His relaxed posture settled my nerves a little bit. “Are you Amish?”
My question caught him off guard. He tilted his head. “Why, you are a clever girl. What makes you think I’m Amish?”
“Your pants,” I said.
He laughed again. “Nice observation. If I were Amish it would be easier to change quickly if I only had my t-shirt to swap out. Don’t you agree?”
We stared at each other and he was the first to look away. “It would be a shame if your friends don’t show up to save you. I think I might even feel bad about blowing your brains out.”
The sound of leaves rustling reached my ears, and I searched the woods with squinted eyes. The noise grew louder and the stranger straightened up, stepping away from the tree. When Hunter bounded into the clearing he nearly bumped into me. Matthew and Lindsey were right behind him.
“She’s dead! My God, she’s dead,” Hunter shouted. His eyes were wet and wild.
Lindsey grabbed my arm. “It’s true. We found Danielle in her pickup truck. There was foam on her mouth and she wasn’t breathing.”
“Are you sure she was dead—where was Jackson?” The drug dealer’s face was wide with excitement.
Matthew bent over to catch his breath and Hunter sunk to his knees, clutching the sides of his face.
“I touched her cheek and it was ice cold—she’s dead,” Lindsey said.
Matthew straightened up. “We didn’t see Jackson. He’s gone.”
The stranger sighed and held up the gun, backing away. “If any one of you open your mouths about what happened here, I will find you and kill you.” His smiled deepened. “I won’t just snuff your lives out, I’ll go after the people you love, too. You got that?” he threatened.
Everyone nodded, except me. “You don’t want your money now?”
Lindsey dug her elbow into my side, but I ignored her, meeting the stranger’s startled gaze.
“It’s your lucky day, smart girl. This news is payment enough.”
I blinked and was back inside the cold, dark barn with the small group of Amish kids again. I had talked while I had remembered. The little bit of light emitting from the lantern cast shadows across everyone’s faces, but one thing I could see clearly is that they were all riveted by my story.
“Your friend, Monroe, took off into the trees and I never saw him again. The rest of us made a pact to keep that night a secret. We were more afraid for the lives of those we loved than anything else.” I crossed my arms and squeezed, wishing I was home in my bed.
Sarah patted my back. “It’s all right. We understand. Monroe is scary sometimes, and he might just follow through with his threat.”
“He would. I’m convinced of that,” Mervin said. He turned to Matthew. “Then what you said is true, and we have an English girl, the Sheriff’s niece, to back your story up.”
“Do you hear that?” Matthew asked. He walked away from the circle and paused.
“What?” I whispered, the word quivering from my lips.
Sarah hooked her arm around my shoulder and I didn’t move away. We trembled side by side, while we all strained to hear something.
“I think we better end our gathering,” Mervin suggested.
“What, before I’ve had a chance to speak?” a voice boomed out from the shadow in the corner.
Had he been hiding there the entire time? Did he hear what I said? I clenched my teeth.
Monroe swaggered into the light. He grinned at me and pulled back his coat flap, exposing his revolver for everyone to see.
Anger swelled up inside of me. Jackson might have gone on a murderous rampage because of this sadistic jerk.
“What is your problem? Just go away—no one invited you,” I shouted, moving forward.
Mervin’s hand caught my shoulder and stopped my momentum.
“Brave and bright,” Monroe drawled. “I’m really starting to like you.”
“Answer her question, Monroe,” Mervin called out. “You aren’t welcome here, and you know it.”
“That’s never stopped me before. Don’t you remember when you all”—he spread his arm wide—“would skip over me when you made the ball teams?” The circle broke as everyone stepped back. “Of course, that was a blessing in disguise. I was able to just pick the team I thought would win and jump in.” His smile was twisted. “No one had the guts to stop me. Isn’t this kind of the same thing? None of you are going to do anything about the loser English girl ODing, and none of you are going to keep me from continuing to sell my wares, either.”
“A girl died,” Matthew said limply.
“So what? Do you think I care about her? She meant nothing to me.” His gaze shifted my way. “Unlike this little English girl who refrained from drinking or doing any drugs that night, the other girl partied and paid the price for it. I’m only providing a product that some people want. The rest of you can go back to your safe little worlds, knowing that as long as you stay out of my way, nothing will happen to any of you.”
“What are you, judge, jury, and executioner?” I asked.
Monroe made a funny face. “I never thought of it that way.” He shrugged. “Maybe I am.”
Mervin extended his arm. “We used to be friends, Monroe—a long time ago. I only want to help you before it’s too late.”
“Too late?” He grunted. “I’m just getting started.”
“The elders will find out and maybe even the Sheriff. You’re destroying our community with the poison you’re bringing into it,” Mervin said.
Monroe walked up to Mervin. “You have no authority over me.”
“But they do,” Mervin said quietly.
I strained to hear. Clip clops on the pavement were getting louder.
Monroe heard them and looked around at the group wildly. “I have it all written down, and if you talk, then I’ll start talking. Like how you have your driver buy you beer, Elmer. Or how about you, Sam—you’ve been sneaking off with your girlfriend and doing the wild thing in the storage shed behind the schoolhouse.” He pointed his finger at Sarah. “Then there are the girls and their makeup and radio parties in your barn when your parents are away.” He chuckled at the look of horror on Sarah’s face.
