“Well … things have happened to us, things that could be interpreted as warnings to back off, to stay away from the Good Shepherd case.”

“And does your detective adviser have any theories?”

“He seems to have a view of the case that’s different from everyone else’s.”

The host seemed riveted. “Are you saying that your police expert thinks the FBI has been on the wrong track all these years?”

“You’ll have to ask him that yourself. I’ve already said too much.”

Goddamn right, thought Gurney.

“If it’s the truth, Kim, it’s never too much! Maybe I’ll follow up with Detective Gurney himself—in time for next week’s installment of The Orphans of Murder. In the meantime I invite our viewers to speak out. React! Share your thoughts with us. Go to our website and speak your mind.”

The Web address—RAM4NEWS.COM—appeared at the bottom of the screen in flashing red and blue letters.

The host leaned toward Kim. “We have one minute left. Can you sum up the essence of the Good Shepherd case in a few words?”

“In a few words?”

“Right. The essence of it.”

She closed her eyes. “Love. Loss. Pain.”

The camera zoomed in to a close-up of the host. “All right, folks. There you have it. Love, loss, and terrible pain. Next week we’ll take a close look at the shattered family of another Good Shepherd victim. And remember, as far as we know, the Good Shepherd is still out there, still walking among us. A man … to whom … human life … means nothing. Stay tuned to RAM News for everything you need to know. Stay alert, my friends. It’s a dangerous world.”

The screen faded to black.

Gurney closed the browser, put the computer to sleep, and sat back in his chair.

Madeleine gave him a gently appraising look. “What’s worrying you?”

“Right this minute? I don’t know.” He shifted in his chair, closed his eyes, and waited for the first troubling object to surface. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the show they’d just watched—as disturbing as it was. “What do you think about this thing with Kim and Kyle?” he said.

“They seem to be attracted to each other. What’s there to think about?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“What Kim said about you at the end of that RAM thing—your doubts about the FBI approach—will that make trouble for you?”

“It could ratchet up the unpleasantness with Agent Trout. Possibly tweak his control-freak nerves to the point of wanting to create some legal inconvenience for me.”

“Is there anything you can do about that? Any way to head it off?”

“Sure. All I have to do is prove that his case is total nonsense. At which point he’ll have bigger problems to worry about than me.”

Chapter 31

The Return of the Shepherd