Bloody Ties (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 8)

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  Joshua was a wise man. I certainly hoped nothing terrible happened to my wife, but after the events of the other day, and when she rescued the girls in Indianapolis, it was a real possibility. Serenity had an unbelievable amount of skill and good luck on her side, but she’d never stop putting her life in jeopardy. She would forever be the hero, and that scared me deeply.

  “It’s sound advice, and I’ll think on it.” I smiled at the other man. “Getting Serenity on board is the issue. She’s been opening up to the idea, but fully committing has been difficult for her. Maybe CJ can help on that end?”

  Joshua laughed. “Oh, I’d bet she’s already working on it.” He quickly sobered. “There is something else I want to talk to you about—a favor of sorts. CJ asked Serenity to stand up for her at the wedding. You know well that English traditions are very different than our own, so I’m adapting and willing to do anything to please CJ and make it a special day. I’ve heard it’s commonplace for a groom to have a best man.”

  I pressed my lips together to keep from grinning. “Yes, that’s usually how it works.”

  “We haven’t known each other long, but since our wives are close, and you’re the only fellow in the community who understands what it’s like to leave the Amish, I’m asking you to be my best man. What do you say?”

  “Of course, I’ll do it. And it allows me to walk my wife down the aisle again,” I said.

  “There won’t be an aisle, I’m afraid. We’re going to get married here on the farm.” He pointed to the house. “Right there in the yard. The view is pretty and the house is large enough for the small group that will be attending.”

  I slapped Joshua on the back. “Sounds like you have it all planned out. When’s the magical day?”

  Joshua dropped his head and shrugged. “That’s kind of the kicker. We’re doing it tomorrow afternoon.”

  I didn’t mean for my mouth to drop open and my eyes to widen, but that’s what happened. “Whoa, that’s awfully sudden. Why the rush?”

  Joshua looked up with determination etched on his face. “I’ve wanted to make CJ my wife for months, and now that I’ve made the decision to go English, I intend to start our life together immediately. There’s no reason to wait any longer. Some might call me foolish, but I feel it in my heart that it’s the right time for CJ to join me and the children in the big house.”

  “I understand completely, and I’ll be here for it. Convincing Serenity to drop multiple murder investigations for a few hours is another story. I can’t make any guarantees on her behalf.”

  Joshua drew in a deep breath. “CJ is working on that as we speak.”

  26

  Serenity

  Feeling a little guilty, my gaze kept drifting back to the stack of files on the table and my laptop right next to it. I popped a french fry into my mouth and then looked at my watch. Meeting CJ for lunch was a bad idea. I had two conference calls and several meetings scheduled that afternoon regarding the shootings. The last few days had been slow going, collecting and comparing evidence, and scanning the database for clues. Luckily, no more out-of-towners had ended up shot to death. I hoped the lull was permanent. Bobby had suggested that maybe some kind of random organized crime had popped up in Blood Rock, and now it was over. I wasn’t that optimistic. The only thing I was sure of at the moment was that there was a connection to Ethan Ogden. Since our drug raid had turned up empty, I’d put some distance from the investigation and the Ogdens, but they were always on my mind.

  I’d played it cool with Jerome. Now that I knew for certain who he really was, a lot of things made sense. His nonchalant attitude about our routine calls had baffled me before. He didn’t care about domestic abuse or petty theft. He was in town for a big fish. I just wished I knew what he knew. I’d thought about just being direct and asking him, but something about his secretive nature gave me pause. Agent Wilson didn’t trust me, so why should I trust him? Eventually, it would come out, but until then, I could be patient too.

  I’d gotten to the diner a little early and ordered straight away. I hoped CJ didn’t think it was rude of me, but I only had about twenty minutes to spare. The sun shining through the windows was bright on my face. I’d felt chilled ever since the rainstorm on the Ogden land.

  “I’m sorry I’m a little late.” CJ’s perky voice woke me from my short trance. “The traffic is awful today. Any idea why?”

