Hanging Falls

by Margaret Mizushima

  TWENTY-SIX

  Mattie and Stella had sequestered Abel between the K-9 unit and Brody’s cruiser. He stood in the light from Mattie’s low beams, and his body language screamed defensive, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes focused anywhere but on his interrogators.

  “Abel,” Stella was saying, “we know that Hannah came to your bedroom window. Are you saying she didn’t?”

  He glanced at Mattie, but his eyes slid off sideways while he spoke. “Maybe she did, but I wasn’t in there. I never saw her.”

  Mattie wondered how she could get him to tell the truth. “We’re concerned about Hannah. I know she went across that field, got into a car, and drove away. We need to know if she’s somewhere safe or if she’s with someone who might hurt her. What can you tell us?”

  “Nothing. I don’t know anything.”

  Mattie decided to play the religious card. “Would you swear to that on a Bible? Because I’m having a hard time believing you.”

  Abel looked down and toed the ground with his boot.

  Stella went a different direction. “Could I see your cell phone, Abel?”

  He looked at her in alarm. “My cell phone?”

  His reaction gave Mattie hope. She hadn’t realized that he owned a cell phone. Perhaps Stella hadn’t known either, but her guess had struck pay dirt.

  When Abel didn’t move, Stella repeated herself. “I want to look at your cell phone. Now.”

  “What if I don’t want to show it to you? I have a right to privacy, don’t I?”

  “You certainly do.” Stella straightened, squaring her shoulders and giving him the full force of her penetrating stare. “But we have a missing child here and evidence that she visited your bedroom window before she disappeared. If this is a kidnapping, you’ve been implicated. It’s best if you cooperate now, because I have exigent circumstances on my side and it will be only a matter of time before I see it.”

  Abel gazed out toward the barn as if looking for a way to escape. Then he shrugged, removed a cell phone from his pants pocket, and handed it to Stella.

  She swiped the screen and found the phone locked. “Unlock it for me,” she said, holding it out toward him.

  He traced a zigzag pattern across the screen. Stella swiped to the call history and pulled up the latest call. As she read the number aloud, she glanced at Mattie, letting her know it was for her benefit. The number had a Colorado area code and perhaps even sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

  “Whose number is that, Abel?” Mattie asked. “Who did you call?”

  He looked away. “I don’t know whose number that is.”

  Stella stepped forward. “You must know, if you dialed it. There’s no name, only the number, so I won’t find it in your contact list, will I?”

  Abel shook his head.

  Mattie thought she knew what he was trying to hide, though not very successfully. “Did Hannah use your phone?”

  He shrugged and wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  “I have a feeling you’re trying to protect Hannah for some reason,” Mattie said. “But we’re not going to leave you alone. Whose number is this?”

  He shrugged again. “I told you I don’t know, and that’s the truth.”

  Mattie toned down her frustration and applied a soft touch. “Did Hannah come to your window to use your phone?”

  He nodded reluctantly. “But I don’t know who she called.”

  She stepped closer and pressed for more. “What did she tell you when she asked to use it?”

  For the first time, Abel made eye contact with her. “All she said was that she needed to borrow my phone. It was during prayers, and I was in my bedroom. She knocked on the window, I gave her the phone, she gave it back to me. That’s all I know.”

  “Did you listen to her side of the conversation?”

  Abel maintained eye contact. “She took the phone toward the back of the trailer where I couldn’t hear her. I don’t know who she called or what she said. And I could swear to that on my Bible.”

  He’d convinced Mattie he was finally telling the truth. “What was her demeanor? Did she act afraid, angry, sad?”

  He frowned, apparently replaying the memory of the encounter. “Hannah sometimes acts … well … dramatic. She acted dramatic, like she didn’t want to tell me anything, even when I asked her what was going on.”

  Mattie wondered about the relationship between these two. “But you were willing to share your cell phone. Why’s that?”

  “Hannah’s my friend. I just got a phone this summer. She’d never asked to borrow it before now, so I thought it must be important.”

