“Wait.” Valerie looked her over. “You’re Abby Anderson, right?”
Abby nodded and tensed. Waiting for the inevitable comment or question that always came, something about finding a dead body.
“Aren’t you in my American History class? Second Block, Hernandez?”
She blinked as her mind wrapped around the unexpected question. “Yeah.”
“Did you understand the homework?”
Slowly, she let down her defenses. “Kind of.”
“Do you mind if I show you what I did and you can tell me if I did it right? I wasn’t sure how she wanted us to set up that graph.”
Abby couldn’t believe it. Here was a perfectly nice girl, Valerie James—a cheerleader, no less—and she wanted to talk to her about homework?
“Sure. Anytime.”
“How about now?”
“Now?”
Valerie pointed to the clock mounted on the wall above their heads. “We’ve got, like, twenty minutes before first bell. Is that okay?”
“Sure.” Next thing Abby knew, she was walking side by side with Valerie in the halls. Smiling as all kinds of people walked by.
More than a couple of people smiled back. Two said hi.
That’s when Abby realized that today might just be the best day ever.
Chapter 25
“Some say a fool can’t ever be trusted. I prefer to say that a fool can’t ever be trusted twice.”
AARON SCHROCK
Maybe it was time for a new job. It was becoming obvious that these days people were coming into Schrock’s only to get rodent updates.
It was also becoming obvious that everyone—Mr. Schrock included—thought it was in Walker’s job description to provide those updates.
“Walker, have you found all the guinea pigs yet?” Yet another person asked.
“Nope.”
“How many are missing?”
“I’m not sure,” he replied. Yet again. After listening for squeaks and hearing nothing, he got down on his knees and straightened an arrangement of leashes and other dog and cat items.
“Oh, Walker? Anything new with the pigs?”
Straightening, he bit back a groan. Maybe if he didn’t reply the lady would go find Mr. Schrock?
“Walker? Did you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” With effort, he pasted a smile on his face. “Hey, Mrs. Miller. Uh, no. I don’t think all the guinea pigs have been rounded up yet.”
Just thinking about all their failed attempts made him frown. The pigs on the loose were surprisingly destructive and sneaky. And vocal! When the store was empty, they loved to chirp and chat to each other.
Though they were plenty quiet now.
She looked around the floor with distaste. “Maybe you should set a trap.”
“I think that’s what the snakes were for.” He now knew for a fact that mousetraps didn’t interest those pigs in the slightest.
“I wouldn’t downplay the use of a good steel trap, Walker. Guinea Pigs are cute and furry, but they’re going to raise a ruckus, mark my words.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” He kept his other thoughts to himself, because it really wouldn’t be a good idea for him to talk badly about his boss.
But things had gotten out of hand. But one or two of the pigs were still on the loose, and had become a constant source of amusement for all the customers.
It was getting pretty old, working at a place that everyone made fun of. And a place that was like an overgrown circus. Too much was going on, way more than three rings’ worth. What he needed was a nice, calm job. One that kept him busy but was predictable.
Racking his brain, he tried to think of something that fit the bill.
He thought about it while checking out two men who’d come in for hardware supplies—and while he checked out Mrs. Miller and handed her her packed box of goods.
He was watching her leave, and thinking about maybe applying for a job at the university’s student center, when his boss came back inside.
“Mrs. Miller get her eggs okay?” Mr. Schrock asked.
“Yep. Everything else, too.”
The shop owner watched her through the glass in the door. “She’s lookin’ better, don’tcha think? For a while, she was looking mighty glum.”
“It was probably hard, having Perry’s body found on her land and all.”
“Even though Mose and that fancy-pants detective seem to have decided long ago that Perry’s death wasn’t Perry’s fault.”
“Well, Perry was murdered. Someone must have had a pretty good reason to want him dead.”
“True.” Mr. Schrock looked at him for a long minute, then brushed his hands over the front of his trousers. “But no one really knows the why of it, do they?”
Walker figured his boss had a point, but he kept his silence.
“Well, now. You’re going to be here another three hours, right?”
“Yes, sir. Do you have anything special for me to do?”
“How about you clean and straighten up things for a bit? With all the commotion that’s been going on, things have gotten a bit out of sorts.”
“I can do that. Sure.”
“Gut.” He started to turn away, then stopped. “You being here is a blessing, Walker. I don’t know what I would have done without you these past few weeks, especially with Jacob gone to Lexington. I probably don’t tell you that enough.”
Suddenly, guilt overwhelmed him. He knew had to say something. Knew he had to tell the whole truth. “Mr. Schrock, I never told you, but I quit because I saw Perry steal from you. I saw him take a twenty-dollar bill out of your cash box.”
The older man paused. “I know.”
Walker couldn’t have been more shocked. “You did?” Now he felt even worse about the whole situation. “I’m really sorry. I know I should have tried to stop him.”
“You were frightened, weren’t you?”
Too embarrassed to speak, Walker nodded.
