That night the news about the shooting raced through the small town. As rumor had it, the perpetrator was a hit man with a Philadelphia crime connection; a thug who had wormed his way close to the trusting senator and brutally assassinated him. Half of the citizens were phoning the other half telling them to turn on the TV.
When the Sunday paper hit the street the next morning, it confirmed the unbelievable. Outraged, the citizens read about the ruthless stranger who had shot the senator. Even those who had opposed Senator Towson in the past had to admit his death was an indisputable tragedy for the town and for Florida.
A handful of people had met Ray at the party a week ago and forgotten about him. Others were trying to catch his name from the TV item repeated every hour. Now, thanks to the newspaper, the entire town had the opportunity to frown at his blurred photo and read about this shadowy stranger from up north.
A record for Sunday circulation was set that morning, the paper sold out within an hour.
Ray was oblivious to the commotion outside. He was sitting on his bunk craving a cup of coffee when Beau Cobb hurried up to his cell waving the newspaper. "Seen the paper, man?"
"No, it was missing from my breakfast tray. They forgot the rosebud as well."
"Well, you're all over the front page." Beau passed the thick paper through the bars.
Ray was stunned to see his scary driver's license picture on the front page. Alongside, Al Towson smiled out in a charming studio pose. The headline, SENATOR TOWSON FOUND MURDERED. …his campaign manager and long time aide, Anthony Hackett, discovered the senator's body in the Towson residence Saturday evening. Mr. Hackett was to accompany the candidate to a campaign function and became concerned when there was no answer on the victim's phone. Mr. Hackett and the building maintenance man discovered the body. A person of interest is in custody. The Governor is expected to make a statement later today. The Miami Herald is reporting it as an assassination. Party officials in Tallahassee couldn't be reached for comment. A spokesman at the FBI regional office in West Palm Beach had no comment….
In the twenty-four hours since Loraine Dellin's urgent phone call, Ray had progressed from an unknown to a person of interest and according to Beau Cobb on up to an alleged assassin.
"Beau, you said Goddard was a rookie detective. Does this town have the resources to make an adequate investigation?"
"You asking are the police any good? Not bad. They routinely bring in the state crime lab for backup, for DNA and all the tricky junk. They have state investigators available in Tallahassee, but the local state attorney here seldom uses them. Doesn't like to give up any control. Of course, he's never handled anything this big. Now if someone starts thinking you're a hit man from Philadelphia, the FBI will show up fast."