  Mattie’s phone jingled in her pocket, and she slipped it out to see who was calling. Cole. She started to push the call through to voice mail, but something stopped her. Cole wouldn’t call unless it was important.

  “One moment,” she said to Stella. “I have to take this call.”

  She walked away from the two, heading for the rear of her vehicle, where Robo waited in his compartment, ears pricked. He bounced side to side, obviously thinking she was coming to get him out again to work. She kept her gaze on him through the window to settle him down while she connected the call. “Hi, Cole.”

  “Mattie, have you released an Amber Alert yet?” Cole’s voice was tight with tension.

  “Not yet. Looks like we will soon.”

  “Hold off on that. Are you alone?”

  Mattie glanced at the others. No one was within a twenty-foot radius where they might overhear Cole’s words coming through the speaker. “Good enough.”

  “I know where Hannah is, but she’s afraid and needs protection from her family and the others. Can you free up to come talk to her?”

  She felt sideswiped, but she held it together. If the girl had run because she needed protection from the Brothers of Salvation, Mattie didn’t want to give away anything that would tip off these people. While she did a 360-degree scan of the area to make certain that she was still alone, she kept her voice low. “I’ll do that. Where?”

  “Riley’s house. I’m almost there now. Hannah’s safe.”

  “Good.”

  She disconnected the call and rounded the vehicle to rejoin Stella, who was still asking questions that Abel either couldn’t or wouldn’t answer.

  “Detective,” Mattie said, “I think I’ve gleaned what I need to here at this site, so I’m preparing to leave. But I need to speak with you privately for a moment about the Amber Alert.”

  Stella shot a quizzical look in Mattie’s direction but went ahead and wrapped up her interview with Abel before turning back to her. “What did you get from that phone call?”

  “Let’s get inside the Explorer.” Once they were tucked away inside the unit with only Robo pressed up against the front of his cage to listen, Mattie shared the cryptic message she’d received from Cole.

  “Good grief,” Stella said. “This makes me think that Luke’s killer is right here. What if Hannah knows who it is?”

  “That’s possible. We need to keep everyone here while we clear up what’s happening with Hannah. She might provide evidence that we could use to make an arrest.”

  “And she’s reportedly afraid of her parents too?” Stella asked, her eyes skeptical.

  “That’s what she told Cole.” Mattie realized she was repeating hearsay and felt anxious to get the story straight from Hannah. “I need to go talk to her.”

  “As you go, call Sheriff McCoy and tell him we’re holding off on the Amber Alert and why. I’ll stay here with Brody to keep an eye on things, and we’ll tell the parents that we’re done with your part of the investigation.”

  “I’ll call as soon as I have details.” Mattie started the engine, eager to be on her way.

  Stella stepped out of the car.

  Mattie had a bad feeling about leaving Stella and Brody here with a group of people who might be killers. “Be careful.”

  “You too,” Stella said, then closed her door and tapped on it twic
e. She lifted a hand in salute while Mattie steered the SUV into a turn and headed up the lane.

  Out on the highway, she brought her unit up to top speed, hesitating to turn on the overheads until she’d driven far enough to be out of sight. She had about five miles to go before she could discover any answers.

  And now she suspected why that phone number had sounded familiar to her. Keeping her eyes on the road, she swiped to her contact list and glanced at it while she scrolled down to Angela Walker and found the number she was looking for. It matched the one on Abel’s cell phone.

  Hannah had called Angie. And now the girl was safe at Riley’s house. In this case, one plus one added up to three—two girls sheltering a third. Thank goodness Angie had had enough trust to tell her father about it.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Mattie parked beside Cole’s truck in front of Riley Flynn’s house, a log cabin with light streaming from most of its windows. Robo woofed softly behind her, and she wondered if he could detect Hannah’s scent here in the yard or if he was just excited to see Cole’s familiar truck. It could be either.

  Cole must have been watching for her, because the porch light came on and he stepped outside. Angie followed him, hovering behind, her hands clasped together at her chest. She looked so distressed that Mattie’s heart went out to her. Father and daughter came down the sidewalk toward her.

