Secrets in the Grave

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  Ada Mae’s voice had a calming quality to it. If she weren’t Amish, I could easily picture her working as a nurse. There was just something about her easy-going manner that reminded me of Todd’s fiancé, Heather. She was an Emergency Room nurse.

  It was more than likely impossible to find out exactly what caused Robyn’s death ten years earlier. Even the doctors at the hospital where she was taken were vague in their answers, feeling that the fact she was Amish and hadn’t had any prenatal care with a professional had probably contributed to her death in some way. I’d been told that the original doctor who had tried to save her life was now working in California, and his notes agreed with the coroner’s conclusion. I was beginning to feel like I was chasing a ghost.

  Changing gears, I took a chance. “It’s come to my attention that Jonas was treating Irene before her daughter’s death. Do you know anything about this?”

  Ada Mae nodded. “He was treating Fannie, too. Ever since Irene’s husband passed away from cancer, the Kuhns’ women were having issues sleeping at night. I prepared a special chamomile tea to help them rest.”

  Her words sparked a memory of my earlier conversation with Wilma. “Besides the chamomile, were there other ingredients in the tea?”

  “I added a small amount of wild lettuce. It works well with the chamomile to soothe a person’s mind, and it helps relieve Irene’s asthma. The peppermint makes it taste better. It’s my special ingredient.”

  “Does Jonas know as much about these plants as you do?”

  Ada Mae smiled, shaking her head. “Not so much. Even he admits that.”

  I heard the girls’ footsteps coming down the staircase, combined with giggling.

  A gunshot blast sounded as the window beside the front door shattered. The girls screamed and Ada Mae exclaimed something in German.

  “Get down.” I motioned to Ada Mae before I turned to the girls standing in the door opening from the hallway. “On the floor!” I ordered.

  I had my gun in hand and was up against the wall in a fluid movement. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I peeked out into the darkness through the window opening. The farm had no yard lights, my view obstructed by the murkiness of nighttime and shadows stretching down from the barn. I held my breath. There was silence.

  The gunning of the car’s engine was like a slap to my face. I grabbed the handle of the front door and flung it open. I tried to jog a few times a week, so I wasn’t in terrible physical shape, but I hadn’t had to rundown a criminal in a while.

  The rear lights of an older model sedan disappeared around the bend as I reached my car. I shoved the key into the ignition and flung the car into reverse. Thunk, thunk, thunk.

  “Dammit,” I growled, putting the car into park and jumping out. The back tires were flat. I could see the slashes.

  Ada Mae was hesitant as she approached me. The two girls were peeking out the front door.

  “Do you have any idea who shot at your house?” I asked, pulling the cellphone out of my pocket.

  Ada Mae shook her head. Her face was pale and her mouth gaped open.

  I focused on my phone, realizing that the woman wasn’t in the proper state to have a conversation.

  “Todd, put out an APB county wide for a dark colored, four-door sedan,” I said into the phone.

  “Is that all you got? Where are you?” he replied, his voice tense.

  “That’s it. I’m going to need a ride. I’m out at Jonas Peachey’s farm in the Amish settlement. It’s on the east end of Burkey Road, not too far from where Naomi was shot.”

  “Got it. I’ll let dispatch know. Do you need any personnel—medical help?”

  “No. We’re good here,” I said curtly, hanging up.

  The pounding of hooves on the pavement echoed and I raised my head. A horse and buggy blended into the night, but I could follow their approaching movement by sound alone. When the buggy turned into the driveway, the definition of the horse became clear. I glanced at Ada Mae who took the few steps to stand beside me.

  Jonas’ pale eyes shone out from the buggy before I saw his features. The sight of those freaky eyes made my heart rate speed up again.

  Jonas pulled the horse down from a trot to stop beside us. He nodded at me. “I wasn’t expecting you, Sherriff. What brings you by?”

  My eyes narrowed as I stared at the man. His hair was messy and the top few buttons on his blue shirt were unbuttoned, allowing me to catch a glimpse of black hair on his chest. I gauged his age to be somewhere around forty-five, but he had the swagger of a younger man.