  My eyes popped open. CJ’s curls framed her face. Her eyes were bright and well-rested. She wore a cute little pink sundress that I loved, but would never feel comfortable in.

  “It’s Friday in Blood Rock. Traffic will spike in the late afternoon when everyone heads out to their favorite restaurants to celebrate the weekend.” I covered my mouth to yawn. “At least, I think that’s what normal people do.”

  Poor CJ had only been sitting in the booth for thirty seconds and her face had already drooped. I was no ray of sunshine.

  “Having a bad day?” she carefully asked.

  I loved CJ to death, but sometimes she was pretty clueless. At that moment, staring at her fresh, yet concerned face, I realized something that hadn’t really occurred to me before. All the crap I dealt with on a daily basis didn’t affect most of Blood Rock’s citizens. Everyone just went about their business, living their lives, and having fun. I’d seen too much wickedness in the world to ever sleep well at night. One of the reasons I did the job was so that people like CJ could get a good night’s sleep. It was an eye opening revelation.

  “The usual. I have four murdered men on my hands—all from other places. It seems they’re connected, but we haven’t figured out how yet.”

  CJ swallowed. “Do you still think there isn’t a threat to the rest of us?”

  “It’s unlikely. Seems like organized crime gone awry. The sooner we get all the cases wrapped up, the better. I wouldn’t be surprised if nothing concrete comes from our investigation. Sometimes these types of crimes go unsolved, unfortunately.”

  CJ nodded and made a humming noise like she was thinking about what I said. I wasn’t fooled. She had other things on her mind.

  “I’m sorry about my lack of social time, CJ.” I glanced at my watch again. “I have to get back to my office. Anything going on I need to know about?”

  CJ’s face scrunched and then she looked out the window. Her avoidance to answer my question made my heart rate spike. I leaned over the table and whispered, “What’s going on?”

  The diner was full and no one paid any attention to us, so drastically lowering my voice was kind of stupid. I couldn’t help it though. I was forever being ambushed with bad news.

  “You know how you agreed to be by matron of honor?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, we’re getting married tomorrow.” CJ sat back, folded her hands on her lap, and sighed. “There, I said it.”

  I shook my head. “Why on earth are you doing it tomorrow?”

  She swallowed what appeared to be a large lump in her throat. “We want to get on with our lives. There’s no reason to delay it.” The stubborn set of her jaw was something new.

  I didn’t even try to stop smirking. “So, you both need some romance, and the current situation doesn’t accommodate it, huh?”

  CJ’s eyes became huge as she sucked in a large gulp of air. “No, that’s not it.” She looked away. “Well, not entirely. It’s just impossible for us to live right next to each other and still be apart. Joshua wants to do this right. Besides, now that Nana’s gone, I spend all my time at their house anyway—cooking, cleaning, and caring for the kids. It would just be so much easier.”

  My smirk turned to a frown. “I get it. I really do. But tomorrow isn’t going to work for me. I’m in the middle of multiple murder investigations. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.”

  “It’ll only be for a couple of hours—I promise. Just a quick, outdoor service in front the big house, an
d then some snacks and cake inside. You have to eat. Schedule it during your lunch break.”

  “I don’t always take a lunch break, and definitely not a two hour one.” I rubbed my face, hating to let my friend down. “Look, CJ, I’ll be so distracted, I won’t do a good job anyway. Maybe you can ask Elayne. Weren’t you going to invite her anyway?”

  Very rarely did CJ get angry, so the intense expression looked strange on her usually cheerful face. “You aren’t actually backing out on me, are you?”

  I thudded my head back against the cushioned booth. “You’re giving me twenty-four hours notice, and I have a killer—maybe killers—on the loose, and I’m the bad guy?”

  “A couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon isn’t going to make that big of a difference with the investigations. I asked you to be in my little wedding because you’re the one I want, not Elayne. And I thought it would be so cute to have you walk across the yard with Daniel.”

  “Wait, why is Daniel walking anywhere?”

