ZERO HERO (The Kate Huntington Mystery series) by Kassandra Lamb Page B

as Elaine and I and several other people believe he is–”
                “Including the arresting officer,” Skip muttered beside her.
                “If he’s innocent and being locked up for months destroys him...”
                Skip took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
                A murmur of dissatisfaction had been growing in the sanctuary. Kate didn’t know if it was aimed at her or Doris.
                Elaine raised her arms in the air, the white sleeves of her robe looking a bit like angel’s wings.
                Kate caught the expression on the priest’s face. Make that an annoyed angel’s wings.
                The murmur subsided. Elaine nodded to Sym, the head usher, and the ushers started passing the alms basins around the pews. “I don’t think we need to have a long debate about this. Give as you’re willing. If you have questions for Kate, ask her during coffee hour. I’m sure she’ll be happy to take your donation then as well.” She frowned at Doris when she didn’t take the hint to sit down.
                Doris held up her hand. “I just got one more thing to say. I think we should help this young man.”
                Laughter rippled through the congregation as Doris resumed her seat.
                Jim Sutton, the church treasurer, stood up. “Checks should be made out to Kate, not the church and these donations are not tax-deductible.”
                “Spoken like a true accountant, Jim,” a voice rang out. Another ripple of laughter.
                Jim smiled. “And I wanted to say that my son is a firefighter. It scares the you-know-what out of me every day, but I’m also extremely proud of him. Firefighters are the bravest people on this planet. They run into burning, collapsing buildings!”
                “Or they’re the craziest,” someone said sotto voice .
                Jim chuckled good-naturedly. “Yeah, well, that’s what we’ve got Kate for.”
                Kate smiled in his direction, her vision blurred by fresh tears.
                One of the ushers had grabbed the basket normally kept in the back of the church for canned goods for the local food pantry. Sym took it and dumped the overflowing contents of his alms plate into it. The other ushers followed suit, then went back to passing the plates along the pews. They were only halfway to the front of the church.
                “Thank you,” Kate tried to say, but it came out as a breathless whisper.
                Skip stood up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Y’all have left my wife speechless,” he drawled. “You’ve got no idea how rare a phenomenon that is.”
                Laughter erupted.

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
                Sunday afternoon, Skip sat at the kitchen table enjoying the peace and quiet. It was one of those unusually balmy days Maryland was sometimes blessed with this time of year–referred to as the February thaw. Winter usually came back with a vengeance afterwards. But one learned to savor the mid-winter sample of the springtime that would come eventually.
                Kate had said it was a sign that everything was going to be alright. She’d taken the kids to the park near their house.
                Skip took a sip of coffee and flipped the Sunday paper over to the sports section, but his mind was on his wife.
                He couldn’t have been more proud of her this morning. After the round of testimonials there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Wallets and checkbooks appeared in people’s hands, and more than once the collection plates were held up as someone finished writing out a check. The ushers had dumped everything into the basket and Elaine had blessed it.
                Between the collection and a donation from the