“None of those things are as bad as what you’ve been up to, Monroe,” Mervin said confidently.
Monroe made a tsk tsk sound as he slipped back into the shadows. “I wager your allied front is breaking…” And he was gone.
As the sound of approaching buggies grew louder, three of the boys darted out the door. A moment later, the sound of a whinny and pounding hooves shook the night.
Matthew implored Mervin, “We’ve got to go. If they find out we’re meeting up like this at night—in a barn with girls—it will be over for us.”
“Save yourself, Matt. I’m not abandoning the girls,” Mervin replied calmly.
Matthew turned to leave and stopped. “Dammit,” he cursed.
“What’s going to happen to you?” I asked Sarah.
A tenuous smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “We’re going to find out—together.”
The barn door burst open, and the bishop appeared in the doorway. He was tall and thin. His white beard and hair shone brightly as he aimed a flashlight our way. Sarah gripped my hand tightly. Mervin and Matthew moved in closer.
Next through the doorway was Sarah’s father, followed by several more dark cloaked, bearded men.
I spotted Daniel and my heart sank into my stomach, but I really wasn’t prepared for Aunt Reni to come bursting through the door with her gun poised in front of her.
“Oh, no,” I muttered. “No, no, no.”
My aunt flashed her light around the barn before she lowered her weapon and approached me.
She stared at me with a cold look that made my knees week. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” she said.
20
Serenity
“I want to talk to these boys.” I stared at Aaron Esch with narrowed eyes and my jaw set.
The bishop chuckled as he smoothed his snowy colored beard down with his hand. “I’m afraid this is community business.” His bushy brows arched. “Unless there’s another reason you’re here, Sheriff, and you’re not being truthful with me.”
The old man always made me squirm a little bit and I hated the feeling. He was a master at subtle intimidation. Although he’d never attended a university or even received an education past eighth grade, he was one sharp cookie.
My gaze drifted over to the small group of teenagers gathered under the one dim lantern in the center of the barn. Taylor stood close to Daniel’s side, and Toby and Reuben were quietly talking to the boys.
When I looked back at the bishop, I was calmer. No one was injured. I would find out more from my niece than any of the Amish anyway.
I lowered my voice. “Taylor is my niece, and I’m not happy to discover her in this same barn that your men held me captive in last year.”
“You’re quite mistaken if you think I’m happy to find the girl here. When our children mingle with outsiders, nothing good ever comes from it,” he said.
“For once we agree, but I’m going to get to the bottom of this, Aaron. Don’t be surprised if you see me in the next few days.”
“I would expect just that,” the bishop said. He touched the brim of his hat and strode away.
Daniel guided Taylor over to me. I searched her face and saw only fear there.
“Are you cold?” I asked her.
She nodded, averting her gaze.
“Daniel, please take her to my car. I’ve got this covered.”
His mouth twitched. “I see. Will you be coming home anytime soon?”
I paused to think. “I have to stop by the office. Toby and I are meeting with Bobby and Todd.” A thought occurred to me, and I cringed inwardly when I added, “Do you mind dropping Toby off at the department before you go on home? I want to talk to my niece alone.”
A tight smile spread on his lips. “Do I really have a choice?” He rolled his eyes. “Sure thing.”
Reuben caught up with Daniel and whispered something to him. He motioned for his daughter to follow.
Toby lingered by my side. “Does this have anything to do with the Swarey situation?”
I eyed the Marshal. He was either grasping at straws or very perceptive. I was betting it was the latter.
“That’s what I’m going to find out. I have my suspicions, though.” I leaned in. “Why don’t you try to pull up a picture of Charlene Noble—maybe something from social media.”
He twirled the end of his Doc Holiday style mustache. “Did your private talk with Rebecca shed any light on her disappearance?”
“Naw, not at all. But her little girl saw a woman with Erin Swarey at the gas station at the edge of the community.”
“Really?” He drew the word out slowly. “Then we might have a witness that Charlene was in Blood Rock. This tale is getting more interesting by the minute.”
“A six-year-old’s memory isn’t going to hold a lot of weight in court, but it’s a start. If she remembers Charlene, then someone else might, too.”
Toby turned to leave, and then paused. “The kid won’t be blabbing that information, will she?”
I shook my head. “Amish kids are good at keeping secrets. I don’t expect her to—why?”
“Seems to me if someone did something to make Charlene Noble disappear, that person wouldn’t want anyone confirming that the woman was indeed in the community around the time of her disappearance.”
Icy tentacles gripped my heart. “Got it.” I pulled my cellphone out. I wasn’t taking any chances with Christina’s life. I’d have an officer patrol the neighborhood until I found out what really happened to Erin Swarey—and her friend, Charlene Noble.
