Bloody Ties (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 8)

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  Turning into the driveway, I admired the four-board white fencing, and then the white house on the hill. The pestering idea of moving out to the country was beginning to sound more and more appealing. The drive into work would be a little longer for Serenity, but I wouldn’t have to pasture board my two horses anymore. Because my building and excavating crew travelled all over the place, I could set up my home base anywhere. It would be nice to have more storage space for the equipment, and even if my family didn’t always want me around, I would sure like to be nearby in case of an emergency.

  Just like it was difficult to broach the subject of children with Serenity, buying a small farm would be quite the sell. Very rarely was she not involved with a life or death investigation. When compared to the murder and chaos that followed my wife, babies and farmhouses didn’t really rise up on the scale of must haves.

  I parked in front of the spot of ground with the markers set up, and cut off the engine. Chickens pecked the dirt in front of the barn and a horse hung its head over the fence, whinnying in my direction. The scents of sweet hay and pungent manure mixed, reaching my nose. I breathed in deeply, loving the familiar smells. Even if she shot down the idea, I’d still mention it to her. She’d be closer to her best friend, and although she didn’t usually admit it, she had many friends among the Amish. Fresh air and some distance from the sheriff’s department might be the best thing in the world for Serenity.

  “Daniel—it’s good to see you again.”

  I opened the door and jumped out, shaking Joshua’s hand. He was as tall as me, and even though he’d recently gone English, he still sported a beard and wore homespun pants and suspenders.

  “It has been awhile. The last time I saw you was at your wedding.”

  The corner of my mouth rose. “A lot has changed since then.”

  Joshua grinned back. “It sure has.” He spread his hands wide. “I’m still dressing the same. It doesn’t feel right to put on different clothes straight away, but CJ promised to take me shopping next weekend for what she calls street clothes. She has given me a couple of automobile driving lessons, and I must say, I’m looking forward to buying a pickup truck.”

  The man had always seemed a little bit arrogant and overly uptight. Now, he was relaxed and almost jovial. The change was noticeable, and I was happy to see it. Losing a wife and a child to tragic circumstances could bring down anyone. A few short weeks ago, he’d buried his grandmother. Life had been hard on Joshua, but he’d survived—mostly because he’d found love again.

  I patted him on the back. “Congratulations are in order I hear.”

  Joshua’s cheeks reddened and his smile stretched from ear to ear. “Ya, CJ and I are to marry soon.” He sighed and dug the toe of his boot into the dirt. “The decision to go English to be with her wasn’t a difficult one. I had hoped that the bishop and ministers would allow her to become one of us, but that wasn’t to be.”

  “It would have been hard on CJ to make the change,” I said.

  He nodded. “She tried the lifestyle for a week, and it didn’t suit her well. I believe what made up my mind was my grandmother. Though I love CJ with all my heart, I was leery to drag my children into the English world to be with her.” He eyed me and I knew he was being so open because I’d left the Amish as well. I, more than anyone else, understood how the choice would affect him. “Nana wanted me and the children to go English. She’d resented our difficult way of life for a long time. With only one child who’d already passed away and her husband gone, I think ideas had crept into her mind about leaving years ago. Her encouragement had helped me realize that it was the right thing to do. My children will get more years of education and the girls can do whatever they want when they grow up. Nora is talking about being a nurse and Sylvia desires to be an artist, just like CJ.”

  “It will certainly be far easier on you than it was on me. My family shunned me for fifteen years and it wasn’t until I came back on the scene with Serenity at my side that the bishop actually spoke to me. It appears your transition is going significantly smoother.” I lifted my brow and Joshua caught my look. I was impressed, plain and simple.

  “Ah, it hasn’t been all that easy, but true, the elders, especially Aaron, have been supportive. They’ve allowed us to stay on in the settlement, and even start up the buggy making business.” He shielded his eyes from the blazing sunlight as the clouds moved away. “Frankly, we owe it all to your wife. Serenity’s impact on the community has been great. No one wanted to upset her by kicking out her friend.” He chuckled softly. “Still, there are those who have vowed never to give us any business and work to undermine us at every turn.”

