Her Secret

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  Wednesday, August 3

  Every protective instinct that Isaac possessed kicked into gear when he saw how petrified Hannah was. He took charge of the situation, even though she hadn’t asked for his help.

  “You don’t know that this is from Trent,” Isaac said as he snatched the envelope from Ben’s hand. After tossing it on the counter, he reached for Hannah’s hands. “But what really matters is that you don’t need to do a single thing,” he soothed.

  “I do, though. It’s right here. I can’t pretend it didn’t arrive.”

  “That’s true. However, we can ignore everything inside of this envelope. We can simply throw it away.” Liking this idea, he softened his tone. “Hannah, you don’t have to give him the satisfaction of reading his words. We certainly don’t need you being frightened.” Hating the new look of trepidation in her eyes, he added recklessly, “I’ll make sure you are okay.”

  “You don’t understand how it is, Isaac,” she said in a weary tone of voice. “It isn’t a matter of me buying into Trent’s anger or even of becoming frightened by his photos. While he feeds on my fears, I don’t think that’s his only motivation. This . . . this correspondence”—she pointed to the sealed envelope—“it’s a deliberate action. Almost like it has become a game for him.”

  “If it’s a game, you don’t have to play.”

  “That would be true, if he were a rational sort. But Trent ain’t.” With new emphasis in her voice, she said, “Isaac, he is not going to stop.”

  He hated how defeated she sounded.

  Maybe, back when she was in Berlin, she had good reason. But he was at her side now. Surely, she realized, she didn’t have to face these mind games on her own any longer? “You don’t know that for certain.”

  “I’m afraid I do.” She turned her head. Looked down at her lap and played with the folds of her apron.

  Isaac didn’t know if she didn’t want to look at him or if she was retreating into herself again.

  To his surprise her sister, Jenny, approached Hannah from behind and wrapped her arms around her waist. Effectively offering her comfort without stifling her.

  After a brief hesitation, Hannah released Isaac’s hand and covered Jenny’s hands with her own. He watched her pinched expression ease.

  Jenny turned to Isaac. “I agree with my sister. This is how Trent’s stalking all started. First, Trent would offer Hannah small bouquets of flowers.”

  “Daisies,” Ben added. Shaking his head, he said, “There were so many. So many white daisies. I don’t know where he got all of them.”

  “Then he started writing her notes,” Jenny said.

  “Which she never answered.”

  While Hannah remained silent, Jenny continued their tale. “Then he started sending Hannah pictures of herself. Some would be innocent-looking, like of Hannah walking on the street. A public place where anyone could have taken it.”

  “It was creepy, but we figured it was impossible to monitor, on account of people taking snapshots on their phones all the time,” Ben explained.

  “But then he started taking pictures of my sister when she was completely alone.”

  “I never saw him, though I always thought I was being watched,” Hannah admitted in a voice that didn’t quite hide her tremors. “It was a terrible sensation. I never felt like I was completely alone.”

  “All of us began to feel that way,” Jenny admitted.

  Hannah continued. “I began to fear for my family and my friends. No one wants to be constantly worried about being photographed.”

  Hannah’s story was painful for him to hear. He hated that she was still so affected by the memories. But far more upsetting was the fact that this wasn’t in her past, it was all happening again.

  “Hannah, I see how hard this is. You don’t need to talk about it.”

  Isaac didn’t want Hannah to have to revisit Trent’s stalking all over again. He wanted to help her. He ached to help her. No one should ever look like she did. Forlorn and without hope.

  Looking at him, she simply shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if I want to talk about it or not. It happened and it’s happening again. Running away didn’t help.”

  Picking up the envelope, Isaac turned to Ben and Jenny. “I’m confused by how much he ignored the police’s warnings. When was the first time your father contacted the police?”

  Ben tilted his head as he tried to remember. “I canna remember exactly. What do you think, Jenny? Did Daed go talk to the sheriff after the fourth or the fifth envelope?”

