stifled a sob. “They never even found his body.”
The lump in Kate’s throat was now too big to swallow.
“I lost friends on 9/11, in the Pentagon,” a male voice called out.
Another woman stood up. Kate knew her in passing, Jane or Janet something.
“Most of you don’t know this since I’ve only been coming here a few years, but I was widowed on 9/11. My husband was on the Pennsylvania plane. He was one of the ones who rushed the cockpit. Like the guy whose call to his wife ended up on the news, he called me... from his cell...” Tears were streaming down the woman’s cheeks. “Told me to tell the children...” She waved her hand in the air, unable to continue, and sat down. The people on either side wrapped their arms around her.
Kate swiped at the tears on her face with the back of her hand. Skip dug out his handkerchief and handed it to her, even though he was sniffing a bit himself.
Doris Baines stood up.
Kate stifled a groan. The woman was the most negative person she’d ever known.
“Will this young man take off when he’s out on bail?” Doris asked. “I mean, just because he’s a 9/11 hero doesn’t mean he didn’t do what the police think he did.”
Kate had to admit she had a point, at least from the perspective of someone who didn’t know Pete. “I don’t think he’ll go anywhere. His support system is here in Towson. And he’ll have his day in court. But in the meantime, I’m very concerned about what being in jail will do to his mental health. If he’s innocent,
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