Bloody Ties (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 8)

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  His tone had changed from before. He wasn’t hiding his confidence now. The charade was slipping. “Shouldn’t be that bad, especially since we already had a federal agent on the case.” I lifted my brow.

  There was a fleeting look of surprise that was quickly replaced by a charming smile. “When did you figure that out?”

  “A few days ago. Toby remembered seeing you at a bureau in Arizona.” Speak of the devil—I caught sight of the US Marshal’s cowboy hat at the bottom of the hill. He had stopped to speak to the bishop.

  “Why didn’t you immediately confront me about my identity once I’d been outed?”

  “I thought about it.” I shrugged, returning my gaze to the man waiting for my answer. “I couldn’t figure out if you’d infiltrated my office because you had the heads up about why gangsters were coming to Blood Rock, or if you were watching me or someone else in the department. It wasn’t time to play my hand yet.”

  He nodded and pursed his lips. “Since my time here, I’ve been impressed with your leadership abilities, Serenity. You’ve handled yourself well under the worst of circumstances. You’re a straight shooter with high morals, something that seems to be lacking in some law officers.”

  “You mean Ryan—that’s why you’re undercover in Blood Rock, isn’t it?”

  “When the bodies and a car load of drugs turned up in Indianapolis, our agency suspected that local police were involved—especially since there was no money on scene, and we had informants telling us of some pretty upset members of both the Indy mob and the Mexican cartel that does business in the Midwest. Our tech guys did some brilliant research and discovered that Ryan Donavan left town at about the same time the drug deal was disrupted. It wasn’t too difficult to track down all of his ex-girlfriends. CJ West stuck out more than the rest. They’d been together longer than any of his other relationships. Since she was currently residing in an Amish community, it piqued my interest. We worked a little magic with the state office on your department’s funding, and voila, I was hired on as your newest recruit.”

  Jerome was overly full of himself at the moment. “You were here because you suspected Ryan, but what about everything else—the Ogden’s for example.”

  He threw his head back and grunted loudly. “I’d like to claim that I was aware of that situation, but I’d be lying. And I couldn’t have foreseen that the Moretti’s had an insider working the Amish community. Zeke Bachman is the reason the drug dealers descended on Blood Rock. We were all looking for the same man and the same thing.”

  Crossing my arms, I leveled a hard look at the agent. “The money?”

  “Four and a half million dollars is a lot of cash.” Jerome stopped and drew in a deep breath. When he eyed me, I already knew what he was going to ask. “Did Ryan disclose its location?”

  Now it was my turn to make a rude snorting noise. “It had only been about twenty minutes between the time that I’d found out Ryan was a dirty cop and he was dead. There wasn’t time to discuss where he’d hidden the money. Maybe you’ll find it in his apartment.”

  “It’s not there.”

  I didn’t even bother to try hide the look of incredulity I knew glowed from my face. “How have you had time to search it already?”

  He suddenly seemed awfully uncomfortable, shifting his weight and glancing away. “I have agents there right now, and they just called me.”

  I took a step closer and leaned in. He firmly held his ground. “With all the shit going on in the area, your damn agents are wasting time searching for a bag of money instead of assisting with the aftermath of a gun battle and a gas plant explosion? We have dozens of people dead—how do you justify your priorities?”

  He straightened up, raising his chin higher. “Like I said, it’s a lot of money, and confiscating that kind of money can help us bring down not only the Indianapolis mob, but also organized crime in Chicago. The connections to the drug deal that your ex-partner interrupted run very deep, reaching straight to the top guys in several families and gangs. This is bigger than you know.” I continued to glare at him with narrowed eyes, and he quickly added, “Besides, we have people coming in as we speak to work both tragedies.”

  Shaking my head, I toyed with the bandage on my arm. Some things never changed. Everyone had their own agenda—and rarely was any of it about the little guy or gal. “What about him?” I thrust my chin out at Ethan Ogden. He leaned up against Todd’s patrol car. His wrists were still cuffed. He wasn’t resisting, so he didn’t need to be put in the cruiser at the moment. Two of his thugs waited patiently for him under the nearest maple tree. I remembered the smooth-faced one well.

