Secrets in the Grave

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  His brows rose. “Fannie? It was her mother, Irene, I was treating. She suffers from gall bladder stones and asthma.” He shrugged. “I provided her with a green tea infused with milk thistle. It’s a common herbal remedy.”

  It made sense to me, and the easy manner in which Jonas spoke seemed to indicate truthfulness. I swiveled to look at Serenity.

  “Are you saying that you never administered any teas or herbs to Fannie Kuhns?” Serenity asked.

  I thought I glimpsed Jonas’ eyes tear up and his Adam’s apple rise as he swallowed, but when I blinked, his face was neutral, and his eyes dry. I chalked it up to my imagination.

  “No. I wasn’t under the impression that she had any medical problems,” Jonas replied, returning her stare. “It’s a shame that she died. If I’d been aware of her problem, I might have been able to help. At the very least, I would have advised her to see an English doctor for a thorough checkup.”

  “It’s been brought to my attention that you’re better than most midwives at delivering babies. Why wouldn’t you treat the woman on your own?” Serenity plowed on.

  He leaned back, taking a careful breath. “I didn’t know of her condition. If she had come to me, I wouldn’t have been able to help her.”

  “Why?” Serenity asked, drawing out the word with extra emphasis.

  “She wasn’t married. Her pregnancy was a sin,” he said the words slowly, as if his statement was obvious. “An emergency situation is different, of course, but as long as she had other options for medical help, she would have had to seek them out.”

  My gaze followed Serenity’s to the window. The sun pierced through the swiftly moving clouds. Faint rumbles from the storm as it moved away could still be heard.

  Serenity’s next words surprised me.

  “Why treat Irene’s gall bladder problems with herbs? Why not do what you just did with Mervin?” Her voice was light, but her stare was intense.

  Jonas glanced at me. “She really doesn’t understand our ways at all, does she?”

  I shook my head, avoiding Serenity’s gaze when she turned in my direction.

  “It’s God who decides who will be healed, not me—and not the patient,” Jonas said, dropping his voice. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James five sixteen.”

  “You mean to say that God heals some, while abandoning others?” I found my voice.

  Jonas’ strange blue eyes settled on me. The look of disappointment on his face was evident. He must have thought some of my strict, religious upbringing would have stuck with me. In truth, it had, but whenever my people preached about sinning and sinners, I took it personally.

  “It’s the Lord’s will who is saved and who isn’t. Sometimes a man, woman or child must learn a lesson before they’re gifted with a healing, then of course, they must cross paths with a real healer.”

  “How do you know when someone like Mervin or Irene are deserving of a healing?” Serenity asked.

  “The Lord guides me to my patients in dreams and visions. I don’t expect you to believe what I’m talking about. Outsiders rarely understand.” Jonas stifled a yawn. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to lie down. If you have any more questions, you can return another day.”

  “You aren’t heading out of town any time soon, are you Mr. Peachey?” Serenity said, rising from her seat.

  “Oh, no. I’ll be here when you need me. Rest assured.”

  Silence hung in the air between me and Serenity while I pulled onto the road, heading back to town. I glanced sideways at her. She stared out the window. Her finger tapped against her thigh.

  “What are you thinking?” I dared to ask. Serenity was uncharacteristically reserved. I was beginning to worry about her state of mind.

  She sighed. “Actually, I’m replaying that entire crazy scene over in my head, trying to figure out what the hell happened back there.”

  I cracked a smile. That was the Serenity I knew and loved.

  “It’s always an unnerving experience to witness a healing. There are forces…” I paused, searching for the right words. “…present that feel unnatural in a way.”

  “Exactly!” Serenity exclaimed. “I didn’t see anything, but it felt as if something else was in the room with us. For the life of me, I can’t decide whether it was good or bad.” Serenity snorted. “No one is going to believe me.”

  “I believe you.”

  Serenity barked a laugh. “That’s different. You’re used to this kind of insanity. How many times have you witnessed a healing, by the way?”

