Plain Pursuit

by Alison Stone

  Anna’s mouth grew dry. “His father? I thought you and Mr. Christopher were still married.”

  “Yes. Chase is my husband’s stepson.”

  “But they share the same last name?” Her mind whirred with the possibilities. A mosquito bit her cheek and she swatted at it.

  “Richard would never adopt Chase, but he didn’t argue when I legally changed my son’s name to his. The Christopher name opens doors.” In the dark, Anna imagined her captor hiking her proud chin. “Despite growing up in a privileged home, Chase tried to slam every single door shut. If my husband knew half the things Chase was involved with, he would have dumped him—dumped me—a long time ago.” She stopped and turned, leaning close to Anna’s face. A craziness lit her eyes. “I worked hard to get to this station in life. To have everything I could possibly want. I’m not going to let some ungrateful kid of mine ruin it for me. Or some nosy do-gooders.”

  Arching an eyebrow, Mrs. Christopher twisted her lips. “It’s a shame really. Chase is a brilliant boy. He just doesn’t think things through. I thought if Daniel’s apartment was cleaned out, you’d have no reason to stay. I wanted you out of our lives.”

  Anna tried to take a step back, but Mrs. Christopher dug her thin fingers into her arm.

  “Keep walking.” The woman’s energy level seemed to ramp up when the dark shadow of the cabin ruins came into view. The scent of charred wood reached Anna’s nose and the memory of the inferno made her palms slick with sweat. Mrs. Christopher trudged past the cabin toward the tree where Daniel had taken photos of the bonnet. A dreadful thought whispered across her brain. Does Mrs. Christopher know where Mary’s body is buried?

  Instinctively Anna slowed her pace, and once again, Mrs. Christopher pushed her forward. “Come on.” They reached a clearing. The ground dropped off and the lake stretched out in front of them. The moonlight glinted off the ripples. A soft breeze lifted the hair away from the clammy skin of her neck.

  Dear Lord, please protect me.

  Mrs. Christopher gestured with her gun down to the water. “You want to know what happened to Mary. You can join her.”

  * * *

  Eli parked his SUV behind a sports car on the rutted road leading to the cabin. He had no idea what to expect when he drove out here. The dispatcher had told the sheriff about a dropped call from Anna’s phone. The sheriff didn’t waste any time contacting Eli. When Eli couldn’t reach Anna or Dominic, he pulled some strings at his home FBI office to track the GPS on her phone. The signal was coming from right around here. He aimed the beam of the flashlight into the vehicle. It was empty. He’d have to call the plates in, but for now, he had to find Anna.

  A thumping noise rattled the trunk. His pulse spiked. Anna. He yanked open the door and leaned into the backseat, feeling along its top for a lever. The seat flopped forward. He flashed the beam of his flashlight and froze when he found Tom Hanson lying on his back with his mouth, feet and hands bound. Eli ripped the silver duct tape from the startled man’s face.

  “Give me your hands,” Eli commanded. Tom pushed his bound hands through the opening. He cut the ropes with his pocketknife. “Can you pull yourself through?”

  Groaning, Tom grabbed hold of the folded seat and pulled. Eli grasped his forearms and backed out of the car. After some awkward rearranging, Tom climbed out and sat on the front seat, his bound feet dangling out of the car.

  “Where’s Anna?” Eli squinted in the direction of the cabin but couldn’t see past the tree cutting off the road. He bent over and cut the last of the ropes from Tom’s ankles.

  “That woman is crazy,” Tom said. “She tricked me.”

  Eli glared at Tom. “What woman?”

  “Aunt Beth. She’s absolutely crazy. She promised me if I took care of things, I wouldn’t have to be her lackey anymore.” A sheen of sweat glistened on Tom’s forehead.

  “What things?” A knot formed in Eli’s chest.

  “I had to protect Chase.” Tom scratched his head with reckless abandon.

  “Which meant stopping Daniel from revealing what he found.”

  Tom rubbed his wrists where the ropes had dug into his flesh. “I only meant to scare Daniel. I didn’t want anyone to die.”

  “So you sabotaged his plane?” Eli asked in disbelief.

