Plain Pursuit

by Alison Stone

  How well do I know Anna?

  As if reading his doubts, Anna slipped away from him and dropped into the rocker on the porch. She slumped against its hard back. He crossed to her and leaned back against the rail. She looked up, steely resolve mixed with something he couldn’t quite name glistening in her eyes. “My fingerprints are on that lighter.”

  Eli narrowed his gaze. “There are probably a million fingerprints on it. How long ago did your mother pass away?”

  “No, you don’t understand. I touched it recently.”

  * * *

  Anna’s heart beat wildly as Eli parked his SUV in front of Daniel’s garage apartment. The last time she had seen her mother’s lighter was at Daniel’s place a few days ago. Someone must have come in after them and taken the lighter from the table next to his couch.

  Tom Hanson met them in the driveway. Eli slammed the car door shut and towered over Tom. “Anyone else stop by? Who else has a key to this apartment?”

  Tom lowered his eyes, then quickly glanced toward the street. “I have another one on the key ring. And the last renter never returned the key when he moved out.” He shrugged. “Who knows how many keys are floating around out there? It’s not like we have a high crime rate. Most people don’t even lock their doors around here.”

  “I locked it after Anna and I left. You go back in there?”

  “No and as far as I know, no one else has.” He shook his head to reinforce his answer. The tips of Anna’s fingers tingled.

  “What about the back door leading from the apartment directly to the inside of the garage?” A muscle twitched in Eli’s jaw.

  “No one uses that door.” Tom pulled a rag out of his back pocket and wiped his hands.

  “Are you afraid of something, Tom?” Eli crossed his arms and stepped toward the man.

  Tom’s eyes grew wide. “Of course I’m not afraid of anything. I have it pretty good around here. Living in grandpa’s house. I don’t need any trouble from you.”

  “We’re not looking to cause trouble.”

  Tom nodded. There was something about him. He seemed...fearful. “I got nothing to hide. I have a good job. Don’t go stirring the pot.”

  Eli clapped Tom on the shoulder. “Okay, well, we’ll lock up when we leave. You’ll let me know if anyone else comes around?”

  Tom nodded again. “Grab Daniel’s stuff while you’re here. My aunt Beth has been on the warpath. She wants it all gone.”

  “We know, the sheriff told us.”

  “Sorry about that.” Tom looked genuinely contrite. “The Christophers are used to getting their way.” A gruff laugh escaped his lips. “I don’t want to give her a reason to kick me to the curb. I like my job.”

  Anna swallowed a lump in her throat. “We’ve had a lot going on. Give me a few days and I’ll get his stuff.” Her gaze traveled to the staircase. “The furniture came with the apartment?”

  “Yes, most of it anyway. You have to remove his personal stuff. You know, his clothes in the drawers and maybe throw out whatever you don’t want. I’d feel bad going through his stuff. Your brother was a good guy.” Tom frowned, as if giving it thoughtful consideration. “I mean, the few times I saw him.”

  “I’ll do that. Do you know where I can get some boxes?”

  Tom’s face brightened, as if he were eager to please. “There are some in the basement.” He turned and started toward the house. “I’ll get them for you.”

  Eli and Anna climbed the steps to the garage apartment. Now that the initial shock of her brother’s death had worn off, she was struck by how sparse his living conditions had been. One of the few personal items he had was the framed photo of the two of them. This time she picked it up and dropped it into her purse. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. “I wish I hadn’t lost contact with Daniel. Maybe things would be different now.”

  Eli searched each drawer of the desk. “Don’t beat yourself up.”

  Anna nodded. If anyone understood regrets, it was Eli.

  He closed the last drawer. “Where did you see the lighter?”

  “Over there.” She pointed to the end table next to the couch. All but one cushion was still on the floor. She recognized the table as one that used to sit in their childhood family room. It had seemed out of place even then in her parents’ perfectly maintained home. She ran her fingers along the edge. “The lighter was sitting on this table. My mom always kept it next to the couch.” She clenched her hands. “One of her vices. Besides my father.” She bit out the last words.

