Amish Refuge

by Debby Giusti

  “I heard someone open the door to the church. Then the person turned and walked away. I feared someone had spotted me and was notifying the sheriff.”

  Abram hurried to reassure her. “I told you Samuel can be trusted.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t trust anyone, Abram.”

  “You can trust me.”

  Miriam stared at him as if weighing his words.

  Even now she did not believe he would take care of her. Abram knew it to be true.

  He pointed to the side door. “We will go out this way. The buggy is directly behind the church.”

  Together they hurried outside. Abram helped her climb into the rear of the buggy. Once she was settled, he encouraged Nellie forward. Rounding the corner of the church, Abram searched for any hint of danger.

  “The market is not far. We will be there soon.”

  Miriam let out a deep breath. The sound carried with it an increased amount of frustration and fear. No matter how much Abram tried to reassure her, Miriam was in danger. She knew it. So did he.

  NINETEEN

  Abram turned the buggy onto the market road and pulled to the rear of the complex. “Wait here, until I will make certain Serpent is not inside.”

  He studied the street then stepped into the market complex and again searched the people who milled around the various stalls. Thankfully he saw only local women buying produce and hand-crafted items. A few men chatted with friends. A few more sipped coffee purchased at a shop across the street.

  Returning to the buggy, he offered Miriam his hand and helped her down. “This way.” He quickly ushered her inside and then pointed her toward an enclosed office. “You can wait in here.”

  The office had a small leather couch and two straight chairs, in addition to a desk with a computer. Miriam sat on one of the straight chairs.

  “Do I have to stay here for the rest of the day?”

  “You will not have long to wait. Plus, you can use the computer. The office manager has a meeting across town, but I am sure he would not mind.”

  “What about the password?”

  “Type in ‘amishmarket.’ All lowercase and no space.”

  She looked surprised. “You’re sure?”

  He nodded. “Remember, the Amish can use computers for business purposes.”

  “But you don’t.”

  “That is right. Still, I know the password.” He smiled. “You can trust me, Miriam, even if you do not trust all men.”

  She sat straighter in the chair and looked somewhat indignant. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Your mother’s actions made you wary of others, especially men. Did your mother make poor choices about those she invited into her heart? Or did she give the various men in her life more attention than she gave to you and your sisters?”

  Miriam’s expression told him he was right. He took a step closer and lowered his voice, hoping she heard the sincerity in his tone. “I am not like the men your mother attracted or the other Englisch men who caused you pain. You think I am uneducated or a fool or someone who does not understand the ways of your world. You look at the surface and do not look deeper. That is too bad.”

  “Abram, I’m—”

  “You are sorry?” he volunteered. “Are you sorry because you cannot see me clearly? I hope you will heal from the scars you carry from your youth, and I do not mean visible scars. I mean the scars that bind your heart.”

  He turned and reached for the door. “I will return soon.”

  Abram found Isaac talking to Emma. “Miriam is in the office. Keep watch. I do not want Serpent to find her.”

  “You are leaving?” Isaac asked.

  “For a short while.”

  Emma stepped closer. “I told you, you should not get involved.”

  “I already am. Keep Miriam safe.”

  “What will happen if she leaves you, my brother?”

  He shrugged, unable to verbalize his feelings. “You have mourned long enough for Rebecca,” Emma reminded him. “If Miriam leaves, you will mourn her, as well. I do not think she will open her heart to our faith and our Amish ways unless you ask her to do so. But I know you, Abram. You are a proud man. Too proud to ask her to stay.”

  “Then we will say goodbye,” he said, holding his emotions in check. “And she will leave me.”

  His heart would break, he failed to add.

  * * *

  Miriam couldn’t stop thinking of Abram’s accusations. Had her mother and the string of self-absorbed men to whom she had been attracted turned her daughters against all men?

  Miriam dropped her head in her hands, realizing how her own heart had hardened over time. Abram was right. Her opinion of men was a product of her nomadic youth and the stream of men her mother had allowed into her life.

  Miriam didn’t trust men. She didn’t trust herself, either. She was her mother’s child. Surely she was prone to make mistakes just as her mother had done so many times.

  And Abram? Could she trust him with her heart? That was the question she kept asking.

  Needing to contact Hannah, she scooted her chair to the desk, used the password Abram had provided and accessed her email. Quickly she composed a message to her sister.

  Hannah, email back and let me know your phone number. We need to talk. So much has happened.

  She briefly explained the hijacking, their mother’s death and Sarah’s disappearance, and that she had been holed up on the Zook farm in Willkommen.

  I’m planning to take a bus to Atlanta and need you to pick me up at the bus station.

  Miriam hit Send just as a knock sounded at the door. Emma peered into the room. She smiled at Miriam and stepped inside.

  “Abram was worried. I’m glad he found you.”

  Miriam explained what had happened. “I hid in a church, never thinking anyone would look for me there.”

  “But Abram did.”

  “Thanks to Daniel finding the bonnet and cape. He’s a good boy, and his father is a good man. You deserve a life of your own, Emma. You don’t need to care for Abram.”

  “I was worried about him after Rebecca died. Things have changed and so has my brother. You have made him think beyond his grief and have given him hope for the future.”

