Bloody Ties (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 8)

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  “I hear a but coming…” Toby was one step ahead of me.

  “Yeah. I went north to investigate a missing Amish girl, which quickly turned into two missing girls and sex trafficking.”

  Toby scrunched his face. “That’s unfortunate.”

  “I brought the girls home safe, but it was a little hairy there for a while.”

  He gave a curt nod. “You probably put your life in danger to rescue those girls, right?”

  “Something like that,” I said.

  “I’d expect nothing less. I’m sure Daniel didn’t like it though.”

  “Why would he? I came close to dying.” Without much thought, my hand went to my neck and rubbed the place that had been bruised for so long. “Even though I’ve been on dangerous investigations before, I think he finally realized that someday, I might not come home.”

  Toby stared at me and sighed. “That’s why I’ve never settled down. At least you’re trying to make a go of it. You’re a hell of a lot more courageous than me.”

  I swallowed the lump down that suddenly formed in my throat. “He wants to have a child.”

  Toby’s eyes flared, but just for an instant. He rubbed his jaw and appeared to be working to keep his usual grin off his face. “Should I be looking around for a baby shower gift?”

  Snorting, I folded my hands across my chest. “Not anytime soon.” I hesitated, glancing at the stack of files on my desk. “I told him I was okay with it, just not right now.”

  Toby didn’t say anything for a moment. We were both comfortable enough with each other to remain silent in our own thoughts. When he finally looked up, his face looked relaxed and maybe a little bit hopeful. “That’s good news, Serenity. If it’s what you want, I’m sure you’ll make it happen. Daniel is sure one lucky man to have a woman like you.”

  From the heat spreading across my cheeks and down my neck, I’m sure I was noticeably blushing. If I wasn’t madly in love with my husband, who knows what might have happened between me and Toby. In another life, we might have made an amazing team, on and off the job.

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips. “As nice as it is to catch up on things, you still haven’t told me why you’re here,” I pressed.

  Toby smiled again. “That’s my girl, forever chasing a new case.”

  “Hardly. I have enough on my plate currently, thank you very much.”

  Toby traced the curve of his mustache with his finger. “Do any of your problems of late have to do with a certain tattooed chap?”

  My mouth dropped open. The widening of Toby’s smile made it pretty obvious that he enjoyed springing that one on me.

  “How do you know about our MS-13 member?” I asked, trying not to sound too excited.

  “He’s on my search list, that’s how.” Toby pulled out his phone and began scrolling. “He’s El Salvadoran, and we believe his name is Manuel Rivas. Manuel has been in the country illegally for almost a decade, and been involved in every criminal activity imaginable, including trafficking, drugs, and grand theft auto. He’s managed to stay under the radar due to dumb luck and constantly moving around. We’ve tracked him along the west coast, in Iowa, Kentucky, New Jersey, Florida, and on and on. He works with different MS-13 groups, but has most recently been smuggling heroin for a Mexican cartel. His gang was raided by ICE a month ago, leaving him on his own.”

  As I digested everything he’d just said, I sat up straighter. “None of that is available in the database.”

  Toby pressed his lips together and shook his head. “It wouldn’t be. We just discovered the guy’s identity a couple of weeks ago from surveillance images provided to us by ICE. Since Manuel Rivas was the only man that got away, ICE forwarded all the info to my department to follow up on. Can you imagine my surprise when I found out that there was a strikingly similar bloke killed right behind one of my favorite pubs in none other than Blood Rock, Indiana?”

  “Seriously?” I’d have to adjust all my preconceived notions about random happenstance. I quickly rose and flicked my finger for Toby to follow me. “Let’s have a look at our VIC and see if he really is your Manuel Rivas.”

  17

  Daniel

  I sat across from my sister and niece, feeling completely out of place. The scents of dinner still lingered in the air, and the kitchen was already cleaned up. I could occasionally hear the younger children’s loud voices through the screen door, but other than their sounds and the mantle clock’s ticking, the room was quiet. Reuben was working late on a job, and that’s why I’d been invited over. Rebecca didn’t want her husband to know about the drugs found in Sarah’s room.