  I breathed deeply, thinking back to my childhood and counting the incidences. “Other than Ma healing Lester, there were three times. Two were by my great-grand Mammi. She’s the one that passed the gift down to Ma. She laid her hands on an infant who came into the world as blue as the evening sky and completely still. I was only about six at the time myself, so I don’t remember it very well, but I’ll never forget the giant gulp of air the baby took and the oppressive heaviness that hung in the air when I’d snuck a peek through the crack in the door. The next time was at a livestock sale. I was probably about thirteen. Great-grand Mammi was ancient by then. She shuffled around with a cane and her hair was as white as snow. I was standing beside her, gazing into a pen at some bulls that were going to be driven into the stock shoot. A cowboy was climbing along the top of the corral, working his way to the far gate when one of the bigger bulls slammed its head into the panel. The cowboy lost his balance and fell into the pen. A huge bull gored the man with its long, curved horns. I knew that man was a goner.

  “Several cowboys shimmied over the fence to help their friend. Luckily one of them had a cattle prod. He distracted the attacking bull long enough for the others to drag the injured man from the pen. His gut was bleeding and his pale face was pained. I remember Mammi asking him in English whether he believed the Lord was his savior. The man’s eyes opened and he managed a limp nod. ‘Yes ma’am, I do,’ he’d answered weakly.

  “Mammi laid her hands on the outsider just like she had the tiny, newborn infant. The air became heavy and the lights flickered. Mammi kept her hands on the man until the emergency personnel arrived. I distinctly remember the paramedic commenting that he was surprised that such a large wound wasn’t bleeding more. The man recovered fully. I even saw him working the cattle at a sale the following year.”

  When I grew quiet, Serenity said coaxingly, “You said you’d witnessed three times, what was the third?”

  Even though the storm had passed, the sky was dotted with swiftly moving clouds. Intermittently, a cloud passed over the sun, causing the sky to darken. The clouds blew by and the sun brightened the wet roadway once again.

  I took a shaky breath. “I was fifteen. Our family traveled to Ohio to visit cousins. At least that’s what I was told. Later I found out the truth. Ma had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Father sought out Jonas to do a healing on her. In a very creepy fashion, Jonas was expecting our arrival. He’d dreamed about it the week before. He agreed to a healing. My siblings and I were told stay in the guest room. Of course I didn’t listen. I snuck out the window while my sister and brother begged me stay.”

  “What did you see?” Serenity asked, her voice breathy.

  “Nothing. That’s the really scary part. Just when I was rising up on my tip toes to peek through the window, I became dizzy. I must have fainted. The next thing I remember is my father splashing a cup of water on my face. When I opened my eyes, the first person I saw was Ma. She was peering over Father’s shoulder at me, smiling. Her cancer was gone.” I shook my head to dislodge the uncomfortable memory. “I can’t explain it. She never had any radiation or chemotherapy. The English doctor was stunned. It was truly a miracle.”

  Silence drifted in the cab for a moment before Serenity found her voice. “Was it a miracle or someone selling their soul to the devil?” she asked with a frown.


  I had to be honest. “I don’t know.”

  6

  SERENITY

  “It’s a good thing you’re finally here, Serenity. Bobby is driving me crazy, checking in every five minutes, asking for you,” Rosie grumbled.

  She had been working in the Blood Rock’s Sheriff’s department for over thirty years. She still dyed her hair blonde and kept it swept up in a high bun. She was always smartly dressed and an even smarter thinker.

  I smiled at her. The woman’s combative relationship with Bobby amused me. “Call him and tell him we’re on our way.”

  “I wouldn’t walk too fast. Won’t hurt him to hold his horses for a change,” she called out as Daniel and I reached the stairs down to the morgue. I didn’t turn around to respond.

  “Were Rosie and Bobby ever romantically involved?” Daniel asked.

  “Funny you should ask. Todd told me they were indeed an item back in the day. I guess Rosie was a little too high strung for him. When she was hired on as the receptionist in the department, it nearly drove Bobby mad.” I glanced at Daniel, who was grinning. “He’s learned to deal with the situation over the years, but it isn’t easy for him.”

