Evil in My Town

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  A white light exploded in my head. “Taylor’s in there?”

  “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault—”

  I grabbed her shoulder, cutting her babbling off. “Is she all right?”

  “She fell in with the pigs and they bit her—and there was a trap door or something—she’s stuck in a cellar. Hunter is there with her. We were going for help.” She sucked in wet sniffs between words.

  I shoved her into Matthew. “Get out of here—now!”

  Sarah’s mouth dropped open as if she were about to argue with me, but the boy grabbed her arm and tugged her up the hill. I didn’t wait to watch them go.

  I left the howling wind and snow behind and jumped sideways between the narrow opening. I was back inside the dim barn. I still had my gun drawn as I moved into the shadows. Abandoning any thoughts of sneaking up on either the Swarey father or son, I turned on my light and held it up. There was a stack of hay to one side and that’s where I found Hunter Pollard, kneeling on the ground. I covered the distance at a dead run and dropped down beside him.

  I shined my flashlight into the hole. “Taylor!” I called down.

  There was an unbearable few seconds of silence and then I heard a faint, “Aunt Reni?”

  I blinked. “Thank God.”

  “There’s someone down there with her.” Hunter’s voice was a cold whisper.

  The story came together in my mind and I suddenly understood. The truth was more horrifying than my worst fears.

  “It’s not Pa’s fault. She was going to leave us, like a whore in the night.”

  I whirled around and aimed my gun at Monroe.

  His rifle was pointed right back at me. His greasy hair was longish and his face pale. He was short and stout, and just like his dad, his arms were steady with his weapon.

  “She wasn’t a whore, Monroe. She was an unhappy woman. Becoming Amish didn’t suit her well, and you know how your dad treated her.” I focused on the teenager’s heart. Even if he got a shot off, he would be too dead to hurt Taylor or Hunter. “He was abusive to her, the same as he is to you.”

  “She drove him to it. If she would have been a better wife and mother, none of this would have happened. If she had kept her husband happy, he wouldn’t have gone after either of us. She was going to abandon me to him.” Monroe’s voice was pitchy, making him sound like a whiny eight-year-old. His hand jerked with emotion and I had the opportunity to take him down. But Monroe’s lips trembled and I saw a tear streak down his cheek. My finger froze on the trigger.

  He was a troubled kid—a product of his vicious father and resentful mother. It wasn’t surprising that he embraced a life of dealing drugs and violence.

  “Did you purposely kill Danielle Brown with fentanyl laced heroin?”

  His head shook furiously. “The pill head was the one who talked Ma into leaving. They were going to run away together, with that other woman’s help.”

  “So you punished her?”

  He snorted loudly. “She was the one who wanted the stuff. She done killed herself, with Jackson’s encouragement. He didn’t want her to leave.” He shrugged and had a faraway look on his face. “It was God’s purpose, I suppose.”

  Monroe was usually tight-lipped and sullen, but not now. His eyes were wild and his face was wet. The day of reckoning had finally come.

  A hundred questions pounded my mind, but Taylor was trapped in a hole, bleeding. And there was someone else down there who needed medical attention as well.

  “Put the gun down, Monroe. It’s not too late to make everything right. These crimes took place while you were still a minor, a judge will take that into consideration. You can’t protect your father anymore. You’ll have to tell the truth about what he did.” I forced my voice to be gentle, encouraging.

  “You mean about the other woman?” His flushed, tear-streaked face smirked. “She’s with the pigs—with the pigs.” His chest heaved. “She’s with the pigs. Oh, the pigs loved the woman.” I recognized the look of insanity on the young man’s face.

  “Drop the gun, Monroe, or I’ll shoot you,” I ordered.

  Monroe sobered and his eyes cleared for a moment. “You don’t have to do that, Sheriff. Pa is going to take care of me for you.”

  A gun blast exploded, and I dropped to the ground beside Hunter. My ears were ringing when I looked up. Monroe lay very still. A dark puddle spread out from his side. He was taking gurgling breaths, and his fingers twitched.

