Lifeline (Paperback)

Sometimes a man has to make a choice: A refrigerator full of beer and a peaceful spot to watch the birds, or a productive life shared with the woman he loves. This is the decision facing sometime reporter Jack McMorrow when his girlfriend, Roxanne, takes a job in Portland, Maine, leaving behind an ultimatum. McMorrow rises to the challenge and signs on as the court reporter for the Kennebec Observer. What he doesn't realize is that he is about to confront a much more serious life crisis. While taking notes on a series of routine cases, McMorrow encounters Donna Marchant, a young woman seeking protection from an abusive boyfriend. By revealing bruises on her chest and torso, Donna finally gets the judge's attention and a restraining order, and McMorrow has his lead story. But when is a reporter merely reporting the news, and when do his actions make him part of the story? Donna is reluctant to be interviewed but is persuaded by McMorrow, who feels more than a professional attraction toward her. Just writing about Donna's case stirs up a hornet's nest. Then, shortly after the article runs, Donna is found dead in her apartment, her young daughter the only witness to what happened. Now McMorrow has to face an angry sister, a dangerous boyfriend, and a corrupt D.A. to find out the truth about Donna's death - and what kind of man he really is.