Page 103 of Every Deadly Suspicion

“Oh, my mistake.” Hanna slapped a palm into her forehead. “I never should have assumed Marcus left in his own car.”

Jared placed a hand on her shoulder. “There was no way we could have seen what car he left in.”

“I just wonder how far he could have gotten when everyone was looking for the wrong car.”

“We’ll catch him,” Asa said. “I can’t believe that Marcus is a killer. He’s always been annoying, but a killer?” He turned to Rita. “Are you up to telling me what happened?”

She nodded and removed the mask again. “He told me his name was Perry. We met on Mix and Match a couple of months ago.”

“What did he tell you about himself?”

“That he worked from home and was stuck overseas because of a passport glitch.”

“Passport glitch? Did you send him money?”

“I sent him about five hundred dollars to help him with legal issues. Yesterday he texted and told me he’d made it home and asked me to meet him here.” She frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well. I’m not sure that was Perry. Maybe this guy did something to Perry.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can I have my phone back?”

“Sure.” Hanna realized she still had the phone so she handed it back to Rita.

Rita played with the phone and then held it up so Hanna could see. “This is the profile picture I have for Perry. It doesn’t look anything like that guy.”

Hanna stared. The picture on the phone was not Marcus. It was Chase, a picture from thirty-five years ago, before his burns.

CHAPTER 54

PARAMEDICS TRANSPORTEDRITAto the hospital just to be certain she was okay. She had a cousin in Twain Harte who would come and get her.

After drinking water and inhaling O2for several minutes, Hanna felt like she could breathe again. The fire was under control, and while the house would be a total loss, firefighters concentrated on saving as much of the garage as they could. Jared had taken it upon himself to talk to his colleagues while they battled the blaze. He explained where the purses were so when firefighters entered the garage to make it safe and hunt out any pockets of fire remaining, they would be mindful. And if there was any way the items could be salvaged, they would be.

Hanna waited. The 9mm handgun she’d taken from Marcus was in an evidence bag. It would be tested and hopefully matched to Edda and the other victims. The purses and the coffee mug were important evidence as well, but the fire had been so destructive, would anything survive? She wanted Marcus caught and tried in a court of law, using all the evidence possible.

While she waited, she listened to the radio. Tony, a reserve officer covering for Jenna because of her broken hand, stood nearbyand Hanna heard the BOLO for Marcus broadcast a couple of times with the correct vehicle information. She prayed he didn’t get far.

While the fire and cleanup were happening, several people stopped by to gawk and wonder about Marcus. The sheriff of Tuolumne County drove up.

“I was just at the hospital with Nathan when I heard the BOLO you put out. Marcus Marshall is a killer?”

Hanna explained to him everything that had happened. That Marcus had used Chase’s picture was an odd mystery. Would they ever learn the reason? Of course, Chase was decidedly better looking than Marcus, especially thirty-five years ago. She repeated the story for Mayor Milton when she arrived.

The mayor looked as if she’d been hit by a truck.

“I can’t believe what the past few days have brought. Detective Holmes and one of the men from the FBI have briefed me on the incident at the Buckley house. First Chase, now Marcus. And Hanna, I’m sorry about Joe. Were we really wrong all this time?”

“Yes, we were. He never should have been convicted.”

“You don’t think Everett had anything to do with, well, the subterfuge?”

“I don’t know what to think. Big Al certainly had something to do with it.”

Milton looked somewhat relieved. “Maybe so. I, ah, I just can’t believe Everett was responsible. He is a good man.”

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