  “You’re wrong,” Miriam insisted. “I’ve brought only problems to his life. No matter what you say, I have to leave. Abram said the bus to Atlanta runs later in the week.”

  “The bus runs at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow and the next.”

  “You took the bus to Ethridge when you went home to visit your parents?”

  “Yah?”

  “Did Abram drive you to the bus station?”

  “I took the Amish Taxi. Frank Evans makes his living transporting the Amish.” Emma glanced at the business cards taped to one corner of the small desk. “See, here is his information. People often use the office computer to contact him.”

  “The taxi is allowed?”

  “We cannot drive, but we can ride in vehicles. It is confusing to one who is not Amish.” Emma scowled. “But you cannot leave now. When it is time, Abram will take you to the station.”

  Miriam sighed, knowing she had already stayed too long. “I just emailed my sister. Once I hear back from her, I’ll head to Atlanta.”

  Emma wrinkled her brow. “But your sister left you, yah?”

  Miriam nodded. “I can’t blame Hannah. There were times when I wanted to leave, as well.”

  “Yet you did not leave. You are like me, Miriam. You are the one who cares for others. You stayed to care for your mother.”

  Emma took a step closer. “You told me to think of my own needs. You must do the same. You were a dutiful daughter, but now you must make your own way in life.”

  “I can
’t think of anything until Serpent is captured and my sister Sarah is found.”

  “And after that?” Emma’s gaze was filled with question. “What will you do then?”

  “I will try to heal my heart.”

  Emma touched Miriam’s shoulder. “You must unchain your heart, Miriam. As I said, we are alike. We can see what we want but we hesitate to accept happiness into our lives. A woman should be with a man. It is the way of life. You are rejecting who you truly are and what is best for you.”

  “I’m not sure you understand who I am, Emma.”

  “Take time to think things through, Miriam. I need to return to the stall, but you must not be hasty in your decisions to leave Willkommen. Promise me, you will weigh your options.”

  Miriam appreciated the Amish woman’s concern. “I promise.”

  When Emma left, Miriam tapped in the URL web site for the Amish Taxi and scheduled a pick up at 9:00 a.m. the following morning. Then she checked her email inbox to see if Hannah had responded to her message. She found nothing from her sister, but she did receive confirmation from the Amish Taxi.

  Just as she logged off, a noise sounded outside the door and Abram entered the cramped office.

  Miriam’s heart pounded when a second person stepped through the door. The man she had seen talking to Serpent. Sheriff Kurtz.

  Abram had brought the sheriff to the Amish market without talking to her first. What Abram didn’t realize was that he had exposed her whereabouts to a man who more than likely was part of the corruption. The sheriff had to be involved after the way he had been focused on Serpent.

  Abram hadn’t listened to her earlier concerns about his uncle. Instead, he had exposed her to someone working with Serpent.

  What was Abram thinking?

  * * *

  Abram stepped to Miriam’s side. “Samuel has come to help. He needs to hear your story.”

  The sheriff pulled up the other straight-backed chair and stuck out his hand to shake hers. He introduced himself and added, “I’m the Willkommen sheriff. Why don’t you start by telling me what happened?”

  Shrinking back in the chair, Miriam shook her head. “I saw you talking to a man outside your office. He has a serpent tattoo on his neck, only he covers it with a scarf.”

  “Pete Pearson.” The sheriff nodded. “He stopped by to inquire about my deputy who was air-evacuated to Atlanta earlier this week. Pearson helps the Petersville police, but only in an auxiliary role. He aids with traffic and crowd control. He’s not a bona fide law-enforcement officer. Abram said another man was with him the night you were stopped.”

  Miriam nodded but she failed to speak.

  The sheriff hesitated a moment before adding, “You need to start at the beginning and tell me the whole story.”

  “Abram said I am wanted for the death of my mother.” She glared at the sheriff. “Do you consider me a suspect?”

  Samuel shook his head. “That came from the Petersville Police Department. From what Abram told me about the night you appeared on his doorstep, I in no way think you had any role in your mother’s death. Tell me what happened, Miriam, so I can bring the guilty to justice.”

  She stared at him for a long moment and then haltingly began to recount the night of the hijacking.

  Abram’s heart went out to her as she shared the horrific details. Samuel had confirmed that the hijackers were not officers of the law. At least, Pearson wasn’t. One man kidnapped and held women hostage, the other was a cold-blooded murderer. Both men were felons who needed to be brought to justice.

  “My mother didn’t understand what was happening,” Miriam explained as she got deeper into the story. “Serpent told her to be quiet. She wouldn’t calm down. When he grabbed my arm, she lunged at him, screaming.”

  Miriam dropped her head. Tears fell from her eyes. Abram rubbed her shoulder, hoping to convey his concern and understanding.

  A box of tissues sat on a desk in the corner. The sheriff handed them to her. Miriam nodded her appreciation, grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I still can’t believe my mother’s dead.”

  “What happened next?” the sheriff asked.

  “When my mother grabbed my arm to pull me away from Serpent, the other man stepped from the police car. He drew a weapon from his belt and shot her. I... I screamed. Sarah sprang from the car. The other man grabbed her.”