  “Yeah, well....”

  “How did you think he’d survive a plane crash?”

  “I didn’t think. I just did what my aunt told me to do. She nearly went over the edge when she learned Tiffany had been in the plane. She wasn’t supposed to be with Daniel that day.” Tom glanced up at him with a contrite look on his face. “In the end, she got so desperate she had me wear an Amish hat while I set the cabin fire and plant the lighter to make it look like Anna was trying to destroy evidence.”

  Eli wanted to throttle this simpleton but realized now was not the time. “I need to find Anna now. Where is she?”

  “Aunt Beth showed up at Daniel’s apartment. The big guy—”

  “Dominic?”

  “Yeah, I guess. He was with Anna.” Tom rubbed his wrists. “The big guy came up to the apartment to pick up Daniel’s stuff. She wanted it gone.” He raised an eyebrow. “But now I think she wanted to lure Anna there.” His jaw worked. “My aunt had become unraveled. She snuck up behind Dominic and bashed him over the head with her gun. He went down in a heap.” He curled his nose. “Never seen a big guy go down so hard. I don’t think he’s dead, but he’s going to have a whopper of a headache.” He scratched his head and winced. “I can relate.”

  Eli ran a hand across his mouth, his patience evaporating. “Where is Anna?”

  “I don’t know. My aunt asked me to come down into the garage through the back stairway. You know the one that leads directly into the garage? When I got down to the garage, she had her trunk open. Next thing I know, she bashed me.” He rubbed his head. “Lights out.” He lifted his palms. “And here I am.”

  Eli pointed at Tom. “Stay here. I’ll deal with you later.” He turned and jogged toward the cabin.

  Dear Lord, guide me. Let me save Anna.

  * * *

  A stiff wind gusted off the lake, nearly drowning Mrs. Christopher’s words.

  “Why did you hurt Mary?” Anna asked, her voice shaking.

  “My son—” the older woman’s lips thinned as if she were holding back her temper “—is not a strong man. I blame myself. I always catered to him.” The moonlight glinted in the whites of her eyes.

  Something by the tree line caught Anna’s attention. She captured Eli’s gaze and held it. Her legs almost went out from under her. Thank you, God. Eli held a finger to his lips.

  “One night, Chase and a bunch of his fraternity brothers were drinking. The Blakely boy had borrowed a Taser from his father’s trunk. He’s the sheriff’s son, you know. All they meant to do was have a little fun. Show off. Maybe scare the horse a little. All the other guys went into a bar and Chase... I don’t think he even touched the animal. Just activated the Taser in front of the horse’s nose.

  “He didn’t know the Amish girl was in the buggy.” Mrs. Christopher’s gaze grew vacant. “Chase said she didn’t make a sound. He saw her head pop up at the last minute and she looked at him with wide eyes. She saw Chase.”

  “The child had a name. Mary Miller,” Anna said through clenched teeth.

  Mrs. Christopher seemed to consider this for only a moment. “Chase called me, blubbering. He was always calling me, looking for me to solve his problems. He had followed the buggy in his car. When the buggy crashed, the Amish girl tumbled out. Chase put her in the car and I told him to meet me here. He was completely panicked. She must have hit her head because she wasn’t breathing by the time I got to her. I told him not to tell anybody.” Mrs. Christopher ran a finger along her lower lip, as if reliving the night. “When I got here, I sent my son a
way.”

  “What did you do?” Anna’s eyes grew wide with the realization, keenly aware of Eli listening from a few feet away.

  “It was perfect.” She ignored her question, as if fascinated by her own story. “As long as everyone kept quiet, no one ever had to know. We could go on living as we were accustomed.” A quiet sob fell from her lips, the first sign of any remorse. “Your brother didn’t need to get involved. He wasn’t even there that night. But he suspected something. I think he overheard his fraternity brothers arguing. He couldn’t leave well enough alone.

  “I had to do it. It was the only way to protect my son. To protect me.” The proud woman’s jaw was set in determination. “I threw Mary’s body off this cliff. Her stupid bonnet got hung up on a branch. I was afraid if I threw it after her, it would float on the surface. So I stuffed it under a floorboard in the cabin. I should have buried it somewhere, but the ground was too hard. I didn’t have any tools,” she muttered, as if realizing the one mistake that had unraveled all her plans.