Mr. Schrock reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “It’s okay, Walker. I knew Perry was up to no good, too. But I took my time firing him.” His voice barely above a whisper, he said, “I kept hoping he would decide to stop all that. Or that I would realize that he wasn’t doing things I suspected him of doing.”
“He only got worse, though.”
Mr. Schrock nodded. “That is true.”
“I’m sorry I never told you. You know, before.”
“You don’t need to be sorry. What matters is you told me, jah?”
“Yes.” And Walker realized Mr. Schrock was right. It did feel better to get the truth out between them.
Seeking to lighten the mood, he said, “Mr. Schrock, you ever get tired of everything being so crazy in here?”
“Not at all.” Looking mildly offended, he said, “Besides, things ain’t that crazy.”
“Something is always going on. I mean, really.” Walker stopped himself from naming examples. Because it was pretty obvious that guinea pigs and snakes were just the tip of the iceberg.
But that didn’t stop his boss from frowning deeply. “You, Walker, sound like my wife.”
Feeling hopeful, he said, “What does Mrs. Schrock say?”
“About what you’d think. She seems to think my life would be easier if I didn’t have such foolhardy schemes.” He leaned forward, capturing Walker in a piercing gaze. “But I’ve enjoyed the commotion, if you want to know the truth.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s kept me young. And laughing. I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment from the guinea pig hunt, I can tell ya that.”
“But maybe something else—”
But Mr. Schrock wasn’t listening. His voice had warmed and he was looking off in the distance with a fond expression. “The way I figure it, I’ve only got one life to live. It might as well be exciting, you know? The last thing in the world I’d ever want is to stand here being bored.” His lips turned up. “And have you seen how crowded it’s been lately? Business is up.”
<
br /> That was news to Walker. “I wasn’t under the impression that people were buying anything. I thought they only came to look and talk.”
“That’s because you’re not the owner, Walker,” his boss said with more than a touch of pride. “People are happy to stop by, pick up a few things so their gawking won’t seem too rude, and take a peek at the action. It’s exciting, that’s what it is.”
“Maybe,” Walker replied.
Mr. Schrock shrugged. “I’d rather have excitement than know what I’m getting into every day. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s better to be surprised by what life gives you instead of planning everything? After all, we all need to enjoy today; it won’t come back.”
“That would be good, if I didn’t like plans.”
“Ach.” Mr. Schrock’s expression turned knowing. “Now we’re getting somewhere. You’ve been thinking about Lydia Plank, ain’t so?”
“A little bit.”
“That Lydia, she’s always been a favorite of mine. I had hoped she and Jacob would court, but they didn’t suit.”
Walker winced. He hated even thinking about Lydia being with any other guy. “Lydia and Jacob are pretty different.”
The older man chuckled. “Some might say the same thing about you and Lydia, pup.”
Even though he hadn’t planned on getting the opinion of his boss, Walker couldn’t resist a little free advice. “So, you think I need to step back and give Lydia space and time to figure out what she needs?”
“That’s what I would do, but you should do it only if you care for her.” His eyes twinkled. “And we both know you do.”
Obviously his boss had been keeping a pretty close watch on everything that had been going on. “I care, but I don’t know if I should.”
“Seems to me that a person can’t help their feelings.” He winked. “I mean, take Mrs. Schrock. She still loves me and I’ve been practically bringing every creature from Noah’s ark into our shop.”
Walker chuckled. “You may have a point.”
“I know I’m right about this. Just give Lydia time, Walker. Besides, you’ve got other things to work out.”
“Such as?”
“Well . . . I know you’ve been upset about Perry Borntrager.” He held up a hand when he saw that Walker was about to protest. “It’s not a secret that we’ve all been upset about what happened to him, Walker. I know I am.”
“I wish Sheriff Kramer would solve the case. Then Detective Reynolds could go back to Ohio, and the rest of us could go on with our lives. Waiting to find out who killed Perry is making everyone on edge.”
“I think that city detective is doing the best he can.” Leaning forward, he quipped. “Guess what, I heard the detective’s been busy.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Um-hum. Heard he’s found a few more leads.” Mr. Schrock shrugged. “That’s just hearsay, of course. All I do know is that if anyone in Crittenden County knows something about Perry that they haven’t told the police, I hope they step forward. The detective can’t do his job without knowing all the facts.”
And just like that, the mood in the store changed. Walker became even more aware of the secrets he’d been keeping. “Actually—”
“Nope. Don’t you be telling me. Talk to the detective, son.”
“You think so? Even if he tells other people? And if the news gets out, and it might hurt some people along the way?”
Mr. Schrock studied him for a long moment. “Seems to me that trying to stop the truth from rising to the surface is a thankless task. People already are hurting, even people who didn’t know who Perry was. And the longer that city detective is here, the longer everything will go on. No, we need to rip the bandage off the secrets, so to speak. Get everything out in the open.”
The visual his boss was creating made Walker wince. “Mr. Schrock, that’s pretty disgusting.”
“Murder ain’t pretty, son. Hasn’t anyone ever told ya that?”
After his boss walked away, Walker pulled out his cell phone and texted the detective, asking for a meeting.
He tried to pretend he had a good reason for having the man’s name in his directory.
