Chapter 46
CHAPTER 46
“M Y FATHER IS DEAD, ” Hanna told Everett. It was Sunday afternoon, and she was the first person he agreed to see after his surgery, while he recovered in the hospital. Everett was so pale. For the first time since Hanna could remember, he looked every bit his age and then some.
He looked away. “Sorry for your loss.”
“I don’t think that you really are. I want to clear his name.”
Everett fiddled with the pulse monitor on his finger. “What does it matter?”
“It matters to me.”
“You don’t know the whole story.”
“I know enough. You can fill in the blanks. Chase killed the Carsons. Did he kill Gilly as well?”
Everett closed his eyes and leaned back in bed. “I honestly don’t know about Gilly. It was so very long ago. None of it was my idea. I’ve been afraid of Chase since he was ten years old. My father could control him, so could Scott. But I couldn’t.”
He swallowed and paused. “That night we found him at the cabin, acid-burned face and leg, I thought he would die. When he survived, I hoped he’d become more manageable. But he didn’t. He was less mobile, but he was still Chase.” Everett held up a hand. “The Carsons were not at the cabin when I found Chase. I never knew they were in the lake until you found them.”
“If you didn’t help dispose of their bodies, it had to be Scott.”
“No. It had to be my dad, not Scott.”
Hanna considered that answer. It was easy to blame the dead guy. “Did Chase kill Scott?”
“I told you, I don’t know for sure. Scott controlled Chase, but he was tired of it. He warned me that Chase might be into bad things. I didn’t want to hear it. There have been many times in the last few months when Chase took off and no one knew where he was.”
“He was more mobile with the prosthesis.”
Everett gave a slight nod. “Scott planned to marry Valerie and take Braden and raise him in Corte Madera. He wanted the boy to grow up right, away from his crazy grandfather. I tried to find a way to deal with Chase, figuring for the day Scott would move, then...” His voice trailed off.
“You don’t have to deal with him anymore, not if you tell the truth. He shot you, tried to kill you, and he did kill Grover. If you add the other murders my father confessed to, Chase will never see the light of day.”
“Your dad wasn’t innocent. He cooked meth.”
“He didn’t murder anyone in cold blood.”
Everett went quiet. After a minute he said, “Where’s Braden?”
“With his mom. Kelly flew back to town last night.” Hanna let him think about that for a few seconds. “Agent Gilly was down in the hole. And he wasn’t alone. They found the remains of two other people down there. Who else did Chase murder?”
Everett looked at her. “What?” There was genuine surprise in his face and voice.
“Chase killed more than the Carsons. You didn’t know that?”
“No. Three more bodies?”
For a minute, Hanna felt sorry for him. But that dissipated quickly when she thought about her father spending over three decades behind bars for something he didn’t do.
“Yeah, I’d think long and hard about what you want to tell the FBI. They swooped in last night, and they’re handling the shooting at your house, and the dead bodies. Chase is a serial killer. He may even be the Lonely Heart Killer. I hope for your sake you weren’t helping him. I don’t think even you can pay the FBI off.” She turned to leave.
“Where is Chase now?”
“He’s in medical custody. He overdosed on fentanyl. Paramedics brought him back with Narcan on the way to the hospital. He’s not talking, but we have his weapons and everyone’s statements from that night, so he’s got a no-bail hold on him.”
Everett considered this.
The door opened and in walked Mayor Milton and a couple of men Hanna recognized as Everett’s attorneys.
“Chief,” the mayor said with surprise.
“I was just leaving.”
“Nothing Mr. Buckley said is admissible without his attorneys present,” one of the suits said.
Hanna ignored them and left the room. It was time to go visit Nathan. He was in intensive care now. He’d picked up some kind of infection from the mine shaft, and doctors were worried about his leg. Both bones in his lower leg had shattered, and his ankle was a mess. From everything Hanna had heard, he had a lot of surgeries and rehab ahead of him. He was down one level, so she got on the elevator.
His mother and father were there. Only one visitor was allowed at a time, so Hanna waited with his mother while his father was with Nathan.
“Hanna, Nathan has told me so much about you.”
“I’m sorry that we have to meet this way.”
“So am I. But I’m thankful that you found my son when you did. Doctors say that he would not have survived much longer in that hole. I’m grateful for the firefighter who splinted his leg and gave him first aid. I’m told that helped a great deal as well. Maybe saved him from amputation.”
Nathan’s dad came out and indicated that Hanna could go in.
“I’m not sure that I want to cut into your time.”
“Go,” he said. “Nathan wants to see you.”
She had to gown up and put on a mask. Hanna pulled the mask up as the nurse told her she only had five minutes. She walked into the dim, quiet room, the sound of monitors beeping.
Nathan smiled when she came in. Both eyes were black now, though he looked better than the night she watched paramedics pull him from the shaft. His eyes were more alert, less pain filled. His left wrist was in a cast, and his left leg was wrapped and raised, resting on pillows.
“Hey, thanks for stopping by.” His voice was strong.
“I hate to take time from your mom.”
“She understands. I need to know what happened. Why Chase went nuts. He was so angry.”
“He never said anything to you?”
“No. I knocked on the door. He opened it and jammed a gun in my face. Then he hit me in the head.” Nathan shifted in the bed. “Next thing I know, I’m being pushed down a mine shaft. He let me dangle for a few minutes, asking me what Joe told me. He didn’t believe me when I said I hadn’t spoken to Joe.” Nathan took a breath and shifted again in the bed. “Did Joe talk to you?”
“It’s a long story, longer than my five minutes. I’ll just say that Chase killed the Carsons thirty-five years ago.”
“Not Joe?”
“No.”
“How is he?”
“My dad died yesterday.”
“Hanna, I’m sorry.” He reached out to grip her hand, but no touching was allowed.
“Hey, it was a forgone conclusion, right?” She surprised herself by how steady her voice was. “I only hope I can clear his name. Enough about me. What is next for you?”
“More surgery after they are sure I’ve beat the infection. And then a long period of physical therapy. My partner is one floor up. We might rehab part of the time together. My only regret is I didn’t catch the Lonely Heart Killer.”
“You left a lot for the new team to follow up on. They’ll get him.”
“Thank you for sending Jared down to help me. He did a good job.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“I know he is. And I know you still have feelings for him.”
“Nathan—”
“Let me finish. Don’t worry about me. I’ll always care for you, but I don’t think you’re being honest with yourself about him. Work that out. I’m not going anywhere. I want you with the right guy.”
The nurse poked her head in the room. “Chief, couple more minutes.”
“Nathan, I’ll always care about you as well.”
“But not in the way you care about Jared.”
“It’s complicated... We have a history.” Hanna swallowed a lump. It was time to be honest not only with herself, but Nathan as well. She wished she could hold his hand, let him know that she had felt something for him—until Jared returned.
“I’ve been lying to myself. I, uh, I do still love Jared. I tried not to, because he did break my heart when he left. It was a pain I never thought I’d get over. But I truly thought I was over it when I met you.”
“But you weren’t.” His tone was calm, resigned.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. I didn’t mean to.”
“I only want the best for you, Hanna.”
“Likewise. Now, get better.”
He saluted and she left.