Evil in My Town

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  “Why are you really here?” I hated the squeak in my voice.

  “Why is it so hard to believe I came to see you and Lindsey?” When my brows rose, he continued. “You two were always together, so I figured you’d be here.”

  His words swirled in the blustery air between us. My heart slowed and I chewed my lip. The cold was invading my coat, chilling me to the bone. Random visions of dead kids in the school’s hallway weren’t helping. I rubbed my temples in an attempt to erase the gory images from my mind.

  I dared to meet Hunter’s unwavering gaze. “You don’t feel any guilt about what happened today?”

  “Bad things happen to people all the time, and they don’t pick up a gun and shoot up a bunch of people. Jackson was sick in the head. No, we can’t blame ourselves—and you were just there because of Lindsey. You definitely shouldn’t worry about anything. Besides, Jackson is dead. It’s over.”

  The breath caught in my throat. “I do worry. My aunt is the sheriff. She never stops until she figures out every single angle. She’s just like that. If she discovers I was there that night, she’s going to kill me.”

  “So many of our friends died today, Taylor—Ms. Fletcher and Mr. Dodgly too. It’s a little shallow to be worrying about getting in trouble, don’t you think?”

  His words sunk in like the pounding of a sledgehammer. I gulped, unable to see Hunter through the tears. Without warning, he pulled me against his chest and hugged me. I almost squirmed out of his tight hold, but I was too tired to wrestle with him. He was right. How could I worry about Aunt Reni finding out about that night when our classmates and teachers were dead?

  But I still couldn’t stifle the fear that gripped my heart.

  As I sagged against Hunter’s chest, I couldn’t forget Danielle’s face when she had glared at me, or the smirk on the stranger’s lips when he’d stepped out of the shadows.

  Aunt Reni would eventually find out, and then I really was dead.

  8

  Serenity

  Daniel’s lips lingered on mine and I didn’t want to pull away. He smelled like wood smoke and leather this morning and the inside of his Jeep was warm. Just beyond the vehicle’s windows were three inches of fresh snow from the night before with temperatures hovering in the teens. It wasn’t even officially winter yet, and the weather had taken a turn from the chilly bright days of autumn. The icy conditions fit my mood for the day. Would it ever end—the barrage of senseless acts of violence?

  As if he read my mind, Daniel caressed my shoulder and offered a small smile. “It will get better. It always does.”

  I puffed out my frustration and pulled my hat down lower on my head. “I wish I had your optimism. It’s been one crime spree after another for over a year now. I think Blood Rock is cursed.”

  “Some of those crimes took place in other towns,” Daniel pointed out.

  “Then maybe it’s just me. I’m the one who’s cursed.”

  Daniel’s face scrunched. “Don’t say that. You’re the one who solved all those crimes and stopped the bad guys from hurting more innocent people. I think you’re the luckiest person around—the most blessed. Someone’s watching over you, Serenity.”

  I rolled my eyes. This was one of the problems I had with Daniel. He really was a man of faith. I suspected it was his upbringing with the Amish, but whatever it was, I didn’t share his rosy outlook about our fellow humans. I’d seen too much suffering and sick shit to think someone was watching over me or anyone else.

  “I’d like to know where the Higher Authority you’re talking about was when Miriam Coblenz and her groom were gunned down at their own wedding, along with her father and several other guests. Or when the serial killer, Caleb Johnson, killed and mutilated those poor Amish girls, and nearly killed CJ. And now this. Where was He when that psycho kid shot up his classmates and teachers? There’s only chaos in the world,” I argued.

  Daniel sighed heavily and took my hand into his own. He touched the gem on the engagement ring he’d given me. “We’ve talked about this before. I’ve tried to explain, but I understand how you feel. Especially after everything you’ve seen and the actions you’ve had to take to keep this town safe.”

  I lowered my voice. “I’m just exhausted. Twenty-six people gone. This was the third most deadly school shooting in the United States. We just wrapped up the paperwork for Caleb Johnson’s killing spree—and now this. Our little department can’t keep up with so many calamities.”