Tried to pretend that he didn’t feel a huge sense of relief when Detective Reynolds texted back that he’d be over within an hour.
Now all he had to do was hope no more animals were going to ruin his day for another sixty minutes.
Or that anyone would come in and ask about the wayward guinea pigs.
But that, of course, was probably too much to ask for.
Luke figured there was something in the air. What else could be encouraging these kids to finally start divulging secrets when pretty much everything he’d been saying for the last week or two had been falling on deaf ears?
When he opened the main door to the country store, he now knew enough to shut it firmly behind him and wait a minute. His muscles were tense and all of his senses were on alert, ready to be attacked by hens on the loose.
Mr. Schrock looked at him curiously. “Afternoon, Detective. What might you be you doing?”
“Preparing myself for flying poultry.”
The shop owner scowled. “The hens are penned up today.”
“Is there anything else on the loose? I feel like I now need to pause when entering, just to see what else might be exploding or running around.”
“Well, we’ve got a few runaway guinea pigs, but unless you’re a stalk of celery, I’d say you’ve got nothing to fear. So, did you come to gawk or buy?”
Feeling vaguely embarrassed, Luke shook his head. “Neither. I came to speak with Walker, if he’s still here?”
“He’s here.” The store owner looked him over in the kind of way that made Luke want to double-check that he hadn’t spilled something on his shirt. “Why don’t you have a seat over by the parking lot? There’re some benches out there. I’ll have Walker bring you some iced tea.”
There was an edge to the man’s tone, one that brooked no argument. That was fine. He’d happily play the game if it meant that he could get out of Crittenden County sooner than later.
“I’ll be out there waiting.”
He sat down on one of the benches. Moments later, a buggy parked near him. Almost immediately, an Amish woman slowly got out, secured her horse to a hitching post, then walked right by him, never once looking to meet his gaze.
Was she shy, or keeping her distance because he was English?
Or, perhaps it was because he was still a stranger to everyone.
Or maybe it was because everyone knew he was there to ask too many questions and pry into secrets.
But for whatever the reason, Luke found himself wondering, just for a moment, what it would feel like to finally feel like he belonged.
Less than five minutes later, Walker strode out to meet him, two plastic cups filled to the brim with tea in his hands.
Luke stood up to take one from him. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Thank you for meeting with me.”
Walker looked more nervous than he’d ever been. He’d set his glass on the ground by his feet and was gripping the edge of the bench so hard that it looked like he was afraid he’d collapse if he relaxed.
Luke took pity on him and prodded him on. “Want to go ahead and tell me your news? Sometimes it’s easier to get it over with.”
The muscles in his cheeks tightened. “Perry was stealing money out of the cash drawer at the store,” he blurted.
“Ah.” After waiting two beats, he said, “And you never told your boss?”
Walker shook his head. “Perry said if I told he’d make sure Mr. Schrock would hear that we did it together.”
“So what did you do?”
“I quit.” After darting a look his way, Walker rested his elbows on his knees. “I figured no one would believe me. Perry was taking quite a bit of money, and it was just me and Jacob and Perry who had access to the cash drawer. I was the only one not Amish.”
“Hmm.”
�
��I know I should have done something better than that. I know quitting was pretty spineless.”
Luke sipped his tea and carefully plotted his next words. To him, this was what detective work was all about. It wasn’t car chases and shoot-outs and stake-outs. It was being able to ask questions that got answers. It was a talent for discovering the truth, no matter how hard the truth was to admit.
“Did you ever see Perry after you quit?”
Walker stared at him hard. “No.”
“Sure about that?” He stretched his legs out. “Maybe you saw him by chance? Maybe he wanted more money . . .”
“I never saw him again. I turned to all my English friends and college and tried to make sure I was never around here.”
“Do you think Mr. Schrock ever knew about the thefts? I bet he missed the money. Did he ever question you?”
“Not then. But it turns out that he knew.” He shrugged, looking haunted. “Neither of us said anything, though.” Looking once again at his knees, at his hands that were clenched together in front of him, he shook his head. “I really messed up, though. I should have said something to somebody.”
“What do you think would have happened if you had?”
Luke didn’t ask the question lightly. There was a certain wistfulness and despair in the boy’s voice that conveyed that there were many unresolved hurts in his heart.
“I don’t know.”
“Time’s up for saying I don’t know.” Determined to get some answers, Luke pushed harder. “Think, Walker, and tell me.”
Pure hurt entered the boy’s eyes. “If I had told, maybe Sheriff Kramer might have been called. And while I might have been blamed, too, maybe Perry would’ve gotten caught.” His voice cracked. “And then maybe he would’ve changed.”
“And?”
“And he’d still be alive, okay?” His voice turned hoarse as he angrily swiped a tear on his cheek. “If I hadn’t been such a pansy, he would still be alive. Detective Reynolds, Perry’s death is completely my fault.”
To his surprise, Luke felt a lump in his throat, too.
“Perry’s death isn’t your fault.”
Missing with Bonus Material: The Secrets of Crittenden County, Book One Page 20
