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equivalent of snapping her fingers. “I gave you help by dealing with the press conference. Make this your priority and get it done.”
    “There are limitations to what I can do on this case to begin with.”
    “Then step outside those limitations if you need to. You have my authorization.”
    Great. That just meant Cecelia would have more reason to complain if she didn’t get what she wanted. “That shouldn’t be necessary, but I’ll keep it in mind.”
    That must not have placated Cecelia who unloaded her impatience. “If you’ve got anything else on the Stanton case I want to hear it.”
    “This is the second killing of someone from Philomena House in Northern Liberties.”  Unsolved killings rode Kirsten’s conscious with a whip, lashing at her to find a way to stop the criminals. “These deaths might be connected.”
    Cecelia lifted a hand to silence Kirsten then looked around them. No one stood closer than twenty feet away, where two attorneys spoke quietly with an Assistant DA. When Cecelia’s attention swerved back to Kirsten she kept her voice just as soft.
    “Don’t start making noises about connected killings. This Stanton was a welfare mother with an out-of-wedlock kid. Why do you think St. Catherine’s put Philomena House in Northern Liberties?”  Cecelia’s unstable attention flitted past Kirsten then to the side as a group of men passed. “You so much as hint at a connection and Philly PD will be up to their armpits in people claiming other killings are connected. You want that for our PD? That area is full of drug addicts and urban outdoorsmen for crying out loud.”
    “They’re homeless , Cecelia, not urban outdoorsmen.”  Kirsten despised the DA’s flippant reference to Philly’s less fortunate.
    Cecelia waved her hand to dismiss the reprimand. “We closed the last homicide case from Philomena as drug related and Stanton’s murder probably is, too, if it’s not a DV.”
    Labeling Stanton’s murder as either drug related or domestic violence based on her socio-economic level was morally wrong and negligent.
    Plus, the prior related killing from Philomena House was not a closed file. Not yet.
    “As I said, I haven’t had a chance to even review this morning’s police report,” Kirsten countered. “I want to go through all the evidence first , consult with the investigating detective and find out if there are any other similarities – ”
    “What similarities?”
    “Both had single shots to the forehead of similar caliber, both were Philomena residents and both bodies were moved after the vics were killed. Once I finish my investigation, I’ll be ready to make a recommendation about how to move forward on this case. We have a responsibility to make sure there isn’t a connection.”
    Condescension came in many forms with Cecelia, like the way she shook her head and paused an extra second. “You really want me to believe a welfare mother from an area known for B&Es and drug deals was popped by a serial killer? That’s a stretch. Do you realize what raising that unrealistic possibility would do to the image of this city? That’s sensationalizing a death.” 
    Focusing on the city’s image was the tourism bureau’s job, not Kirsten’s or the DA’s.
    And being ordered to hump harder than the sixteen-hour days Kirsten already put in just to help the mayor save face with corporate America had her grinding what enamel was left on her back teeth. This reminded her too much of the one directive above all others she’d grown up with – protect the family name at any cost. Image. Image. Image.
    She’d left that life behind. She’d thought.
    From her point of view, she had an uncomplicated job description – find the evidence necessary to convict criminals.
    End of statement.
    Kirsten met Cecelia’s uncompromising stare with an equally determined one of her own. “I can appreciate the timeline you and the Mayor are facing for his speech, but I’m not going to perform