Plain Pursuit

by Alison Stone

  A muscle worked in Eli’s jaw, but Anna doubted Isaac noticed. He seemed to be filled with more self-confidence than the other Amish men she had met in the community. Maybe his hubris stemmed from his experience in the outside world. Worldliness the other Amish men lacked. Worldliness he’d have to lose if he wanted to fit in with these humble people.

  A niggling tugged at the base of Anna’s brain. She prayed Katie Mae came to her senses before she settled down with Isaac. Surely there was someone better suited for her.

  Eli glanced toward the house, then stepped aside. “I’ll tell Katie Mae you’re here.” Apparently this was not a battle he wanted to take on.

  Dominic and William brushed past Isaac and strode toward their vehicles, out of place on this farm time had forgotten. Presumably they were going to devise a plan on how to protect the Millers’ home—and her. A sour taste made her flinch. Her gaze drifted to the cornfields across the road, but all she could see was darkness.

  “So,” Isaac said in a lazy lilt, “I hear the Christophers’ cabin went up in ball of fire.” His lips tugged down at the corners, but his eyes seemed bright, intrigued. “You narrowly escaped?”

  Anna regarded him quietly, her eyes moving to his hat. Anger bubbled up quite unexpectedly. “What do you know about it?”

  Isaac frowned and cupped his hands over his chest as if he were offended. “Only what Samuel shared with me. He said you almost got blown up while Katie Mae and Eli were outside.”

  The memory of the flames licking at the back of her neck made the fine hairs stand on edge. “I’m all right now. Thanks for asking.” She hated the bristle in her voice. Maybe this was Isaac’s way. He reminded her of a bored gossip.

  A moment later, Eli returned, holding open the screen door. “Katie Mae’s in the kitchen.”

  Isaac tipped his hat at Anna, then went inside. Anna rubbed her arms, trying to dispel the coolness of the evening. “Do you think...”

  “What?” Eli pressed.

  “Do you think Katie Mae will be happy with Isaac? She seems so innocent and he’s... I can’t put my finger on it.”

  Eli’s eyes shimmered in the moonlight and a deep rumble of laughter filled the night air. She couldn’t help but giggle in response. The day’s events had made her punchy. “What’s so funny?” Her cheeks grew warm.

  “He’s always rubbed me the wrong way, too. I figured I was being the overprotective big brother.” Eli playfully ran the palm of his hand along her forearm, her flesh tingling under his touch.

  She shrugged. “He unnerves me.” She lowered her voice to barely a whisper. “What’s his story?”

  “You already know he’s been courting Katie Mae for almost a year now. I imagine sometime soon they’ll be publishing their engagement.” His tone was solemn. She supposed it frustrated him he had little say in what happened in his sister’s world.

  “He seems much older than she.”

  “He is. He’s my age. He left the Amish way of life for a few years. Came back I’d say eighteen months ago.” Eli took Anna’s hand and led her to one of the straight-back chairs on the porch. She slowly sat down, the cool wood chilly through her thin pajama bottoms.

  “And he was welcomed back? Just like that?” Anna snapped her fingers. “I thought the Amish were strict.”

  “Oh, they are.” Eli ran his palms along the smooth arms of the chair. “But if you repent, if you ask for forgiveness, they will welcome you back. Haven’t you been listening to my parents? They lay the guilt on thick, hoping eventually their methods will wear me out. That I’ll return and be baptized.” He leaned toward her. She smelled the subtle mix of charred wood and his aftershave. Her stomach did a little flip flop at his proximity. “A family welcomes back a wayward son, relieved he now has a shot at eternal salvation.”

  “Has a shot?”

  “Ah, the Amish do not assume salvation is guaranteed. They are a humble people. But the best chance of going to heaven is living a good life within the rules of the Amish church or the Ordnung.”

  “Did you really reach out to God today?” Anna asked, keeping her gaze trained on the darkened yard.

  “Yes.” Eli let out a long breath. “Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.” She detected a smile in his voice.

  Closing her eyes, she pushed her feet against the wood planks, making the chair move in a subtle back and forth motion. Was her faith as strong as she proclaimed? Had she truly trusted God to lead her through this troubled time? Where did she stand when it came to eternal life?

