Bloody Ties (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 8)

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  Even as Serenity’s lips found my neck and I tugged her nightshirt over her head, my stomach clenched. It might just be a pipe dream now.

  Driving up my sister’s driveway was never stress free. Even though Rebecca and her husband treated me like family, it was inevitable that our visits were awkward. I’d left the Amish years before, and my life was very different than theirs. I sometimes wondered if a little jealousy of my freedom shined from Rebecca’s eyes. I had gotten out, and she’d remained. When we were kids, she’d talk about leaving the Amish, then she began courting my brother-in-law and her fate within the community was sealed.

  Her daughter, Sarah, had the same rebellious streak. Whether she’d remain in the settlement or escape to the outside world was still up in the air. But she was approaching the age when she’d be seriously contemplating it. The only thing that would keep her here was Matthew Troyer. As far as I knew the two weren’t officially courting yet.

  Just as I parked and shut off the engine, rain began to splatter the windshield. Oh, how I wished I was back in bed making love to Serenity. I shook the thought away and grabbed the umbrella. By the looks of the dark clouds draping the countryside, it would be an all-day soaker.

  Rebecca’s flowers were in bloom in front of the porch. Their delicate petals gave off a sweet scent that I inhaled as I jogged up the steps to the front door. I didn’t need to knock. My sister opened the door as I raised my fist.

  She hurried outside and closed the door behind her. A million taps on the tin roof made it difficult to hear her.

  “The children are napping. Let’s talk out here.” She gestured to the porch swing and I joined her on it.

  I looked back at her, nearly holding my breath. Rebecca was a pretty woman. She had her dark hair neatly pinned up and she watched me with Ma’s same eyes. The resemblance between the two was almost uncanny. Rebecca was Ma’s twin, only a lot taller and nearly thirty years younger. The fact that she hadn’t invited me in for coffee and dessert put me on high alert.

  “What’s going on?” I asked loudly to be heard over the rain pouring down.

  She rubbed her palms together and the action only made the knot in my stomach grow. “I wanted to thank you for taking Father to the doctor. He’s such a stubborn man sometimes. He’s been giving Mother a hard time about his new diet and all the appointments.”

  “He’s all right, isn’t he?” Dread coated my insides.

  “Ya, as well as can be expected. If he does what he’s supposed to, he should live a long life, indeed.” She licked her lips and then smoothed out her lavender dress. “I didn’t ask you stop by to discuss Father. Actually, I need advice about Sarah.”

  I settled back and Rebecca pushed the swing with her feet. The movement had a lulling affect that I fully embraced. “Is something amiss with her?”

  She sat forward and stuck her hand down into her pocket. When she pulled it out, she clutched a small plastic bag. Handing it to me, she blurted out, “What is this?”

  I held up the bag and studied its contents. The powder was fine and brown tinted. “It looks kind of like sugar,” I lied.

  “It’s not.” The color drained from her already pale face. “I fear it might be some kind of drug.”

  Oh, hell. Rebecca was more on the ball than I thought. “Where did you find it?”

  “Hidden in Sarah’s room.” She shook her head vigorously, as if she didn’t want to speak of it. “She’s been quieter lately, more aloof. She stopped talking to Matthew and when Taylor, your wife’s niece, called her the other day to see if she wanted to spend time together, she’d made up an excuse that she had chores to do—and it was a lie. I’d already given her the day off.” Rebecca folded her hands on her lap and blew out a sigh. “I decided to see if I could find anything in her room that might help me understand why my usually perky daughter had the doldrums.” She pointed at the bag in my hands. “That was tucked away in the back of one of her drawers. I smelled it and it has a slightly vinegar scent. I put just a tiny dab on my tongue and it tasted bitter.”

  I dragged my hand through my hair and stared out at the wet green field of grass just past the white board fencing. “Can I take this with me? Serenity will know exactly what it is. There’s no point in getting all worked up if it’s not what we think it is.”

