Hunter waved from across the diner and I hurried over to him. Nancy’s Diner was packed. I noticed a lot of unfamiliar faces, along with the usual customers.
“Hey, girl. Are you meeting your aunt?”
I stopped and turned to Nancy. Her dyed red hair was coiled neatly on top of her head. The amount of makeup she wore was distracting. “No, not today. I’m with a friend.”
Her gaze followed mine and her eyes widened. “Oh, I see.” She leaned in closer. “Got yourself a nice-looking young man, Taylor.”
“He’s just a friend.” I shook my head.
The side of her mouth lifted up and she dipped her head. “All right. If that’s what you say.” She nodded to another table. “There’s some reporters over there that are about driving me crazy. I was hoping she’d take care of them for me.”
I began to ease away from the restaurant owner. “If I see her, I’ll tell her to stop by.” I spun away, trying to avoid a drawn-out conversation with the older woman.
I ducked into the booth and finally let out a breath.
“What’s wrong?” Hunter asked.
I glanced up. His brows were furrowed and his face was pale. I was willing to bet that he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep lately.
“It’s been a long morning.” When the petite, brown-haired waitress stopped at the table, I quickly ordered a cola and small fries.
“Is that all you’re going to eat? I’ll pay,” Hunter offered.
“I’m not really hungry.” I blinked. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Is it a crime to be polite?”
“Of course not, but you hardly ever spoke to me before.”
“Before the shooting that left a bunch of our friends dead or injured? Before we ran for our lives together through the school?” He pressed his lips together and crossed his arms on the table. “We’re not exactly strangers anymore.”
“I was thinking more like before Danielle Brown ODed.”
Silence was thick in the booth. Hunter stared at me with a furrowed brow for several long seconds. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough. “What do you want from me?
I slumped forward. “I think we should tell Aunt Reni about what happened that night.”
“Are you crazy?” He looked around and lowered his voice. “It’s over and done with. Danielle made her own stupid choice at the cost of her life. That’s not our problem.”
My face was on fire. “We were there and so was Jackson. Maybe that’s why he did what he did?”
“Does it really matter? He’s dead, Danielle’s dead, and a whole lot of other people are dead. It won’t bring anyone back.”
“Those drugs killed Danielle. We can stop something like that from happening again.”
Hunter ran his hand through his hair with a tug. “I’m a senior this year, Taylor. I’ll be graduating in the spring and I’m in line for scholarships to some great universities. I can’t have one stupid night messing that all up for me.”
“Stupid night? Danielle died. Didn’t you care about her at all?”
“We only went on a few dates—I didn’t know she was a pill head.” I sat up taller. He must have recognized my anger. He quickly added, “Yes, I liked her, but I thought we were just going to be drinking some beer at a campfire. I never dreamed Lindsey would show up with her Amish boyfriend and that other dude would appear out of nowhere.” Now he turned hard eyes on me. “What the hell was that?”
I glanced around. No one was paying any attention to us. I whispered, “I’m sorry. I had no idea, either. Lindsey was just as freaked out as we were.”
I closed my eyes and I was back in the dark woods.
“They’re gone? What do you mean they left?”
I slunk back against Lindsey. The newcomer was average height, with a heavy-set frame. His brown hair was longish and messy. His eyes flashed darkly as his gaze passed over each of us in turn. He wore a leather jacket, but I noticed his pants were like Matthew’s—homespun.
“Hey, look dude, we don’t want any trouble. Your problem is with Jackson, not us,” Hunter said.
“Yeah, Monroe, calm down. I’ll get your money,” Matthew said.
“This isn’t a kiddie game.” Monroe’s hand slipped into his pocket and he pulled out a handgun. He aimed the gun at me. “I am going to shoot this little bitch if I don’t get paid in one hour.”
“Are you fucking kidding?” Hunter said. He stepped in front of me. “She didn’t steal your drugs.”
“That’s right. She’s an innocent little bird. But as I see it, the only way I’m going to get my money is to create a situation where the rest of you have the incentive to go after it. If you decide to run off, abandoning the little bird, I’ll put a bullet in her head.” He sneered. “Oh, and I’ll also leave a note in her pocket implicating each one of you.” His smile was twisted and his eyes bright. “So, what’s it going to be?”
The image cleared and I saw Hunter’s face across from me. “We should have talked to the Sheriff a long time ago.”
Hunter dropped his head back and groaned. “You’re going to get into trouble you know that, don’t you?”
My eyes began to blur with tears. I sniffed in the emotions and worked hard to keep my voice steady. “You were the one who reminded me how shallow it was to worry about getting into trouble when so many people are dead, Hunter—dead. Does it really matter if we get punished, or even if you lose a scholarship?”
Hunter’s face went limp and he sighed. “Naw. I guess it really doesn’t.”
My cellphone went off. I didn’t recognize the number. “Hello,” I answered.
“Is this Taylor?” the female voice asked. It was familiar and I caught my breath.
“Yes, who is this?”
“Sarah. Is your car working?”
