“Hello,” I said.
“Hullo,” Marissa mimicked me, only with a heavy accent.
I looked past Marissa at Wilma. “I think she overheard us.”
Wilma swatted the air in front of her. “No worries about Marissa. She has the mind of a five year old. I’m sure she didn’t understand much of what we were saying.” Her gaze settled on her granddaughter. “Go on, girl. I’m sure those hens have some eggs for you to collect.”
A huge smile erupted on Marissa’s face. “Cluck, cluck, it’s time to get the eggs, time to get the eggs, time to get the eggs,” she rambled as she left us. She disappeared around the same corner of the house where I had first spotted her.
I swallowed, recovering from the strange encounter with Marissa. “Thank you again for you time,” I said reaching down to shake Wilma’s hand. She held onto to my mine longer than necessary, making me feel more uncomfortable.
When she let go, I turned, suddenly wanting to be away from Wilma, Marissa and strange talks of God and serpents. I forced myself to wait on the porch steps as Daniel said his farewells to the old woman in German.
A thought occurred to me and I whirled around, stopping Wilma before she slipped through her front door. “Do you remember if Robyn drank any tea during the delivery or maybe before?”
Wilma looked over her shoulder. “Our women are usually provided tea at birthing. I remember Robyn drinking from a cup.”
“What was in the tea?”
Wilma shrugged. “I don’t remember. There are many different herbs that soothe the senses and ease the pain of childbirth.”
“Do you know any of the herbs that are commonly when a woman is in labor?”
“Lavender or wild lettuce maybe. I know very little about herbs. You should ask Ada Mae. She trained right along with Jonas. Unfortunately, Ada Mae didn’t possess the healing gift the way Jonas did. She focused more on the plants and their uses in treating ailments. She might have the answers you’re looking for.”
I pulled out a business card from my pocket and placed it in Wilma’s hand. “If you remember anything else, please call me.”
Wilma didn’t wait for me to ask any more questions. She disappeared through the doorway, the sound of the screen door thudding shut behind her.
“We have one more stop to make here before we head home,” I told Daniel as we climbed into the Jeep.
“I figured as much.” Daniel grinned at me, lifting the dreary and almost creepy cloud of feelings that had settled over me while I had talked to Wilma.
I still wasn’t entirely sure any murders had taken place, but I knew one thing for sure. What I’d witnessed and felt in Jonas’ house when he supposedly healed Mervin was beyond my understanding.
And that scared the hell out of me.
13
DANIEL
I glanced at the ENTERING BLOOD ROCK sign and then at Serenity. I was drained. I had hoped the long drive to and from the Ohio Amish settlement would have given us more time to discuss our future together. But the only subjects Serenity wanted to talk about were Fannie’s and Robyn’s deaths—and the power of healing. I got it. We were knee deep in the middle of another investigation, but after this one, there’d be another one, and another. I was beginning to doubt whether Serenity would ever put aside her career for her personal life.
“I wonder how common it is for a woman to bleed to death after giving birth,” Serenity remarked.
I looked at her. She was staring out the window at the darkening sky.
“You’ll have to ask Bobby that one. I have no idea,” I replied gruffly.
Serenity exhaled. “Even though we have Robyn’s death report,” —she waved the paper in the air— “we aren’t any closer to knowing whether it was natural causes that did her in or something more sinister. We certainly can’t make a direct connection between her death and Fannie’s from this.”
“It seems like an awful amount of bad luck, if you ask me.”
Serenity’s head snapped my way. “Please elaborate.”
“I remember growing up, a lot of the women in the community had babies at home. I don’t recall a single death occurring. Either Fannie and Robyn were simply on the wrong side of the percentages or their connection to Jonas somehow contributed to their deaths.”
“What is your gut telling you?” she asked, dropping her voice.