  “Daed waited longer than that. I think it was more like after the seventh or eighth.”

  “Daed finally went down to the sheriff’s office the morning I started crying about it at breakfast,” Hannah said.

  Isaac was horrified. “Your father waited that long?”

  Jenny answered. “Mamm and Daed didn’t want to get the English involved.”

  Isaac could only imagine how Hannah had been living. No doubt, she had been living in fear, or at least with a degree of wariness. Always wondering when she was going to receive another bouquet or another envelope. It also was becoming obvious that she hadn’t gotten all that much support, either. She probably had to brace herself to hear her father’s brush-off.

  It made him angry that she’d gone through such a nightmare, essentially alone. Even though it sounded like her siblings weren’t as distant from her as he’d originally thought, they were also too young to lean on in an instance like that. “That was a mistake,” he bit out. “Your father should have put a stop to this right away.”

  “He’s said that he wished he had,” Ben said quietly. “I think we all have regrets on how we handled it.”

  “I should have been more open about it,” Hannah said. “A lot of times, I wouldn’t tell anyone about the flowers or notes I received. I just kept it to myself. Kept it secret.”

  “Who can blame you?” Isaac murmured. “Forgive me, but it sounds like your parents wanted to pretend nothing was happening.”

  Hannah shared a look with Ben and Jenny, who had released her embrace and was now standing across from Isaac with her arms folded over her chest. “Now we realize they had other things on their mind,” Hannah said.

  “Dad is going to be upset that this has now followed Hannah,” Jenny supplied.

  Hannah lifted her chin. “I don’t think any of us took Trent’s infatuation with me seriously at first. It wasn’t their fault.”

  “I’m not trying to be critical, Hannah, but I think you should handle things differently this time around.” Before she could interrupt, Isaac added, “Actually, I think we should go to the sheriff right now. Give him this bouquet and let him open the envelope.”

  Twin spots of color flared in Hannah’s cheeks. “Don’t you think we should see what is inside the envelope first? It might be nothing.”

  “It already is something. It doesn’t matter if there is a note inside that says he’s sorry or if there is a photo of you just sitting on your front stoop. If he is still contacting you, it is something.”

  “I don’t know. Going to the sheriff is a big step. Plus, my problems are new to them. They won’t understand why I’m so upset.”

  “I’m pretty sure I saw him, sister,” Ben said. “He’s being bold because he doesn’t think you’re going to fight back.”

  “Perhaps.” She still looked unsure.

  “Ben is right,” Sam supplied. “That’s what bullies do, jah? They push and push and hurt until someone fights back.”

  Jenny nodded. Looking far older than her years, she said, “The boys are right, Hannah. It’s time to get the authorities involved.”

  Hannah still looked torn. “But what if Mamm and Daed say I shouldn’t go to the sheriff?”

  “I think we should go right now, before they return,” Isaac said. He didn’t want to go against her parents’ wishes, but he felt very strongly—if they waited, nothing good was going to happen.

  “They are going to be upset if I do t
hat.”

  “Haven’t you heard that it’s always easier to beg for forgiveness than ask permission? Let’s go and deal with their reaction when we get back.”

  “You sound so sure that this is the right thing to do.”

  “I am,” assured Isaac. At the least, he considered, Hannah would be even more frightened. And at the worst?—this Trent would become even bolder. Maybe this time, he wouldn’t stop at simply taking pictures of Hannah. Maybe this time, he’d want to talk to her. Or something worse.

  Isaac didn’t want to distress her, but he also wanted to make his point. “If he’s followed you here, he’s serious, Hannah. He’s not going to stop with just delivering photos of you.”

  Hannah lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. In their depths, he saw confusion and pain . . . and, perhaps, appreciation? The myriad of emotions made her eyes look like they were a dozen other colors. If he and Hannah had been alone, he would have enfolded her in his arms and held her securely—to make sure she realized he wasn’t going to leave her alone, not until she wanted him to leave.