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you in a buggy, Mr. Peachey,” I said. When his brows rose, I took a breath and stopped myself from giving too much away of what I’d seen earlier. “When I was driving over here, I got turned around and ended up on Route Ten. I could have sworn I saw you riding in a minivan,” I lied.

  “Yes, you probably did. Benjamin, one of the drivers, picked me up from Joseph Bender’s farm this afternoon to run errands in town with a couple other community members.” He smiled with a shrug. “It’s cheaper to pool our resources and share the cost. I left the horse and buggy there until I returned.”

  Was the guy that smooth or was he telling the truth? It was hard to tell. His eyes were locked with mine, displaying either honesty or intense dominance. His story did make sense, though.

  “Da, you won’t believe what happened,” Verna called out from the house. An instant later, she ran up to her father with Esta chasing after her.

  Jonas lost the smile and his eyes widened in alarm. He shifted the handle of the buggy into park and hopped out in front of Ada Mae.

  “What’s happened?” he asked her. His voice rose to a higher pitch.

  Ada Mae replied to Jonas in their language. I could only guess from the excited inflections in her voice and her finger pointing at the front of the house, she was telling him about his window being shot out.

  When she finished speaking, Jonas turned back to me. “Did you see who did this?”

  “It was a navy blue or black, four-door sedan that sped away. I don’t believe they fired the shot from the car, either.” I motioned to my own car. “Slashed my tires. They were smart enough to do it as insurance that I wouldn’t pursue them.”

  “You keep saying they. Did you see more than one person?” Jonas asked.

  “No, I didn’t see anyone. It’s just a feeling, I guess,” I answered truthfully, staring at my deflated tires.

  “I have an idea of who might have done this,” Jonas said slowly.

  I met his gaze and he didn’t look away. “Go on,” I urged.

  “Joseph’s son has had a couple of run ins with a group of rowdy English teens. That’s why I was there. He wanted to talk to me about it,” Jonas said.

  I tilted my head. “Do you mean the Joseph Bender who’s married to Katherine?”

  “Yes, that’s the one.”

  “Is it Eli who’s having these problems?” I asked. When I said the name, my heart fluttered. He was the boy who was originally courting Naomi before she decided to run off with my nephew. I knew Amish communities were small worlds, but this was ridiculous.

  Jonas nodded. “It seems these boys forced his buggy off the road the other night. Luckily, Eli was only bruised. The horse needed stitches and the buggy a new wheel, though. There was another incident where the same boys shoved Eli at the stockyard during an auction.”

  All the information swirled around in my head like a mini tornado. What any of this had to do with the broken window behind me or Fannie’s death, I had no idea.

  “Why would Joseph call you and not the bishop or even Moses Buckner? Better yet, here’s a novel idea—why not report these incidents to my office?” I crossed my arms in front of me.

  “One of the boys is Benjamin’s son. Joseph asked me to talk to the man about the situation before we called you. Aaron and Moses are aware of what’s going on.” Jonas leaned forward in a conspiratorial way. “My people like to govern themselves.” />
  I snorted. I was already aware of how the Amish took matters into their own hands. I heard the cruiser slowing down before I saw it pull into the driveway. I was grateful that Todd didn’t come roaring in with the sirens blaring. The horse stomped and looked over its shoulder at the approaching vehicle.

  “Girls, please take Remington to the stable and unhitch him. I’ll be there shortly to help brush him down,” Jonas told his daughters. He turned to Ada Mae. “I have a few bags in the buggy. You can take them to the house.”

  Ada Mae and the girls went to work, leaving me waiting alone with Jonas while Todd parked beside my car.

  “It’s nice that your sister is here to help you raise your younger children,” I commented.

  Jonas puckered his lips. “Yes, I’m blessed to have Ada Mae. I don’t know what I would have done without her following my wife’s passing.”

  The car door slamming shifted my gaze from Jonas to Todd. He strode purposely towards us.