  “I talked to Serenity about it, but I haven’t heard anything,” I assured my sister.

  Sarah was sullen. Her eyes downcast, she hadn’t looked up at me once.

  Rebecca was quite the opposite. She was completely riled up. “Sarah said that you gave her permission to begin courting Matthew Troyer again.”

  I threw my hands up. “I didn’t think it would be a problem. I thought you and Reuben liked the boy.”

  “Like him?” Rebecca glanced at Sarah, who wasn’t looking at her and then lowered her voice, trying to gain some control over herself. “He’s involved with the drugs in her drawer. I’m sure of it.”

  I stared hard at Sarah, not understanding why she sat there like a dolt, not sticking up for the boy she liked. “I already explained it to you. Another boy—an Englisher—gave Sarah the stuff.”

  “That makes no sense.” Rebecca swatted Sarah’s shoulder. “Were you flirting with this boy?”

  I drew back, but Sarah came alive. She rounded on her mother. “If being nice is now flirting, I guess I was.”

  I rolled my eyes. The two females were exasperating. “Rebecca, please, you’re only making it worse. There’s no need to accuse Sarah of impropriety. From what Serenity tells me, this Ogden boy is from a troubled family. He’s the culprit, not Matthew.”

  I couldn’t say anything about how my niece was seriously contemplating leaving the Amish and joining the outside world, just like I’d done. Rebecca would be furious, and probably blame me. I’d also talked to Sarah in confidence about it, and I couldn’t go back on my word. I didn’t like being tangled in my niece’s web of secrets one bit. It was bad enough when I’d gone through it myself seventeen years ago.

  Rebecca swiveled in her seat, looking at her daughter. “Your father and I aren’t sure Matthew is the best match for you. It will take some time for us to build confidence in him again.” She tapped her lips with her fingers. “Perhaps we’ll have the Troyer’s over for a picnic dinner next week. I need to discuss the matter with Emily—not the baggie I found, of course. Just everything else.”

  “You will do no such thing!” Sarah jumped to her feet. “If Matthew and I want to court, then we will. Our mothers don’t have to be involved.”

  Sarah was about to leave the room and I didn’t blame her. Listening to my sister’s ramblings reminded me of Ma and how she used to take too much personal interest in my love life. It wasn’t just an Amish thing. Most mothers probably felt the same way about their daughter’s romances, but in a community where personal connections were everything, the entire courting process could cause all kinds of troubles between families.

  “Wait, Sarah, don’t rush out of here in a huff.” Sarah paused, but she rocked back and forth on her feet, letting me know she was only an instant from fleeing. I faced my sister and adjusted my voice to sound more like our father. “Don’t you see what you’re doing, sister? You’re pushing your oldest child right out the door.” She began to open her mouth to protest, but I silenced her with a warning look and a pointed finger. “Sarah needs your complete support, not your judgment or meddling. She’s old enough to pick the boy she wants to court, and since you and Reuben already accepted Matthew Troyer, there’s no going back now. In a f
ew months, you’ll have forgotten all about your qualms with the boy. Someday, if you’re lucky, Sarah will give you a beautiful grandchild. And then you really won’t care who your son-in-law is, as long as he treats your daughter well.”

  Rebecca’s eyes widened, and she looked between me and Sarah. “I’m only trying to help my daughter make the right decisions, so she doesn’t make the same mistakes—” She abruptly stopped talking. I noticed Sarah’s brow furrow, but before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. All of our eyes went in the same direction.

  “Are you expecting company?” I asked.

  Rebecca shook her head. Sarah rolled her eyes and made a huffing noise, then went straight to the door and opened it.

  I was shocked to see Officers Ryan Donavan and Jerome Wilson standing on my sister’s front porch. Sarah turned white as a ghost and backed away quickly, so I moved forward.