I couldn’t see her eyes. The sunglasses she wore covered them completely. She didn’t need them. The sun had almost set on the horizon. Without the uniform, wearing only faded denim jeans and a blue, zipped up hoodie, she looked like a teenager. I knew she carried a revolver in her purse and had a 9 MM strapped to her side. She was the toughest woman I had ever met, but sometimes, like now, she seemed vulnerable.
“I’m not really sure. It doesn’t add up, but there isn’t any smoking gun, either.” My voice sounded hollow.
“I feel about the same way. There’s something bothering me, as if we’re not getting the entire picture.” She turned towards me, removing her sunglasses. Her blue eyes sparked. “For one thing, why would Jonas kill his wife? He never remarried. He’s Amish. It doesn’t make sense. As far as Fannie is concerned, maybe she fooled around with a local boy, got pregnant and was terrified of being found out. She’s on the plump side anyway, so she was able to hide the pregnancy longer than someone else might have. When she got to the point that she started showing, she might have decided to end the pregnancy using an herb that caused abortion. Case closed.”
“That’s a good theory.”
“But?” she replied.
I chuckled. She knew me pretty well. “I don’t think she would have had the knowledge to do such a thing. Not only is abortion completely against any Amish person’s morals, it’s not something they even talk about.”
“I was thinking the same thing, which brings me to the conclusion that one of two things happened. Someone helped her abort and in the process, she accidentally died. Or someone, maybe even the baby’s father, slipped the stuff into the drink to end the pregnancy. Either way it’s manslaughter or murder.”
“I’ll drive you out to the community in the morning and you can ask some more questions. Bobby might even have the conclusive lab results by then.” I paused, taking a breath. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll stop by my house to pick up some fresh clothes and check my messages. It will be easier if I stay the night at your place.”
I lifted the side of my mouth, along with my brow in Serenity’s direction. She met my gaze for several long seconds.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” she finally replied, avoiding eye contact.
“We can even stop by the drugstore—”
“Don’t push it,” Serenity said sharply, cutting me off.
I looked straight ahead. She was right. I had to slow down. Serenity wasn’t a fool. She’d do it when she was good and ready.
A glimpse of shiny silver caught my attention as I turned into my driveway. I caught my breath, holding it when I saw the car parked in front of my house. I groaned and slumped in the seat.
“Who’s that?” Serenity asked, squinting to see the car better.
I swallowed, afraid to say the words. “It’s Elayne.”
“Why is she at your house?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.” I didn’t flinch when I met Serenity’s stony glare. “Don’t get all jealous on me. There’s nothing going on between me and Elayne.”
Serenity’s lips pressed together and her eyes narrowed. “Whatever,” she snapped.
I thudded my head against the headrest as I cut off the engine. Serenity’s car was parked on the other side of Elayne’s. I already knew with dreaded certainty what she was going to do.
“Please, Serenity. Don’t make an issue of this,” I begged.
Serenity smiled sweetly back at me, not saying a word. She grasped the door handle and was out of the Jeep before I could grab her.
She wasted no time strutting over to Elayne, who stepped out of the car.
“Yeah, well, Daniel is helping me with an investigation,” she said with a much calmer voice than I expected.
“Oh, I see.” She glanced between me and Serenity. The tension in the air was thickly uncomfortable. Elayne’s gaze landed squarely on me. “We kind of got sidetracked after the fiasco at the bank yesterday. I was hoping I could take a look at the apartment, Daniel. I have to rent something quickly,” she said with a flip of her long hair. She smiled again, flashing her white teeth.
“It’s not a good time. I have—”
Serenity interrupted with a raised hand. “You go on ahead and help Miss Weaver get settled. We want to show our new assistant DA how hospitable we are here in Blood Rock.” I opened my mouth to argue and she cut me off again. “Really, I insist.”
I saw the stubbornness in her eyes before she turned back to Elayne. “Have a nice evening.”
She already had her duffle bag and purse slung over her shoulder when Elayne grasped her shoulder. Serenity’s eyes dropped to Elayne’s hand.