“Ah, yeah. The tow truck easily pulled it back onto the road last night and I drove home.”
“We need to talk. Can you come to my Mam’s house to pick me up? I’ll tell her I need to get some craft supplies and you’re going to drive me.”
My mind swirled with the possibilities. It was still early enough that I could make the trip and be home by dark, like I’d promised my mom. “Sure, I’ll come right out.”
“Thanks, Taylor. See you soon.”
I hung up and found Hunter staring at me. “You’re not really going out there are you?”
“To the Amish community?” Yeah, why—what’s the big deal?”
“That psycho was Amish. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I’m going to talk to a friend. I’ll be fine.” I asked the waitress to make my order to go and turned back to Hunter. “It might be a good idea for you to talk to your parents. It would be better if they heard everything from you, rather than the sheriff.”
He looked resigned and I slid out of the booth.
“Hey, be careful,” he said.
I offered him a curt nod and walked away as a chill passed over me.
I didn’t like the idea of going back out to the community by myself, but curiosity about what Sarah had to say was stronger than any apprehension I felt.
I’d have time to visit Lindsey and get back home before dark. It would be nice to hang out with Mom for the evening, and with her problems with Dad, I think she needed it even more than I did.
14
Serenity
The sun was setting beyond the snow-blanketed hills when we turned into the Swarey’s farm. A small white house was nestled between a creek and a barn. Behind the house I could just make out the tin rooftops of several more barns. The property had a desolate, rambling feel. There were no children running around, and no dogs greeted us when we stepped out of the car. I was thankful for the brightness from the snow. It was hard to collect evidence in the dark.
“This place is a little forlorn,” Toby commente
d. The Marshal’s icy breath drifted out in front of him.
I zipped up my jacket and jogged up the steps to the front door. “There’s no chimney smoke or lights on in the house. I don’t think they’re home.”
“Where would they be on a bitter, snowy evening like this?”
I knocked several times and then gripped the porch railing, surveying the quiet farm. “No telling. The bishop has these secret meetings sometimes. You’d love it. They get together in dark barns to discuss the problems in the community—who’s in trouble, what the punishment will be. I know firsthand about those and they’re creepy as hell.”
“Or maybe father and son are out doing some grocery shopping.” Toby winked and I blew out a short laugh. “Either way, there’s still a possibility they’re doing something in one of these barns. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to take a walk around, looking for them—would it?”
Toby’s sly look made me hold in a smile. “I was thinking along the same lines. They’ll probably show up in a few minutes anyway.” I took the lead and the snow crunched under my boots. Toby pushed the barn door of the nearest building open just enough for us to slide in. The interior was dark, except for shards of moonlight coming in through the few windows and gaps between the boards. There was no electricity. I glanced at the lantern hanging on the peg near the entrance and ignored it. Removing my flashlight from my belt, I shined it ahead. A Bobcat was parked inside, along with a push-style lawn mower and several other pieces of farm equipment. A pile of dented, old gutters littered the one corner, and a table, covered with tools and a chainsaw, in the other. We silently crossed the dirt floor and paused at the next doorway out of the building.
“Clear?” Toby asked me.
“I’d say so,” I replied. We left the building through the side doorway and aimed for the path that wound behind the house, toward a cluster of barns and sheds. The moon gave off enough brightness that I didn’t need the flashlight. I pointed out the faint tracks we were following in the snow. Someone had walked back this way after it had stopped snowing.
We passed the broken structure of an old swing set and a wall of round hay bales stacked alongside the hedgerow. The trail narrowed when we came to the first shed. Toby waited behind me as I followed the tracks to the door. I pushed it open and flashed my light inside. I was greeted with the sight of cobwebs and more farming tools. A thick layer of dust coated everything. The inside was small, and a quick look was all I needed to see it was empty.
“What exactly are you looking for, Sheriff?” Toby was waiting for me outside.
He was an easy man to work a case with. He didn’t say too much, and when he did speak, it was usually something of substance. He had a pretty good sense of humor, and enjoyed the psychology of crime as much as I did.
I proceeded to the next shed and he followed. “I’m not really sure, but two women are missing, and this farm could possibly be the last place either one of them was seen.” I tugged the door open and a cloud of warm, noxious fumes struck my face. I waved the air and took a step back. “Oh, my God, what is that smell?”
Todd chuckled and took the lead. “That is the lovely aroma of pig shit.”
I walked behind him down a narrow corridor that ended with a metal gate. On the other side of the gate was a pen filled with swine. I tried not to take a deep breath and leaned around Toby to get a better view of the animals. I quickly counted nineteen of the huge, spotted beasts. The room was filled with the sounds of their grunting and squealing.
“How did you know?” I turned to Toby.
“We had pigs growing up. One year I even showed a sow I’d raised from a piglet. Won a blue ribbon at the fair and everything.”
“Did she have a name?”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “I called her Bella.” When I laughed, he added. “She was a mighty pretty pig.”
“I didn’t know you could have a pig as a pet.”