  “What a surprise.” I glanced between the officers. “Is something wrong?”

  Ryan took the lead. “Daniel, we’re here to ask your niece a few questions.”

  I looked over my shoulder at my sister and niece. Seeing their frightened faces, I became annoyed with the men standing there on the porch. I went through the door, closing it behind me.

  Lowering my voice, I said, “What’s this all about?”

  Ryan fixed a polite smile on his face. I knew he was Serenity’s friend, but I didn’t really like the guy much. Jerome’s face was devoid of any emotions. He looked as if he could easily wait there all day.

  “The forensics came back on the heroin found in your niece’s room. It’s a grade of dope usually found in Mexico. Since it doesn’t appear to be local, we’re going to get an official statement from Sarah. She’s a minor, so the mother will have to authorize us to talk to Sarah and sign the report as well.”

  I ran my hand through my hair. “Where’s Serenity? She’d understand how something like this would affect my family, and she’d want to be the one conducting any official interview.”

  “Serenity is the one who sent us,” Ryan said. I wished I could smack the smug expression off his face.

  Before I had the opportunity to argue with Ryan, Jerome stepped forward. “This is serious business, Daniel. We have dead MS-13 and mob members. Since this heroin isn’t the usual run-of-the-mill, home brewed stuff, we can only assume that it might have something to do with our victims.” He paused and sighed. His voice was soft and pleasant. He’d definitely be the good cop in an interrogation room. I didn’t think Ryan would have any problem being the bad one. “Serenity would have come personally, and she only asked us to follow through because a US Marshal showed up this afternoon, breaking the case wide open.”

  I appreciated that Jerome explained things to me. A quick glance at Ryan’s tight face made me realize the two men didn’t get along.

  “Marshal Toby Bryant?” I asked.

  “That’s the one,” Jerome confirmed.

  I didn’t know what to make of the flood of news, but there was one thing I was firm on—the best interests of my family were very important to me. “Do you have a warrant of some kind?”

  Jerome swayed back. Recognition that I wouldn’t be compliant registered on his dark face. “No. Serenity didn’t think it was necessary.”

  “It’s our right to have a lawyer present, right?” Jerome nodded. I avoided looking at Ryan at all. “My niece will not talk to you without Elayne Weaver present.” I licked my lips, knowing that Serenity would be very upset with me. “Let me talk to Elayne and we’ll make arrangements to give a statement in town, later in the week.”

  Jerome lowered his voice. “With everything going on in Blood Rock at the moment, Serenity won’t have a problem getting an expedited rush on a warrant. We might be back here sooner than you think.”

  “That’s just a chance I’ll have to take,” I said firmly.

  Ryan chuckled as he passed by me. “Hey, Jerome, do you want to take bets on whether Daniel sleeps on the couch tonight?”

  Jerome shot me an apologetic look as he followed his partner down the front steps and into the cruiser. Once the vehicle rolled down the driveway and turned onto the road, Rebecca peeked her head out the door.

  “Are they gone?” she asked in a hushed voice.

  “Yeah, for now.”

  Rebecca joined me on the porch. Heavy, dark-rimmed clouds gathered on the western sky. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was storming by the time I reached town.

  “What was that all about?” Rebecca looked about as confused as I felt.

  “The drugs that were given to Sarah were probably manufactured in Mexico.” I looked around to make sure none of the children were within earshot. Seeing that the coast was clear, I continued. “There’s been two killings in Blood Rock this past week. Did you read about them in the newspaper?”

  My sister nodded. “Oh, yes. Sounds like awful business.”

  Thinking back to the sight of Tony Regio’s prone body and mutilated face, I thought Rebecca’s statement was putting it mildly. “There might be a drug connection. Serenity would have come in person, but it seems some new evidence came in today that she needed to attend to. I’m heading into town and will talk to her shortly.”

  “Is Sarah in trouble with the law?”

  “No, I don’t think so. She did the right thing by turning it in. I think they want her official statement on file when they start making arrests.”

