Page 58 of Every Deadly Suspicion

“That was fast,” Mandy said when Hanna told her.

“Yeah, well, apparently the state got dinged by another inmate who was supposed to be released on hospice. They took so long approving the release that the guy died in prison. This after parole assured his family he’d be able to die at home. They sued. So the state moves a lot faster now.”

“Are you ready?”

Hanna thought for a moment. “I don’t know. As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess. From what Giles, the parole officer, told me, Joe has been an exemplary prisoner. He...” Hanna stopped, wanting to pick the right words. While Hanna tended to always look for the best in people, she didn’t believe in jailhouse conversions. Itwas easy to behave well in such a structured environment where consequences were quick and sure. It was only living out in life and freedom that someone could prove their heart.

“What were you going to say?”

“Just that Tom Nelson, you know, the prison chaplain, says Joe is a committed Christian now.” Hanna shrugged. “Maybe he is, and maybe he isn’t. I’ll just wait and see.”

“I only want to know about my parents. Joe can claim to be a Martian if he wants. One thing surprises me. Marcus Marshall is sure doing his best to stir up animosity toward your dad.”

“I noticed. Did he call you?”

“Me and my grandma. He wanted us to be outraged that Joe is being released.”

“What does your grandma say?”

“What you’d expect. He tried to dredge up all the horribleness of the crime. She just said that she’d forgiven him a long time ago and now prayed for his soul.”

“Your grandma is special.”

“She is. I love my nana. As Christians we’re all called to forgive. I hope that is the response Marshall gets from everyone. I wonder if he’s gone after Everett.”

“I’m sure he has. Everett is none too happy, I can tell you. I doubt forgiveness is in his vocabulary.”

“Granny prays for him too, and for Chase.”

“I saw Chase yesterday. He was at Jock’s place.”

“I heard the ruckus on the scanner. What happened there?”

“Carver started a big fight.”

“Carver needs to find a new place to call home. Was Chase involved? He never comes to town.”

“I don’t think he had anything to do with the fight. He was just there socializing, I guess, and he warned me about Joe.”

“Warned?”

“He said I can’t trust him. Told me not to be fooled.”

“Hmm. Hanna, I think the best thing you can do is greet Joe with an open mind, asking God for discernment. Everyone deserves that, until they prove otherwise.”

In principle, Hanna agreed with the sentiment. But in practice, she knew that people proving otherwise could do some awful things. What was Joe Keyes capable of?

CHAPTER 31

HANNA WAS UP EARLY ONWEDNESDAY,more nervous than she thought she’d be. She checked her computer for news, knowing that Marcus had plenty of contacts to leak the fact that Joe would be coming to her house today. It was the comments generated by his story about Joe’s imminent release that surprised her the most.

“It was thirty-five years ago, for heaven’s sake. The guy is dying. Give him a break.”

“It’s a good idea to save taxpayer money. Let the guy die in peace.”

“If the people most affected by old crime don’t mind, why should we?”

All his efforts to stir up animosity seemed to have failed. Would he show up here this morning? Surprisingly, even the mayor had lightened up. She’d called Hanna the night before and apologized for overreacting.

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