  “What if it is, Daniel? I might be losing my girl to the outside world.” Rebecca sounded panicked and tears filled her eyes.

  “It’s never easy growing up, sis. We’ll pray Sarah is going through a rough patch. It might be sensible to talk to Matthew. He’d know better than anyone what’s going on with my niece.”

  “The boy won’t talk to me or Reuben. We caught the two of them sharing a kiss in the barn after church service a few weeks ago. Rightfully so, we were upset and made Matthew leave. He’s not supposed to see our Sarah again until next month.”

  “Rebecca, they’re almost seventeen years old. Stealing kisses in a barn isn’t that harsh of a sin.”

  “Perhaps, but kisses turn into to other things right quick. Just look at me—” She stopped talking and her cheeks reddened. Lifting her chin, her features became rigid and she looked resolute. “Enough years have passed that you might as well know the truth of it.” She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. “Reuban got me pregnant before we married.” My eyes popped open and she must have seen the shock on my face. “You had left by then, so it’s not surprising that you wouldn’t know. Most of the community guessed that was why we married so quickly. Luckily for me, Sarah came two weeks late, making her birth coincide a little better with the wedding date. We were careful and it happened to us. I won’t risk the same fate on my daughter.”

  I digested what she’d said, feeling my own cheeks heat uncomfortably. This wasn’t something I wanted to know, let alone discuss with my younger sister. “It turned out all right. You’re happy with Reuben, aren’t you?” I asked lamely.

  “Ach, we’ve had a fine life so far. I wouldn’t trade him or my children for anything else…but it did limit my opportunities and force a grownup life on me sooner than I would have liked,” she admitted.

  “Would you have left the Amish if you hadn’t become pregnant?’

  A faint smile crept onto her lips. “No, not me. Adventuring was your calling. I just don’t want Sarah to have any regrets. She takes after you, Daniel, and that scares me.”

  Tears began to dribble from her eyes, down her face. I wasn’t sure what I should do at first. When she looked up at me under wet lashes, I opened my arms and she didn’t hesitate letting me hug her.

  “It will be okay,” I mumbled, patting her back. “I’ll talk to Matthew and find out what’s going on with Sarah. Serenity will know what to do if this stuff you found is a drug.”

  For all my encouraging words, I felt completely helpless. What if Sarah were my own child? Maybe Serenity was right. The world might be too wicked to raise a child in.

  9

  Serenity

  Bobby had the body covered, but the smell of formaldehyde in the examination room was strong enough to make me a little light headed. The coroner perused his notes for a moment before looking up.

  “I gauge his age to be close to thirty years old. Most of his body is covered with tattoos—the kind that MS-13 members have. There’s a fair number of scars too. One in particular looks to be an old stab wound to his stomach. I entered his data into the system and didn’t get any hits.” He closed his notebook and set it down on the body. “Nothing else to report until I get the toxicology results back.”

  “Drug use in the county is on the rise,”—I gestured at the body—“but I really hope this sort of thing isn’t going to become more commonplace.”

  “In my opinion, I rather hope it’s just a drug deal gone badly. The alternative is much more frightening.” Bobby’s eyes were wide and thoughtful looking behind his large spectacles.

  I lean
ed back against the countertop. “This might only be the beginning. I hope I’m wrong. The last thing Blood Rock needs is mob or gang activity.”

  Bobby nodded somberly and then there was a knock at the door. Rosie peeked in. “Serenity, you have a visitor in your office. I don’t think you should keep this particular man waiting.” The door closed before I could get more information.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I love Rosie, but I’m kind of looking forward to her retirement. She doesn’t seem very invested anymore,” I commented.

  Bobby chuckled. “We’ll see how you’re holding up after twenty-five years of service. Does CJ still want the job?”

  It was another disappointment of the week. “Naw. Even though Joshua and his kids are going English, there’s a ton of work and time involved in taking care of three kids and a house. They’re also going into the buggy making business.” Bobby’s brows lifted. “CJ is in charge of the bookkeeping and billing, so she’ll have her hands full.”