  He was actually thinking he might do that now. He didn’t really care who he shocked. She needed to know that someone was on her side. But before he could either give her a hug or offer more reassurances, Jenny spoke again.

  “You don’t have to worry, Hannah. This time, you won’t be alone. I’ll go to the sheriff with you.”

  “Me, too,” said Ben. “And don’t say I’m too young. I’m not.”

  The corners of her lips turned up. “I wasn’t going to say that. You are being very tough. Tougher than me.”

  “I’m going, too,” Isaac said. “And I’m going to stay by your side when you talk to your parents.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “Hannah, I’m going to stay by your side for as long as you need me to. For as long as you want me to.” Staring at her, he lowered his voice. “I never want you to ever think you have to face anything alone again.”

  “I’m going to go, too,” Sam blurted.

  Ben turned to him. “You? Why?”

  Sam shrugged. “Because I count. And I’m here.” He lifted his chin. “And I care, too.”

  Hannah looked around the room, her gaze at last landing on the offending envelope. “You all are too much,” she said with a low laugh. “You make me feel overwhelmed with gratitude. I don’t know what to say.”

  “How about you say that we’re all going to go to the sheriff’s office right now?” Isaac said.

  “We have to do this now, don’t we?”

  Ben picked up the envelope. “Go grab me a tote, Jenny.”

  Opening a closet, Jenny got out a small canvas bag. When she handed it to her brother, he put both the envelope and the bouquet of daisies in it. “Let’s go,” Ben said. “It’s time.”

  It was time. Time for Hannah to stop worrying and looking over her shoulder. Time for this Trent to be stopped.

  Because Isaac knew one thing without a doubt—Hannah needed Trent’s stalking of her to end. Only then would she be able to move forward.

  Only then, Isaac felt, would she be able to think of him the way he was already thinking about her.

  As the person in his life he’d been waiting for.

  CHAPTER 16

  Wednesday, August 3

  Sheriff Brewer was in his mid-forties, was prematurely balding, looked like he enjoyed running, and had a whisper of fine lines around his gray eyes.

  He also had a way of staring at a person that made one think that no one else was in the room.

  It was disconcerting. Disconcerting enough to make Hannah very glad that she wasn’t by herself. Instead, she was very far from being alone. She was surrounded by both of her siblings and Isaac and Sam Troyer.

  They were all standing around in the sheriff’s office, which was actually a trailer in the back of the courthouse. There was some construction nearby and a sign that thanked the taxpayers for the new offices and jail.

  Though Hannah figured the sheriff, his deputies, and the office staff were going to enjoy their new place of work, she was mighty glad they were in the somewhat shabby trailer. It made her feel like Sheriff Brewer was more approachable and less intimidating—and she needed to feel that in a bad way.

  “Are you sure none of y’all want to take a seat?” he asked, looking slightly amused by Hannah’s group. “We could probably round up some more metal chairs for you.”

  “I’m fine with standing,” Isaac said.

  “Me, too,” said Ben and Sam almost at the same time.

  “I’m not going to sit down if Hannah doesn’t,” Jenny said.

  “And I’m too nervous to sit,” Hannah admitted, rounding out their round of explanations.

  “All right, then.” Looking down at his notes, he said, “So from what I understand, you had a stalker by the name of Trent Ritchie back in Ohio, you moved to escape him, and you have reason to believe he has decided to follow you here to Hart County.”

  “Jah. That is correct,” Hannah said.

  Opening the canvas tote they’d brought with them, he continued. “He also sent you a bouquet of daisies.”

  “Yes. That was on my doorstep.”

  He held up the envelope. “Along with this?”

  Hannah felt her pulse race as she stared at the envelope. “Yes.”

  Sheriff Brewer walked around his desk and sat down behind it. “Tell me again why you decided not to open it?”

  “I was afraid to see what picture he took of me,” Hannah said.

