A Shining Light
Page 25
I gasped. “You believe my husband is responsible for a murder? I know Fred has many faults, but I do not want to believe he would kill anyone. Who told you he is the one who shot him?”
“A sailor has given us many details that have been very helpful, but I am mainly relying upon the investigation that has been conducted by our agency. Please understand that I do want to talk to your husband, and I will carefully weigh his answers. However, I thought it best to speak to you beforehand.”
I surmised the detective wanted to see if Fred’s story would align with mine. “Fred hasn’t told me anything about the incident. If you like, I can accompany you to the doctor’s office. Otherwise, I’ll go inside and finish my work.” Though my voice remained strangely calm, my insides quivered like Sister Erma’s rhubarb jelly.
“I believe I’d like you to come with me, Mrs. Wilson. If your husband becomes upset, having you present may help calm him.” He turned toward Brother Bosch. “Would you please explain to Mrs. Wilson’s supervisor, sir?”
Brother Bosch gave a slight nod. “I think it would be wise for you to go with Mr. Shaw, Sister Andrea. Your husband is quick to anger, and I know the detective would like to avoid difficulty with him.”
“I am not certain my presence will prove helpful, but I’ll go along.” I would have been more comfortable if Brother Bosch had come with us, but he returned to the Küche.
While we walked to Dr. Karr’s office, my conversation with Mr. Shaw quickly became one-sided. I attempted to discover how much he knew about Fred and if he had any genuine evidence that would prove Fred had committed such a shocking crime. However, Mr. Shaw was more accustomed to asking rather than answering questions, and I soon found myself being quizzed about my childhood, my marriage to Fred, our life in Baltimore, and my subsequent adjustment to living in the colonies.
“So you have only one child?”
“Yes. Lukas left after supper to come and visit his father, so I would ask that before you talk to Fred, you permit me to send him back to the kitchen house.”
“Of course. Though my questions and appearance might suggest otherwise, I am not heartless. I am certain of your husband’s guilt, but what you will eventually tell the boy is your choice. If at all possible, we will leave without trouble.”
I stopped short. “Do I understand that you intend to take Fred with you in the immediate future?”
He nodded. “That is my plan.”
“So he has no opportunity to prove his innocence or guilt? He must simply do as you tell him?” I still didn’t want to believe Fred was capable of murder, and it didn’t seem right that this stranger could appear and haul him off to . . . to where? I had no idea where he planned to take Fred.
He took my elbow and propelled me onward. “He will have a trial in Baltimore. That’s where the crime was committed, Mrs. Wilson. That’s the way the law operates.” He looked at me as if those few words should explain everything.
“But you’re from the Pinkerton Agency. You’re not a policeman or a sheriff. Surely something more is required before you forcibly detain someone.”
“I have paper work that permits me to return your husband to Baltimore, Mrs. Wilson.” He reached inside his pocket, withdrew several papers, and then handed them to me.
I stopped, and in the waning light, looked at a sketch of my husband. In bold block letters below his likeness were the words Wanted, Dead or Alive, $500 Reward. My mouth turned dry and I clutched a hand to my chest as Mr. Shaw grasped my elbow.
“Please don’t faint on me, Mrs. Wilson.” I didn’t miss the concern in his eyes when he looked down at me. “I realize this is a shock to you, but you are better off without your husband.” He hesitated. “I wish there were some kind way to have said that, but there isn’t. Fred Wilson is a ruthless murderer who deserves to be punished. Even though he is wanted dead or alive, it is my intention to take him back to Baltimore for trial.”
“But if he would attempt to escape—?”
“I’d have no choice.”
I shivered and offered a silent prayer. A prayer that Fred would see the error of his ways and repent, that he would realize the only way to true forgiveness was through his heavenly Father, and that he would open his heart to receive God’s forgiveness. But if Fred had not turned to the Lord when he’d been surrounded by believers and blessed by their mercies, would he turn to the Lord now?
“The doctor’s office is right over here.” After opening the door, I gathered my skirt and stepped inside.
The jangling of the overhead bell was followed by an eerie silence. Usually Lukas would call out and greet me, or I would hear him talking to Fred when I entered the office. I gestured for Mr. Shaw to follow me, but I came to a halt when I looked into Fred’s room.
