Page 43 of Every Deadly Suspicion

She glanced at her calendar, barely seeing it. So soon?

“That would be fine, I guess.”

They finalized the arrangement, and for a time, Hanna sat at her desk and prayed. She felt no peace, only confusion. What had she done?

She called Nathan, wondering if he’d be able to tip the scale one way or another. It went to voicemail, and he was most likely in an interview room. No help there. Then it occurred to Hanna that maybe she should notify her boss about the arrangement with Joe. It was conceivable that having Joe here might disrupt her schedule, and she should let the mayor know.

Next, she rang the mayor’s aide and asked if Mayor Milton was available for a brief chat, and she got an affirmative answer. Hanna headed across the street to the courthouse. The mayor’s office was on the third floor, the top.

The mayor’s door stood open, and the aide waved Hanna in.

“What a sad day in Dry Oaks.” Evelyn shook her head. “I’m having trouble processing the fact that Edda was murdered. We went to school together.”

“A lot of people are having a hard time with it.”

“Do we have any leads?”

“Nathan and Manny are working hard. I have faith in them.”

Evelyn smiled. “Good. I was going to call you just before you called. Great minds think alike. Do you have an update on Scott?I thought all the media inquiries had calmed down, but I’ve seen the news agencies who want on-air interviews.”

Hanna sighed, not sure if the misdirection was a good thing. She updated the mayor on the investigation.

“Surely you don’t think Chase had anything to do with Scott’s death? Maybe whatever killed him was accidentally ingested?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think. It’s an investigation. That means talking to everyone who was close to Scott. Chase should understand that.”

Milton considered this for a minute. “I’ll talk to Everett. I’m sure he and Chase want to help as much as they can.”

“Thank you.”

“So what’s on your mind, Chief? Great job on Friday with Braden, by the way. I had coffee with Everett this morning.”

“Just doing what you pay me for.” Hanna sat in the chair in front of the mayor’s desk. “I wanted to give you a heads-up. I’ve taken on a responsibility and I’m not certain that it won’t affect my job from time to time.”

Evelyn frowned and leaned forward. “What kind of responsibility?”

“It’s Joe; the Department of Corrections called me. He’s dying. They are giving him compassionate parole and asking that I take him in, give him a place to spend his last days.”

Shock crossed the mayor’s face, and she sat back in her chair. “What? They’re letting Joe Keyes out of prison?”

“Yeah, they contacted—”

“You’re sure about this?”

Hanna swallowed, nonplussed by Evelyn’s reaction. “It’s a state thing. I can show you the letter. You know they must ease overcrowding. Every inmate they can release is being released. The parole board was unanimous—”

“Why is this the first I’ve heard? Shouldn’t there have been public comment before they made such a decision? He caused this town so much pain. Why would you bring him here?”

“I felt an obligation—”

The mayor stood, her brows lowered. “This was not a wise decision.”

Anger took her by surprise, and Hanna felt compelled to stand as well, and to defend Joe and the decision she hadn’t really made yet. “He’s dying, on hospice, so he won’t be here long. I’ve made my decision.”

“Huh, best keep this quiet then. A lot of people in this town have long memories. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

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