  “Don’t you have help from the outside on this one?”

  “Of course, and I’m grateful for the feds’ support, but they complicate matters.”

  “Well, at least this doesn’t have anything to do with the Amish, for a change.”

  I snorted. “Yeah. There is that, at least.”

  I grabbed the door handle and Daniel stopped me. “Call me if you need anything. I’m in town today,”

  I leaned over and kissed him lightly. His hand curled around the side of my face. “I love you, Serenity. Have faith that things will get better.”

  I exhaled. “You know, we’ll have to delay the wedding.”

  He rubbed the black stubble on his chin. “Let’s not make that call right now. If we have to catch a break to get married, we might never tie the knot.”

  I dropped my head back. “You just said things will get better, but now you admit it’s never going to improve,” I challenged.

  He snorted softly. “Got me there.” He continued in a nonchalant way. “I’m just saying we shouldn’t put off the wedding. There isn’t a mystery that you have to solve. There’s no one in danger anymore.” When I began to protest, he raised his finger and wagged it. “It’s just a small ceremony in a couple of weeks, with a few close friends and family. We might as well get it over with.”

  This time I smiled. “That’s so romantic, Daniel. I think I’m going to swoon.”

  “Hey, I’ll be very romantic on our honeymoon when we’re on that warm tropical beach.”

  The sideways grin he flashed at me spread warm honey through my belly. My heart fluttered. “Dammit, don’t do that!”

  “What am I doing?” His voice was velvet and one brow rose questioningly.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” I flung the door open and stepped out into brisk air.

  “Can we meet for lunch—or dinner—or I can bring you something to eat later?”

  I huffed. He knew me so well. “I’ll be tied up all day. I’ll text you if I get a free moment.”

  I had closed the door and was about to walk away when the passenger window lowered and he called out, “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I stuttered the words out and hurried to the sidewalk that led to the back entrance of the building. The usually vacant parking lot was packed with cars from out of state. I had spotted a crowd gathered at the front of the building and had asked Daniel to pull around back to avoid the questions and cameras.

  I licked my lips thinking about how messed up I was as I slid in the back door and unzipped my jacket. I couldn’t even tell my fiancé I loved him without stuttering. The idea of getting married made my heart gallop and tied my stomach in knots.

  Rosie saw me and hurried over. She handed me a hot cup of coffee and I loved the red-headed receptionist for it. Before she could begin rambling on, I interrupted. “I’ve already been to the school this morning and I talked to the feds. The bodies should be released to the families this afternoon, except the shooter, we’re holding him for a while longer. Grievance counsellors will be on hand at the middle school auditorium today. The press can get an update about the wounded at ten-thirty this morning at Blood Rock Regional Hospital, and Greater Union Memorial will update on the two victims that were taken there at noon. I’ll have another press release for you by early afternoon, and I’ll talk to reporters at five o’clock.”

  Rosie’s
head nodded as she crossed off items on her notepad. “Very good, very good,” she mumbled. “That takes care of about everything for the moment.” I turned to leave and she spoke up. “Wait, here’s a message from a lady in Indianapolis. Says she’s looking for her sister who’s gone missing. She thinks she might be in Blood Rock.” She handed me the note.

  It was such a mundane inquiry and yet, my muscles tightened as I stared down at the woman’s name and number.

  “Oh, and Toby Bryant is waiting in your office,” she added.

  Her words got me walking quickly down the hallway.

  The school shooting didn’t fall into the jurisdiction of the US Marshals Service, and the sudden appearance of my partner in a cold case that began in the Strasburg Amish community in Pennsylvania last summer, and ended with the Coblenz wedding massacre was not expected, to say the least.

  When I came through the doorway, the tan cowboy hat was a welcome surprise. He greeted me with a lopsided smile and bright blue eyes. “Howdy, Sheriff,” he said, tipping his hat.