“Wait, I never did get the chance to thank you for risking your life to save us at the bank. You were incredibly brave,” Elayne gushed.
“It’s my job. I’m paid to be brave,” Serenity said.
“Oh, I think it’s more than that. I’m looking forward to working with you on cases in the future. We’re going to be a great team.”
Serenity’s eyes widened and a smirk appeared on her mouth for an instant, then it was gone. “I’m sure you’re right. Good night, both of you.”
When Serenity’s stormy eyes met mine, I knew I was in deep trouble.
14
SERENITY
The boxes blurred in front of me. I took another breath in an attempt to slow down my pounding heart. It was kind of ironic. I had the ability to stay perfectly calm in any emergency situation, and yet, here I was, about to have a complete meltdown because Daniel was showing Elayne an apartment.
I need to trust the man, I told myself, but the fact that Elayne was an old Amish acquaintance and drop-dead gorgeous to boot were problems. I didn’t think my reaction was completely unjustified. Hell, most women would probably agree that I had a right to be worried and pissed. It didn’t matter, though. I wanted to give Daniel the benefit of the doubt and would force myself to be a grownup, but I’d also prepare for the worst.
My eyes skimmed over the pregnancy tests. There were so many different kinds. Some were cheap, others fairly expensive. They all seemed to involve peeing on a stick or in a cup. I glanced around again. The butterflies raging in my stomach had only gotten worse when I’d entered the drugstore. The last thing I needed was for someone to spot me in this particular aisle. I pulled the navy blue ball cap down further on my forehead. I didn’t go out much in street clothes. I didn’t even own many clothes. I woke up, put on the uniform, worked until dark and traded it for pajamas when I finally got home. If I was quick, no one would notice me with my hair down and the cap shielding a large portion of my face.
When the Amish girl turned into the aisle, I held my breath, turned slightly away, and pretended to study the boxes. She was wearing a green polyester dress, black tennis shoes and a white cap. She stopped beside me and began looking at the same boxes I was.
Damn.
Very carefully, I tilted my head to get a better look at the girl.
I dropped my gaze and turned to leave. Walking around the corner, I stepped into the haircare aisle. The girl would have to walk by to check out at the register. Then I could follow her.
I continued to stand there, feigning interest in the shampoos, waiting. My heart pounded.
When the swish of green went by, I began walking, keeping a discreet distance between us. I stopped and turned to feign looking at a magazine rack when the girl entered a checkout lane. The only item she carried was the pink box.
When I went through the automatic doors, the evening breeze was warm. The parking lot was full of cars. People were wearing shorts. All of this only half registered in my mind. My senses were pinpointed on the girl walking straight backed through the parking lot.
I chose a random car and approached it, digging through my purse for the keys. It was only for show. I was in the perfect position to see the girl get into the backseat of a green minivan. She wasn’t alone. In the front seat were two men. The English driver, an older gentleman with graying hair and a neat mustache, and another man with dark hair and the bluest eyes.
I swiveled away from the van as it rolled past me. Even though I was fairly certain no one noticed me, I continued to hold my breath.
When the coast was clear, I sprinted across the parking lot, jumping into my car. My eyes never left the van as it turned onto Main Street. I controlled the urge to peel from the parking space, figuring that I could easily catch up to the van once I got onto the road.
I pulled onto Main Street and was right where I wanted to be—one car behind the van. I relaxed, taking a large gulping breath.
Not surprisingly, we were heading out of town towards the Amish settlement.
I had all but forgotten the reason I’d gone into the drugstore in the first place. My mind was swimming with only one thing.
Why did Hannah Kuhns, Fannie’s little sister, buy a pregnancy test, and then get into the van with Jonas Peachey?
I touched the brakes, slowing down. I couldn’t risk being seen. I drove by the Kuhns’ farm as Hannah exited the van. In my rearview mirror, I saw the van backing down the driveway.
At least the girl was home. Of course, her sister had died in that same home, I reminded myself.
