“I am sorry. I—I—”
Elijah caught her before she hit the floor. “Good gracious. She’s been beaten nearly to death.”
“Quick. Take her to the clinic,” Abigail told him.
Elijah picked the girl up and carried her to Abigail’s examination room.
Her eyes fluttered as Elijah placed her on the table.
“Dear child, what has happened to you?” Hannah asked.
“I just don’t know where it is.” She tried to lift herself up.
“Shh. Don’t try to talk. Just rest.” Hannah turned to Abigail. “What can I do to help?”
“Keep her quiet. And still.” Abigail busied herself preparing bandages and solutions. “We’ll have to cut off those clothes and dress all those wounds. She may need blood.”
“Can you tend to her, Abby? Without paramedics?” Elijah asked.
“I can try. I think Jackson did this to her,” Abigail said. They checked her limbs, face and neck for more bruising and other injuries.
“I know Jackson did it.” Elijah pointed to a cut on the girl’s face. “See? Here is a mark from the ring he wears on his right hand.” He put a hand to the girl’s forehead and she opened her eyes. “Do you know where he is?”
She was too weak to answer.
“You can interrogate later.” Abigail shooed him from the clinic space.
Hannah was filled with anger thinking of the horrible man who’d put this girl in such a state. It made her sick and enraged all at once. And there was so much blood. She couldn’t help thinking of Jessica.
But for the next few hours, she and Abigail tended to the poor beaten girl. She was in and out of consciousness. Mercifully, nothing was broken, but she was still suffering from a severe concussion and bruising such as Hannah had never seen. And it all confirmed the idea she’d had earlier about her stepdaughter.
When they’d finished, they dressed her in some of Abigail’s clothing, moved her to the couch and Abigail began pouring tea down her throat.
“Drink up. It will help with the swelling and the pain.”
“It’s a wonder you made it all the way out to Lancaster without passing out,” Elijah said. “Where is Jackson? Where did he take you?”
“What is this?” She choked at the taste of the tea.
“Lotus.” Abigail smiled with pride, then looked at her brother. “You have to report this.”
“No. No.” Brittney coughed out the words. “No report. I thought that was the Amish way. No outside help. That’s why I came here.”
“Well, yes, but you aren’t Amish,” Abigail said. “And this isn’t something we can ignore. He could kill you.”
“He won’t kill me,” she said. “He always knows when to stop. You are wasting your time if you report this. Actually, it will just make things worse. I’ll have to go back to him. They’ll call him. They always call him. What I really want is to stay here. Please promise me you won’t call.”
“We can’t promise that, Brittney,” Elijah said. “I am a police officer. You are underage and have to be either in the care of your legal guardian or Social Services. I can hold off for a bit, but eventually I have to report a case of child abuse. At least that will get you out of his custody.”
“But don’t you see? He is the police, too.” She shook her head. “You make a report. He makes it disappear. You say Flynn Jackson. He makes the report says Christopher Jones, or George Smith. He has the system in his pocket.”
“He doesn’t have me in his pocket,” Elijah said.
“Jessica was trying to get you out of there, wasn’t she?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. She was. I saw Jessica at a party. She looked so perfect. So peaceful. So happy. I knew she had something that I didn’t. And I wanted it. So I asked her. I asked her about your God. And when I heard of His love and acceptance, I knew I belonged to Him. I just didn’t know how to get away from Flynn.”
“But Jessica had a plan?” Elijah asked.
The girl nodded. “She said I could come here. Because of the Amish way. No help from the authorities. She said that Flynn wouldn’t be able to find me here.”
“She was trying to help this poor girl,” Abigail repeated proudly. She patted Hannah’s hand. “See? You were a great mother. Jessica was a sweet girl. She was trying to help.”
Hannah fought tears.
“Now I’m off to fix everyone some tea.” Abigail hurried off to the kitchen.
Hannah took a step toward the girl. “So all this is due to Jessica trying to help you?” Brittney nodded, and the tears slid down Hannah’s soft cheeks.
He walked over and touched Hannah’s shoulder. “Your daughter made a difference. I know it doesn’t bring her back. But knowing must give you some peace. She made a difference. You made a difference. This girl will never be the same.”
She looked up and smiled at him. “It does not take my sadness. But, yes, it gives me peace.”
Abigail bustled back into the room with a tray of steaming teas.
“I don’t think you can get her to drink anymore.” Elijah pointed out that Brittney had dozed off.
“This is for you.” Abigail handed a cup of tea to both Hannah and him.
“For us?” they said together.
“Yes, it’s passion flower.”
Passion flower? Hannah could already feel the blush on her cheeks. Why was Abigail pushing this so hard? Didn’t she see that it wasn’t meant to be?
“It’s for sleeping,” Abigail said with a teasing tone. “You both need to rest.”
* * *
Although still stiff and bruised, Brittney was much recovered by morning. The ladies tended to her with a full breakfast and much fussing.
Elijah sat at the other end of the table with his cup of black coffee and slice of buttered toast, alternating thoughts between the case and how today was his last day in Willow Trace.