  “It’s a shame about Joshua’s grandmother passing away. Nana was her name, right?” I nodded and Bobby paused before finishing his thought. “It would have been nice for her to experience modern conveniences before she died.”

  “True enough—but when your number’s up, it’s time to go.” I headed for the door. “I’m just glad CJ and Joshua came to their senses before CJ fully converted.” I paused, my hand on the door handle. “Can you imagine becoming Amish as an adult?”

  “No, I can’t. Although I’m not surprised CJ was willing to do it for love,” Bobby said.

  “Sorry, Bobby. I love Daniel with all my heart, but I wouldn’t consider giving up all my freedoms for him.”

  Bobby’s soft laughter followed me out the door. “And we’re all thankful for your conviction.”

  When I opened the door into my office, I hesitated for only a second as the wave of shock settled over me.

  “Ethan Ogden. What brings you by?” I held my voice level, but from the palpations in my chest, it was difficult.

  Ethan was a big guy. Standing six and a half feet tall and weighing about two hundred and seventy-five pounds, he was all grizzled muscle. There was a permanent grimace affixed to his long face, and his shaggy gray-streaked beard would rival any Amish man’s. Ethan was a good ol’ boy from the Ogden-Trammel clan. Most of the family fell in the neighboring county, but Ethan owned several hundreds of wooded acres of hunting property on the very borderline of Blood Rock. It was pretty well known that the family dabbled in drug and illegal gun sales. For all their rough looks and the occasional domestic violence calls, they pretty much kept to themselves. It was the urban legends I grew up hearing that made the sight of one of the Ogdens sitting in my office so uncomfortable. The stories of incest, killings, and townspeople being held captive were colorful and more than likely ridiculous. After my time in law enforcement and especially dealing with the Amish in recent years, I’d discovered reality can oftentimes be crazier than fiction.

  Ethan took his time responding. His long legs stretched out in front of him and were crossed at the ankles. First, he looked me over carefully and then his eyes wandered around my office, until they finally settled on the picture of me and Daniel on my desk.

  “Reckon Daniel is enjoying married life, eh?” Ethan’s drawl was thick, making me think he was part of the family that came in from Kentucky. That was just a passing thought though.

  “You know Daniel?” I sat down and leaned over my desk.

  “Sure, we go way back. I remember when he first abandoned the Amish. He was a confused young man, with a lot of wild oats to sow.” Ethan’s smile twisted like he knew a juicy secret. I wasn’t biting. There were too many important things going on to play mind games with a backwoods’ hooligan.

  I’d guess the man to be in his fifties, but it was hard to tell. His athletic build and bright blue eyes gave off a younger vibe, but I knew who his wife was and she couldn’t be a day under fifty. The two of them had six or seven kids and some of them were well into their twenties by now.

  My curiosity was definitely piqued. If the stories were even a little bit true, Ethan Ogden was a dangerous man. The police department was the last place he’d willingly go—unless he had an agenda of some sort.

  Deciding the best way to handle a man like him was with stark honesty, I dove right in. “You never answered my question. Why are you here?”

  His eyes flared at the hard edge to my voice. “My, my. You are a little pit viper.” Twirling a wad of his beard between his fingertips, he settled back into the chair. “I’ve paid attention to the goings on in town, and especially what you’ve been up to, Sheriff. Associates have filled me in on whatever information I couldn’t find out in the newspaper. You’ve been a busy girl.” He nodded his head in a sweeping motion. “And I like your style.”

  “What style is that?” I was almost afraid to ask.

  “You’re aware that rules are made to be broken, and the end result is the only thing that matters.”

  I cleared my throat, sitting up straighter. “I think you’re misinformed. I follow the rules.”

  His laugh was low and guttural. “Yeah right, Sheriff. When it’s in your best interest—or it benefits the townspeople, you play by the book. But you follow an independent code of honor, something similar to the one I live by.”

  The man was talking in riddles and it was beginning to piss me off. “Did you leave the solitude of the woods just to judge me?”