  “The boy was touched by evil, just like his mother.” Nicolas Swarey appeared from behind the hay. His shotgun was pointed at me. My gun was still in my hand, but it would take a miracle for me to raise it in time to shoot Nicolas before he shot me.

  Sweat pooled beneath my jacket and my heart beat like a freight train. My niece was injured in the cellar and another teenager, who’d escaped the school shooting, shook next to me. Daniel might already be dead, too. My head burned with the heat of anger and guilt. I’d been going about my own business for the past few months, while a woman in my jurisdiction was being held captive by her husband. I didn’t come for her. It shouldn’t have taken another missing woman for me to turn my attention back to Erin Swarey. It was so easy to believe Nicolas Swarey—that his wife had run away. That’s what I would have done if I’d been her. But she hadn’t gotten away. She’d been here all along. Just like Naomi Beiler—Erin Swarey hadn’t made it out of the settlement to freedom.

  A ball formed in the pit of my stomach and adrenaline brought my head up.

  “But I’m not evil, Nicolas. Neither is this frightened kid beside me or my niece, who fell into that cellar. If you kill us, you’re going to be joining your son in hell.”

  His eyes popped wide and he dipped his head. “None of you should be here. This isn’t any of your concern. It’s my family, and God gives me authority over my wife and child.”

  The faint sound of muffled crying from the cellar reached my ears.

  “Leave them be, Nick,” came a weak voice from the dark hole. “They’re innocent. The Lord doesn’t want you to take their lives. Just me. I’m the only sinner here. I was too selfish to stay in your world, and I was willing to break my vows to you and abandon my son to get away.”

  Nicolas stood taller and leered at me. “My wife is wrong about you. You are a sinner, and that’s why you’re here.”

  He shifted his weight and I knew he was going to shoot. I ducked and fired my gun, but the sound came a second after another blast rocked the barn. Nicolas hit the ground. His face was a mass of blood and brain matter. Toby returned his revolver to its holster and ran to Monroe’s side. He began applying pressure to the wound on the Amish boy’s side and lifted his head just briefly enough to wink at me.

  Hands gripped me from behind and I breathed in the familiar woodsy scent. Daniel was all right.

  I turned in his arms and we rose together. “Help me get down there. Taylor is injured.”

  Daniel didn’t ask any questions. “The ambulance is on the way, along with most of your department.”

  “He’s still alive, Serenity,” Toby shouted out.

  “Try to keep him that way.” I grasped Daniel’s arms and he lowered me into the hole.

  I stretched out and guessed my feet were a couple of feet from the floor. “Let go,” I instructed Daniel.

  I dropped, bending my knees to absorb some of the stinging jolt. I turned on my flashlight and found Taylor huddled on the floor with a stranger’s arms around her. Dark circles framed the woman’s bloodshot, teary eyes. Her brown hair was loose and matted, and I couldn’t have guessed what color her dress had originally been. There was a soiled mattress in the corner and several metal pails against the wall. The pungent smell of urine and feces made me hold my breath. When Erin Swarey looked up, I saw bruises on her neck and arms.

  As she held my sobbing niece, she muttered, “Is he alive?”r />
  “Your husband is dead, but your son is clinging to life.”

  “Praise the Lord,” she cried. “Thank you.”

  I knelt in front of Taylor. Her wet eyelashes fluttered. She gasped and lurched at me. I smoothed her damp hair down her back and rocked her tightly against me. Her leg was bloody and her arm was wrapped and limp. But she was alive. She would need a hell of a lot of counseling to get back to some semblance of normalcy again, but at least she would have the opportunity to do just that.

  Looking over Taylor’s head and into Erin’s vacant eyes, I wasn’t sure if the woman would ever come back from what had happened to her.

  37

  Serenity

  “Your mom and dad are waiting at the hospital for you to arrive,” I told Taylor. “I have to stay here for little while, but I’ll be in town to visit you as soon as I can. Daniel is going to ride in the ambulance with you. Are you okay with that?”

