Page 16 of Midnight Rules
Iven sighed. “What’s going on, Marric?”
“You know it’s me, right?” Marric didn’t need to elaborate. They both knew he was referring to the break-ins.
“Yes. What I don’t know is why.”
“I’ll tell you, but you have to not arrest me.”
“I can’t promise that.” Iven’s reputation for being a good sheriff had even reached Timeston. The only reason people in Timeston talked about him was to compare him to the Timeston sheriff. Marric had heard that Iven was known to give people breaks when he thought they deserved it. It was the exact opposite with Timeston’s sheriff, who only ever investigated crimes if it benefited him to do so.
Marric sighed. “Someone murdered Hattie Winston. But it wasn’t me. I swear it.”
Iven sucked in a breath. “Miss Hattie?”
Shit.It sounded like Iven knew her and if that was the case, then Marric should have said it with a little more finesse. “I’m so sorry.”
Iven cleared his throat as if he were fighting off tears. His voice sounded raspy when he asked, “What are you sorry for?”
“For your loss.” Marric’s chest tightened, and emotion clogged his throat. The next thing he said was an info dump unlike any he’d ever had before. And he’d had plenty. He always lost control of his tongue when he was scared or nervous. And he was both of those things. “I learned Hattie was a healer, so I came to see if I could find the healing spell that would save Emery. But I smelled blood as soon as I entered the house. I can’t just leave her lying here and I can’t call my dad. He’s too busy taking care of my sister. And I just don’t know who else to call. So, can you please just come? Please. I don’t have anyone else.”
“I’m on my way,” Iven whispered. Marric heard the muffled sound of a door closing. “Stay on the line with me, honey.”
Marric sat on the floor, scooting against the basement wall. “Why did someone do this to her? She didn’t deserve it.”
“You really didn’t kill her, did you.” It wasn’t a question. Was Iven reaffirming what he already suspected to be true?
“I would never hurt someone. Not on purpose. They… um, they shot her. I could never…”
“How do you know how she died?”
“Her head. It’s… there are pieces of it.” The hole was shaped a bit like a funnel. The tissue around it resembled hamburger.
“I’m almost there.”
Sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer.
Marric sat with his knees up to his chest. “She’s at the base of the basement stairs.”
“Where are you?”
“With her. She shouldn’t be alone.” Marric might be a little stuck on that one thing.
“Okay, I’m entering the house.” A door opened and then closed again. The sound was faint but distinct.
Marric ended the call and stood. “I’m down here.”
And then there he was at the top of the stairs. He was a shadowy figure with a glowing hand, which he used as a light to guide his way.
One look at Iven Palmer’s face told Marric he wasn’t happy, despite how calm he’d sounded on the phone. Iven narrowed his eyes, making sure Marric knew he thought it was all Marric’s fault. He might as well have read him the Miranda Rights.
He held up a hand, telling Marric to stay back while he inspected the scene. “I’ll get to you in a minute.”
Iven pulled a flashlight from his pocket. It was a little brighter than his glowing, tattooed hand. “Did you touch anything?”
“Not with my hands.” Marric held them up, showing Iven his gloves. “I might have brushed against the wall.”
Iven waved that away. “Go to my car and stay there. Don’t touch anything and don’t let anyone see you leave the house.”
Marric nodded and stepped over Hattie’s body.