  “Like not allowing you to hire one of the Amish building crews?” I said carefully. Shunning of any kind was a touchy subject.

  “Exactly. I have no worries that you’ll do just as good a job, if not better, than anyone else.” He winked and elbowed me. “Considering you grew up Amish, I’d expect nothing less.”

  I laughed. “Quite right. It’s a fairly straight forward job. You can walk me over the site and show me the dimensions. We’ll sit down to discuss the plans this afternoon, and I’ll get the estimate back to you by Tuesday.”

  “Excellent.” Joshua glanced up at the big house and then back at me. “This was CJ’s idea—something we can do together and stay right here on the farm with the children. I have to admit, I haven’t been this excited about something for a very long while.”

  “Other than your wedding of course,” I said, casting Joshua a sideways smirk.

  “Ah, you know how it goes. I would marry that woman today if she’d go along with it, but she wants it to be special.” He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “And I must say crowded. Her list keeps growing. I’ve given her free rein to make all the plans. Whatever makes her happy, makes me happy.”

  “Smart man,” I grinned back. “If you need any help during your conversion, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ve been there. You might have an easier time of it than I did, but there will still be challenging moments. Never think you’re alone.”

  “I appreciate that, Daniel. You’re a good man. And since our women are so close, I’m sure we’ll be spending much time together in the days to come.”

  I nodded and motioned for Joshua to lead the way. “Let’s get started. We have a buggy making factory to build.”

  Joshua craned his neck to look past me. “I wasn’t expecting a driver or any company for that matter.”

  I looked over my shoulder. I didn’t recognize the blue Honda Civic, but the shaggy head of hair I did know.

  “Will you excuse me? I think it’s for me,” I said.

  Joshua nodded, turning on his heel. “Take your time. I’ll be in the barn.”

  I didn’t like the scratchy feeling in my throat or my racing heart. I tried to ignore the feelings as I approached the car.

  Zeke pulled up beside me and put the car in park. With the engine still running, he tilted his head and rolled down the window. “I thought that was your Jeep.” His grunt had an amused flare to it. “You spend more time in the community now than when you were Amish.”

  I returned the smirk, agreeing to the irony of it. “My crew is going to put up a building for the Millers—just getting the measurements and plans in order.”

  “Oh, trouble in paradise for the Millers, eh?” Zeke understood that Amish families only hired Amish builders to do jobs for them. The fact that I was here was gossip for sure.

  “It’s complicated,” I said.

  Zeke nodded and licked his lips. He seemed to be stalling. I rested my hands in the open window of what I assumed was a rented car.

  “I’ll be heading out soon. Not sure exactly when, but I wanted to say goodbye.”

  That wasn’t what I was expecting. “You just got here a few days ago.”

  “Yeah, well, other business calls,�
�� he said with a roll of his head.

  “You never did say exactly why you came back to Blood Rock. Did you speak to anyone in the community?” I prodded.

  “Only Bishop Aaron Esch. He paid me a visit late last night, looking like the grim reaper as he stepped out of his buggy.”

  My heart rate continued to race. “What did he want?”

  “Basically, he told me to get the hell out of town.”

  “Why would he do that?” Aaron was a control freak, but ex-Amish people came back to the fold for short visits all the time. Some of those people didn’t have the best reputations either. The fact that the bishop had taken Zeke’s arrival so personal was unnerving.

  “The bishop has had a grudge against me ever since I left, let’s just leave it at that.” The finality in Zeke’s voice made me reluctant to pester him about the matter anymore.

  “If you can leave me your number, we can keep in touch,” I offered.

  His face drooped for an instant as if he was sad. “It’s been nice to reconnect, Daniel, but I doubt we’ll see each other again. It’s just the way it has to be.” He pulled the lever into drive, but kept his foot on the break. After hesitating for a few long seconds, his mind seemed to be made up and he stared back at me intensely. “Whatever happens, just look away—it has nothing to do with your or your pretty wife.”

