Every Deadly Suspicion

Chapter 56

CHAPTER 56

H ANNA ARRIVED AT J ARED’S HOUSE in three minutes. She parked behind his truck, concentrating, watching his porch and front door. She found herself hoping that Jared didn’t try anything heroic. After climbing out of her car, she walked to the front of Jared’s truck and stood behind the front wheel well, watching the house, hand on the butt of her gun.

Despite the fear, a spark of hope struck deep. She remembered the handgun she’d recovered in the garage; Marcus had not released the safety. Was he really the killer he wanted everyone to believe he was? Chase had said Marcus was soft. To Hanna that meant that Chase was the only killer, not Marcus. They must have been working together.

Would Marcus be able to shoot to kill? Hanna had never discharged her weapon in the line of duty. However, she knew from talking to others that it was no easy thing to shoot a person, even when you feared for your life.

Her phone stayed quiet. She set it on the truck’s hood and was about to redial when the noise of a slamming door to her left caught her attention. Jude Carver strode toward her. He must have gotten bailed out.

“I need to talk to you,” he hollered.

Hanna couldn’t look at him; she kept her eye on Jared’s front door.

“Not now, Jude. I’ve got a situation.” He should notice the gun and back off. He didn’t.

“Don’t put me off,” he fairly snarled.

Jared’s front door moved. She drew her weapon and stepped toward the front of the truck.

Jude reached her, grabbed her shoulder to make her face him, and stepped in front of her.

“Look at me.”

In the split second Hanna took her eye off Jared’s door and looked at Jude, Marcus emerged from the house and the boom of a shotgun sounded.

Hanna ducked.

Jude screamed and arched his back, twisting away from her and falling to the ground. Hanna brought her gun up, taking a step back to keep the truck between Marcus and her.

“Drop it, Marcus!”

He didn’t drop it, but he fumbled with the shotgun, falling to one knee, pain on his face. He’d not held the shotgun properly, and the recoil had injured his shoulder. He tried to bring the gun back up and couldn’t.

She stepped between Jude and the truck.

“Put the gun down!”

Marcus tried to raise it again and cursed when he couldn’t.

“It’s over. Drop the gun and get down on the ground. Now!”

He glared at her and tried one more time. She was about to ask where Jared was when he came bounding out of the house. His face was bruised and bloody. “Hanna!”

Marcus must have smacked him with something, but he was okay. Jared hit Marcus in the back with a shoulder tackle. Marcus screamed and the shotgun went flying.

With Marcus on the ground moaning in pain and Jared on his back, Hanna lowered her gun.

“Hands behind your back, Marcus.”

“Ahh, my arm is broken. Get off me, get off me!”

Hanna holstered her weapon. Jude also moaned and cursed behind her. She could see blood staining his hip and lower leg.

“Jared, can you check on Jude? I’ll handle Marcus.”

“You got it.”

Jared got off Marcus and went to Jude. Hanna pulled out her handcuffs and dealt with Marcus.

“You are so sued,” he whined as she pulled on his left arm. “My arm is broken and you’re making it worse.”

Hanna had a feeling he’d broken his collarbone. She’d seen that happen before with someone who didn’t know how to hold a shotgun when he fired it. “Give me your right hand.”

“I can’t. It’s broken.”

“The sooner I get you cuffed, the sooner I call the medics.”

He slowly brought his right hand back, and Hanna clicked on the cuffs. He fairly howled with pain. Hanna ignored him as her adrenaline spike dissipated. She just didn’t know about Jude.

She helped Marcus to his feet. He stumbled along and continued to whine. She walked him toward where Jared looked after Jude. “Is he okay?”

Jared looked up, the shadow of a smile on his lips. “Looks like he took a load of bird shot in the backside. He’s lucky Marcus was such a poor shot.”

“I’ll kill you, Marcus,” Jude hollered. He tried to get up, but it was obvious that pain kept him down.

“Is it really bad?” Hanna asked Jared.

He shook his head. “I’m sure it hurts, but it’s not life threatening. He got a bunch of pellets in his rump. Lucky Marcus didn’t load the gun with double-aught buck.”

All Hanna could do for him was call paramedics. Marcus was now in custody, and that meant to her, the nightmare in Dry Oaks was over.