  “You’re going to stay here,” Mattie told Robo, stopping his happy dance midbounce. “I’ll be back soon.”

  She exited her unit and met the two Walkers in the darkness at the end of the sidewalk. But the moon provided enough light for her to see the lines of anxiety drawn on Angie’s pale face. She reached for the girl with one arm and was grateful when Angie let her draw her in close for a quick hug.

  “I’m sorry,” Angie said. “I should’ve called you sooner.”

  “You can always count on me, Angie,” Mattie said softly.

  His movements clandestine, Cole ushered them up the sidewalk toward the porch. “Let’s go inside.”

  Mattie had been inside this living room before, and nothing much had changed. Inexpensive furniture including a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table clustered around a small television near the front window. Riley and Hannah were sitting on the couch with Sassy lying on the floor, but when Mattie came into the room, Riley shot to her feet, sending Mattie an anguished look.

  She felt like this girl was one of her special kids. She’d met Riley at school, had grown concerned about how the child had no supervision at home, and had arranged jobs for her at Cole’s clinic and Mama T’s house. And Riley’s face told her how much she feared she’d risked their friendship this day.

  Sending Riley a reassuring look, Mattie murmured, “It’s okay, Riley.”

  The girl’s shoulders sagged with relief. Riley’s father was absent as usual, since he worked as a bartender at night in Hightower.

  Mattie went to the sofa where Hannah remained, her head bowed. “Let’s sit here together, and you girls can tell me what happened.”

  Cole was still standing by the front door. “Shall I step outside?”

  Mattie considered the options and decided that since she was talking to minors, it would be best if he remained. At least he was the parent of one of the kids and had a supervisory connection to another. “Is it all right with you, Hannah, if Dr. Walker stays?”

  Hannah nodded, her eyelids swollen and red. “He already knows everything.”

  Once they were settled, Mattie focused on Hannah. “You don’t really know me, but my biggest mission in Timber Creek is keeping kids safe. What happened to frighten you? Why did you decide to run?”

  Hannah’s face crumpled, and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. “M-m-my parents want me to get married.”

  Mattie rocked back in her seat while Hannah covered her face with her hands and cried. She thought she needed to clarify what she’d heard. “Do you mean they want you to get married now, even though you’re only fifteen?”

  “Next week,” Hannah said through her tears, fighting for self-control. “I’ll be sixteen next week.”

  “That’s still under the legal age,” Mattie said, glancing at Cole. He looked uncomfortable, a dark frown on his face. A sixteen-year-old could marry in Colorado with parental consent, but not if it was against the child’s will. Age didn’t matter without the child’s consent. “Are both your parents willing to sign the consent form?”

  Hannah sniffed, working hard to control her tears. “There’s no consent form in our church. It’s a spiritual marriage.”

  Mattie should have known that’s what was going on. She thought of Abel and his willingness to let Hannah use his phone. “Who do your parents want you to marry?”

  “Isaac!” Hannah’s attempt to control her emotion dissolved, and she hid her face while she sobbed. “And he’s already got three wives. Besides, I don’t love him. I don’t want to be with him like that. I mean … ewww…”

  Blown away by Hannah’s answer, Mattie took a moment to gather her thoughts and let the girl regain control. I shouldn’t be surprised, she told herself. It’s obvious that Isaac is the one in charge out there.

  “Besides … Isaac’s crazy,” Hannah said, removing her hands from her face. “He ripped out his own eye.”

  Mattie struggled to take that in. “He what?”

  “That’s how he lost his eye.” Hannah’s face screwed up in distaste. “You know how the Bible says, ‘If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee’?”

  Although it sounded familiar, Mattie didn’t know the line or the exact context. “I really don’t know it, Hannah.”

  “Well, Isaac said he once looked at a woman with lust, so he plucked out his right eye. My dad said it’s true, and he watched him do it. They say it shows how dedicated he is to following God’s word, but I think it just means he’s crazy.”