  Her eyes dropped to the lip of the table. The marble top was removable. Anna and Daniel used to hide papers and tiny items in the small space between the marble and the wood frame. She removed the lamp from the table and set it on the floor. Wedging her small fingers between the marble and wood, she worked it up. Eli slipped in next to her and lifted the heavy marble.

  White fabric in a plastic bag stood out in stark contrast to the dark maple wood. White dots danced in her line of vision. Glancing over her shoulder, she found Eli staring in disbelief. Sliding in next to her, he scooped up the bag and turned it over in his hands. Moving as if in a trance, he dropped down on to the couch. The cushion released a spray of dust that hung in the stream of sunlight shining in through dirty windows. Anna dropped to her knees in front of him and slid her hands under his. “Mary’s bonnet?”

  He nodded. Through the bag he thumbed the pale gray stitching against the white garment. “She was learning to sew.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. The rims of his eyes grew red.

  A buzzing started in her head. “How did it get in there?”

  Eli took Anna’s hands in his, moved her aside and stood up. She narrowed her gaze, trying to read his emotions. He paced the small space. “Daniel must have found her kapp and didn’t know how to come forward with it. He had to know the initials embroidered on it stood for Mary Miller. But why didn’t he show it to me when I met him?” His hands curled into fists.

  “Maybe he was afraid he’d look guilty. Remember how paranoid he was? He wanted time to figure out who hurt Mary.” It was the only thing that made sense right from the beginning.

  Eli plowed a hand through his hair and stopped pacing, turning to face Anna. “Let’s go pay another visit to Tiffany. Maybe she’s up for talking longer. Maybe Daniel confided in her after all.”

  * * *

  “Wait.” Anna held out her hand. “Are you okay?”

  Eli glanced down at the kapp. He couldn’t believe he held it in his hand. He remembered the day Mary had proudly sewn the string back on after she tore it climbing the back fence. His chest tightened. “This is the first solid clue I’ve had in Mary’s disappearance.”

  “Do you think my brother had something to do with it?”

  The pleading look in her eyes toyed with his rioting emotions. “Sit down.” Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she sat down on the couch and he sat on the corner of the coffee table. Their knees brushed briefly before she angled them away.

  “I don’t know.”

  A tear escaped and slid down her cheek. Anna’s shoulders visibly sagged. She lowered her eyes, her long lashes brushing against her fair skin. He struggled to catch a decent breath. Reaching out, he captured her hands when it looked like she wanted to flee. “Hear me out.” Her eyes grew hard and locked with his, challenging him. “Your brother knew something. I don’t know if he uncovered it because of the photos he was taking. Perhaps he stumbled onto something and didn’t know who to trust. It’s obvious the sheriff is protective of the Christopher family. And his own son.”

  Anna pulled her hands out of his grasp and crossed her arms over her chest. Her thin frame shuddered. “Or—” he ran a hand across his jaw, regretting the pain he was causing her “—he had firsthand knowledge of what happened to my sister and he came back to Apple Creek to
set things right. He wanted to make sure he rounded up all the players so everyone involved would be punished.” He held out Mary’s kapp. Poor sweet Mary. “I can’t figure out how he found this in the first place.”

  All the color drained from Anna’s face. “You’re right, we should talk to Tiffany again.”

  Eli glanced down at the kapp and ran his hand across the plastic bag protecting it. “I should probably contact my office, let them know what we have.”

  “What about the sheriff?”

  Eli knew Anna didn’t like the sheriff any more than he did.

  He thought of Abram and Mariam, whose hearts would be torn anew when they learned what they had found. He ran a hand across the back of his neck. Wasn’t this what he had worked for all these years? Too many unanswered questions remained. He wanted to be the one to tell his parents.

  He stood and offered his hand to Anna. “The sheriff can wait. Let’s talk to Tiffany.”