  “Joshua asked him to be his best man this morning. He just texted me that Daniel accepted.” Her smile returned. “Joshua is still learning how to use his new cell phone. Sending the text was giving him some trouble. It was John who figured it out for him.” She chuckled and her smile grew.

  “I’m confused. The guys are friendly enough, but they haven’t known each other for that long. Why did Joshua ask Daniel to do it?”

  “Since he left the Amish, none of his friends could be in the wedding, and he doesn’t know any other Englisher men, except Daniel. It makes perfect sense. Daniel used to be Amish, so he understands how it all works, and he’s your husband.” Some of the brightness faded from her face. “I thought you’d be happy.”

  Seeing the hurt on CJ’s face made me feel mean and selfish. Sure, I had four dead criminals and their killer to contend with, but CJ was my friend. Just because it took me forever to commit to and then marry Daniel, didn’t mean that it wasn’t reasonable for CJ and Joshua to blast ahead with their wedding plans if they felt good about doing so. At some point in my life, I’d have to start putting the job second, or someday I’d wake up an old, lonely woman. Why would Daniel stay with me if I was never home, and we didn’t get to do any fun things together? It’s bad enough that I might not even survive the job, but that I was letting it affect all other aspects of my life—including my marriage and friendships—was wrong. Somehow, I’d have to figure out how to start balancing it all. Now was as good of a time as any.

  I lifted my gaze to find CJ waiting anxiously for me to say something. “What does the weather look like for tomorrow?”

  “As of an hour ago—seventy degrees and sunny.”

  “Good. There’s nothing worse than a rainy-day wedding,” I said gruffly.

  “You’re going to be there?” CJ was definitely holding her breath.

  “Yeah, you can count on me. I’m sorry I made your head spin a moment ago. I wouldn’t miss it for ten murder investigations. The dead can wait.”

  “Oh, thank you, Serenity. It’s going to be so much fun.”

  “I hope you don’t expect me to have time to go out and buy a new dress.” I became very serious. That sure wasn’t happening before tomorrow.

  “You can wear whatever you want as long as it’s not the uniform,” CJ said happily.

  “Why can’t Serenity wear a uniform?” Ryan was suddenly standing at the end of the table. He was dressed to begin his shift. “And what’s the occasion?”

  The color drained from CJ’s face. She started to open her mouth and then clamped it shut again. I didn’t see why it was so difficult for her to let her ex know she was getting married the next day. After all, he had cheated on her. When Ryan glanced at me with raised brows, I didn’t have the same problem.

  “CJ is marrying Joshua tomorrow afternoon. I’m her matron of honor,” I said.

  I watched Ryan closely and I saw something on his face that I’d never seen there before—regret. He quickly smoothed the look away with his hand. “Oh, wow. That’s abrupt.” He hesitated, and I thought he was going to challenge the suddenness of the nuptials, but he didn’t. When he finally spoke, he sounded sincere. “I’m really happy for you CJ. You deserve a good man, a cute family, and the white picket fence.”

  CJ took a small breath. She had her composure back. “Thanks, Ryan. That means a lot to me.”

  Ryan licked his lips, appearing uncomfortable again. “Weren’t you going to invite me?”

  CJ’s eyes bulged, and I felt compelled to save her. “Come on, you’re her ex. Don’t you think that would make Joshua uncomfortable?”

  “Not if he’s a confident man, it shouldn’t.” He looked back at CJ. “We’ve known each other for a long time.” He shrugged. “I just thought you’d want me there.”

  It occurred to me for the first time that Ryan was a narcissist. It was the only way to explain why he didn’t get how inappropriate it was for him to be at CJ’s wedding. I shook my head, but before I could hammer my opinion home, CJ spoke up.

  “Joshua said I should invite whoever I want. It’s going to be a small affair, only Joshua’s kids, Serenity, Daniel, Bobby, Todd, Todd’s wife, Heather, and Elayne will be there.” CJ glanced at me nervously, and then back at Ryan. “Since you and Elayne have started dating, I don’t see why it would be a problem for you to accompany her.”