  Rebecca shivered. I wasn’t sure if it was because the wind had brought cooler air or if she was afraid. “I hope it’s over soon. I don’t like the feeling that something bad is about to happen.”

  “My sister felt the same way the bishop did. That could be an omen of sorts. Ma had the gift of sensitivity to future events. Perhaps my sister did as well. The bishop was simply wise and experienced, which amounted to the same thing.

  I put my arm around my sister and she leaned her head on my chest.

  I hoped they were all wrong. We’d had enough trouble in Blood Rock to last a lifetime.

  18

  Serenity

  Toby took his photos of the corpse and then compared the tattoos to the ones on the man in the surveillance photo. After about ten minutes of him doing his job, he finally looked up. “This is definitely our guy.”

  “Manuel Rivas, what the hell were you doing in my town?” I muttered between my teeth.

  Toby zipped the body bag up and rolled it back into cold storage. We were alone. Bobby was in his office, still going over the measly evidence we’d collected at the Regio crime scene.

  I zipped up my jacket. The basement morgue was always cold. “What are your thoughts as to why Rivas was here?”

  Toby leaned back against the drawers as leisurely as if he were sipping a piña colada on a beach in Tahiti. I didn’t like being in the windowless room with dead people in refrigerated drawers. It always made me feel sick. Toby didn’t seem to have that problem.

  “The gang he ran with was a vicious group. Murder was their thing—especially contract killings. I doubt he traveled from Arizona to Indiana to sell or buy drugs. He must have been under contract to take someone out.”

  “But who?” I tightened my ponytail with a hard jerk. “Like I said before, Blood Rock has a fair share of drug users, but not much going on with production.”

  “You mentioned the Ogden fellow. He might be deeper into the slush than you think.”

  “True. He mostly trades in the type of weapons that other rednecks like to keep propped up behind their doors. He’s dabbled in hashish and meth—stuff that can be grown, extracted or produced in small quantities in in the woods. The Ogdens are also known for their moonshine.”

  “Really?” Toby perked up considerably. “How far is their compound from here?”

  “About a forty-five-minute drive. The property sits right on the county line.” I looked at my watch, antici
pating his next question.

  “Looks like we share jurisdiction on this investigation, Sheriff. I’d like to visit Mr. Ogden, ask him a few questions.” He was almost grinning.

  I sighed, thinking. “The Ogdens don’t like visitors of any kind, and they don’t take kindly to surprises.”

  “Will our lives be in danger?” Toby asked in a perfectly serious tone.

  “Let’s just say, I usually wouldn’t go up there without a lot backup.”

  “Perfect. My kind of scene.” Toby came away from the wall of drawers. “We’re going alone. I trust you, Sheriff, but no one else around here. Sometimes you have to be a little unorthodox to get the job done. You know what I mean?”

  Hell yeah. I knew exactly what he was talking about.

  I wasn’t used to sitting shotgun and I didn’t much like it. But Toby had made a good point that it was better for us to show up on Ogden lands wearing street clothes and riding in his pickup truck with Texas plates than announcing the law had arrived.

  Sure, they were just as likely to shoot us—sniper fashion—from some high position in the thick forest, but there was also the possibility that their curiosity would be piqued. I hoped the latter was true as I scanned the trees. The truck bounced along over the rutted, gravel road. There weren’t any other homes on the way to the Ogden property, so it was more of a glorified, unmaintained county driveway. Sprinkles of leaves fluttered down onto the truck with the strong gusts. I couldn’t help but watch the tall tree trunks bending in the wind. It didn’t seem like a good idea to be in the middle of the woods during tropical strength winds. It felt claustrophobic. As the trees dipped closer, my nerves grew rattled.

  “We’d have to be awfully unlucky to be killed by a tree falling on us,” Toby commented, reading my mind.

  “There’d be a lot of criminals out there laughing their asses off,” I retorted.

  Toby chuckled, and then he craned his neck to get a better look at the sky. It might just be a wind event with a little rain.”