I clutched my throat. “They’re gone.” Panic seized me. Turning on my heel, I collided with Mr. Shaw. I attempted to push him from my path, but he didn’t budge. The man was as solid as a brick wall. “Move! I need to find my son.”
“And I need to find your husband.” His voice bore a sharp edge. “Where are they?”
My mouth gaped open. What was wrong with him? Why would he think I knew where they were? Wasn’t my fear evident? “I don’t know, but I’m going to go and look. Get out of my way.”
He grasped my shoulders and held firm. “You’ll do no good if you take off in a panic. You need to settle yourself and think where the boy and his father might have gone.”
I shook my head and tried to wrench free from his grasp. “We need to ring the village bell and sound an alarm. Everyone will come running to help us find Lukas.”
He continued to hold tight. “No! That’s the last thing we are going to do, Mrs. Wilson. Ringing that bell will place your son in more danger. I have a feeling your husband knows something is amiss and he’s attempting to get out of town.”
I ceased my attempts to get free of his hold. “Why would Lukas be in more danger? How would Fred know he’s in any danger?”
“Your son saw me in the dining hall. I have a strong suspicion he told Fred of my presence. I should have stopped him before he left the room.”
Who did this man think he was? Under different circumstances, I would have taken him to task. However, the only thing I cared about at the moment was finding Lukas.
“If your husband is attempting to flee and has the boy with him, the bell will signal the discovery of their disappearance. Criminals take more chances if they believe their captor is closing in. Given your husband’s medical problems, he will depend heavily upon the boy to help him. We don’t want your husband to become frantic and subject the boy to further danger, do we? What if he decided to use your son as a shield to protect himself?” He took a backward step and made a sweeping gesture toward the waiting room chairs. “Shall we sit down and discuss our plan of action?”
I nodded and sat down in the chair facing the window. I wanted to have a clear view if Lukas should appear.
Mr. Shaw seemed to care little about watching out the window. No doubt, he was certain neither Lukas nor Fred would reappear in the near future. “I want you to think about any place your husband and son might have gone. Anywhere they’ve mentioned that might be a good place to hide.”
The question had barely passed the detective’s lips when Dirk appeared outside the doctor’s office. Mr. Shaw’s face crinkled into a disapproving frown when I stood and gestured for Dirk to come inside.
Dirk nodded to Mr. Shaw and sat down beside me. Concern filled his eyes. The detective attempted to interrupt me while I explained he was a Pinkerton agent who had been sent to apprehend Fred, but I was undeterred by his endeavor.
I nodded toward Fred’s room. “Both Fred and Lukas are missing. Mr. Shaw asked if I know anywhere they might be hiding. I can’t think of any place they might have gone.” Before Dirk could suggest ringing the village bell, I explained why the detective advised against it.
“Ja, well that sounds like wise thinking.” Dirk rubbed his jaw. “Has the
doctor released Fred to go outdoors?”
No doubt Dirk was remembering that Fred and Lukas had gone on walks before he injured himself in the woods. “Only far enough to sit outside the office, so they wouldn’t have gone for a walk.” I glanced outside. “Has Lukas ever mentioned—”
“The barn!” Dirk jumped to his feet. “Come on.”
Dirk waved for us to follow, but Mr. Shaw remained in his chair. “What barn? There are a lot of barns in this village.” He gestured for Dirk to slow down. “Don’t go running off half-cocked. We need to think things through and move carefully so the boy doesn’t get hurt.”
Dirk stopped, but his hand remained poised on the metal door latch. “The barn on the Neumann farmstead. The land that belonged to Sister Andrea’s parents. Lukas told me that he and Fred tried to walk there one time.”
Lukas had never told me of such an incident. I wanted to quiz Dirk, but there wasn’t time. We needed to go and look before nightfall was fully upon us. “I think Brother Dirk is right. We should look there first.”
He stood and looked at Dirk. “You got a weapon you can bring with you?”
My breath caught and I shook my head. “Please, no weapons. My son is with him.”
“We do not believe in taking up arms against our fellowman, Mr. Shaw. You will locate no weapons in the village.”