  “He’s a rather clever hillbilly. I’ve went over everything that happened the other day on his land, and now his involvement here, and other than several misdemeanors, I don’t see how we bring him in.” He tilted his head, crossing his arms the same way mine were. “Unless there’s something you’re not telling me—like maybe he’s lying about shooting Zeke Backman to protect you? After all, I think we’d all like to take the man down—right?”

  I licked my lips. Oh, I had information that would help—but whether it would stick is another story all together. Zeke hadn’t been in any shape to make a grab for my gun the way Ethan Ogden claimed. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t ignore the fact that if Ogden hadn’t shown up when he had, CJ, Joshua, and I would be dead. He saved our lives. Sure, he was just covering his own butt. He hadn’t arrived in the nick of time just to save me and the others. But he could have let Zeke kill us and then finish him off. He held all the cards at that moment, and he knew full well that if anyone could put him away, it was me. Yet, he’d chosen a different path. Why, I might never know. Until I did, I wasn’t inclined to press charges against the leader of the Ogden family. We had enough to keep us busy for a while anyway.

  “Nope. I’m sure we’ll be working closely together for the foreseeable future, and I have your number. If anything comes up, you’ll be the first person I call,” I lied.

  “The next time you’re up for reelection, if you lose, I’m sure the bureau would love to have an officer of your caliber on board. I’ve followed your cases, Sheriff. You have just the kind of tenacity we’re looking for.”

  It wasn’t the first time I’d been offered a job in the last year. “I’ll keep that in mind.” A cloud blocked out the sun, darkening the sky and casting a shadow over the farm. My stomach clenched and a dozen horrible thoughts streaked through my mind at once. “Do you think they’ll send more people to Blood Rock?”

  “Who—the Moretti’s or the Mexican cartel?” I nodded and he rubbed his jawline. “Now that Ryan’s dead and officers from every agency will be crawling all over your town for a long time, I doubt it. They probably think that we got the money, so there’s no reason to come back here.”

  Jerome’s cell phone rang. He pointed at it and I gestured with my hand for him to answer it. Watching him walk away, I realized that I never did get to ask how old he really was.

  Making a mental note to inquire later, I made my way over to Ethan Ogden. He waited for me with a pert grin on his hairy face.

  “Why, Sheriff, I was beginning to feel neglected,” he said in a velvety tone.

  I gestured for Todd to leave us alone and he got the hint, quickly taking several steps to the front of his car. I mimicked Ethan, leaning against the car, crossing my feet and staring straight ahead.

  “Count your blessings. You’re going home tonight, Ogden. But hear me loud and clear. I’m going to keep an eye on you and your family. If this town has any drug issues, you’re the first person I’m coming to see.” I flicked my wrist. “There’s no statute of limitations for what went down here today. You’re not out of the woods, and should keep that in mind when you’re scheming.”

  He snorted and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smooth his beard down. “The moonshine keeps us pretty busy, Sheriff. Maybe I’ll
send you a bottle. You might appreciate its potency for knocking a person’s stress level down several notches right quickly.”

  Yeah, right. The Ogdens had a field of opium poppies a few days ago, and confirmed ties to the Indianapolis mob. They were career criminals, just like the mafia or cartel. They just didn’t show off their nefarious income with lavish houses, boats, and cars. The only thing that had kept them all out of jail for decades was that they lived simple lives. Hustling was just a way of life for them—and I had no doubt they’d continue their illegal ways. Someday, I’d have to bring Ethan Ogden in—just not today.

  “Todd, get his full statement and then take the cuffs off. He can go home.”

  “But—” Todd began to argue and I cut him off.

  “That’s it for now. Trust me.”