  “I put the APB out. Haven’t heard anything yet. With that kind of a vague description, we’re not working with much,” Todd said. He came to a stop in front of us.

  I introduced the two men and explained to Todd what had happened.

  “What’s the game plan, boss?” Todd asked me. Jonas appeared to be waiting patiently, but his piercing gaze betrayed him. Those light blue eyes sparked with intensity.

  “I guess it’s not too late to have a talk with Eli Bender,” I said.

  “Oh, man. You’re kidding me,” Todd exclaimed.

  “I wish it was a joke,” I said.

  I’d discovered on the job a long time ago that the same people had a tendency to keep popping up in criminal investigations, so I wasn’t as surprised as I should have been.

  “I’ll have a tow truck out here tomorrow morning to get my car,” I told Jonas over my shoulder.

  Jonas acknowledged my statement with a lopsided smile. “I hope you find the answers you’re looking for, Sheriff.”

  I didn’t look back. Chills crawled over me at his words.

  14

  DANIEL

  “This is perfect. Should I write you a deposit check to hold it for a couple of weeks until I move in?” Elayne asked.

  Her voice broke through the haze I’d been in since Serenity had driven away. I looked warily at the brunette. She changed a lot since she’d left the Amish. In those days, she was quieter, more likely to listen than to chatter like a magpie. Looking at her made up face, short skirt, and cleavage-revealing blouse, it was hard to believe she had ever been Amish. Funny. Serenity didn’t wear makeup and had her hair in a ponytail most of the time and she was raised on the outside.

  I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll hold it for you. We can catch up on the paperwork when you’ve moved in.”

  “You’re so sweet, Daniel.” She tilted her head. “You know, I was a little worried about moving back here, being so close to the community. Having you around is making it easier.”

  I recognized the longing look on her face. I had to put an end to whatever crazy thoughts were going through her head. I wanted Serenity. I wasn’t going to do anything to make her lose faith in us.

  Swallowing, I blew out a breath. “It’s been nice to see you, too, but I want to be up front. Serenity and I are dating. I’m very content with the relationship. I’m not going to be able to hold your hand while you readjust to living in Blood Rock. It just wouldn’t be right. I hope you understand.”

  Elayne’s mouth thinned into a tight smile. She laughed and swatted my arm. “I thought something was up between you two. I’m kind of surprised though.”

  “Why?” I dared to ask.

  “Well, Serenity is a beauty, no doubt, but she’s so, how do I put it without being rude? I guess overly serious is the best way to describe her. When we were kids, I remember you being outgoing and fun—a party guy.”

  “Serenity is serious because of her job. Every day, she puts her life on the line and she knows the officers who work with her are doing the same thing. She’s seen horrible things. She’s always thinking and she’s ready for anything. She is unlike any woman I’ve met before and that’s why I love her.”

  “Love? I didn’t see that kind of closeness between you two earlier. Forgive my frankness, but she seemed angry at you.” She dropped her voice as if she didn’t want to say the words. I wasn’t fooled.

  She was playing the game. I’d been a bachelor a long time. I knew all the games, but I didn’t want to give Elayne the satisfaction of knowing her presence in Blood Rock was part of the problem. “All couples have bumps in the road. We’re no different,” I replied.

  “If you ever need to talk about it, I’m here for you. I just hope that Serenity isn’t the jealous type. After all, we are old friends.” She shrugged and gave a pouty smile. I had to give her credit. A lesser man would be a goner. She was good.

  “I don’t think it will come to that.” I glanced at my watch. “I’m out of time. I’ll lock up and you can text me when you’re ready to move in. I’ll meet you with the key and the paperwork then.”

  “Yes, I have to go, too. I’m driving out to the settlement this evening,” she said, repositioning her purse on her shoulder.

  Her words stopped my step. “Are you visiting family?”

  “No.” She laughed. “I’m not ready for that reunion just yet.” She sobered, meeting my gaze. “Do you know Irene Kuhns?”

  “Yes, I do,” I said.