  Mrs. Christopher gave her head a curt nod, as if snapping out of her reverie. She trained the gun on Anna’s chest. “Now it’s your turn.”

  In a flash, Mrs. Christopher dropped to the ground. A primal cry rang out from the otherwise dignified woman. Anna backed away from the edge, her legs crumbling underneath her. Anna knelt on the ground as Eli pulled Mrs. Christopher’s arms behind her back and put on handcuffs. He dragged her to a seated position away from the ledge. He grabbed her gun and tucked it into his waistband.

  Under the moonlight, Mrs. Christopher’s face grew hard. She glared at Anna. “You ruined everything.”

  “Thank God you found me.” Her heart filled with joy.

  Eli cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips against her forehead. “I tracked the GPS on your phone. Smart girl.”

  Eli stood and pulled Anna up with him. She buried her face into his solid chest. “I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my entire life,” she said.

  He brushed his finger across her cheek. “Me, neither.”

  Mrs. Christopher rocked back and forth and moaned something unintelligible.

  “I am so sorry about Mary,” Anna said.

  “Me, too.” Eli tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and a slow smile spread across his face. “Thank God you’re safe. Are you okay to walk on your own?”

  “Yes,” Anna whispered. “Do what you have to do with her.”

  Eli leaned over and grabbed the woman by her arm, bringing her to her feet. His features hardened. “Come on. We have some other people to track down.”

  “Leave my son out of this,” Mrs. Christopher screeched at the top of her lungs. “It’s Tom Hanson’s fault. He’s an idiot. He screwed everything up. If he had only followed my instructions exactly...”

  The entire walk back to the car, Mrs. Christopher wailed and moaned. When they got closer to the road, the red and blue lights from the sheriff’s cruiser lit the area. Tom Hanson was already in custody. Eli handed Mrs. Christopher to the sheriff.

  “You need to send a unit over to Daniel Quinn’s apartment right away. A friend of mine was knocked unconscious by Mrs. Christopher.” Eli’s stomach twisted and he sent up a silent prayer for Dominic.

  Eli waited for the sheriff to finish his call, then said, “Thanks for not dismissing Anna’s 9-1-1 call. You saved her life.” He brushed a mosquito off his forearm. “Sheriff, we need to talk to your son about the night my sister disappeared.”

  The sheriff’s brow furrowed. “Why?” Then his features softened. His shoulders sagged. “I will bring him in first thing in the morning.”

  “With your okay, I’d like to pick up Chase Christopher tonight.”

  The sheriff nodded.

  Anna rested her hand on Eli’s back and leaned into him. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her closer. Her entire body relaxed. “Finally, justice for Mary,” she whispered.

  EPILOGUE

  It felt good to be back in Apple Creek after a few weeks away. Most of the cornfields had been harvested, changing the appearance of the landscape. Slouching in the passenger seat of Eli’s car, a million thoughts floated through her mind.

  Eli had finally gotten the answers he had been looking for. Chase and Beth Christopher had been arrested for their roles in Mary’s death. Tom Hanson was also in custody.

  Eli had told her how Tom had owned up to sabotaging Daniel’s plane and setting the cabin on fire with the hope of destroying any possible evidence against Chase. From his jail cell, Tom was spilling the rest of the family secrets. Under his aunt’s instructions, he had been stalking Anna. He watched her from the barn loft, trailed her in the cornfield and nearly ran her over in town. Mrs. Christopher had hoped to chase Anna out of town, counting on Eli to pin Mary’s disappearance on Anna’s brother. In her eyes, Anna was the only one with a stake in proving Daniel’s innocence. When Anna wouldn’t leave, the threats escalated. A cold chill ran down her spine.

  The sheriff’s son had cooperated fully. He didn’t have knowledge of the crime, but he had lied about Chase’s alibi at the time Mary went missing. If only he hadn’t been intimidated by the Christopher family all those years ago, the Miller family would have found the answers they needed.