I jumped in the seat when my phone vibrated. I glanced down at it and saw I had three missed calls and a bunch of text messages from Daniel. I ignored them, returning the call from Todd instead.
“Hey, boss. Are you back in town?” Todd asked
“Unfortunately. What’s up?”
“The feds have a few papers for you to sign off on. Can you stop by the department tonight?”
“Yeah, sure, but it’ll be a while.”
“Why, what are you into?”
“I’m currently in the Amish community. I’ll be here a little longer. Just leave the papers on my desk.”
“Will do. Need any help?” Todd lowered his voice to a more serious tone.
“Naw, not this time. I’ll see you later.” I hung up.
I turned into Jonas Peachey’s driveway. The van was nowhere to be seen. I’d purposely taken the long way around to the farm to give the medicine man time to get there before me. Since there was no sign of the van, I could only assume that he had somewhere else to go before he returned home.
It worked in my favor and I smiled at my luck.
Darkness had settled over the farm by the time I rapped on the door. A lone bird whistled in the distance and a cow mooed. Otherwise the countryside was broodingly quiet.
The door opened a crack before it flung wide open.
“Sheriff Adams. I wasn’t expecting you. Come in,” Ada Mae said, ushering me in to the house and closing the door behind me.
I glanced around the room. Esta was at the kitchen table, cutting celery with a large knife that would have been frightening for my sixteen-year-old niece to weld. Verna sat beside her little sister with a knitting hook in her hand and yarn in her lap. Some kind of liquid bubbled to the top of a pot on the wood burning stove. My mouth watered. It smelled delicious.
“If you’ll excuse me, I don’t want this chicken noodle soup to boil over.” Ada Mae left me standing by the door to hurry to the pot and stir it. “Esta, go ahead and drop the celery in. Be careful. It’s extremely hot,” Ada Mae cautioned, turning her attention back to me. “What brings you by, Sheriff?”
I took a few steps away from the door. The kitchen was brightly lit with several lanterns. It felt rather cozy, different from when Jonas had healed Mervin and the taint of creep
iness had crawled all over me.
“I’m sorry to bother you at dinnertime, but I have a few questions. Do you have a moment for me?” I asked.
“Of course. It’s no bother at all. Jonas is making his rounds this evening, so he won’t be back until later. It’s just me and the girls. I hope you’ll join us for dinner,” she said pleasantly, taking the spoon from Esta and shooing her towards the hallway.
Verna stood up, gathering her knitting supplies in her apron. The teenager smiled at me, then touched Esta’s shoulder, mumbling something in German to the girl.
“I’m going to clean my room, but I’ll be back soon,” Esta promised.
I smiled at the girl’s tactics, watching her join her sister and turn the corner. Both girls were striking, with the dark hair and blue eyes of their father. I wondered what Robyn had looked like. Unfortunately, the Amish didn’t allow portrait pictures. The only evidence that a person existed after they died were memories and their children.
I sat down on the nearest chair, turning to Ada Mae. “You were there for Esta’s birth?”
She continued stirring the soup as she dropped in what appeared to be a pinch of salt. “Why yes, I was.” She met my gaze. Her eyes were sad and her back slumped. “I try not to think about it. It was a very difficult time for all of us. Robyn’s death was so unexpected.”
“What do you think happened?”
Ada Mae sighed heavily and put the spoon down. She sat down in the chair beside me. She seemed defeated.
“It was strange. Everything was going smoothly, except maybe she’d been laboring a little too long. After Esta came out, Robyn was bleeding much heavier than she should have been. Jonas became alarmed and sent Gloria to call for help.” She shrugged and met my gaze. “Sometimes there are complications during childbirth. I remember my Mammi Lily delivering twins when I was only a young girl. The mother died a couple days later from an infection. Nobody knew for sure why she became sick. Robyn’s story is similar. Even the doctors at the hospital couldn’t give us a specific reason for her loss of so much blood.”
Secrets in the Grave Page 10