  “Can you describe him?”

  “I wish I could. Serpent struck me and I must have passed out. The next thing I remember was being held in the cabin. I could hear water running nearby.”

  Miriam’s eyes widened. “Serpent put us in two different rooms so we couldn’t talk to each other. He tied me to the bed.” She glanced at Abram. “I...I presume he did the same to my sister. I heard portions of phone conversations and someone with a deep voice must have stopped by the cabin at some point. He and Serpent talked about other women. The deep voice mentioned Rosie Glick. I heard them both mention ‘trafficking.’”

  “Rosie Glick was an Amish girl who disappeared about seven months ago. Are you sure that’s the name he mentioned?”

  “I’m sure.”

  The sheriff made a note in a booklet he pulled from his pocket and then nodded for her to continue.

  “The night I escaped, a red-haired man came to the cabin. I saw him through the window. He hauled Sarah away. He said he’d take care of her.”

  Miriam put her hand over her mouth. “I think he planned to kill my sister.”

  Abram continued to rub her shoulder, wishing he could do more to offer support.

  “Have you seen your sister since then?” the sheriff asked.

  “No, but this is the first time I’ve been in town. Sarah’s five-five with blond hair and big blue eyes. She’s twenty-one, slender, pretty and...”

  Looking up with tear-laden eyes, she added, “You have to find her. Serpent came after me today. You have to find him and the other man—the ringleader—and send them both to jail for murdering my mother. Find the red-haired man, too, but even more important, you have to find my sister.”

  The sheriff leaned closer. “Miriam, why didn’t you come to me at the beginning?”

  “Serpent said he would make it seem that I had killed my mother if I tried to get away, which is exactly what he did.”

  “Go on,” Samuel prompted.

  “After Sarah was taken, I knew I had to escape.” Miriam continued to retell how she had managed to elude her captor.

  When she finished, the sheriff closed his booklet and returned it to his pocket. “Abram told me you found his house.”

  She nodded.

  He looked at his nephew with tired eyes. “But you didn’t tell me about Miriam when I stopped at your farm the next day.”

  “I didn’t know what had happened,” Abram confessed. “Only later, after you were headed to the hospital in Atlanta, Miriam told me about the hijacking.”

  “I trust my men,” the sheriff said, “But I can’t blame you for not sharing the information with my deputies, especially when Miriam was a possible suspect in her mother’s death.”

  Samuel offered Miriam a sympathetic smile. “I’m glad we finally were able to talk. Be assured I will do everything in my power to track Pete Pearson down and bring him to justice.”

  “He was in town earlier,” Abram reminded his uncle.

  “I’ll let my deputies know. He should be fairly easy to find.”

  “Miriam should stay in town,” Abram suggested.

  She narrowed her gaze. “What?”

  “You’ll be safer here if Pearson is on the loose.”

  “But—”

  The sheriff pulled his cell from his pocket and tapped in a number. He pushed the phone to his ear. “Curtis, this is Samuel. We need to find Pete Pearson.” The s
heriff smiled. “That’s good news. Have Ned bring him in to the station so I can interrogate him.”

  Samuel shoved his phone into his pocket. “One of my deputies is with Pearson now. He’ll arrest him and haul him in for questioning.”

  He turned to Abram. “Take Miriam home with you and Emma. She’ll be more comfortable there. Pearson will remain in jail. I can’t see how a judge would set bail after what Miriam has told me.”

  Samuel stood and took Miriam’s hand. “You go back to the farm with Abram. I’ll need to get a written statement from you, but we’ll do that later.”

  “We’ll leave now,” Abram said to Miriam as soon as the sheriff had left. “I’ll see if Emma can ride home with Isaac.”

  After the arrangements were made, Abram helped Miriam to the buggy. Once she was comfortably tucked into the rear seat, he encouraged Nellie into a sprightly trot. He needed to get Miriam to his farm as quickly as possible.

  As they rode through town, Miriam remained quiet. Too quiet.

  “It will be over soon,” Abram assured her.

  “I didn’t think the sheriff would believe me.”

  “I told you Samuel is to be trusted.”

  “I didn’t ask him about my aunt.”

  “But I did. He does not know anyone by that name.”

  “Maybe it was all in my mother’s mind.”

  “I am sorry you had to relive her death.” He thought for a moment and then added, “When you talked about her, it sounded as if she was trying to protect you. She loved you, Miriam.”

  Miriam’s silence tugged at Abram’s heart. Verbalizing what had happened had taken a toll. She had to be exhausted and upset.

  Hopefully after Serpent was captured she would be able to heal. But then what would happen? Would she go back to Tennessee or head to Atlanta?

  Abram knew one thing for certain. She would not stay in Willkommen.

  TWENTY

  Miriam found comfort recalling how her mother had tried to protect her during the hijacking. In the confusion of the attack, she had focused on her mother’s outrage that night instead of the protective nature of her attempt to stop Serpent. Maybe, as Abram had said, her mother had loved her, after all. The realization took her by surprise. For as long as she could remember, she had believed her mother had thought of her as a complication.