  What if I had met my maker today in the explosion?

  FOURTEEN

  The next morning, Anna got up early, unable to sleep. She rolled out of bed and pulled back the curtain. Orange and pink streaked the country sky, promising a beautiful day—at least in the weather department. Her burdensome worries already weighed her down.

  Trust God.

  She sat down on the edge of her bed and shrugged, shaking off the chill of the early morning. Footsteps and clattering dishes indicated the Miller women were up and preparing for the day. A twinge of shame jabbed her. She felt lazy stretching and wiping the sleep out of her eyes. She missed her quiet apartment. The solitude in the morning. The time to pull herself together before she had to face other people.

  She wished she had the freedom to go for a morning run, but she knew that was out of the question. It wasn’t safe and besides, she needed to rest after her concussion. She smoothed a hand over her mussed hair. Would returning to Buffalo be an end to her troubles? Wasn’t that what someone wanted? For her to go home and stop pushing this investigation?

  Yet Eli would continue to push.

  She did have to return to her job in Buffalo. Her students were counting on her, and they were approaching the end of the first marking quarter. She sighed heavily, wondering what had happened to the bonnet in the photo. Dread snaked its way through her body. She pushed back her shoulders in quiet determination. She had to stick it out a few more days and help Eli clear her brother’s name, realizing Eli’s goal was not necessarily to clear her brother’s name, but to find his sister’s kidnapper.

  Getting down on her knees and resting her elbows on the quilt, she closed her eyes and tried again. Dear Lord, help me do right by my brother. Please bring closure for the Miller family. May they find peace in knowing what happened to their dear Mary. I will work hard to trust Your plan. Amen.

  Anna swiped at a tear trailing down her cheek. She pushed to her feet. A thin rim of orange peaked over the trees in the distance. She watched silently as the sun rose higher in the sky. Grabbing jeans and a T-shirt out of her suitcase, she tiptoed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She ran a brush through her wet hair, then checked her face in the mirror. She looked pale without her makeup but otherwise fine. She smoothed balm on her lips and headed downstairs.

  She found Katie Mae cooking at the kitchen stove. “Morning,” Anna said.

  Katie Mae looked up with a pinched expression on her face. Without saying a word, she gave Anna her back and returned to stirring something on the stove. The curt greeting left Anna unsettled. She glanced out the window. In the driveway sat one of the cars of the men who had arrived to protect her. She figured he couldn’t be far.

  “Isaac thinks it’s time you left.” Katie Mae’s quiet, angry words cut through the silence.

  Anna turned around and found Eli’s little sister glaring at her. The oatmeal from her spoon plopped onto the hardwood floor. “Your parents invited me to stay.” She understood Katie Mae’s concern but couldn’t figure out why she had turned on her overnight. Maybe the explosion at the cabin had profoundly affected her.

  Katie Mae frowned and tossed the spoon into the pot, then stepped toward Anna. She spoke in a hushed voice. “That is their way. They don’t like confrontation.” Katie pointed at one of the men, now leaning on
his vehicle. “You have brought these men here who are patrolling our peaceful farm.” She lowered her eyes. “We all could have been killed in the explosion.”

  “I’m sorry.” Anna rubbed her temples. The first hint of a headache scraped across her brain. “I wish I knew who was behind this.”

  “Isaac thinks things would go back to normal if you went away.”

  A fire grew in her chest. “What do you think, Katie Mae?”

  Katie Mae looked Anna in the eyes, the spark no longer there. “Isaac says your brother took our Mary. He doesn’t understand why Eli doesn’t declare the case closed now that your brother’s gone.”

  Katie Mae’s words pierced her heart like a dagger. “What do you think?” Anna repeated, this time more softly.

  The girl crossed to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair and dropped down. She fingered the strings on her bonnet, then folded her hands in her lap. After what appeared to be an internal struggle, Eli’s sister looked up at her, an apology in her eyes. “I like you, Anna. You are good for my brother... I was so scared yesterday.”