  “One of her daughters died the other day. I guess it was a complication of childbirth. She wasn’t even married. Quite the scandal.” Her brows arched. “Well, I used to be close to Irene. She has asthma and when I was a teenager, I’d go to her house to clean and do laundry. Her daughters were babies then. Irene was always kind to me, even when everyone else frowned at my rebellious ways. I can only imagine the pain she’s going though. I heard she lost her husband last year and now to lose a daughter. I want to check in on her and see if she needs anything.”

  “Would her surviving daughter, Hannah, remember you?” I asked, feeling the tingle of hope that Elayne might be the way to get Hannah to open up about what had been going on with her sister.

  Elayne shook her head. “No, probably not. When I left the community for good, she was a toddler.” Her eyes brightened and she leaned in. “Why do you ask?”

  Elayne was an intelligent woman and she was going to be the town’s assistant DA. I was betting that she’d be willing to help out with the investigation. Serenity wouldn’t like it, but how else were we going to get any answers about a shy Amish girl like Fannie Kuhns? Elayne might be our best bet.

  I ignored the chalky dryness in my mouth. I wasn’t betraying Serenity—I was trying to help her.

  I cleared my throat. “Some of the Amish in the community think that Fannie’s death might not have been natural.”

  “Seriously?” Elayne’s eyes widened.

  “I can’t talk to you about who they are and why they have their misgivings. I need you to trust me. If you’re up to it, you might even be able to assist the investigation.”

  Elayne flipped her long hair over her shoulder and grinned. “How intriguing. As long as we stay within the boundaries of the law, you can count me in.”

  A knot grew in my gut at her quick offer to help. I hoped Serenity would understand.

  “It’s a long shot, maybe Irene or Hannah will open up to you. I’ll wait here in your car.”

  “If everything you told me is correct, Serenity might have a good case against Jonas Peachey. The situation is certainly questionable,” Elayne said with a more serious tone than she’d used since she’d returned to Blood Rock. Having someone in the DA’s office who knew the Amish on a personal level, but also understood the law, could be a valuable asset.

  “Our people are different. They try to police themselves, and sometimes it just doesn’t work out. I hope I’m wrong about my suspicions, but if I’m not, that guy needs to be locked up.”

  “
I agree.” Elayne paused, lifting one of her perfectly curved brows. “Wish me luck?”

  “You got it,” I said, forcing a smile.

  I watched Elayne walk in her high heels through the grass and up the front porch steps. She rapped on the door; it opened and she slipped in. It appeared we already had some luck handed to us. There weren’t any buggies parked in the driveway and only a couple of windows illuminated dull light.

  The moon was full and high in the sky. It had taken longer to show the apartment to Elayne than I had expected, and she’d insisted on getting dinner from Nancy’s before we left town. I only agreed if she grabbed a takeout bag instead of dining in. The last thing I needed was for it to get back to Serenity that I’d shared another meal with Elayne.

  She’d complained that it was impossible to eat a salad and drive her car at the same time. It was a valid point and I’d offered to drive while she ate. She’d agreed, making me wonder if it was a bad idea. I’d shaken the feeling off and headed out of town with my foot resting heavily on the accelerator. If I was with Serenity, she’d have ordered a burger bigger than the one I was eating, and she would’ve had no trouble finishing it off while pursuing a criminal at high speed.

  I looked out the open window at Irene’s vegetable garden. With the moonlight brightening the night, I could make out the shapes of tomato plants stretched neatly in a line. The other plants were still too small to know what they were from this distance, but I guessed she had some sweet corn, green beans and summer squash.

  The temperature was warm for this late in the day and this early in the season. I wondered if it signaled an early arrival of summer. I rested my arm out the window as my thoughts strayed to Serenity. With my other hand, I picked up my cell phone again. No new messages. I’d texted her a dozen times since I’d last seen her and she hadn’t responded. Under the circumstances, it could be that she was still pissed at me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something else might be going on. The little sheriff had a way of getting herself into sticky situations. I was half tempted to call Todd and see if she’d checked in with him. The only thing that made me hesitate was that I hated to give the deputy the satisfaction of knowing I didn’t have a clue where she was.