  Todd sighed as he pulled out his clipboard from the car. I wanted to tell him that we’d eventually get Ogden, and not to worry, but that conversation would have to wait. I didn’t look back, and headed straight down the hill until I reached Toby and the bishop. The barn was close enough that I could see the dozens of gunshot holes in the wooden boards. I hoped Joshua would replace them. They would be an ugly reminder of what went down here if he didn’t.

  The bishop was the first to look up. “I was talking to the marshal about another Amish youth who left us about the same time as Zeke Bachman. They were friends.” The bishop’s white brow raised and I got the gist of what he was saying. “Marshal Bryant said he’d look into it. After what happened today, it’s a wise thing to know.”

  He began to turn away, and I stopped him. “Wait, what’s his name?”

  “Not a he—she. Melinda King is her name.”

  When the bishop had returned to his group of waiting men, I looked at Toby. His usual crooked smile threatened to break on his lips. “Good to see you standing there, Sheriff. I was mighty worried—must have drove ninety miles an hour all the way here.” He lifted his gaze, scanning the barnyard. “For all that trying, looks like I missed the party.”

  “It was terrible. One minute we’re celebrating CJ and Joseph’s marriage, and the next we’re all fighting for our lives.”

  “I’m sorry about Ryan. I’ve known a few like him—heart of gold, but not a lick of sense when it came to temptation.”

  “Yeah, that’s about right.” I leaned in until our shoulders brushed, definitely not wanting anyone to overhear us. “The money is missing. Jerome Wilson had Ryan’s apartment searched, and it wasn’t there. It’s not like he could stick it in the bank, and I’m sure there’s a bunch of agents searching for storage units that Ryan might have paid for.” I met his clear-eyed gaze. “Where do you think he would have stashed it?”

  Toby curled the end of his mustache very deliberately. “You know him better than anyone else. That’s a question you should be asking yourself.”

  I slumped a little, letting go of a long breath. “I wonder if he thought it was worth it during those last few seconds of his life. He must have known he couldn’t get away with it. It wasn’t just the law searching for him, he had several groups of killers on his trail. He wasn’t a bad cop when I partnered with him. Yeah, he was impulsive and a bit temperamental, but he also had empathy for people in need. He was the type of guy who’d dive into a storm drain during a downpour to save a kitten. It’s hard to believe that he’d murder a bunch of men in cold blood just for the money. I don’t understand why he did it.”

  “It is perplexing. He might have been disillusioned with the job. I know a lot of officers and agents who get burnt out on it. It’s a dangerous and difficult career, usually with no glory. Departments don’t protect their own anymore. It’s a tough business to be in, especially when we work so hard to bring criminals to justice and they sometimes are immediately let out by our judicial system. You don’t know how many men and women I’ve brought in—dangerous, scary people—that ended up walking right out the door a week later, free to continue their brazen illegal activities.” He winced. “It’s the smirkers that bother me the most—the ones that pass on by me, knowing they’d gotten away with it.”

  I studied Toby. His face was absent of any intense feelings, but his words were curious. They reminded me of something Ryan had said to me years ago.

  “Dammit, Serenity. They don’t want our help.”

  A light blinked on in my mind. Even back then Ryan was disgruntled about the job. I should have recognized it for what it was. Maybe I could have helped him deal with his feelings—changed the course of his life so that he didn’t become a crooked cop. It was too late now. All I could do was pay better attention next time and support my crew the best I could. I was definitely calling in mental evaluations for everyone in the department the following week. I’d make sure none of the other officers in my ranks followed the same rotten path Ryan had taken.

  And I’d begin with Toby. “We only have control over our own actions, don’t forget that. All we can do is the right thing, say a prayer, and hope for the best.”

  “I didn’t take you for the praying type, Sheriff.”