“You look much better, Brittney.”
“Thanks. Thanks to all of you,” she said. “And especially for not calling the cops. You don’t understand—”
“We do,” Elijah said. “We do understand. And we want to help, but you have to talk to us so that we can stop Jackson once and for all. Did he kill Jessica?”
Her eyes went wide. “I don’t think so.”
“But he was with her that night?”
She nodded hesitantly. “Yes.”
Elijah leaned forward with his cup of coffee. “Who else was there? Why didn’t you tell us any of this when we were there?”
“I couldn’t talk in the apartment, you know.” Brittney pushed a loose lock of hair out of her eyes. “You never know who’s listening. That’s what happened with Jessica.”
“What happened with Jessica?” Elijah pressed her.
“Well, I don’t know all of it.” Brittney pressed her lips together and took a long sip of her tea. “She came over and we were going to leave. Leave Flynn. She said I could come here and he’d never find me. But…”
“It’s okay,” Hannah encouraged her. “Keep going. We want to know.”
“Well, it was all going great, until Jackson showed up.”
“What happened with Jackson?” Elijah was impatient for answers. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust that Brittney wanted a different life and now knew God’s love. He just didn’t trust that she was telling the hundred percent truth. She was scared. And used to a world where steering people the wrong way to protect yourself was a way of life. But lies were often mixed with some truth, and if she told the right things, if he asked the right questions, he could put it all together and maybe figure out where Jackson was. Today. His last day.
“Well, like I said, she came to the apartment. But we didn’t get out in time.”
“Who found you?”
“Flynn and Mr. Krups,” she said as if they should have already known.
“Mr. Krups?”
“Yeah. That’s who wants the journal. Mr. Krups. Why else do you think Flynn is so crazy? If he doesn’t get that journal back, Mr. Krups will…well, he won’t do it…but let’s just say it won’t be too good for Flynn.”
“Wait a minute. Wait a minute.” Elijah shook his head. “Your dad works for Norton Krups? I thought he worked for Philadelphia Party Rentals?”
“Stepdad,” she corrected him quickly. “The party rental place is a front. I thought everyone in Philly knew that.”
“So, it’s Norton Krups’s journal that everyone is looking for? How or why did Jessica get a hold of something like that? Or did she actually get a hold of it?”
Brittney looked around the room at each of them. Her eyes almost popped out of her head. “Man, you guys really don’t know anything, do you?”
“Apparently not.” Elijah ran his hands through his hair. How could he take down someone as connected and powerful as Norton Krups?
“And it’s not really a journal, either,” she added. “It’s an electronic device that holds security codes. And not just for Krups. I heard Flynn bragging to someone that the journal had all the codes connected with Dutch Confidential security systems and that he could steal information without being detected. Can you imagine? Even government systems use that company.”
“I do not understand. Who is this Krups?” Hannah asked.
Elijah paused. How did you describe a guy like Krups to a lady like Hannah? “He’s a respected businessman who has been suspected of illegal activities, gunrunning, drugs, murder. But no one has ever been able to prove it.” Elijah turned back to Brittney. “So, why did Jessica take this journal? What was she planning to do with these codes?”
“Actually, I took the journal.” She dropped her head. “One day, I was so mad at Flynn. He kept bragging about how great it was and how Krups was going to make him top dog. Then as usual, he got drunk and hit me for leaving a dish out or something. Anyway, I took it and I asked Jessica to hide it.”
“And she agreed to this?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. I told her what it was and what Flynn and Krups could do with it and so she thought it was good that they not have it anymore. A good thing to do, she said.” Brittney smiled.
Elijah couldn’t help grinning. He turned to Hannah and explained. “If what Brittney says is true, you can be sure that Krups and Jackson were going to use these codes to do something illegal. Jessica thought that it was a good thing to stop them.”
“Right,” Brittney said. “And she also figured that Flynn would be so freaked out about losing the journal that he wouldn’t notice me leaving. She said once I turned eighteen I could hand it over to the authorities and get Flynn in lots of trouble.”
“So, where did Jessica put the device?”
“That I don’t know. Jessica thought it would be better if she didn’t tell me. And then if Flynn asked me about it, I wouldn’t have to lie.”
“What happened the day Jessica came to see you?” Hannah asked.
“We were going to come here. It’s only a few weeks until my birthday. Then I would be eighteen.” A sad expression covered her face. Her eyes teared and she stared at the floor, speaking slowly. “Jessica thought her mom would let me stay for a bit. She said as long as I did my work and went to church, I’d be Welkommen.”
“So, what happened?”
“We didn’t make it. Flynn showed up. Krups showed up. Somehow Flynn realized that I took the journal. I don’t know how he figured it out, but he did. I was so scared. But Jessica was brave. She talked right back to Flynn and Mr. Krups. Told them they could have the codes back as soon as Flynn signed over my guardianship.”
Elijah shook his head. “Jessica was brave. Too brave.”
“What do you mean?” Hannah asked.
“Well, a man like Krups isn’t going to…” Elijah paused. “He isn’t going to negotiate with a couple of teenagers.”