  Anna sat across from Katie Mae. “You and me both.”

  “Eli is driven. He won’t rest until he finds out what happened to Mary.” The young woman bowed her head. “I am more like my parents. I have forgiven whoever did this. I want to move forward.” A tiny smile graced Katie Mae’s pale lips. “I don’t believe your brother had anything to do with my Mary. He’s your family and if he was anything like you, it’s not possible. You are so kind.”

  Anna’s heart felt full. “Thank you.”

  “Besides, that would just complicate things between you and my brother.” Katie Mae’s chin dipped down. “I see how he looks at you.”

  Nerves tangled in Anna’s belly. “Eli and I have bigger concerns than worrying about our relationship.” A quiet laugh escaped her lips. “The only relationship we have is to find out what my brother was doing in Apple Creek.” She reached across and touched Katie Mae’s hand. “You were nine when Mary disappeared?”

  Katie Mae nodded, pulling her hand away from Anna’s and folding them in her lap. “Oh, Mary loved Eli. Tagged along with him everywhere.”

  “I felt the same way about my brother.” She fought the threatening tears. “I have to believe he’s innocent.”

  Katie Mae smiled, a tenderness touching her eyes. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

  Heavy footsteps on the back porch drew their attention. Katie Mae jumped to her feet and started stirring the oatmeal. “The men will be coming in from their morning chores for breakfast.”

  Anna stood. “Can I help you?”

  A small smile flitted at the corners of Katie Mae’s mouth. She gestured with her elbow to the fruit sitting on the counter. “Can you cut the cantaloupe?”

  Anna picked up the sharp knife and cut through the melon on the wood cutting board. She was surprised to see Eli stroll in, sweat glistening off his forehead. She had assumed he was still in bed. Hay stuck to his T-shirt. A few tufts of hair stood up. Warmth blossomed in her chest, and Katie Mae’s words floated back to her: I see the way he looks at you.

  “You got up early.” She returned her attention to slicing the melon.

  “Thought I’d get my morning workout in and help with chores. Kill two birds with one stone.” His voice sounded husky this morning.

  Her heart fluttered and heat warmed her face. She focused intently on cutting the fruit into small slices. Samuel stomped in behind his older brother. He tossed his hat on a hook by the door. Katie Mae made a shooing gesture. “Go clean up for breakfast.”

  Eli passed by, brushing his hand gently across her arm. She froze with the knife poised above the fruit, trying to quell her rioting emotions. She looked up to find Katie Mae staring, her mouth sloped in an I-told-you-so expression.

  Anna’s face was on fire. Things had gotten far too complicated in this supposedly simple world.

  * * *

  Eli plunked down at the breakfast table—in the same seat he had sat in as a child. He glanced up to find two sets of expectant eyes on him. He had the niggling sense he had walked in on a conversation he wasn’t supposed to hear. Katie Mae had a faint smile on her lips. She filled a coffee mug and handed it to Anna. “I believe Eli likes his coffee black.”

  Eli bit back a smile of his own when he noticed Anna’s confused look. She cut a sideways glance to his sister, who then nudged her gently toward Eli. Anna gave a slow nod in understanding, then walked over and set the coffee mug down, the ceramic clanking against the pine table, the dark contents swishing out the sides. She lifted a perfectly groomed brow. “Don’t get used to this,” she said, barely above a whisper. A twinkle lit her eye.

  He reached out and brushed his hand across hers. “Oh, I could.”

  Leaning close so her long curls brushed his shoulder, she whispered close to his ear. “You live in the English world now, buddy.”

  He reached up and gently yanked on a curl, releasing the fresh coconut scent of her shampoo. Her hazel eyes widened and she stepped back, her hair slipping out of his fingers. He winked at her. He woke up this morning so incredibly grateful that Anna hadn’t been hurt—or worse—yesterday in the fire. Now, he wondered more than ever if, after this mess was cleared up, they had a shot at getting to know one another better. It seemed like the fates had a horrible sense of humor if they conspired for him to fall for Anna.

  The fates? A quiet voice whispered across his brain. Perhaps you should put more faith in God.