  I stepped back when the car surged forward. Zeke peeled around in the wide part of the driveway in front of the barn and passed back by me without slowing down or even looking my way. He accelerated onto the road, and except for the loud sound of his revving engine, he was gone.

  When the dust from Zeke’s departure cleared, I found Joshua standing beside me.

  “A friend of yours?” he said.

  “Once—a long time ago I called him that. Now, I’m not so sure anymore.”

  14

  Serenity

  I closed my eyes to soak up a shard of sunlight through the diner’s window.

  “Aren’t you listening to me? Wake up, Serenity,” CJ urged.

  My eyes fluttered open and I yawned. “Sorry. I’m going on only a few hours of sleep. I think I’m getting too old to put in all-nighters.”

  CJ’s face softened. When she spoke, it was just above a whisper. The lunch crowd was noisy and I had to shift my position in the booth to hear her better.

  “I can’t believe there’s been another murder in Blood Rock. The newspaper was scant on details…”

  I smiled at my friend. She was fishing for information, but in a not-so-subtle way. “We’re keeping information under wraps for a little while. There’s something going on around here that’s going to take delicate handling.”

  “Are we all in danger?” CJ’s greenish-blue eyes were huge with worry. For a change, she had her wild curls tied back into a ponytail.

  “Naw. This time it’s personal.” I glanced around, and seeing no one was paying attention to us, I pushed my plate aside, lowered my voice, and leaned over the table. “Just between us, the victims are not nice people. We don’t have an identity for the first victim yet, but there’s little doubt he’s into some bad things. The second guy has a rap sheet a mile long—mostly misdemeanors, but that’s because he’s good at covering his tracks.”

  “Is there some kind of turf war happening in Blood Rock?” she asked.

  We have a dead MS-13 member and an equally dead mob soldier. Both men were dangerous, and probably used to dishing out their own skilled killings, which meant there was at least one and maybe multiple sharp shooters still walking around free out there. Why they were congregating in Blood Rock was anyone’s guess at this point. As much as I wanted to confide everything with CJ, I couldn’t. It was safer and a lot less scary for her if she was ignorant for the most part.

  “The killings don’t seem to be connected.”

  “Nothing is random in this town,” CJ said with a shiver.

  Our town sure had its share of villains since I’d become sheriff. I was beginning to think I was cursed. I already knew the town was, with its history of Native American and outlaw massacres.

  I had to eat and get back to the department. Bobby should have the autopsy completed this afternoon, Todd and Jerome were still working their interviews, and Ryan was searching the database about our second victim and talking to his Indy connections. There wasn’t a whole lot I could do at the moment, so calming CJ’s worries and getting enough caffeine and food into my system to keep me going late into the night was my goal.

  Taking a bite of a Nancy’s famous fried chicken, I chewed, swallowed, and then looked up at CJ. She waited patiently. “Don’t worry about any of this. We’ve got it covered. Out on the farm, in the settlement, is the best place for you and your new family to be right now.” I forced a smile. “Speaking of new family, how are they handling the transition?”

  The muscles in CJ’s face loosened and she grinned. “It’s going fabulously.” Her smile lost some of its vigor. “Well, not a lot has changed yet. Joshua and John are still wearing Amish clothes and the girls usually wear their dresses, but they stopped putting the caps on. I’ve been keeping their long hair braided. Joshua already forbid me from having their hair shortened or styled, but the way Nora’s been bothering him about it, I think he’ll cave soon.” She took a sip of her sweet tea and rattled on. “The girls watched their first TV show with me the other night. It was a Disney movie and they absolutely loved it. Joshua drives a horse and buggy a lot better than a car at this point, but I’m sure that will change soon enough.” She seemed to run out of air and suddenly stopped talking.

  “Wow. You’re not going to have any dull moments for a long time.”

