Page 26 of Every Deadly Suspicion

Everett grunted and jerked away. Before he did, pain blossomed on his face. When he turned back, he was composed. “You don’t understand.”

“Help me understand. I want to close this case and catch the killer.”

He scrubbed his face with his hands. “I don’t like thinking about that plane crash.”

Hanna took a deep breath. “Tell me about that morning.”

Everett closed his eyes. “I didn’t even say goodbye.” He opened his eyes, now a little watery. His voice stayed steady.

“I was tied up with Braden. Chase had brought three horses up from the valley. We were picking a horse for Braden, talking with the riding instructor. At some point, Scott left to do his property survey. I didn’t see him leave.”

“Where was Chase?”

“That I don’t know.”

“Was Marcus writing a book about your family?”

“What?” Everett was genuinely shocked by the question. “Who told you that?”

“It’s something I’ve heard from folks.”

“I know of no such thing. I would not be happy if I heard that he was. Marcus deserves the Muckraker nickname.”

Hanna nodded. “Okay, thanks.” She’d pushed as hard as she dared.

He cleared his throat. “Did you have something else?”

“I got an odd request today.”

Now, a quizzical expression crossed his face. “It has something to do with me?”

“In a way.” Hanna explained the request.

Everett’s face darkened before she finished. He brought a hand to his mouth, then dropped it. “Have you given them an answer?”

“Not yet. It’s a big request.”

Now his expression went so dark it chilled Hanna. “Thank you for telling me. Of course, it’s your decision. You do what you think is best.” The way he ended the sentence suggested that he wasn’t finished.

“Was there something else?”

He gave a shake of his head. “I’m in shock. A life sentence isn’t a life sentence anymore, I guess. Joe Keyes tore this town apart, shattered our innocence, really. Consider that before you make your decision.”

The admit nurse opened the double doors before Hanna could respond. “Mr. Buckley, you can go back now.”

“Just let me know when you decide, okay?” Everett held her gaze before moving toward the nurse.

“I will.”

Hanna watched Everett go through the double doors to where Braden would be. His dark expression stayed with her. But then what did she expect? Joe had ruined his son’s life. Both sons’ really. Scott’s sacrificing his own personal life to take care of Chase always struck her as odd, even when her mother praised Scott for it. The Buckleys had plenty of money to hire the best care. Did it even apply now? Scott had planned to get married, so Chase must be able to take care of himself.

She decided to hang out in the waiting room until the boy was released or Everett gave her an update on his condition. She letdispatch know where she was and monitored the radio, which was quiet. A TV played at low volume in the waiting room. From time to time, Hanna would look up at the program when the dialogue hit a chord. It was about a boy whose father was in prison. He ran away from home to go visit his father because he didn’t think his mother took him to visit often enough. After several minutes, it became annoying. She got up and turned the sound off.

In the silence, Jared Hodges intruded on her thoughts again. She knew he was working on the Crest Fire, probably in the thick of it, knowing Jared. And she did know Jared. At one time in her life, she thought that he was her one true love.

Hanna pinched the bridge of her nose. Before that day when they’d met at Scott’s crash, he’d shown up at her front door one Saturday morning. He didn’t understand why she was shocked.

“You never wrote or called me in ten years. I figured you just forgot me.” She’d been through so many emotions since he’d left, Hanna believed that she was finally to the “don’t care anymore” stage.

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