  A pounding at the front door snapped him out of his reverie. He pushed back from the table and held out a protective arm to stop Anna and his sister. “Let me get it.” Ignoring him, Anna followed him to the front door, where they found the sheriff. Dominic, one of the security guards, stood nearby at the bottom of the porch steps.

  “What’s going on, Sheriff?” Eli asked. Anna slipped her hand around the bend of his arm.

  The sheriff focused his narrowed eyes on Anna. “We need to talk to her.”

  “About what?” Eli covered Anna’s hand and squeezed.

  “It seems the fire at the Christopher cabin was arson.”

  Anna straightened her back. “I already told you I saw someone in the cabin before the explosion.”

  The sheriff tipped his hat. “Are you sticking to your story?”

  “I—” Anna started to protest when Eli squeezed her hand in a gentle warning.

  “Is Anna in some kind of trouble? Does she need a lawyer?” Eli recognized a fishing expedition. He didn’t understand the sheriff’s angle. This went beyond the usual turf war between locals and the FBI.

  The sheriff took the slightest step back, indicating he wasn’t ready to make an arrest. “You might want to call yourself a lawyer, Miss Quinn.”

  A quiet gasp escaped her lips. “It’s okay,” Eli whispered.

  The sheriff reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic bag. Inside was a gold item. Anna reached for it with a shaky hand, but the sheriff pulled back the bag. “You recognize this, Miss Quinn?”

  Anna looked up at Eli, helplessness reflected in her eyes. “It’s my mother’s lighter.”

  “Any idea how your mother’s lighter ended up in the charred ruins of the Christopher cabin?”

  Eli spoke first. “Anna did not set that fire. I was there. She barely escaped the explosion when the propane tank went.” The memory of the fireball twisted his insides. “No way.”

  The sheriff tipped his head. “Are you sure? How well do you know her?”

  Eli didn’t like the way he said the word her. “I know Anna Quinn well enough. She’d have no reason...” A hint of doubt whispered across his brain. To protect her brother. To destroy any possible evidence in the cabin? But risk her own life? She had already escaped out the back of the cabin.

  “No way,”
he repeated.

  The sheriff stuffed the lighter in his pocket. “We got a solid print off the lighter. I’ve contacted the State Department of Education.” He smiled smugly at Anna. “I’m checking to see if your employment fingerprints are still on file.”

  “But...” Anna seemed to struggle to find words. “I saw a man with an Amish hat run out the back of the cabin before it exploded.”

  “Convenient. You know how many men around here are Amish?” The sheriff turned on his heel and walked down the steps. “Besides, they sell those hats down at the general store. If you actually saw someone else there.”

  Anna’s face grew ashen white. “Why would I blow up a cabin?” She threaded her fingers through the ends of her hair. “My hair got singed. Why would I almost kill myself in the process?”

  The sheriff turned around. “To hide evidence that proves your brother kidnapped and murdered Mary Miller.”

  Eli swallowed back his revulsion. “What are you talking about?”

  “Isaac told us about the photos of Mary’s bonnet. He also said you were alone in the cabin before it went up.” The sheriff cocked an eyebrow.

  Eli gritted his teeth. A cold rage welled up inside him. Katie Mae must have fed Isaac all sorts of information. “I think Anna knows more than she’s letting on.”

  “No, that’s—” Anna started to protest and Eli held up his hand to stop her.

  “Sheriff, I was there. Anna did not start the fire.” He tried to tamp his anger simmering under the surface. “Don’t bother coming back here unless you have an arrest warrant.” Eli wrapped his arm around Anna’s shoulder and pulled her close.

  “Trust me, I will,” the sheriff hollered over his shoulder. “I told you the Quinns were nothing but bad eggs. If I were a betting man, I’d say she knows what her brother hid up there at the cabin and destroyed the evidence before we had a chance to find it.”

  The sheriff strolled over to his cruiser and climbed in. He made a show of taking a few notes before turning his vehicle around and leaving. Anna sagged against him. He ran his hand down the length of her arm. “Don’t worry. He’s full of bluster.” He forced a smile in a display of levity he didn’t feel.