Buck Out by Ken Benton

Author:Ken Benton [Benton, Ken]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-06-22T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Hannah heard the policeman’s concerned voice while she was still out in the hallway. She pushed her way into the hospital room with her elbows, as both her hands held sandwiches.

“Want half of mine?’ she asked the cop after giving Darian his. “I had to threaten a nurse to get these, as the cafeteria is closed. Can’t imagine being hospitalized during a food shortage.”

“I can,” Darian said from the bed. Hannah smiled at him mischievously.

“No thanks,” the cop said. “Two local bakeries are feeding law enforcement officers, hoping to ward off looters—though there hasn’t been any of that in Clarksburg yet, thank God. Nice to work in a small town. We couldn’t find the slug you claim the perpetrator fired over your head.”

“Perpetrator?” Hannah asked taking a bite.

“How would you refer to him?”

“Scumbag. Murderer. Cop killer. Home invader. Counterfeiter. Take your pick.”

“Fine. There was one empty chamber in the …home invader’s revolver, and powder residue on his hands. Ballistics has yet to confirm whether his gun was responsible for killing either of the homeowners.”

“If it was,” Hannah said with her mouth full, “he reloaded it. The round he fired at me is out there somewhere, though you probably won’t find it, as there’s no structure directly across the street from the victim’s house.”

“We’re done looking.” The cop set his clipboard on his lap and stared at Hannah. He was young, thirty-something with neatly trimmed brown hair and something of a stickler for minor details. Probably volunteered to handle the paperwork on this case because he’s trying to make detective.

“Did you see the shovel in the living room?” the cop asked.

“No. Was there one?”

“Yes. Why do you suppose that was there?”

“Maybe they were going to bury the bodies?”

“Could be. But why bring the shovel in the house? Fresh prints on the handle are a match for one of your suspects, Joseph Slate. The shovel blade was dirty with fresh earth.”

Hannah didn’t react.

“Aren’t you pleased to learn the identity of the home invaders is confirmed to be that of the suspects you’re chasing?”

“We knew it was them,” Darian said. He grimaced as he moved his freshly-bandaged leg.

“I see.” The cop stood. “The ATV in the woods belonged to the homeowners. We found photos of most of their possessions, no doubt taken for insurance purposes. They owned two, plus two off-road motorcycles. One of the ATVs had a rack in the photos.”

“Thanks for that information,” Hannah said.

“That’s not all. The photos also suggest they had a substantial stash of gold bars—none of which we’ve been able to locate.”

“Find the ATV with the rack and you may find the gold,” Darian said. “The scumbags were obviously poised to make their exit from the woods, probably first thing in the morning.”

The cop nodded. “That’s what I think, too. But this appears to be quite a large amount of gold. We didn’t find your satellite phone, either. Our investigators won’t be done cleaning up the crime scene for a few hours yet.” He turned to Hannah.

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