  I couldn’t stop my smile from spreading. Toby was one of those charming country boy types, but underneath all that polite small-town persona was a damn good officer of the law. He certainly had no qualms about bending the rules on an investigation to get the job done, which made him even more likeable in my book.

  I shook his hand and sat down across my desk from him. “What brings you to my neck of the woods, Toby?”

  He removed the hat and set it on his lap. “Thought you might need some help around here.” He offered a slight frown with raised brows. “You have a lot on your plate at the moment.”

  I nodded and tugged my ponytail tighter. “I’ve seen a hell of a lot, but this”—I let out a long breath—“is the worst I’ve ever experienced.” I leaned over the desk. “All those poor innocent kids gunned down like animals. Unlike Brent Prowes, who opened fire at the Coblenz wedding reception because of a jealous infatuation with an Amish girl from his past, our shooter at the school doesn’t appear to have any particular motive at all, except to kill as many of his classmates as possible.”

  Toby’s gaze focused and I could clearly see his mind working. “There’s always a motive, Sheriff, you and I both know that. It’s just the figuring it out that keeps life interesting.”

  I glanced out the window. Snow flurries were dancing around in the wind. When I looked back at Toby, I dropped my voice without much thought. “We’re following the usual leads—disgruntled relationship, bullying, problems at home—but haven’t come up with anything solid at this time. The rifle was legally owned by his older brother, and stolen straight out of a gun cabinet that wasn’t secured. The kid didn’t use social media, so there’s no trail there. And the students we’ve interviewed so far said that although Jackson Merritt didn’t have many friends and wasn’t popular, he wasn’t threatening in any way. Everyone, from the teachers and office staff to the students, were shocked to hear he was the shooter.”

  “That’s strange. Usually when there’s mass shootings like this, people start coming out of the woodwork proclaiming they always suspected the shooter would act out sooner or later. Sometimes there’s physical or sexual abuse, a broken home, or drug use involved. Then there are those cases where we’re dealing with a true narcissistic personality. In most cases, there’s that yeah I saw it coming with that guy moment.”

  I tapped my fingers onto the desk and Toby sat back in the seat, waiting.

  “There is something that’s got me perplexed and maybe even a little spooked.” Toby tilted his head. He still looked relaxed, but there was a subtle change in his stance. Curiosity had made him alert. “The shooter’s MO changed after he reloaded a second magazine. His desire to kill as many people as possible was interrupted.” Toby’s brows rose higher. “He focused on one or possibly two teens, going to great lengths to follow them into a quieter part of the school.” I took a chance, trusting the Marshal. “One of the kids was my niece, and I don’t think she’s being entirely honest with me about her connection to the shooter.”

  “I see.” He rubbed his chin, his gaze on a faraway imaginary place.

  I let him have his moment to think about what I’d just said, trying to be as cool as he was.

  His eyes locked on mine. “It’s never enough for me to find and arrest a fugitive. I want to know what made that particular person commit the crimes they did. The journey to discover their secrets is what my job is all about.”

  “That’s how I feel,” I said. “There’s more to this tragedy than just a troubled teen with a gun.”

  “But you’re afraid if you dig too deep, you might uncover something that will damage your niece.”

  I nodded reluctantly. “If I don’t at least try to find the answers to those questions, someone else might get hurt.”

  “You think your shooter has a connection to another crime?”

  “Call it a gut instinct, because I don’t have anything else to go on.” I took a sip of my coffee, savoring the strong, warm liquid in my mouth.

  “I know you, Sheriff. You won’t be able to sleep at night if you don’t follow your gut.” He shrugged. “Who knows, there might not be anything nefarious going on with your niece after all, but it’s a gamble you need to take to discover the truth.”

  I met his somber gaze and inclined my head. “Why are you really here, Marshal? I find it hard to believe John is wasting manpower on an event that the FBI and the locals have jurisdiction over.”

  He grunted. “I’m on vacation.”

