Page 73 of Every Deadly Suspicion

“Do I need my lawyer?”

“No. We’re looking for Nathan Sharp. He was on his way here to ask you—”

“He was here. Your boyfriend was trying to connect me to those murders. Was that your doing? You so afraid you’re going to lose that lawsuit that you’re trying to pin those murders on me?”

Hanna ignored the dig. “How long ago was he here?”

Jude drank his beer and stared.

“Left a couple of hours ago,” a voice behind her said.

Hanna turned. Jared was out on his porch. “He pulled out as I pulled up.”

“Yeah, yeah, there’s your other boyfriend. Is he spying on me?” Carver stumbled down his front steps, drunk and angry. Dropping his beer can, he came straight for Hanna.

“You’ll always be the no-good spawn of Satan. I can’t believe you’re chief!” He swung a fist, which Hanna dodged easily. Unstable on his feet, Carver immediately lost his balance and went down.

Asa stepped between them. Jared also jumped off the porch and ran to help. Hanna and Asa were able to get a hold of the struggling Carver and handcuff him before Jared got involved.

“I don’t want to arrest you, Jude. I only wanted to ask about Nathan.”

Carver squirmed and cursed.

“Wow,” Jared commented when he reached them. “We might get drunk just from his breath.”

Another car pulled up. Manny got out and hurried to them, face tense with worry.

Hanna and Asa pulled Carver to his feet. “Let’s get him to the porch and sit him down,” Asa suggested.

Between the two of them they accomplished that feat. Technically, Carver could be arrested for assaulting Hanna, but that wasn’t her goal. If he would just calm down, she’d be happy to leave him home to sober up and continue looking for Nathan.

“What is going on?” Manny asked as he jogged up.

“Do you have this?” Hanna asked Asa, who nodded. Carver did seem to be calming down.

She stepped back to speak to Manny, conscious that Jared was at her side. Briefly, she explained what had happened.

“You saw him leave here?” Manny asked Jared.

“Right as I got home, he was leaving.”

“He had to be on his way to talk to Everett,” Hanna said, but there were so many questions swirling in her head. Not just about this killer Nathan was tracking, but her father’s case as well. The ugly thought that maybe Joe had not killed the Carsons would not go away. And if it wasn’t Joe, did that leave Chase, or was someone else involved? The unnamed tipster? Or was it worse than that? Was Everett also involved?

Something was seriously wrong.

“Hanna, are you okay?” Jared took her arm, a concerned look on his face.

“No, I’m not. Nothing is adding up.” She turned to Asa. Carver sat down hard on his porch stairs. “Can you get him inside to sleep it off? If he won’t cooperate, book him.”

“You got it, boss.”

To Manny she said, “I have to go check something out, then I’m going to talk to Everett. Can you meet me there in about half an hour?”

He nodded. “I’ll give Asa a hand and then let you know when I’m en route.”

Hanna started for her car, Jared on her heels.

“I’m going with you.”

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