Page 72 of Every Deadly Suspicion

CHAPTER 38

BYFRIDAY AFTERNOON THE PRESS RELEASEwas written and distributed. Hanna read it on air but didn’t take any questions. The news outlets were satisfied for the time being. Hanna didn’t know how long that would last, considering that two FBI agents and an evidence team arrived to process the Mustang. National news outlets were now starting to take notice. Circus indeed.

Hanna felt a second wind coming when her phone rang. It was Manny, Nathan’s partner.

“Have you seen Nathan?”

“No, I haven’t.” Hanna looked at the office clock, trying to remember how long ago she’d left the message for him. “I called him and left a message; he hasn’t called me back. We talked about having lunch together, but I hadn’t heard from him. I assumed he is busy.”

“I’ve called him too. And I’ve tried to locate him. His GPS is turned off. He was on his way to Dry Oaks to check out some SUVs. Why would he turn his GPS off?”

“SUVs, related to the homicides?”

“Yeah. There were some black Tahoes registered in Dry Oaks. I’ve been working on vehicles in Sonora.”

Uneasiness roiled in her gut. It was not like Nathan not to check in or return phone calls.

“Who was he going to check on here?”

“There were six Chevy Tahoes registered in Dry Oaks, among them one to Jude Carver, four to Everett Buckley, and one to Marcus Marshall.”

Hanna chewed on her bottom lip and considered this information. She knew where Marcus Marshall had been most of the day. She’d just handed him a press release. And Everett, his Tahoes were work vehicles. Would Nathan have checked on those? That left Jude Carver.

“You still there, Hanna?”

“Yeah, yeah, just thinking. Marshall has been just about everywhere I’ve been today, and I haven’t seen Nathan come talk to him.”

“That leaves Buckley and Carver.”

“Right. I can check with both of them.”

“I’ve tried calling Buckley; I got his answering service,” Manny said. “He’s not available. The last communication they had was that he was on the fire line.”

“Did you call Carver?”

“His voicemail is full. That’s as far as I got.”

“I will go check on him.”

“I’m leaving Sonora shortly. I’ll meet you at his place.”

Hanna tried Nathan again. It immediately went to voicemail. Putting her gun belt on, she stepped into the squad room. Asa was eating his lunch. She could go to see Carver by herself, but that was not good officer safety. And with his lawsuit hanging over the city, it wouldn’t be wise.

“Asa, I’ve got to go check on Jude Carver.”

“Why?”

She told him about Nathan.

He folded up the remains of his lunch and tossed it in the trash. “I hope it’s just a matter of a dead cell phone.”

“It probably is.”

They took two cars. Hanna pulled up first. Carver’s SUV was in the drive. The front fender was dented and held together with duct tape.

Carver came out onto the porch with a beer in hand. “You’re trespassing.” He slurred his esses as he spoke.

“We just came to ask you a question, Jude.”

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