  “Are you serious—you’re spending your precious time off here in Blood Rock because of a school massacre?”

  Toby put his hat back on and pressed it down just right. “I don’t have a girlfriend, wife, or kids, very little family, and a handful of busy friends. It seemed like the right thing to do, coming here to assist you in any way you might need.” He winked. “Besides, I recall a certain Sheriff coming to Pennsylvania with me and my partner to solve a cold case while she was on her vacation.”

  I smirked. “Got me there.”

  “So, what can I do for you, Sheriff? I’m at your service.”

  My cheeks warmed and I really hoped Toby didn’t see me blushing. He was an attractive man, with a wiry, athletic frame and boyish grin. His mustache and the light shading of two-day old stubble on his chin made him look like he’d just stepped out of an old western movie. But it was the Texan accent that often made tingles creep over my skin when he spoke. I blinked, taking a quick breath. “Actually, I’m glad you showed up.” I handed him the memo Rosie had given me in the hallway. “I’m completely booked up with the school shooting, so I won’t have time to look into this, and you’re pretty good at tracking people down, right?”

  “Yes, Ma’am. That’s what I do best.” He tipped his hat. “I’ll get right on this.”

  “Talk to Rosie. There’s a vacant desk and an extra computer in the corner of the front room. Make yourself comfortable, and let me know if you need anything.”

  “I sure will.” He said it in a polite way, but there was something more to the smoothness of his tone. I almost thought he was flirting.

  Toby passed Todd coming in as he left the room. “Do you have a moment, boss?”

  I glanced at my watch. “Just one. I have to meet with Bobby and then get back to the school.”

  “I got the list of convicted and suspected drug dealers in the area you requested.” He handed it to me and I began to slide the paper into a folder on my desk. “You might want to take a look at it before you leave.” His voice was edgy and his square jaw set. “Danielle Brown died of what appeared to be an accidental overdose on heroin and fentanyl. Everyone on that list was either dealing cocaine or heroin, or both.”

  My time with Toby had seriously put me behind schedule and I was anxious to get moving, but Todd’s worried look made me hesitate and lift the paper. I scanned it twi
ce and paused.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I wish I were.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Does that mean you’ll be adding the Amish community to your agenda for today?”

  Visions of buggies and beards sprinkled my mind. I shook my head. “It will have to be tomorrow, but yes, it seems a trip out to the settlement is warranted.”

  I folded the paper and stuffed it in my pocket. I inwardly groaned when I thought about the bishop and what he was going to say when I showed up.

  9

  Taylor

  My little car bounced up the pitted driveway, splashing through icy puddles. I slowed to avoid hitting a chicken and parked in front of the white farmhouse. Tentacles of smoke rose from the chimney into the cold air. I breathed in the burning wood smell.

  Two girls were picking up logs on the front porch. They were dressed the same in greenish-blue dresses that reminded me of the ocean. The bottoms of their dresses flapped in the wind, along with the strings on their white caps. I hadn’t been to the Amish community in a while. Seeing the girls in their odd clothes reminded me of my only Amish friend. Her name was Naomi and she’d fallen in love with my brother, Will. They were going to run away to Montana together to join the rodeo and live happily ever after. But she was murdered and never got the chance to go. She was shot dead in a cornfield by a crazy, jealous teenager, like Jackson. Only that boy had been Amish. As far as I knew, he was locked up in some prison far away.

  I shivered. Aunt Reni sometimes said she thought Blood Rock was cursed. Maybe it was. As I climbed the stairs, I thought about Naomi’s mischievous smile and contagious laughter. It had taken her a little while to open up, but once she had, she seemed like any other teenage girl. Yet, she was different. She was secretive and suspicious, always worried that someone was spying on her.

  One of the girls jumped when she turned around and I saw me. She must not have heard my car through the howling wind. Her doe eyes rounded and a snowflake caught on her lash, but she couldn’t wipe it away because her hands were full of logs.