  “I’m glad you think for yourself on that one, Hannah.” Mattie felt like she must’ve missed something during the time she’d spent at the compound. She’d seen no evidence of a child bride on the property and wondered if this had been a regular practice prior to their arrival in Timber Creek. “Is there a written record of the marriages in your group?”

  Hannah nodded. “Isaac keeps the records in his house.”

  Mattie was glad to hear it. Perhaps records would provide evidence of these underage marriages to support child abuse charges. “Is your mother in favor of your marriage?”

  Hannah took a shaky breath. “She doesn’t seem happy about it, but she said that if that’s what my father wants, we should obey.”

  “That’s not true, Hannah. There are laws that protect children in situations like this. No child can be forced into marriage against her will.” Or into having sex with an adult, she added silently.

  From her seat on the floor, Angie reached up to touch Hannah on the knee. “I told you, Hannah. I knew Mattie would protect you.”

  Angie’s words stirred a warm glow in Mattie’s heart. “You were right to ask for help, and you girls did the right thing by helping her. We’ll get to the bottom of this, but meanwhile, you’ll need a place to stay.”

  Riley was quick to speak. “She can stay with me.”

  Mattie made eye contact with Cole, hoping he would read her mind. She knew that county CPS would not allow Riley Flynn to act as foster parent, no matter how generous the girl was with her home and friendship.

  “You’ll come stay with us, Hannah,” Cole said. “Until this gets sorted out.”

  Mattie worried that there was more than this threat of marriage to sort. Hannah had considered herself in love with Luke Ferguson while evidently her father and his leader had been plotting for her future. She wondered if Luke’s death had been a way to force her to see things their way. “Hannah,” she said, “is there anything you know about Luke’s death that you should tell me?”

  The girl looked startled. “Nothing more than I’ve told you before.”

  Mattie thought of th
e word PAY carved onto Luke’s chest. “Does the word pay mean anything to you, either related to your religion or to Luke’s death?”

  Mattie waited, hardly daring to breathe, while Hannah thought about it.

  Finally, Hannah responded, her demeanor matter-of-fact, apparently unaware of what her answer might mean to Mattie or how it might relate to Luke’s death. “Isaac talks about paying retribution for our sins all the time when he gives his sermons.”

  Mattie tried to project a calmness she didn’t feel. “Who’s responsible for making sure that sinners pay retribution?”

  Hannah shrugged. “Isaac. Or if it’s a kid that’s sinned, then that kid’s father.”

  “What punishments are used to pay retribution?”

  “It depends. Maybe extra prayers, maybe you have to stay in your room, sometimes a paddle on the rear end, but that’s mostly for the boys.”

  Those types of punishments were a far stretch from whipping and death. “How about with the adults?”

  “I don’t know for sure.” Hannah squirmed in her seat. “When I was small, my mom had to stay in her room for a long time, or it seemed like it to me. I think that was punishment for something she did.”

  Hannah looked down at her lap and picked at the fabric of her skirt with shaky fingers while Mattie waited for her to continue. Finally, she looked up and met Mattie’s gaze. “Luke told me that sometimes Isaac uses a whip on the men … out in the barn. We’re not supposed to talk about it. It’s private, just between him and the one who’s sinned.”

  This was what Mattie needed to tie Isaac to Luke’s homicide. So far they had no hard evidence, but at least she could get a warrant to search on the child abuse charges. And she could get a warrant to have the lab take a look at that whip she’d seen in the barn.

  “Do you know of anyone younger than eighteen who’s married to one of the older men?” she asked Hannah.

  Hannah shook her head. “Not now. Isaac’s third wife was sixteen when she came to join us. She didn’t like living with us at first, but once she got pregnant and had her first baby, she seemed happier.” Her face flushed with embarrassment. “Mother says it’s our duty to bear children and to build a legion of true believers to populate Heaven.” She lowered her eyes. “But sometimes I have trouble believing all that. I mean, I want to have a life where I do things besides having kids. Like getting a job as a flight attendant or something like that.”