“So he killed her.” Hannah sighed.
Brittney looked down. “I don’t know. They separated us. Flynn took me inside the apartment. Krups grabbed Jessica…that was the last time I saw her.”
Elijah rubbed his face with his hands. Krups. Jackson worked for Krups. Everyone worked for Krups. And Jessica had died at their hands keeping this secret in hopes of saving a poor girl from a home where no one wanted her. Hannah had been right all along. She’d raised a noble and brave daughter. Her actions reminded him of how he’d felt when he first had joined the force—he’d thought stopping a criminal would be as easy as finding them.
Hannah stood, wringing her hands in her apron. “Okay. Now I understand why they searched our house and our stable, but why me? Why do they think I know where this journal is? I know nothing.”
Brittney shrugged and started to cry again.
Eli frowned. The girl knew why Hannah was a target. But still there was something she wasn’t saying. He wondered how detrimental her silence would be.
“Well, I’d say that’s enough questions for now.” Abigail walked over to where Brittney sat. She knelt down beside her and spoke. “I am very glad you have come, Brittney. And we thank you for the truth. You know it is okay to be sad.” She glanced at Hannah as she spoke. “But wasn’t it good to have someone in the world to love you? Even if it is just for a short time. Treasure your friendship with Jessica. It was from God, who loves you. That is the Amish way. We don’t understand why she had to leave us so soon, but we are ever thankful that we had her here with us for the time that we did. Same as her Dat. He would have been proud of her.”
Abigail rose again and helped the girl up from the couch. “Come now. Time for another lotus tea.”
She led Brittney away to the kitchen.
Elijah agreed that she needed a break even though he had more questions. He wasn’t even sure the girl could answer his questions.
What they really needed was to find Jackson. And maybe, with the help of God, find the journal of codes. If they could do that, they could possibly take Krups down, too. There was still so much uncertainty, so many things they didn’t know. Well, at least, Hannah had one account of Jessica that was favorable. No one could be pleased with the outcome, but it seemed the girl’s heart had been in the right place.
He turned to Hannah. He caught the curves of her profile as she looked away from him. He admired the fullness of her lips and long dark lashes that blinked away the abundance of moisture in her eyes. How beautiful she was. How he longed to comfort her in her moment of suffering. He watched a moment as she continued to play nervously with the white cloth of her apron.
“Jessica died trying to help this girl.” Elijah turned away as he spoke, for fear she’d see the love in his eyes. “She was brave and bold. I’m sorry I didn’t know her better.”
“Aye, but she was a gut girl.” Hannah was trying to control her voice and yet it faltered with emotion.
Elijah glanced to the kitchen, where Brittney had gone. “I think we should finish what she started. We should help this girl.”
Hannah rose from her chair and moved toward him. She grasped his hands and looked deep into his eyes. “Always, I knew Jessica was a gut girl. She had a heart only to help others. Like you, Elijah. God has brought you here to make this right.”
Elijah released her hands, placed his gently against her cheeks and wiped her tears with his thumbs. Closing her eyes, she leaned into his palms, welcoming his touch. Her hands lifted up and rested on his shoulders. His pulse raced as he lowered his head toward her soft lips.
The beep of his cell phone sounded. He wanted to ignore it. He wanted to kiss her. Instead, he stepped back and pulled his phone from his pocket.
“Miller here,” he answered.
“We got Jackson,” Tucci
said. “But you’ve got to get here fast. I won’t be able to hold him long.”
“What is it?” Hannah asked when he pocketed his phone and turned away.
“They got him. They got Jackson. I have to go.”
Without a kiss.
SEVENTEEN
Hannah had thought this would feel different. She had thought that finding out about Jessica would give her some closure. But instead it seemed as though there were only more questions. Where was this journal? And why did anyone think she had it?
Not that it mattered anymore. Elijah had Jackson. Jackson would give them this Krups person and the whole thing would be over.
Which meant not getting to see Elijah anymore. She definitely felt confused about that. And there she had just nearly let him kiss her. What was she thinking? Good thing his phone had rung. And now he was gone.
“Where is Brittney?” Hannah asked as she and Abigail dried the morning dishes.
“She’s gone to rest.” Abigail eyed her with suspicion. “What’s on your mind? I know when a woman wants to talk.”
Hannah shrugged. “What’s not on my mind—the journal, this poor child’s father, what I’m going to do when this—”
“Your feelings for my brother…” Abigail added.
Hannah took another plate and began to dry. Yes, that was on her mind but it shouldn’t be.
“I know I shouldn’t pry, but you both are so worried the other doesn’t want to hear what you have to say that…” Abigail took the drying towel from Hannah’s hands and steered her toward a chair at the kitchen table. “I saw you holding his hand. Did you talk about your feelings? About the future?”
“I told you, Abigail, it’s not meant to be.”
“How do you know what God’s plan is? You don’t.”
“No. I don’t. But I know I’ll be shunned if I take on seriously with your brother. And I’ll hurt Thomas, which I would never want to do. He’s been very kind.”
Plain Secrets Page 15
