He looked from Rachel to the table and laptop. The screen was powered back up. He wondered if she had realized he’d tried to access it and was telling him the password.

“Prior Silver. Remember him?” prodded Rachel.

The name rang a bell—but not very loudly.

Grant tried to get his bearings and realized he must have fallen asleep right after he sat on the bed. He noticed that Rachel was in the same outfit she’d been wearing last night.

“What time is it?” he asked.

“Just after seven. I thought I’d just stay with my friend—give you the place to yourself. I tried you around eleven or so to tell you, but you didn’t answer. I figured you were already asleep.”

“I went for a walk.”

“Well, I was worried I’d wake you if I called again. Good thing—you were dead to the world when I came back an hour ago.” She pointed to the computer. “I’ve been online with Sergeant Hawley and I think he came up with something.”

Grant suddenly felt pieces falling into place as he fully woke up.

“Prior Silver,” he repeated. “A thief, if I remember correctly.”

Rachel nodded. “Multiple robberies in the London financial district. He stabbed one customer, who nearly died.”

He straightened up; she had his full attention now. “Back about the time you were in upper school.”

“I remember it as well. He said all sorts of nasty things about you.”

“He wouldn’t have been the first.”

“Still, it frightened me and Mom.”

“So, he’s out and about?” asked Grant.

“For over two years. But according to Sergeant Hawley, he ‘found the Lord’ while serving his time.”

“He wouldn’t be the first that happened to either.”

Rachel was back at the computer screen, scrawling through her text with the sergeant.

“Hawley learned that the man led a Bible group in prison at least three times a week,” she continued. “Silver actually wrote a couple of sermons on repentance; one was even published while he was incarcerated.”

“Interesting,” said Grant as he peered over her shoulder. “And I presume Prior Silver was in London when the first three murders were committed?”

“Certainly looks like it,” said Rachel. “He also flew to New York City the day before Father Peters was killed in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.”

Chapter 15

15

Prior Silver.

Grant had barely remembered the name when Rachel first mentioned it. But halfway through reading the man’s file, it came back to him like an avalanche. Strange that he could have forgotten it so easily, but Grant realized he’d put a lot of people in prison over three decades.