Page 7 of Silent Prayer

"Finn," she called softly. "I think we've found our murder weapon."

Finn leaned in for a closer look. "Looks that way. We'll have forensics bag it for evidence."

As they stepped back to allow the crime scene technicians to do their work, Sheila turned her attention back to the priest. "Father Stephen," she said, "have you seen this woman before?"

The priest swallowed hard, looking away from the confessional. "I can't be certain, not with...with the state she's in," he said, his voice shaking. "But I believe it's Laura Hastings. She's a parishioner here, comes to confession regularly. Well, she used to—I haven't seen her in a number of months."

Sheila jotted down the name in her notebook. "Thank you, Father. That's very helpful."

"Are there any cameras in or around the church, by any chance?" Finn asked, looking around.

Father Stephen smiled sadly. "I'm afraid we're not quite that modern. I don't believe there are any cameras on neighboring properties, either."

"Did Laura have any enemies that you know of?" Sheila asked. "Anyone who might want to harm her?"

Father Stephen shook his head. "No, not that I know of. Laura was...troubled, certainly. She carried a great burden of guilt. But she was a kind soul. I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt her."

Sheila's brow furrowed. "Guilt? What do you mean by that, Father?"

The priest hesitated, his eyes darting between Sheila and Finn. "I...I'm not sure I should say. What's shared in confession is meant to be confidential."

"Father, I understand your position," Finn said, "but Laura is dead now. You might know something that could help us find her killer and bring them to justice."

Father Stephen sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his decision. After a long moment, he spoke. "Laura was having...marital problems. She mentioned thinking about leaving her husband."

Sheila jotted this down in her notebook. "Did she say why she was considering leaving him?"

The priest shook his head. "No, she never went into specifics. Just that she was unhappy and felt trapped. But she was torn about it—hence the guilt. She believed strongly in the sanctity of marriage."

Sheila nodded, processing this information. Then a thought struck her. "Father, was her confession scheduled?"

"Not as far as I know," Father Stephen said, looking puzzled. "Which is odd, since they're supposed to be scheduled."

"Were any other priests taking confession today?" Finn asked.

The priest shook his head again. "No, I'm the only priest here."

Sheila and Finn exchanged a look.

"Thank you, Father Stephen," Sheila said. "Let us know if you think of anything else."

The priest nodded and turned away. When he was out of earshot, Sheila said, "So why was Laura here? Did she meet with someone else?"

"You know what they say," Finn said. "When in doubt, question the spouse."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Is that really a saying?"

He shrugged. "No. But it should be. Maybe he found out she was thinking of leaving, flipped out."

"But if so, why attack her here, in a public place?"

"Guess we'd better ask him that."

CHAPTER THREE

The Hastings residence was a modest two-story home on Maple Street, its well-manicured lawn and cheerful flower beds at odds with the tragedy that had befallen its occupants. As Sheila and Finn approached the front door, the weight of their task hung heavy in the air.

Sheila took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. The sound echoed through the house, followed by the muffled sound of footsteps. After a moment, the door opened to reveal a man in his early forties, his eyes red-rimmed and his clothes rumpled.

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