  Ethan narrowed his eyes and a shadow passed across his face. My hand strayed to my sidearm and I brushed fingers over the smooth metal. It was an instinctual reaction and Ethan noticed it. He suddenly smiled.

  “There you go!” he exclaimed. “Just the kind of reaction I was hoping for.” He quieted just as quickly as he’d come alive. Raising his finger, he said, “You better be a real good shot, Sheriff. If you don’t bring me down in one shot, I’ll close the distance over the desk and have your neck in my fist in a blink of an eye.” His expression was smug. “You see, even though there’s no better shooter than me, I don’t need anything except my bare hands to kill a person.”

  Ethan wasn’t kidding. My heart calmed and I felt my muscles relax. The threat had immediately put me in the zone. My fingers curled around the 9 MM and in a fluid motion, I pulled it from the holster and stood. My hands were steady as I aimed the gun at Ethan’s heart.

  “It’s a felony to threaten an officer of the law. Are you crazy or just plain stupid?” I asked calmly.

  Ethan’s rolling laughter was loud. He rose as quickly as I had, making me crane my neck to look into his eyes.

  “That piece of shit foreigner who was shot dead outside of Charlie’s last night deserved it. We don’t need scum like that in our town. And you know it. Best if you chuck it up to a personal grudge or a random killing. Folks around here don’t want Blood Rock to turn into a war zone.” He pivoted to leave and then stopped, looking over his shoulder. “Oh, and don’t forget. If you mess with me or mine, I know things about your darling hubby that will make you pee your pants. Unless you want his reputation soiled, you best tread very carefully when the different paths present themselves.”

  With heavy steps, he reached the door and swung it open. Then he was gone.

  Dropping down onto the chair, I took a deep breath. Dammit. Did that really just happen?

  “I think he meant it.” I took a gulp of the cold coffee and stared out the window. It was nearly dark and the street lights had just sprang to life. The rain had lessened but not entirely quit, making it a gloomy evening. My stomach growled, but I ignored the bag of food on my desk.

  Forcing my gaze back into the room, I focused on Ryan. He didn’t have any trouble munching on his burger. When he swallowed, he concentrated on me. “Sounds like a character out of a movie.” He snorted and then sniffed when he saw I wasn’t smiling. “If I were you, I’d haul his ass in and charge him with t
he threat. I’m sure you have a solid relationship with one of the town’s judges. Get a warrant. We’re sure to turn up some shit on his property so we can throw in some more charges on him.” His chiseled features hardened. “He shouldn’t be walking around free after the way he treated you.”

  Everything he’d just said made sense, except this was a small town. Everybody was connected and that’s simply not how we conducted business. “What worries me more is that he’s the one who whacked the tatted guy.”

  Ryan shrugged. “Sounds reasonable. Ogden wouldn’t have mentioned it if he wasn’t involved somehow. Probably a sour deal with outsiders, and he and his people didn’t expect an in-person visit. Hate to say it, but if that’s the case, he did you a favor by taking the gangbanger out for you.”

  Ryan’s nonchalance about criminal industry was becoming worrying. There was a truth to his observations though. It was impossible to cut out every weed of criminal activity in the town. Some weeds were worse than others. A guy like Ogden wouldn’t want to bring danger to his family or even the town. He’d try to conduct whatever business he was into away from his hometown. That’s why the chain of criminality was usually extremely long, and made it harder to arrest everyone. People always slipped through the cracks when the chain broke.

  “I wouldn’t mind searching the Ogden property, but the house and barns are out of my jurisdiction. Other than buried bodies, we probably wouldn’t find much.”

  Ryan’s expression widened. “You pulling my leg?”

  I shrugged and tapped my finger on the desk. “I’m not sure how far I should go with this one. I was half afraid that we had some kind of mob related hit on our hands. If it really is more about petty drug sales, I’m relieved.” I inhaled and forced the air out. “What the hell could Ogden have on Daniel?”