Page 50 of Every Deadly Suspicion

They had a local killer who pretended to be elsewhere. It was good to be on the hunt following even the faintest trail.

CHAPTER 25

JARED CHECKED THE CLOCKafter Hanna left. He had time to get a good hot meal, and he was starved. Faye’s was the ticket. Before he grabbed his keys to leave, he checked his e-mail, and then the local news site, and saw the story about Edda. Shock hit Jared like a punch. He sat down hard in his desk chair. “Not Edda,” he whispered.

Bobby had started in with drugs after they graduated from high school, and he and Jared lost touch. Jared had gone to see Edda when he returned to town. They’d had a nice afternoon chat in her dining room over coffee and homemade cookies. She was so happy that Jared had come to faith, and she shared some good stories about his father.

And now she was dead. Tossed on the side of the highway like trash.

Anger kindled and he slammed the computer shut. He wished he’d seen this before he saw Hanna because he would have asked her about it. He’d head to the clinic. Someone there could probably tell him something. Maybe Amanda, if she’d speak to him.

He pulled up to the clinic and saw Hanna’s cruiser. A quick survey of the area and he caught sight of her at a table at the sandwich shop, with Amanda. He jogged across the street.

Surprise shot across Hanna’s face. “Jared? What are you doing here?”

Amanda turned to face him as well.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I just read about Edda. I can’t believe it. What happened?”

Hanna stared at him while Amanda spoke up. “Have a seat. Misery loves company.”

Jared sat across from Hanna and next to Amanda.

“You never went to church with me. I didn’t know you and Edda were friends,” Hanna said.

“I knew her, like everyone else. She and my dad were close. And I was friends with Bobby a long time ago in another life. He ran cross-country with me. Edda and I connected when I got home. Who could do this to someone as sweet as that woman?”

“I don’t know much more than what was online. I need to check in. The sheriff’s department is handling the case.”

“It was someone she met on social media,” Amanda said.

“Really? They know who did it already?” This struck Jared as odd. Edda didn’t seem to be a computer-savvy person.

“No, that’s conjecture.” Hanna turned to Amanda. “You can’t keep telling people that. You have to let the investigation play out. Jared, detectives are working every angle. I have faith they’ll catch the guy.”

He rubbed his face with his hands. “She was just, well, like a sweet grandmother. I can’t believe anyone could do this. What a cold, soulless person.”

“Agreed,” Amanda said.

A phone rang, and Hanna glanced at the screen. “This is Everett; I need to take it. Thanks for lunch, Mandy.” She put a hand on Jared’s forearm. “I’m sorry, Jared. I didn’t realize you knew her so well. I would have let you know.”

He nodded and watched as Hanna hurried to her car.

“What made you say that it was someone she met online?” he asked Amanda.

“She was sending money to some guy calling himself Diego. He sold her some sob story about trying to overcome substance abuse. You know, like Bobby. He played her, but we think that Edda was on to him. Probably why he killed her.”

“You’re kidding.” Jared tried to remember his long conversation with Edda, but it was months ago. He’d seen her once or twice since then. She attended his fire department graduation ceremony.

“I apologize.”

He turned to Amanda, for a moment he’d forgotten she was there. “For what?”

“For thinking that you were a coldhearted jerk. You really did love Edda.”

He nodded, throat thick. “I wasn’t here when my dad died. I was three thousand miles away, and I missed his funeral. When I got back home, my uncle told me I should go talk to her and I did. It was a wonderful, healing conversation. Because of what she told me, I know my dad is in heaven with my mom. Edda was kind of sweet on the old man. Edwina was a special lady.”

“She was. I should have realized how much Bobby’s death affected her. I can’t believe she was still hurting so much about him that she would let someone online take advantage of her. I was her friend. I should have seen something.” Amanda looked so forlorn, Jared’s heart broke for her.

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