Toby’s expression darkened and his smile was gone. “You can’t, really. We brought her home from the local fair, and that fall my father and brothers butchered her.”
The look of disgust must have shown on my face. He quickly added, “The worst part was having to eat different forms of her for breakfast during that long winter.”
“Are you pulling my leg?”
“Wish I was. That’s how most pigs end up. I never showed one of Dad’s pigs again after that—and I’ve never eaten bacon again, either.”
My stomach rolled and I backed away from the gate. “This pen full of pigs reminds me of the Wizard of Oz. Remember how Dorothy fell into one and the farmhands rushed to carry her out of there?”
“Pigs are downright dangerous at times. Even though I grew to care about Bella, I’d had a few close calls with the other pigs. They can be aggressive, and when they reach weights of five hundred pounds or more, they’re more than formidable. I recall another time when one of the sows became sick and got down in the pen. The other pigs attacked her and then ate her. My brothers and I discovered her remains the next morning. There was almost nothing left of her.”
The high humidity, screeching noises, and terrible smell finally got to me. I covered my mouth and left the building. The blast of fresh air took the stench away. I breathed deeply and shook the thoughts of Bella the pig away with a jerk of my head.
I looked in the direction of the sound of bleating. A herd of wooly-looking sheep charged up to the fence. After the encounter with the angry pigs, the sudden appearance of the sheep made my heart race.
“What’s wrong with them?” I glanced at Toby.
“It must be feeding time.” He lifted his chin and I followed his gaze.
Nicolas Swarey stomped through the snow. He carried a lantern, and the tight frown on his face made me roll my shoulders back and brace for his temper.
15
Taylor
My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw the tall man walking straight at me. There was no way to keep it a secret that I’d been visiting the Amish community.
I pulled my knit cap down further on my head in an attempt to hide.
“Taylor, what are you doing here?” Daniel asked.
He stopped a few feet away and forced a smile, but his voice carried the edge of worry with it.
I decided to tell a little bit of the truth. “Sarah is my friend. I’m helping her pick out some craft supplies.”
“Since when do you hang out with my niece?” He tilted his head.
I racked my mind for an answer. “The benefit dinner for the minister—what was his name?”
“James Hooley?”
“Yeah, that’s him. Well, I was there with another friend, and she introduced me to Sarah. We got to talking and I found out she was your niece.” He stood motionless, doubt creasing the lines on his face. “We just kind of hit it off,” I said, trying to be convincing.
“Does Serenity know about your new friendship?”
I glanced away and stared at the cart speeding up the driveway. It was pulled by a fat black pony with a prancing trot. A cloud of breath spread out before the animal as it passed by.
“Hello, Uncle Daniel!” several small children called out at the same time. The driver couldn’t have been more than twelve. She waved at me with her free hand while she slapped the reins with the other.
The horses were the part of being Amish I liked the most. I could only dream of a life where the main mode of transportation was either on the back of a horse or in a buggy being pulled by one.
“Ah, no. I haven’t really had an opportunity to talk to her lately.” I met his curious gaze. “She’s kind of busy with the shooting and all.”
Daniel’s face dropped. “I’m sorry, kid. Serenity told me about what you went through. I can’t even imagine what it was like.”
His words gave me the opportunity I needed. “It’s nice to come out here to visit Sarah. It�
�s quieter and everyone isn’t talking about the shootings.”
Daniel nodded. “Sure, I understand. It’s one of the things I miss about my time being Amish.” He reached out and patted my shoulder. “Sarah’s a sweet girl. I’m sure you will be great friends.” His smile was hollow.
“Why are you here anyway? I thought you were shunned.” I bit my tongue when Daniel’s eyes widened.
Daniel recovered and offered a small nod. “That was a long time ago. I guess time healed our relationship. My family has allowed me some contact, and like you, I enjoy coming out here, so I take it whenever I can.” He gestured at an Amish man walking in our direction. “My brother-in-law needed help researching some building supplies online, so I gave him assistance. I get dinner out of the deal, so it’s a win-win all around.”
“Aunt Reni always talks about how great Amish cooking is.”
“You should join us. I’m sure my sister would like to meet you.”
I was about to accept the invitation when Sarah appeared. “If we’re going to make it to the craft store before it closes, we need to leave now, Taylor.” She looked at Daniel. “Nice to see you, Uncle Daniel.”
“I get it, you girls have plans,” Daniel said.
Sarah took my hand and aimed for my car. “Bye, Uncle Daniel.”
“Be careful,” he said.
I waved at him before I got into driver’s seat. He waved back, but he wasn’t smiling anymore.
“I don’t think Daniel is happy we’re hanging around together,” I said.
“Turn left,” she instructed. Once we were on the road, moving farther away from her home, she leaned back and loosened her knitted scarf. “Phew—that was a close one. I had no idea Uncle Daniel would show up today of all days. He hardly ever comes around.” She shot a sympathetic look my way. “He’s probably worried I’ll get you into trouble.”
“Why would he think that?”
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