  I knocked on the door leading into the morgue. Bobby called out with a gruff voice to enter, and I pressed down on the handle. I wrinkled my nose at the onslaught of cleaning products and formaldehyde that assaulted my senses. Without much thought, I went into barely-breathing mode. It was the only way I could handle the autopsy room.

  Daniel swallowed and his face tightened. I forced my attention to Fannie Kuhns’ naked body lying on the examination table. Several overhead lights shone down on her gray skin. Her eyes were closed. She was on the plump side, with round and full breasts. My eyes were drawn to her long brown hair piled up around her head.

  It was never easy looking at a dead person who only hours before had been one of the living, but I’d become desensitized to it. I’d seen a fair amount of death lately.

  Bobby had his back turned to us, scribbling notes. I went to the counter and plucked two pairs of latex gloves from the box. I handed a pair to Daniel and squeezed my fingers into the other one.

  “What do you have for me, Bobby?”

  Bobby cleared his throat and picked up his clipboard. He turned and peered over his glasses at us.

  “I have some more tests before I write the official report, but on the Q.T., I’m fairly certain the cause of death is a massive obstetric hemorrhage. Basically, she bled to death.”

  “Have you determined the cause of the bleeding?” I glanced at Fannie’s face. A shiver passed through me. She was only in her twenties.

  Bobby sighed, following my gaze. “Catastrophic bleeding episodes rarely happen in the middle of pregnancy, but spontaneous hemorrhage isn’t unheard of, either. Sometimes no cause can even be determined.”

  “Don’t say that, Bobby. I’m trusting you to figure out what happened to Fannie.” I narrowed my eyes.

  He ignored my look and statement. “What I can tell you for sure is she lost about three and a half pints of blood. When I inspected the room where she died, I didn’t find the evidence of that much blood, which leads me to believe the mother and sister took the time to dispose of the bloody linens before we arrived.”

  “That’s not so uncommon with Amish women. They’re often present for births, deaths and the treatment of sick individuals. I wouldn’t be surprised if they removed the soiled bedding. They’re extremely thoughtful about cleanliness,” Daniel pointed out.

  “My issue isn’t so much with the cleaning up of the evidence, so to speak, but that it would have taken the woman a while to bleed out that much.” Bobby shifted his gaze to me. “Why wouldn’t they have called the paramedics or even their own Amish healer before she died?”

  “That’s a good question and one I don’t have the answer to—yet,” I said. “Perhaps the family didn’t know she was bleeding. She probably went into shock before she even lost enough blood to kill her.”

  Bobby nodded. “That is true.” He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “How did the visit with the medicine man go?”

  I turned to Daniel. He shrugged and leaned against the counter. It felt wrong to talk over a person’s dead body, but I shook off the dirty feeling and replied, “I witnessed a miraculous healing.”

  Bobby leaned in over Fannie, ignoring her all together. His eyes were bright.

  “It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen,” I admitted. “Do you remember Mervin Lapp, the little brother of Naomi’s killer?” Bobby nodded. “The injury he sustained when his brother hit him in the leg with the butt end of his shotgun never really healed. He was limping around in pain, and the medical professionals told him he’d need future surgeries to fully recover.” I ran my hand through my hair. Talking about it made me feel like a crazy person. “Well, Jonas healed him—right before my very eyes.”

  “I’ve heard of such healings.” Bobby grunted. “I wish I’d been there to witness it. I’ve always wondered if a person has that kind of power, why don’t they heal everyone?”

  “I basically asked the same question. Jonas is a conduit for God’s healing power. And God decides who gets healed,” I said.

  “Fascinating. I’d like to hear more about it over lunch tomorrow.” Bobby set down his clipboard. He pulled the plastic sheet over Fannie. “I don’t have time for it now. I want to get the samples sent off to the state lab this evening. Whatever Fannie was drinking in that cup might hold some of the answers we’re looking for.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” A headache began to throb on the side of my forehead. The strange afternoon had caught up with me.

