by Debby Giusti
“Sounds like she thinks only of herself and not the other people working on the film. Has anyone else gone missing?”
The deputy looked quizzically at Zeke. “One missing movie star is enough.”
Zeke smiled as if making light of his comment. “I wondered because of the roadblock the studio people put up on Amish Mountain.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Men wearing Montcliff Studio jackets blocked the road with their vehicles. They stopped my buggy and glanced inside.”
“Did they tell you why?”
“I thought it was because of that missing movie star.”
The deputy let out a deep breath. “I’ll pass the information on to the sheriff. Someone needs to inform the studio that the road is maintained by the county and patrolled by the sheriff’s office. They have no right to set up any type of roadblock.”
The deputy shook his head. “Thanks for letting me know, Zeke. By the way, Caleb Gingerich got a job at the studio.”
“Have you seen him recently?” Zeke asked.
Mike smiled. “He showed me his new convertible. That guy lives above his paycheck, just like his dad. His sister had problems too, wanting what she didn’t have and couldn’t afford.”
Zeke gut tightened.
Mike’s eyes widened. “Look, I’m sorry, Zeke. I wasn’t thinking. You and Irene were an item, as I recall. Didn’t you follow her to Petersville? Terrible about the explosion and fire. Meth’s a killer in more ways than one.”
Zeke knew that all too well.
“If my memory serves me right, you had a run-in with the law,” the deputy continued. “Didn’t they suspect you were responsible for her death?”
“I was found innocent and released, Mike. That was a long time ago.”
“A couple years, right?” He slapped Zeke’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry I brought it up.”
Zeke was sorry too, sorry he had talked to Mike and mentioned a missing woman. Becca had cautioned him not to get involved with law enforcement. He should have heeded her warning.
EIGHT
Becca had scooted to the front of the buggy where she watched Zeke as he talked to the deputy sheriff. No matter what he said about not revealing her identity to law enforcement, she was concerned that he might say something inadvertently.
Feeling somewhat conspicuous staring at them from the front seat, she had crawled down on the far side of the buggy and stood next to Sophie. Rubbing the mare’s mane, she peered at the two men, feeling much less obvious.
She noticed the studio van parked farther down the street. Her stomach tightened as Larry Landers stepped out of one of the buildings. He hurried toward his van, then glanced at where she stood.
More than anything, she wanted to crawl into the back of the buggy and hide, but before she could do so, he started walking along the sidewalk, heading in her direction.
She looked over her shoulder and spied a narrow alleyway with a Dempsey dumpster that would provide the perfect cover if he drew near and passed by on the sidewalk.
When he stopped at the intersection, waiting for the light to change, Becca scurried into the alley and hunkered down behind the dumpster. From that hiding spot, she lost sight of Zeke. She didn’t want him to return to the buggy and then wonder where she had gone. She especially didn’t want Zeke to act upset about not finding her when Larry Landers was nearby.
Hearing the footfalls of an approaching pedestrian, she peered over the top of the dumpster, then ducked as Landers came into view. He stopped for a long moment before stepping into the alley.
Becca trembled, expecting to be found out.
A car horn sounded. Landers hurried back to the corner as if to see what had happened.
Wanting to evade discovery, Becca ran along the alleyway and turned onto the next street. She stepped toward a nearby store and stopped to catch her breath. Although worried Zeke would return to the buggy and discover she wasn’t there, she was even more worried about Landers.
She watched the street for a few minutes. A studio van turned at a distant intersection, heading in the opposite direction from where she was standing. Evidently Landers had left the area. Relieved, she retraced her steps, needing to return to the buggy.
As she hurried around the corner, she stopped short and almost collided with the tall man from the movie studio.
“Why are you running away from me?” Landers lunged for her.
She ran back to the main street, past the store where she had caught her breath and turned onto another side street.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him racing after her. Her head felt like it would explode, and her mouth went dry as his footsteps grew louder.
She slowed at an intersection snarled with traffic.
He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. She gasped, jerked free and ran into the street, directly in front of an oncoming vehicle. The driver braked to a stop, then laid on the horn and raised his fist.
Ignoring his show of anger, she dashed around the car and raced to the opposite curb.
A gust of wind tugged at her hat, lifting it from her head. She caught it in time, but not before her long hair spilled around her shoulders.
She looked back.
Surprise washed over Landers’s angular face.
“Stop!” he called from the far corner, still stalled by the traffic.
The light changed, and he crossed the street. “Wait up!”
She turned down another alleyway. The path forked left. She took it, her feet pounding the pavement.
Her chest burned, and she gasped for air, but she pushed forward, needing to distance herself from the Englischer. If he caught her, he might haul her off to the very place from which she had tried to escape.
She pulled in another deep breath and counted the cadence of her feet slapping the pavement to keep her mind off the danger following much too closely.