  She managed a wavering smile at Daniel and then looked back at me. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. After all, he’s practically part of the family, right?” Her smile became coy and I caught a glimpse of my mischievous niece.

  “In two weeks, we make it official,” I said.

  “Thanks for saving me again, Aunt Reni.”

  “You better not make this a habit,” I teased, squeezing her hand. “Beth and Raymond will take good care of you.”

  I stepped back and let the EMTs lift the gurney into the ambulance.

  “We’ve got her, Serenity. No worries,” Beth said as she worked.

  “I know, you’ve got this.” I turned to Daniel. Before I could say anything, he leaned into me and kissed my lips. I swayed a little and his hand steadied me.

  “I’ll see you later,” he whispered into my ear.

  The thought of sometime later that night, climbing under the covers to his warmth caused the side of my mouth to rise. “Yes, you will.”

  Watching the ambulance drive away, I had mixed emotions. Relief flooded me that Taylor was going to be all right, and the other was deep annoyance that I couldn’t go with her. But I had a job to do.

  The blinking lights turned on and the siren wailed. One of the buggy horses pranced in place and the other whinnied when the ambulance drove by. I didn’t feel the usual prickling sensation in my gut when the bishop approached. We didn’t always see eye to eye, but he was on my side this time.

  The man at his side was an older version of Daniel, and he was frowning deeply. Moses was always grumpy, but his strong features were even more stark than usual. I assumed he had come to retrieve his granddaughter. She was standing between Hunter and the Amish boy. Bobby was talking to them. The kids had stumbled down the hillside when the first patrol cars arrived.

  I shook my head. They were a couple of seriously rebellious kids. Aaron and Moses were going to have their work cut out for them.

  Blue and red lights flashed against the white blanket of snow. The snowfall had tapered off and the wind had died down to a stiff, cold breeze.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the other ambulance. The EMTs were hovering over Monroe. He was already hooked up to an oxygen bag. His eyes were closed and a blanket covered his bloody body. Erin Swarey held his hand. Her face was smudged with dirt and tears. Her hair was a tangled mess. Dark purple bruises covered her cheeks, and there was a crimson line around her neck. I assumed her husband had routinely beaten her and even attempted to strangle her, but I’d have to wait for the details when I formally interviewed the woman the following day. Although she didn’t seem to have any broken bones or life-threatening injuries, she was dangerously thin. She would get a thorough examination and counseling at the hospital. The timing of my talk with her would also depend on if her son survived. She stared with emotionless, dead eyes at Monroe, and I feared she might not be able to give a clear picture of what she’d actually been through, or the fate of her friend, Charlene.

  “Looks like you solved another one, Sheriff.”

  I raised my brows at Toby as he walked up. An amused grin was fixated on his mouth. His eyes were light and dancing.

  “This one was just blind luck. I never expected Erin Swarey to be alive and locked up in a cellar in a barn. I’m just happy we got here in time to save my niece and the other kids. Who knows what Nicolas or Monroe would have done to them once their secret was discovered.”

  “There’s a good chance it would have turned ugly.” He tilted his head and looked at me from under his hat. “You followed your gut and some solid leads. It wasn’t mere chance we arrived in time. I call it focused persistence.”

  “I appreciate all your help—on the case and back there,” I thumbed over my shoulder toward the barn.

  He shrugged and looked away. “It’s my job.” He pulled out his phone and flashed the screen. There were several messages from John Ruthers, his boss. “It looks like my day job is in need of my services. I’ll head back to your office with Todd and write up an official report about what transpired here, and then I’ll be on my way.”

  I hesitated and touched his arm. “If you ever need my help, you know where to find me. I owe you one.”

  He tipped his hat and his crooked grin returned. “Oh, I got your number, Sheriff. I might just take you up on your offer one day.” He turned and then pivoted back. “Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Daniel is good guy. You’ll be happy.”

  He was walking away before I could respond. It was probably better I didn’t say anything. There was just enough chemistry between me and the lawman to make discussing my upcoming marriage uncomfortable. But it was nice to have a person like him to call if I was ever in a bind.