21
Taylor
I sat in Aunt Reni’s car and watched Sarah climb into Daniel’s jeep. Warm air blew from the vents into my face, and I rocked my head back and shut my eyes. Images of carnage in the school’s hallway assailed my mind, but instead of trying to banish them this time, I studied each and every victim I passed by in a morbid way. There were puddles of blood everywhere. I nearly slipped in one and jumped another. Book bags that had been dropped here and there made the obstacle course even more difficult. The bodies were the worst. Some lay unmoving, frozen and staring, while some hands twitched and a few heads rolled back and forth.
The sounds of groans and crying banged inside my head, and I pressed my hands to my ears.
“Taylor, snap out of it.”
I popped my eyes open and Aunt Reni’s hand gripped my arm. Her eyes were wide, peppered with worry.
“What?” I muttered. My head was heavy and my mind was slow.
She snapped her fingers and reached over to pull me into a tight hug. “It’s okay—you’re safe.”
I didn’t realize I’d been swaying back and forth in my seat until Aunt Reni stopped my movement. Her grip was strong and she smelled like vanilla. I buried my face into her soft hair and let the tears roll down my cheeks.
“It’s all my fault. I could have stopped Jackson.” I gulped and stuttered. “If…if only I’d told you about that night. I’m so sorry…sorry.”
“Shh, it’s okay. Let it all out.” Aunt Reni rubbed my back and didn’t let go when I tried to pull away. “It’s all a part of the healing process.”
The sound of Daniel’s engine and the pounding of hooves on pavement had faded away into nothingness by the time I opened my eyes. We were parked alongside the barn and all alone. Everyone else had already left. Moonlight sprayed down through the trees, casting an eerie glow on the wooden boards.
I sucked in a hot breath and my rubbed my eyes. Aunt Reni finally released her hold and I sat back. My throat shook, but I managed to speak. “Where did your friend—the Marshal—go?” My mind was fuzzy with the events leading up to my breakdown in the car.
“He left with Daniel, so I could speak with you alone. Daniel also gave Sarah a ride. The rest of the boys returned home with their horses.”
Her voice was easy. There was no trace of anger there.
I looked up and blinked. “Was the bishop mad?” I couldn’t help but shudder when I pictured his tall, stoic frame striding into the barn.
“He wasn’t happy.” She blew out and shook her head. “At least he decided not to deal with the boys and Sarah at that moment. Their day of reckoning will arrive soon enough.”
“Just because they met up in a barn?” I wiped off my cheeks with the back of my hand and glanced at the vehicle’s clock. “It’s only eight o’clock.”
Aunt Reni grunted. “For those kids, it’s late enough. Sneaking off for a secret meeting with a couple of girls—one being an Englisher—is sure to get them into a lot of trouble.”
“They’re just doing what their elders do.”
“Sure enough,” she said, sighing.
The inside of the cab was quiet and warm, and I my head began to clear.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Aunt Reni asked carefully.
I glanced over and nodded. I took a deep breath and pushed the air out slowly. “I should have talked to you sooner.” I swallowed the lump down in my throat. “Everyone would still be alive.”
“That’s not necessarily true, Taylor. Jackson was a messed-up kid with a vendetta, but he had no prior record or strange behavior that would have made authorities think he had the propensity to become a mass murderer. He kept it all hidden inside and then he snapped. You’re lucky you survived, and you’re not to blame for his horrific actions.”
I wanted her to be upset with me, but her entire demeanor was way too understanding. I raised my voice. “Don’t you want to know what happe
ned?”
The corner of her mouth turned down in a slight frown. “Of course I do, but I want to make sure you’re in the right state of mind to talk. I let your mom know you’re with me. She’s pretty upset.”
I slumped in the seat. “What did she say?”
“Just that she wants me to get to the bottom of this. She asked me to help you.”
“You can’t help me, Aunt Reni. Not unless you can turn back time.”
Her brow knitted. “Oh, many times have I wished that! I get where you’re coming from, kiddo. I’ve been there, you know—like at the Coblenz wedding last summer. I arrived there too late to save the bride, groom, and several other family members. I replay it over and over in my mind, wondering if I’d realized the identity of the killer and how dangerous he was sooner, maybe I could have arrested him before he gunned down those people. And what about the Amish girls who were mutilated? If I’d been on the ball, perhaps I could have saved them, too.” She stared out the window into the night. “Then there was the girl I shot dead. I thought she was pulling a weapon on my partner—she’d been involved in a violent burglary that same day. There are so many what ifs. I have trouble sleeping most nights, thinking about the innocent people I could’ve—should’ve—saved.”
“It’s not your fault! You try harder than anyone else to solve crimes. You’ve saved so many with your quick thinking and bravery. How can you even think that?” I scolded.
She smiled sadly. “It’s my job. I’m responsible for people’s lives. I’m the sheriff of Blood Rock. If you can blame yourself for the school massacre, then I must be guilty of the deaths of countless more lives.”
“That’s not true, Aunt Reni. You can’t stop all the bad people from doing evil things.”
“Bingo. For a sixteen-year-old, you’re a lot wiser than most adults.” She gave me a knowing look. “That’s why you can’t wrack yourself with guilt for what Jackson Merritt did.” Tears welled in my eyes. “What were you doing out here tonight? Daniel mentioned you and Sarah had become friends and were going to a craft shop. Was there any truth to that?”
Evil in My Town Page 10