The main road through town appeared in the distance. She glanced right, then left. Where could she hide?
Her hair hung free. She shoved it into her hat and yanked the wide brim down on her forehead.
A farm truck turned left at the corner, hauling a steer in a wire pen.
The auction. She raced around the corner, relieved to see the outdoor pavilion and a crowd of people who would provide the cover she needed.
* * *
After leaving the deputy, Zeke returned to where he had parked the buggy, expecting to find Becca hiding in the rear. When he peered inside, his gut tightened. The buggy was empty and Becca was gone.
His stomach tightened, and a warning rang in his ears.
Zeke clutched his fists, anger and fear bubbling up within him, anger at himself for not keeping better watch over Becca and fear for her safety.
He hurried to the corner and glanced in both directions, searching for some sign of an Amish lad. A number of women chatted amicably in the distance. Two young girls in black bonnets and long dresses stood near their mothers. He was looking for a slender Amish boy with expressive eyes and a fearful gaze.
Where was she? Why had Becca gone missing again?
* * *
Becca slipped through the throng of people milling around outside the cattle auction, hoping to elude Larry Landers. A number of Amish families stood together near the Flea Market Pavilion. The children, a mix of boys and girls, chatted nearby.
Sidling closer to the group, she stopped long enough to glance back. Landers stood at the entrance to the parking area, hands on his hips, and studied the crowd. Not wanting to draw his attention, she stepped even closer to the Amish youth and hoped no one would ask who she was and why she was standing so near to them.
All the while, she kept her gaze on Landers. Tall as he was, the location manager was easy to spot. He walked around the periphery of the market and kept staring into the fr
ay. Thankfully, he didn’t pick her out of the crowd. After what seemed like an eternity, he shrugged and walked out of the market area. Becca watched as he headed back to the street and turned north, retracing his steps.
Relieved he was gone, she moved away from the other youths and breathed out a lungful of pent-up air. Although grateful for the Amish gathering, she needed to find Ezekiel. After all this time, he had probably finished his conversation with the deputy and had realized she was missing. As generous as he and Hattie had been, she didn’t want to cause him more concern.
Needing to return to where he had parked the buggy, she started toward the exit and passed through a thick crowd of Amish folks heading toward the auction house. A few of the people offered a greeting, which warmed her heart. Instead of being recognized, the Amish community was embracing her. Becca smiled at the thought and let down her guard.
Someone grabbed her arm. “What are you doing here?”
Her heart stopped as she looked into the Amish man’s eyes. He was tall and muscular, with a full beard and a clean-shaven upper lip. His shoulder-length hair was topped with a black felt hat. As authentically Amish as he appeared, something about his expression seemed artificial.
Peering more closely, she realized his face was covered with a heavy layer of pancake makeup. Dark pencil colored his brows and lined his eyes. The man wasn’t Amish, he was acting the part.
“You’re coming with me,” he snarled.
She shoved him with her free hand. “Get away from me.”
He tightened his grip on her arm.
A group of real Amish men stood nearby. “Help me,” she called, trying to jerk free of his hold. “He’s hurting me.”
Oblivious to her plight, the men smiled and nodded among themselves.
Raising her foot, she kicked the guy’s shin.
His eyes widened.
She kicked him again and again. “Help!”
He groaned. His grip eased ever so slightly.
She jerked free of his hold and ran into the crowd.
The actor followed after her, favoring his good leg.
She dashed toward the stable, hearing the man’s footfalls behind her. The cloying scent of straw and horse surrounded her as she ducked into the dark interior. An Amish boy, probably thirteen or fourteen years old, was mucking one of the stalls.
He stopped and leaned on his rake. “Is something wrong?”
“A man’s following me. I need to get away from him.”
Glancing through the open doorway, she saw the actor drawing closer to the stable.
“How can I get to the main road?”
The kid pointed to an exit in the rear. “Turn right at the dirt road. It will take you there.”
“Danki.” She raced out of the stable.
Looking back, she saw the man trip and fall. The kid apologized for his rake getting in the way.
“An accident,” the stable boy insisted, all the while the actor raised his voice and shook his fist at the boy.
His raucousness attracted a number of other Amish men who streamed into the stable, no doubt, to determine what was amiss. Becca would have chuckled if she hadn’t been so unnerved by what had happened.
Everyone seemed to be after her. A man in a black car with a man bun, Larry Landers and now an actor dressed like an Amish man. Her heart sank as she followed the dirt path that headed toward the main road. If only she could jar her memory. What had she done to cause so many people to chase after her?
NINE
Ezekiel searched on foot throughout the downtown area, but he found no trace of Becca. His heart ached, fearing something terrible had happened.
Two years ago, he had lost Irene.
Now he had lost Becca.