  Daniel and I left Bobby at his desk, sorting out the samples and placing them in urgent delivery boxes. We dragged back up the steps, lost in thought. Part of me was revisiting the healing I’d witnessed and the other was thinking about Fannie and her tragic death.

  I also wondered whether Daniel would spend the night. He’d been staying over at my apartment more frequently lately, and I’d noticed that he’d left his toothbrush beside mine that morning. The rapid developments in the relationship left me feeling rushed. It was odd that Daniel wanted to spend so much time at my place. He lived in a beautiful log cabin on the outskirts of town. It was much nicer than the one bedroom efficiency I was renting while I waited for the insurance company to conclude their investigation into the arson of my last home.

  There was still the dreaded conversation that Daniel had started that morning to worry about. Would he bring up the matter again? Clenching my teeth, I glanced over at him, only to find him smirking back at me as if he’d read my mind.

  “It’s almost quitting time,” he said, pointing to his watch.

  I stopped and tilted my head. “I was thinking that maybe we could drive out to your parents’ house and ask them some questions.” I felt cowardly about my ulterior motives, but shrugged it off.

  “Tonight?” Daniel scowled. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. More than likely, Aaron has called a meeting with the ministers that will include Father. And Ma is probably still at the Kuhns’ house. She’s close with Irene. She’ll want to be there to comfort her and help make arrangements.”

  Everything he said made perfect sense, but I still felt the prickle of irritation that he’d so easily shot down my attempt to avoid being alone with him that evening. He’d definitely take advantage of the situation. I’d be forced to discuss something that I didn’t want to and that was something I wasn’t ready for.

  “I’m afraid I have a lot of paperwork to sift through tonight. It’s probably best if you head on home. We can catch up tomorrow morning, maybe even head back out to the Amish settlement to talk to your parents and a few other people,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t argue.

  “You have to eat. Why don’t we at least have dinner at Nancy’s Diner first? You can come back here to finish whatever work you need to,” Daniel offered. His eyes were not only wide with expectancy, but also daring me to refuse. />
  I was about to come up with an excuse when Rosie called out. “Serenity, don’t you dare leave yet. The new assistant DA stopped by to meet you. She’s waiting in your office.”

  My brows rose and I groaned. Elayne Weaver wasn’t supposed to start the job for a few weeks. I wasn’t even aware that she’d made the move.

  “Sorry, I’m going to have to talk to her.” I feigned disappointment.

  “I’ll hang out until you’re finished. How long can it take to say hello and welcome her to the neighborhood?”

  “Whatever,” I muttered, turning on my heels. I felt Daniel’s presence behind me when I reached my office and opened up the door.

  The woman looking out the window was not at all what I was expecting. Her black heels were at least four inches high, making her already tall, slender frame resemble a model. Even though she wasn’t officially on the job, she wore a tailored black skirt and cream colored blouse that had a feminine ruffle at the neckline. Her hair was exceptionally long, thick and sleekly black. She wore minimal makeup on a flawless, oval face. In a single glimpse, I was jealous of her.

  She left the window with an outstretched hand. “Sheriff Adams, it’s such a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Elayne Weaver. Mayor Ed Johnson had the nicest things to say about you. I even was introduced to your deputy, Todd Roftin. He’s quite the character.”

  Elayne’s voice was as feminine as her clothing, her figure and her face. She was cheerleader material all the way. Back in high school, I hated girls like her. I was a jeans and sneakers, soccer playing sort of a girl. I only wore heels to weddings and funerals.

  I recovered quickly from her friendly bombardment. “It’s nice to meet you, Elayne. I hope you’ll enjoy living here in Blood Rock. It’s a little rural for some people’s tastes,” I said with forced perkiness.

  “Oh, I’m quite familiar with Blood Rock,” she said.

  I tilted my head, “Really?”

  “This used to be my home.”

  “Elayne, is that really you?” Daniel asked, stepping through the doorway.