  * * *

  Before they reached the hospital, Eli called his contact at the hospital to make sure Tiffany didn’t have any visitors. Even with the reassurance she was alone, Anna’s nerve endings hummed to life. The last thing she wanted was a run-in with someone from the Christopher family.

  Tiffany’s condition had improved, so she had been moved out of ICU. When they reached her room, they found her sitting up in bed chatting on her cell phone. When Tiffany noticed them, she froze. “I have to go,” she said into the phone, then pulled it away from her ear. She held the cell phone between her palms and stared at them.

  “Hi, Tiffany.” Anna stood tentatively in the doorway. Tiffany waved, the beginning of a smile on her pale lips. “How are you feeling?”

  The young girl raised her bandaged arm. “Besides my broken arm and leg? I’ll survive. I think they’re sending me home soon, but I’m going to require help getting around.”

  “I imagine your family—”

  Tiffany waved her hand, cutting her off. “My family can afford to hire a nurse to help me. They don’t want anything to cut into their lunch and shopping time.”

  Anna suddenly felt sorry for Tiffany. She wanted to reassure her that her parents cared, then she thought of her own parents. Her mother cared, but not enough to get herself and her family out of harm’s way. Something pinged her conscience. Was it really fair to blame her mother? Her father had a hold on her. She had been trapped.

  “We wanted to talk to you again about your time with Daniel,” Eli said.

  Tiffany looked up, tears welling in her blue eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “You said Daniel was fascinated with the Mary Miller case. What exactly did he say?” Anna wrapped her hands around the cool metal of the bedside rail.

  Tiffany stopped fingering the edge of her bedspread and glanced over, meeting Anna’s gaze. “Why?” She lowered her voice. “Did he actually find something?”

  “What was he looking for, Tiffany?” Eli asked. “Don’t let his death be in vain.”

  Tiffany’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?” Her brows furrowed. “You’re scaring me.”

  Eli looked at Anna, as if asking for permission. “We have reason to believe the plane was sabotaged.”

  The color of Tiffany’s face matched the crisp white hospital linens. With a shaky hand she clutched the sheet to her chest. “I was on that plane.” Her eyes moved rapidly, as if she was remembering something. “In the final minutes he was scrambling to keep it in the air. He was rambling that someone messed with the plane. He was in a panic.”

  Anna’s gut tightened. “Did Daniel ever tell you he suspected someone was out to get him?” She hated to ask, knowing it made her brother sound unstable.

  Tiffany pulled her hair back off her face but didn’t say anything.

  “Please, Tiffany, if you know anything...” Anna urged.

  Tiffany worked her bottom lip. “Daniel told me he thought my brother and a few other guys at the fraternity had something to do with the little Amish girl’s disappearance.” The way she referred to Mary seemed impersonal. Tiffany must have realized it because her attention darted toward the door, then to Eli. “He was obsessed with your sister’s disappearance.”

  “What made him suspect his fraternity brothers?” Eli’s voice sounded even, unaffected.

  “He heard them arguing the night your sister went missing.”

  “You didn’t believe him?” Anna’s knees grew weak. She dropped into the vinyl chair next to the bed. Eli touched her shoulder.

  Tiffany shrugged. “I didn’t. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything before. My brother can be a jerk...but hurt a child?” She brushed a tear from her cheek. “Chase has two young boys of his own. I didn’t want to cause trouble for him. Some of Daniel’s ideas seemed so out there.”

  “Did he tell you what he overheard?” Eli squeezed Anna’s shoulder.

  “After the guys in the fraternity argued, he said they went up to my grandfather’s cabin. Daniel didn’t go with them.” She twisted her lips. “Daniel was obsessed with searching the place, but if he found anything he never told me.” Her brow furrowed. She lowered her voice. “Did he find something?”

  Eli and Anna locked gazes. Anna leaned forward and touched Tiffany’s hand, but Eli was the first to speak. “For your own protection, I don’t want to tell you anything more than you already know. Do you still have my business card?” Tiffany nodded slowly. “Don’t tell your family we were here. But if you hear anything else, will you let me know?”