  She frowned. “No, you’re right about that. The bishop is still being friendly, but the ministers voted down us being able to use Amish labor to build the new shop. Of course, you probably already know that, since Daniel has stepped in and is doing the project.”

  I leaned back, pressing my lips together, feeling bad that I was so out of Daniel’s loop. “No, I wasn’t aware of that. What’s the big deal if you wanted to hire from the community?”

  “Oh, that’s not allowed. I guess it’s part of Joshua’s shunning agreement or something like that. He tried to explain it to me, but I don’t really get it. Their strange governing practices don’t make any sense to me.”

  “I’m sure Daniel’s grateful for the work. I might be a little biased, but his crew is the best.”

  “I’m sure it will be great. It’s just that I thought when the bishop said we could stay on the farm and have the business that everyone would be a little bit more accommodating.”

  I shook my head warily. “Don’t be fooled by their apparent acceptance of Joshua’s exodus. The Amish always have their own agenda. They won’t make it easy for you.”

  “It’s a real shame.” CJ sighed deeply. “Joshua seems a little bummed out by it. I mean, he talks about hurrying up the wedding so we can officially move in together.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “Part of that is because we can barely keep our hands off each other, and we hate saying goodbye each night, then sleeping alone. I get the feeling that he feels bad that none of his people will come to the wedding, you know.”

  I tried to push all thoughts of hitmen and crime families from my mind. CJ was my closest girlfriend, and I owed it to her to concentrate on her problem. “Do you think that planning a big wedding might be a bit overwhelming, and I hate to say it, inappropriate for the circumstances?”

  She clenched her hands on the tabletop. “Inappropriate—how so?”

  In most things, CJ was thoughtful and quick witted, but in matters of the heart, she was clueless.

  “Joshua and his kids just left the Amish to have a life with you. That’s a huge adjustment. Not long ago, they lost Nana. Because they’re all being shunned, no one in his former life will attend the wedding, which will be downright depressing for him.�
� I offered the most sympathetic and coaxing face I could manage. “Have you thought about simply going to the justice of the peace and having a quick exchange of vows? That way he won’t have it thrown in his face everything he’s given up at the very moment he’s beginning his new life.”

  CJ opened her mouth to say something and then clamped it shut. She visibly swallowed and a tear formed in the corner of her eye. She sat quietly staring at me for long enough that I finished my dinner. When she nodded her head and sat up, I was ready to hear if I’d changed her mind about the giant, elaborate wedding.

  “I never thought of any of that. I’ve been so busy planning my dream wedding—you know, the one you start thinking about when you’re thirteen?” When I looked back at her blankly, she cleared her throat. “Okay, maybe you don’t exactly get it. I really wanted our life together to begin with all of my family and friends there. I dreamed about a to-die-for gown and gorgeous bouquets filled with yellow and white blooms. The venue had to be eloquent and perfect for all the pictures.” She gripped the side of her head, looking miserable and sounding defeated. “You’re right. It would be too much for Joshua and his kids. They wouldn’t be comfortable at a reception with dancing and booze. It’s just too soon for any of that.”

  “What are you going to do then?” I dared to ask.

  CJ sighed loudly, but her face had come alive. “Can you talk to one of the judges and see if he or she would do a simple wedding somewhere other than the courthouse?”

  I leaned in. “Sure, Judy Garnett and I are good buddies. I’m sure she’d be happy to accommodate my best friend. What do you have in mind?”

  “The Miller farm is where we fell in love. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, and Joshua and the kids would feel comfortable there. We could have a quick ceremony in the front yard, overlooking the green fields, and eat some appetizers inside the house afterwards. I could still wear a pretty dress and have my flowers, but I’ll only invite a few of my closest friends here in Blood Rock. My mother, sister, and brother don’t need to know about it until it’s over. I’m not close to them anyway, and whenever we all get together, I’m completely stressed out. That’s not how I want to celebrate my marriage to the man of my dreams.”