  “Serenity, may I speak with you?” Bobby waddled through the snow. Snowflakes clung to his grey mustache and his round cheeks were red from the cold. Hunter was with him.

  “Sure. Did you get a look at the hog pen?” I asked.

  He nodded briskly. “I did. The pigs will have to be moved somewhere else so we can search the pen for any more of Charlene Noble’s remains.”

  “Any more?” I looked between Bobby and Hunter. “You found something?” That was news to me.

  Bobby gestured at the bag Hunter held tightly in his hands. It had a picture of a pig on it and read FEED. “It’s going to take some stripping that pen down and searching through the manure and mud. I don’t expect we’ll find much, but this”—he nodded at the bag—“should be enough to close the case on Charlene’s disappearance.”

  “They fed her to the pigs?” My stomach tightened.

  “Certainly looks that way. Hopefully, Mrs. Swarey can shed light on how her friend ended up in the pen, or if Monroe survives, we might get more information from him.”

  Hunter held out the bag to me and I took it. “Thanks for being there for Taylor. Go on home and get some sleep. I want you and your folks to come into the department first thing in the morning.”

  “I already told your deputy everything and he wrote it all down.”

  “Yes, well, I have a lot more questions for you. This case is going to be a paper nightmare. So, I’ll see you in the morning?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be there.” He paused. “Is it okay if I stop by the hospital tonight before I go home? I’d like to see Taylor.”

  I narrowed my eyes on the young man. He was taller than me and muscled more than the average teenager. He had blond hair and blue eyes. I could see why Taylor might find him attractive, but none of that mattered to me. The kid had stayed with my niece when most would have fled the scene. He was also with her the day of the school shooting, making him fairly dependable and all right in my book.

  “I don’t have a problem with it.” I smiled politely. “It’s her parents you’re going to have to win over. If you think I’m tough, just wait until you meet my sister.”

  Hunter swallowed and nodded, backing away.

  “That wasn’t very nice,�
� Bobby said.

  I shot him a withering look. “After this week, let me have my fun.” I opened the bag and the smell of pig shit assailed my senses. I flashed my light into the bag and quickly looked up. “Is that her foot?”

  “It sure is. Taylor grabbed hold of it when she fell in with the pigs.” Bobby jerked a little and I figured he had experienced the same shuddering jolt I had thinking about how my niece might have ended up in the same way poor Charlene Noble had. “You know, in the not so distance past, pigs were the usual mode of disposal for murder victims. As recently as 2002, Robert Pickton, a pig farmer in Canada, was arrested for the murders of dozens of women. He fed them to the pigs, whether they were alive or already dead when they met their fate, is anyone’s guess.”

  I held up my hand to stop Bobby from talking and rolled the top of the bag down. I shoved the bag into his hands. The coroner’s fascination with death would have startled most people, but I was used to it. With the scent of the pig manure on the breeze, and a woman’s foot in the bag, the bile rose into my throat.

  “Enough talk about pigs for now. Please.” I shook the image from my mind. “I asked Todd to call Charlene’s sister and tell her that we believe we have Charlene’s remains. I want you to make it a priority to get the DNA back so we can give the family closure as soon as possible.”

  “I’ll start on it tonight. I’ll work on Nicolas Swarey in the morning.”

  I watched the old man plod to his car, carrying the bag. I shook my head. What an awful way to go.

  “Are you cold, Sheriff?”

  Aaron Esch had snuck up on me. I ignored his question. Moses led Sarah and Matthew to his buggy. My future father-in-law glanced my way, but kept walking. Sarah raised her hand, and I returned the gesture.

  As if the bishop had read my mind, he said, “You’re welcome to talk to the children tomorrow afternoon. The elders will want to speak with them in the morning.”

  I was relieved he was giving me access to them the following day. I contemplated his slender, foxlike face. The Amish leader could be a real pain in my ass on some days, but today his expression was thoughtful.