The Penitent One (Boston Crime Thriller Book 3), Brian Shea [best non fiction books of all time .TXT] 📗

from release so as not to interfere with those who are pursuing justice. I can tell you this—this tragic circumstance is of the utmost importance to the Boston Police Department. We will bring the full investigative strength of the Criminal Investigation Division to bear on this.

"We've solicited the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and they have readily supplied us with Agent Sterling Gray, who will be acting in a supporting role to our detective unit, and in particular our homicide investigators. I can tell you we welcome the resources the FBI brings to the Boston Police. Although we are quite adept at handling cases of all shapes and sizes, this one obviously carries with it a significant concern. I know that the people of this city, and in particular the neighborhood of Dorchester, are heartbroken at the news of losing one of their parish's own. I will tell you right now, we have some of the department's best and brightest working on this case, and they will not rest until they find the person or persons responsible for this murder."

Disregarding the lieutenant's initial order about holding questions to the end, several reporters, upon hearing the word "murder," shot up their hands.

Superintendent Acevedo scanned the crowd. "We're going to answer very few questions regarding this case. This is an active investigation, and the reason for the press conference is simple: we are asking anybody watching this broadcast who has information relevant to the case, please do not hesitate to contact the Boston Police Department. You can do it anonymously or in person. We have detectives and officers standing by to talk to you.

"At the bottom of the screen, for those of you who are watching this at home, we have provided a number for our tip line where you can remain completely anonymous when giving any information you think would benefit this investigation. With that being said, I can see several reporters in the audience have questions. Let me start by taking..."

"Colleen Maxwell from the Herald." Colleen was a tall redhead with a feisty temper and a tenacious investigative journalistic reputation.

Hearing her voice above the others, Kelly raised his head and eyed her. She had dragged him through the mud after the Baxter Green shooting death. She destroyed him in the paper in the initial wake of that case, adding insult to the injury of the circumstances leading to the young boy’s death. Most of what she had initially reported had been incorrect, filled with half-truths taken out of context from whoever her point of contact was within the police department. Seeing that Superintendent Acevedo picked her first, he now wondered if he had been that source, a tit for tat, some favor, something owed. Politics in policing at work.

It left a bitter taste in Kelly's mouth. The shooting death of Baxter Green had been traumatic enough for him. Having his name bashed for all to read had worsened his ability to process it. Even though she later printed a retraction, a corrective piece in which she highlighted his efforts to bring about a resolution and the sound tactics used to do so, it had come a year later. A year of anguish for Kelly, a lifetime of frustration. She had waited until the internal investigation had closed and all wrongs had been cleared before making any effort to try to clear his name in the paper.

But as with everything, a year was a long time. In that same year, Kelly had lost his wife to divorce and his job had become burdensome. When she printed her second version of the incident, it was barely a blip in the world of newspaper journalism and had little effect. Seeing her getting the first question worried him. What would she have to say about this case before she had all the facts?

Kelly had learned long ago not to spend much time looking at the paper. It rarely, if ever, helped to follow any articles revolving around active criminal investigations. More likely it would only infuriate him when facts and details laid out in arrest affidavits and police reports were either incorrectly cited in the abridgement, miscommunicated, or flat-out disregarded. Best to turn a blind eye to it altogether.

"From what I understand, your department has ruled out any chance that this was a self-inflicted gunshot wound?"

Kelly held back from rolling his eyes. With his luck, that would be when the camera was pointed in his direction. Somebody had leaked to her about the gunshot wound, which went against everything they were working toward. Zero details, just the death of a priest, that's what Sutherland had advised would be said: a quick briefing to let the public know they were on the case and all efforts were being made to bring about a resolution. A briefing designed to put people's minds at ease and buy them time. Details released, like "single gunshot wound to the head," would skew any caller information that came in. It would taint any witness accounts.

"Thank you for the question, Colleen. Yes, we are ruling this a homicide. We have no evidence at this point in the investigation to indicate it was a suicide. And unless something changes, we will continue to investigate it as such."

She followed up and Acevedo let her speak again, much to the chagrin of the other reporters competing for the opportunity to have their questions heard.

"A single gunshot wound to the head? Any details on what type of gun was used? Any surveillance cameras, any suspect possibilities, things that we in the general public can be on the lookout for?"

How much information had she been fed?

"I'm not at liberty to discuss anything further with regard to the details of the case. It’s an active homicide investigation, and we will update you as soon as we have anything further."

Another reporter, a heavyset man seated near the front row, spoke without being called upon. "Do you have anything on a motive? I mean, who would kill