  Ryan beamed. “That’s a great idea. I’m sure she’ll like that.”

  CJ held up her hand. “No, drama, Ryan. I mean it. This is my wedding. Don’t forget that I’m letting you come with some reservations.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I got it. No worries on my end.”

  CJ gave a curt nod. “Good.” She grabbed her purse and returned her attention to me. “I have to pick up some party stuff at the store. There’s hardly any time to get everything ready. I’ll text you tonight,” she said as she slid out of the booth.

  “Sorry I can’t help more,” I said.

  She vigorously shook her head. “I’m just glad you’re going to be there.”

  After she’d left, Ryan took her seat, setting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands. “Seems kind of rushed to me. Hope she’s not making a mistake.”

  I stopped myself from smiling. “They’re ready to get married. Some people don’t need as long as others. Just be happy for her—like you said you were.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s hard though. I thought that maybe when I came to Blood Rock we’d get back together. Obviously, that’s not going to happen.”

  “Obviously,” I snickered. When Ryan didn’t have a snarky come back, I gazed at him. He really did look down in the dumps. I wanted to cheer him up. “How are things going with Elayne?”

  Ryan’s expression lifted a little. “I really like her. She’s got her act together and knows exactly what she wants.” His mouth curved down. “Maybe that’s the problem.”

  “That she’s driven?”

  “Not exactly. Just that she has plans. I hardly think about the future. It’s one day at a time for me,” Ryan said.

  “It’s not a bad thing to be different, as long as you both feel the same about the really important things in life.” I slugged down the last of my cola. “People evolve during relationships. You two might not be as far off as you think in a few months.”

  He snorted and the faraway look on his face made me pause and stare at him. “A few months is a long way off. Who knows what might happen by then?”

  I thought it was an odd thing to say and was about to ask him about it when he changed the subject.

  “Where’s your marshal friend?” he asked.

  “Toby left for other adventures. He has first dibs on Rivas, but we’re holding the body here a while longer.”

  “What do you think is going on?” he asked pointedly.

  I settled back in the booth. It was a normal day in Blood Rock.
Citizens were going about their busy lives with little thought to the men who’d been killed in town. They were all outsiders that no one knew. It was obvious that they were unsavory types, and the townsfolk didn’t have the same sympathies for them that they’d have for fellow law-abiding citizens. The clinking of dinnerware and the soft drone of conversations made the reality of the murders seem hazy. The sunshine spilling in the windows only lent to that feeling.

  “Honestly, I’m not so sure.” I lifted my hand to count down with my fingers. “The Ogden’s killed Rivas, I’m almost certain of it. But there’s no hard evidence, just Ethan’s own words to make me think that. The guy is clever. He’s covered his tracks well.”

  “Why did he think you’d protect him?”

  “Protect isn’t the right word, Ryan. It was more an agreement that he thought I’d go for.”

  “Why?” Ryan’s eyes were narrowed and he was completely focused on me. The look made me think he was curious for his own reasons.

  “Being raised in the same town, we have the same desire to keep Blood Rock safe and free of corruption. He was betting that I’d be all right with him taking out a bad guy that was a threat in my jurisdiction.”

  Ryan sat up straighter. “You were thinking about it, weren’t you?” His voice held no accusation, just very matter-of-fact directness.

  My old partner was right. I was willing to let Ethan Ogden get away with murder if the circumstances were what I believed they were. All that had changed in his cabin in the woods. I’d realized how really manipulative the man was, and how I wouldn’t be any better than all the other corrupt officers out there if I let Ogden’s actions go. I would bring Ogden down and whoever else was stalking Blood Rock. Vigilante justice wasn’t going to be tolerated in my town.

  “Maybe for a second. I came to my senses. Anyone who breaks the law—especially by committing murder—should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. With the exception of domestic violence or child abuse, there aren’t any good excuses to come into my town and start killing people—even bad people. Cancer will grow in a department when officers begin playing judge and jury with the criminal system.”