Mr. Shaw patted his side. “There’s at least one weapon in this village, and if I know Fred Wilson, there’s more than the one that’s holstered to my side.”
Terror seized me. If Fred had a gun, Lukas was in grave danger. Fred wouldn’t hesitate to use Lukas as a shield. I had to protect my son.
Chapter 27
Dirk took the lead, with Mr. Shaw close on his heels. I followed behind, my shorter legs and long skirt proving a hindrance. “Slow down!” My lungs screamed for air as I hollered at the men.
Mr. Shaw slowed his pace and glanced over his shoulder. “Maybe you shouldn’t go any further, Mrs. Wilson.”
When I shouted my objection to the suggestion, both men came to a halt. “It is my son we are looking for, Mr. Shaw. You will not keep me away.”
“Actually, it’s your husband that I’m after. The boy may not even be with him. Perhaps he went off to play with some of his friends. If there’s violence, it would be better if you weren’t there.” He wiped the perspiration from his forehead. “Besides, you’re slowing us down.”
Dirk grasped Mr. Shaw’s arm. “We should slow our pace. I know Sister Andrea will not be left behind.”
Mr. Shaw sighed. “Come along, then. I suppose we’ll have to move slower. If she arrives after us and makes a great deal of noise, she’ll alert Fred if he’s in there.”
“She can hear every word you’re saying, Mr. Shaw. I’m not some absent third party.” The man’s ability to annoy me momentarily overshadowed my concern for Lukas. “I suggest we move on. The barn is ahead and to the left.”
After Mr. Shaw had advised Dirk and me that we should keep talk to a minimum, the three of us tramped through the high grass and overgrown weeds until we were near the rear of the barn.
Mr. Shaw motioned for us to gather close. “Dirk and I will go around to the front of the barn and try to sneak in and see if anyone is there. You stay out here. With Fred’s injuries, he shouldn’t be able to run very fast. If the boy is in there, I’ll send him out to you as soon as I can.”
“But I . . .”
Dirk grasped my hand. “Listen to what he says, Andrea. You must remain out here and pray for the safety of all of us.” He looked deep into my eyes. “If Lukas is inside, I will protect him with my own life. You know that, ja?”
My voice caught. “I know.”
“Come, Dirk.” Mr. Shaw bent low and disappeared around the corner of the barn.
I squeezed Dirk’s hand. “I will be praying—for all of you.” I leaned against the rough barn boards and bowed my head. I prayed the Lord would protect all who might be injured during any possible encounter—but most of all I prayed the barn would be empty.
As darkening skies cast eerie shadows, birds fluttered through the trees to nest for the night. Barren tree limbs swayed in the chilly evening breeze, and I let out a muffled yelp when dead weeds brushed against the hem of my skirt. Hopefully, no one had heard me.
I swallowed hard and wiped my perspiring palms down the front of my dress as I continued to pray silently. Would this waiting never end? Surely they had reached the front of the barn by now. What was taking so long? Maybe I should at least move to the side of the barn.
I’d taken only a few steps when I heard Lukas shout. “Papa! Papa! Someone’s coming in the barn.” A brief silence followed. “Did you hear me, Pa? I think someone came in.”
“Hush up, boy!” Even from a distance, Fred’s command seethed with anger.
“Lukas! Come to me.” Immediately I recognized Dirk’s voice, but Lukas didn’t reply.
Mr. Shaw had been adamant that I remain outside the barn, but I couldn’t bear not knowing what was happening inside. Maybe Lukas would come to me if I called. I edged around the corner and moved toward the front of the barn. The door stood ajar and I picked my way closer, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lukas.
“I know you’re in here, Wilson! Come on out and there won’t be any trouble. You don’t want that boy of yours to be hurt, do you?” Mr. Shaw’s voice boomed through the yawning expanse. “Send him out the door so we can settle all this trouble like grown men.” In the distance I heard a whimper. I tensed and peered around the edge of the door. Lukas must have been hiding in one of the stalls. “C’mon, Fred, your boy is scared. Be a man and do the right thing.”
“Who are you?”