Overcome with worry, he returned to his buggy and climbed into the seat he had shared with her earlier. He grabbed the reins and encouraged Sophie forward. As the mare trotted along the main road, Zeke studied the various businesses and shops and then peered down each of the side streets, hoping he could find her.
He started to turn the mare around so they could head back to where the studio was filming and search again.
Movement in an alleyway caught his eye. He eased back on the reins and stared at the spot, unable to determine what he had seen.
A swatch of chestnut hair? Or was it only his imagination?
He tethered Sophie to a hitching post and ran along the sidewalk.
Approaching the alley, he saw nothing and derided himself for his foolishness. Discouraged, he turned back to the buggy.
“Zeke?”
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Becca peering at him from behind a doorway. Eyes wide, face drawn, she looked scared and frail and confused.
He ran to her and took her into his arms.
“Oh, Becca, I feared losing you.” The words tumbled out, one after the other. “I searched but could not find you. Are you all right?”
“Larry Landers followed me to the cattle auction.” She clutched his arms and stared into his eyes. “I disappeared into the crowd, and he finally gave up looking for me. I—I planned to find you when an actor dressed like an Amish man grabbed my arm. He wanted me to go with him.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, because I ran away, just as I did before, but he was a hateful man who raised his voice and shouted at a young stable hand who helped me escape.”
“Mike Frazier needs to know.”
“The sheriff’s deputy?” She shook her head. “Suppose I did something wrong, Zeke. Law enforcement might be looking for me, as well.”
Zeke wanted to reassure Becca, but he knew her fears could be real. Much as he did not want to believe anything bad about her, people were searching for Becca. If only he knew why.
* * *
Becca shivered in Zeke’s arms and wanted to stay wrapped in the warmth of his embrace. Instead he pointed her toward the buggy.
“We must hurry. It is not safe for you to be in town.”
He was right, of course.
Stepping out of his arms, she sighed at the sudden letdown she felt.
“I... I’m so glad you found me, Zeke. I thought the main road led to the mountain, but I wasn’t sure if you had already passed by here.”
He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her forward. All the while, he glanced around them, no doubt to ensure they were not being followed.
Upon reaching the buggy, he helped her into the seat and climbed in next to her. With the flick of the reins, the mare started to trot, the buggy swaying in a steady side-to-side rhythm. Becca slid closer once they left town.
The air was cold, and he wrapped his arm around her as if realizing she needed his warmth and comfort after all that had happened.
Grateful that Zeke had rescued her once again, she eagerly shared how the man had chased after her.
“You are sure he was not the man who came after you in the woods?” Zeke asked.
She shrugged. “I am not sure. The man that night was shouting, and I couldn’t make out what he said. Plus, I never saw his face.”
Zeke turned to gaze into her eyes.
The concern she saw touched her to the core.
“The memory of running through the woods haunts me, Ezekiel, and comes in my dreams to wake me in the night.”
“Yet the actor today knows you.”
“Unless he mistook me for someone else. We need to find out if the studio employs any Amish,” she stated. “Maybe I did have a job there.”
“Caleb Gingerich works in the studio’s dining facility.”
“The commissary?” she asked.
Zeke raised his brow.
“It’s what the dining area is called,” she explained.
“You know this how?”
She shook her head. “Perhaps because I d
id work there.”
“The Gingerich house is on the way to Hattie’s farm. We will stop there. Caleb may be at home.”
“Can we trust him?”
Zeke thought for a moment and then smiled. “Caleb is more interested in his shiny new car than he is in anything else. Plus, I do not think he knows much about the movie business. He will not be a problem.”
The word problem kept running through Becca’s mind as they rode in silence up the mountain. She was a problem. A problem to Hattie and to Zeke, a problem without a past and no hope for the future until she knew more about who she was and what she had been running from two nights ago.
She glanced at Zeke, seeing the determination on his face. As much as she appreciated his help, she also worried about how he would feel once he learned the truth about her past. Suppose she was married or committed to marry someone else? Someone she did not know well enough or did not truly love.
Zeke was a good man. He had helped her so much. Could she be drawn to one man, all the while forgetting about another man from her past?
She tried to shake off the fear of the unknown that was like a ball of fire in her stomach. Shrugging out of Zeke’s hold, she scooted to the side of the buggy.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“A bit woozy.”
“You are sick?”
How could she tell him the sickness she was feeling was a sickness of heart, thinking of all that might eventually be revealed?
Tears burned her eyes. She didn’t want to know the truth. She wanted to return to Hattie’s farm and be surrounded by the older woman’s warmth as she and Zeke got to know each other better. The future could be filled with wonderful expectation, if it weren’t for the fact that she knew nothing about her former life.
She touched the knot on her head, wishing she would remember more about that night.
“You feel sick because of the bump on your head, Becca. It has not been that long. Rest on my shoulder.”
But she didn’t want to move closer to Zeke. She was already too close and too drawn to him.