  I glanced over at the bishop and the other Amish men. Even Moses Buchman was in the mix, lending a helping hand. They’d all shunned Joshua, but when the chips were down, they immediately came to his aid. This is what we were all fighting for day in and day out. There were good people out there that needed our protection. All of my recent cases had humbled me. What I’d always chalked up to luck might have been a kind of divine intervention. If that were true, why did so many terrible things keep happening? I’d probably never have the answer to that particular question.

  “I utilize everything at my disposal—even prayer.” I cocked my head. “Are you really going to look into where Melinda King is?”

  “Sure, why not?” His broad smile brightened his face. “Unlike you, I’m not hitched and not planning a family. I might as well help the bishop out in my spare time. Who knows, if an ex-Amish girl is involved, it’s bound to be exciting.”

  I elbowed him and then chuckled. “I’m not planning a family yet, so don’t get ahead of yourself.” Ignoring the smirk on his mouth, I continued, “How does dinner at Nancy’s sound? We’ll be here for a while, but I can call Nancy and ask her to keep the restaurant open a little later. Since the reception was broken up, I never did get to eat.”

  Toby laughed. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll help Bobby with the tape. If we don’t hurry, the Amish will sneak in and begin rebuilding, destroying all of the evidence.” He turned his head and I followed his gaze. “Looks like you’re wanted.” He winked and left quickly.

  We hadn’t spoken since CJ and Joshua were rescued, and his cousin had been shot dead by Ethan Ogden. But Daniel and I were way past words anymore.

  I saw the look in his eyes and went straight into his open arms. We would talk tomorrow.

  35

  Serenity

  My gaze went to the window and the tracks the raindrops were making down the glass. It was the middle of the afternoon, but it felt a lot later from the gray, dreary day outside. I opened my mouth up wide to yawn and then rubbed my face. It was one day shy of a full week since the shootout at CJ’s wedding. The days since had flown by in a flurry of evidence collection, interviews, and meetings with more agents and officials than I was happy about. Jerome hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that this was a much bigger deal than our little town. Detectives from as far away as New York and Ontario, Canada had descended on Blood Rock, hoping to solve some of their own criminal underworld cold cases. The Chicago police contingent were almost as scary looking as their mobster counterparts and without any humor at all. I was glad the marshal stayed on for most of the week—we definitely needed him. And Agent Wilson had been a Godsend. He’d taken care of the visitors so that I could build the investigation.

  I was running on little sleep and a lot of coffee, but things were finally slowing down a bit. I reached for my cup and finding it empty
, I growled. I was just about to buzz Rosie to bring me the entire pot when the door flew open.

  In came Daniel with an enormous armful of flowers and an extra-large canister. And if my nose didn’t lie, it was full of steaming fresh coffee. I leaned back and sighed happily. The flowers were nice, but the brew is what I wanted most at the moment.

  Daniel came around my desk and brushed a quick kiss on my forehead before depositing the canister in front of me.

  I immediately took a swig and instantly woke up. “You are the most amazing husband ever. Have I told you that before?” I put on my most flirty face.

  Daniel chuckled. “I think maybe once or twice before, and always after I brought you coffee.”

  “Well, what can I say? You know my weakness.” I leaned forward and crossed my arms on my desk. “Where did you get the flowers?” Since they didn’t have a store wrapping, I guessed he’d picked them up somewhere else.

  “From my sister’s house. Her greenhouse is full and she sent these for your office.”

  I suddenly filled with guilty feelings. I hadn’t seen Daniel’s family in a while. Sure, I’d been kind of busy lately, but they’d really been making an effort to connect lately. “I should stop by and visit your mom and sister sometime. I’ve been turning down their invitations for over a month.”

  Daniel’s muscular frame made my office look small. Gazing at his wet hair and arms full of flowers, my stomach did a somersault. Tingling desire pulsated through my veins. I really was a lucky woman. Now that things were getting back to normal, it was time for us to have that baby making talk. If CJ could paint the world in a rosy picture after her wedding fiasco, then so could I. I wasn’t afraid of having a baby anymore. I might change my mind when it actually happened, but until then, I was more than willing to start to the process.