  And Anna had her answer, too. Daniel was innocent.

  “How is your family doing?” she finally asked, breaking the silence.

  “My parents’ propensity for forgiveness is incredible. They are at peace.”

  “How is Dominic?”

  “Mostly embarrassed. Mrs. Christopher had caught him with the butt of her gun from behind, knocking him out.” Eli ran his palm along the steering wheel. “Thank God she didn’t shoot him.”

  Anna glanced over at Eli. “How about you? Have you found peace?”

  “I’m working on it. I’ve gone to a few church services over the past few weeks.” Half of his mouth slanted into a wry grin. “I’m a work in progress.”

  “Good. Good.” Anna wrapped her fingers around the smooth vinyl of the armrest between them.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your brother’s service,” Eli said, never taking his eyes off the road. “I had to be in court.”

  Anna waved her hand in dismissal. “I understand. I had his ashes buried next to my mother’s. It felt good to have some closure. And your family had a service for Mary?” They never found Mary’s body, but at least they found peace in having some answers.

  Eli nodded. “Yes. Buggies lined up as far as the eye could see. It provided healing for all of us.”

  “And Samuel and Katie Mae? How are they?” She watched the trees rush by outside her passenger window, feeling like she was asking him twenty questions. But there were so many things she still wanted to know.

  “Samuel is coming around. He’s always been so quiet. But he seems more content. I don’t think my mother has to worry about him leaving. He seems committed to sticking around.” He shrugged. “He’s sweet on an Amish girl who lives on a neighboring farm. Time will tell.

  “Katie Mae and Isaac officially announced their engagement.”

  Anna’s eyes widened. “Really? Are you happy about that?”

  Eli made a deep noise in his throat. “What do I know? I had a long conversation with Isaac recently. Maybe I judged him too harshly. He claimed he was abrasive with me because he feared I’d talk Katie Mae out of marrying him. It was a defense mechanism. He does seem to love her.”

  “You’re turning into a softie.” Anna patted his knee, then pulled her hand away. “How is Tiffany?”

  “She’s on the mend. She has a ways to go both physically and mentally. It’s a lot to deal with, learning your brother and mother are capable of such evil. At least she has her father. Mr. Christopher knew nothing about the incident. He’d been too busy working and building his empire.” />
  Eli turned his vehicle up the narrow road leading to the cabin. The search crews looking for Mary’s body had cleared the tree from the road. They reached the burned-out cabin and Eli stopped the vehicle. They climbed out. Anna opened the back door and grabbed the bouquet of wildflowers.

  Red lifted his head, seemingly content to rest on the backseat. Eli brushed past Anna and hooked Red’s leash. “Come on.” He patted the dog’s head, and he jumped out of the car.

  They followed a zigzag path to the clearing. Red sniffed everything in his path. Eli wrapped the leash tightly around his hand when they reached the cliff, and Anna leaned forward and glanced down to the chilly lake waters. Although the dive team had not been able to find Mary’s remains, the Millers’ strong faith gave them peace. It had been ten years, and they finally had answers. What they had always known was still true—their beloved daughter was in heaven.

  “Would you like to say a prayer?” Anna asked.

  Eli bowed his head, reached out and captured Anna’s hand. “Dear Lord, thank You for letting me find justice for Mary. Please let all those hurt by the cruel acts of that day find peace.” He squeezed her hand. “Thank You for the gift of Mary’s life, however short.”

  A brisk wind whipped up across the lake and Anna pulled her coat tighter, the wildflowers brushing her nose. Eli wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. Red sat down next to her feet. “And thank You, Lord, for bringing Anna into my life. I am truly thankful for my blessings. Amen.”

  Warmth blossomed in her chest. She handed Eli half of the bouquet and together they tossed them. The wildflowers rained down on to the surface of the lake. They watched in silence as the colorful flowers bobbed and dipped, floating out toward the horizon.

  Eli turned Anna to face him, searching her face with intense eyes. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “I...don’t...”

  Eli touched his finger to her lips. A smile pulled on the corners of her mouth and joy filled her heart. “If you’ll have me, Miss Anna Quinn, I’d like to court you.” Her insides tingled.