  Isaac stepped closer to her. “I also told her that maybe we should wait because there might be fingerprints on the photo.”

  “That was good thinking,” Sheriff Brewer murmured. “If, of course, there actually is a photograph in here from this man.”

  He didn’t believe her. He thought she was making more of an issue about this than he thought was reasonable.

  Maybe he even thought she was wasting his time?

  Nerves got ahold of her again. Unable to stop herself, Hannah twisted her fingers together, practically pinching the skin around the tips.

  “Don’t do that,” Isaac whispered into her ear. “This was the right thing to do.”

  She exhaled. “I hope so.”

  Sheriff Brewer stared at her steadily. “Your boyfriend there is right, Miss Hilty. Coming to see us was, indeed, the right thing to do.”

  Her breath caught at the sheriff’s mistaken impression of them. Warily, she glanced at Isaac.

  But as if he could read her mind, he only smiled. Right then and there, she realized it didn’t really matter what the sheriff thought of their relationship. She and Isaac were something. Maybe not boyfriend and girlfriend, but there was something significant between them.

  Returning her thoughts back to the envelope, she said, “I just don’t want to be making something out of nothing.”

  “Let’s not worry about that.” Sheriff Brewer opened a drawer, pulled out some white latex gloves, and a letter opener. “How about we go ahead and see what’s inside, all right?”

  Hannah nodded.

  He paused. “Do you want anyone to leave?” Looking a little chagrined, he said, “In case it’s a . . . well, a compromising photo?”

  The tension in the room rose.

  Hannah wondered if it was because they feared, after escorting her here that she’d make them leave; or that they were just now realizing they could be seeing something embarrassing or invasive. Her heart started pounding as she imagined how awful it would feel if everyone saw a photo of her partially undressed.

  But she couldn’t imagine how that would have ever happened.

  Hannah didn’t know how Trent could have taken a compromising picture. After all, she’d hardly left the house until the last two weeks.

  But then, as she looked around the room, she realized that she needed their support. These people weren’t going to think worse of her no matter what they saw. Instead, they were going to be upset on her account.

  “Maybe yo
u could look at it first?” she asked. “Unless it’s very embarrassing, I think I’m going to want everyone to remain here.”

  Without another word, Sheriff Brewer neatly sliced through the seal of the envelope, peeked in, then pulled out what looked like a note and several photographs.

  Hannah gripped Isaac’s arm as the sheriff read the note, then glanced at the photos.

  Sheriff Brewer’s face was carefully blank as he looked at the third and last photo, then scanned the note again. At last, he placed the note and the three photos back into the envelope.

  His expression was far more subdued and tense than it had been. He cleared his throat.

  “Hannah, it seems your concerns were justified. These photos are fairly disturbing.”

  Chill bumps appeared on her arms. “Are they from Trent?”

  “I don’t know, the note isn’t signed, but based on what you’ve told me, I have reason to believe these photos were taken by him as well.”

  “Do you need us to leave so you can look at them, Hannah?” Isaac asked quietly.

  Hannah wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t anxious to be alone with the sheriff and the pictures. But she didn’t want to force Jenny to see something that might upset her . . . and she felt funny having Isaac see something that might be very private.

  “Actually, I was thinking maybe you should wait to see them, Hannah,” Sheriff Brewer said. “It might be best if we wait until your parents are free to join you.”

  Ben stared at her. “Is that what you want?”

  She didn’t want any of this. She didn’t want to be nervous and frightened again. She didn’t want to be standing in a sheriff’s office. And she sure didn’t want to be preparing herself to look at a bunch of pictures of herself that were certain to make her uncomfortable.

  But even more than all of that, Hannah realized she didn’t want to wait several more hours to return to this office to do this very same thing.

  “I don’t want to wait for my parents,” she said. “I’m not a child and I don’t need to be treated as such.” Realizing that her imagination might be getting the best of her, she squeezed Isaac’s arm. “Maybe you could look at them with me?”