At the sound of Fred’s voice, I looked up toward the loft. He and Lukas weren’t together, yet Lukas hadn’t run to Dirk. He could easily make it from the stall to the space where Dirk and Mr. Shaw had positioned themselves.
“Edward Shaw. I’m a Pinkerton agent sent here to take you back to Baltimore. We both know you can’t stay up in that loft forever. I’d like to make this easy for all of us, so why don’t you come down and turn yourself in.”
“Ha! You’d like that, wouldn’t ya? What’d ya pay John Calvert to give me up? That dirty scumbag.”
“Every man has his price, and Calvert was tired of waiting on you. Truth is, he figured you were playing him for a fool. He thought you were lying about sending him money.”
“Well, you can go on back to Baltimore and tell him he’s the fool.” A shot rang out, and when Dirk and Mr. Shaw dropped to the floor, I followed their lead and fell to the ground.
A mixture of fear and anger welled in my chest, and I cupped my hands to my mouth. “Tell Lukas to come out of the barn before he’s caught in your gunfire, Fred.”
“I shoulda known you’d be out there somewhere, Andrea. You can’t wait to be rid of me, can ya? Well, Lukas and me, we’re a team now. If you wanna see the boy alive, you best tell Shaw and your friend Dirk to get outta the barn. I got my gun trained on Lukas, and if they don’t clear out by the time I count to five, I’ll shoot the boy.”
I gasped and clutched my throat. “Let him leave, Fred, and I’ll come in there and take his place. Please!”
“The boy ain’t leavin’. You know me well enough to believe I’ll hurt him, so you best tell them two to get outta the barn. And Lukas—you stay put in that stall. I can see you from up here.”
Bile rose in my throat as I screamed for Dirk and Mr. Shaw to come outside. Dirk scooted backward on his stomach, but Mr. Shaw remained in position. I hissed for him to retreat. Instead, he appeared to take aim with his gun.
“Fred, you don’t want to do anything you’ll regret. The boy’s done nothing. What kind of man would threaten harm to his son in order to save his own hide?”
Another bullet whizzed overhead. “The next one will be aimed at the kid. Now get outta the barn.”
Lukas’s whimpers had risen to tearful sobbing, and I longed to run into the barn and comfort him. Dirk backed ou
t of the barn and drew close to my side. “I’m sorry. I should have gone after him, but Mr. Shaw held me back.”
“Mr. Shaw is the one with a gun. He should have gone after Lukas, not you. It appears the only thing that interests him is getting Fred turned in for his reward.” Dirk pulled me back when I attempted to gain another peek inside. “I don’t think Fred would shoot me if I went in there. I’ll call out and tell him I just want to comfort Lukas.”
“I think you should stay here. Fred may tell you to come inside, but I do not believe you can trust him. Come with me; I have an idea.” Dirk took my hand and led me to the opposite side of the barn.
When we had rounded the far corner, he gestured to a door beneath the dilapidated overhang that had been used to protect the animals from bad weather. I tugged on his hand. “I think my father nailed that door shut years ago. We won’t be able to get it open without making a great deal of noise.”
“We freed the door weeks ago when the elders talked about wintering some animals over here. If all goes well, we should be able to get inside without Fred hearing us. You can wait by the door, and I will sneak around the stalls and get Lukas.”
He reached for the door, but I grasped his arm. “Wait! What if Mr. Shaw thinks you are Fred and shoots? We should have told him what we were going to do.”
“If he thinks I am Fred, he is not a very gut Pinkerton agent. He can see the ladder Fred must use to come down from the loft.” He waved toward the front of the barn. “If you want, you can go back and tell Mr. Shaw, but we are losing daylight and I am going in. The darkness will give Fred more protection and advantage.”
“And Lukas is going to become more and more frightened.” Even if I went to tell Mr. Shaw, Dirk would be inside before I could tell him the plan. “I’ll follow you inside.”
Dirk held a warning finger in the air. “You stay here. Otherwise neither of us will go in. I want your promise that you will not follow me, Andrea.”
My heart thumped in my chest. I didn’t want to promise. I wanted to go to my son. Yet I trusted Dirk and understood there was more chance of being detected if we both entered. “I promise.”