  Fear etched lines around Tiffany’s eyes. “Did Chase hurt your little sister?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Will you find out?” Tiffany asked, a hard set to her pale blue eyes. “My mother always made excuses for him. If he was involved, maybe once in his life, he’ll have to take responsibility for it.”

  Eli nodded. “Rest. Call me if you need anything.”

  As they walked down the hospital corridor, Anna turned to Eli. “How do we prove Chase was involved?”

  “We still need to connect the pieces. It’s a long shot, but I’m going to send Mary’s kapp to FBI forensics. Maybe they can get some DNA from it. Meanwhile, I can track down the fraternity brothers. If they know we found evidence, maybe one of them will crack. It’s only a theory. But it’s the best one we have.”

  Eli reached out and took Anna’s hand. Her heart went out to him. “There’s one more thing.”

  Her limbs suddenly felt heavy. “What?”

  “You need to leave Apple Creek.”

  “I want to help you. Clear my brother’s name. And I still have to clean out his things from the apartment.”

  The fight was draining from her. They had argued about this a million times before, it seemed. She dragged a hand through her hair. “Maybe it’s time I went home and put my brother to rest. Maybe this will give me some sense of peace so I can return later and deal with his things.” She looked up and met his gaze. “Promise me you’ll be fair, no matter what you discover.”

  “I promise.” He squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

  * * *

  Eli sat at his parents’ kitchen table while Mariam stood at the sink nervously wringing her hands. She obviously sensed this visit was like no other. Samuel had been sent out to the field to get their father. Katie Mae sat across from him while Anna went upstairs to pack her things. Because Mary’s kapp had been found in Daniel’s possession, Anna claimed she wasn’t comfortable joining them when he broke the news.

  A cold knot fisted his gut. The only moment Eli dreaded more than this one was when he had to face his parents for the first time after Mary’s disappearance. He exhaled sharply and bowed his head. God please give me the words to tell my parents.

  A quiet calm settled over him. He opened his eyes and looked around the neat space. His parents were God f
earing. They didn’t deserve any of this. Who did?

  “What’s this about?” Mariam asked for the second time since they had arrived. She leaned against the stove and fiddled with the folds in her apron.

  Eli stood and reached for his mother’s hand. She took it tentatively and he guided her to a seat. “Let’s wait for Dat.”

  Mariam’s gaze drifted to Mary’s empty seat. She ran her fingers along the smooth pine of the long table, her eyes filling with worry. He’d do anything to take this pain from his mother.

  Heavy footsteps sounded on the back porch. In unison, everyone’s attention swung to the back door. First Samuel appeared in the doorway. He hung his hat on the hook then walked over and stood by the counter. He seemed reluctant to sit down. Then his father strode through the door. Abram’s eyes grew wide, then he seemed to catch himself. He slowed, taking in the scene in front of him.

  It was Mariam who spoke first. “Sit, Abram. Eli has news.”

  Abram wore a mask of stone. He took off his hat and hung it next to Samuel’s on the hook by the door. He strolled over to where they had gathered and pulled out his seat, the chair legs scrapping across the floor. Everything seemed to play out in slow motion.

  When his father finally sat, Eli slipped the clear plastic bag with Mary’s kapp from Anna’s bag resting against his chair. He pushed it toward his father and mother. A quiet gasp escaped his mother’s lips. She pressed a trembling hand to her mouth. The hurt in his mother’s eyes tore at his heart.

  His father’s lower lip quivered. He reached out and ran a wrinkled hand across the bag. “It is a child’s kapp.” His voice lifted in a slight lilt, but there was no doubt in his eyes.

  Eli nodded. “We found it today.”

  “It’s Mary’s.” His mother’s words came out in a painful sob. Tears burned the back of Eli’s eyes. “And Mary?” The hope in his mother’s face was too much to bear. “Did you find our sweet Mary?”

  Eli struggled to find the right words. “I didn’t find Mary.”