by Debby Giusti
Had Carrie’s father found respite in the Amish community with the rolling hills and bucolic farms? Or had he taken up residence in the old homestead for another reason?
Approaching the Harris home, Tyler turned into the driveway and pulled the car to a stop at the side of the house. A man appeared, seemingly from thin air. He was tall with broad shoulders, a thick beard and a black hat.
Alarmed by his presence and worried about Carrie’s safety, Tyler hopped from the car. “May I help you?”
“I am Simon Plank. My son said you questioned his care of the chickens.”
Instantly relieved, Tyler stretched out his hand. “You’re Eli’s father?”
“Yah.” The man accepted the handshake.
Carrie stepped out of the car and moved closer. “I am grateful for your son’s help, Mr. Plank. Special Agent Zimmerman was concerned about finding a stranger on the property this morning. You’ve probably heard about the soldier who died here last night.”
Simon nodded. “I learned of this today. My son had nothing to do with the dead soldier or any of them.”
“By any of them, do you mean soldiers from Fort Rickman?” Tyler asked.
“Not from the fort, but from someplace nearby. They try to talk our young boys into doing things that God forbids.”
Tyler looked at Carrie. “What type of things, sir?”
“Playing cards and movies that are not suitable for anyone to watch, especially for the young.”
“Sir, can you give me the names of the people who have approached the boys?”
“I do not have names. I have only heard about what has happened. I do not want this to happen to my boy.”
“I’m in complete agreement. If Eli hears of anyone upsetting the youth in this community, please tell me. I’ll personally find the soldiers involved and talk to them and have their superiors counsel them, if necessary.”
“What about the care of the chickens?” Simon asked. “Eli helped Isaac Lapp as a favor while they were gone.”
Glancing at Carrie, he added, “My son said you wanted to pay him to do the job.”
“That’s right. As you probably know, my father died a little less than two weeks ago. I could use Eli’s help, and I will pay him for his work.”
“The job is still available?”
“Yes, I’d enjoy having his help,” Carrie said.
“Gut. Eli will save the money. He is young and dreams with his eyes open.”
Tyler smiled. “Most kids do, but I don’t think you have to worry about Eli.”
“A father always wants his child to follow God’s way. That is my desire.” He nodded to Carrie. “I will tell him he can accept the job.”
After a nod of farewell, the Amish farmer crossed the road and walked toward his house. Simon’s words played through Tyler’s mind. “A father wants his son to follow God’s way.”
Tyler’s own father would have said the same thing. He had been strict, almost to an extreme, but also committed to the Lord. His dad had expected Tyler to embrace the beliefs he held dear, yet his tragic death had sent Tyler’s world into chaos. How could a boy continue to believe in a God Who had allowed such darkness into his young life? To Tyler’s way of thinking, God had abandoned him when his father died.
Or had Tyler been the one to close his heart to the Lord?
“Are the Amish naive about their faith, or do they have it right?” Tyler stared into the distance and watched as Simon entered his farmhouse.
Carrie sighed. “I’m not sure.”
Hearing the fatigue in her voice, he touched her arms. “I know you’re tired. Go inside. Lock the doors and windows. I’ll stay outside and keep watch for a while.”
She shook her head. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but that’s not necessary. As you mentioned at the cemetery, the shooter tried to scare me instead of doing me harm. Go home, Tyler. Get some rest. I’ll call you if I hear anything or become fearful.”
“I can drive you to the garage tomorrow if your car is ready. Or if you want to talk to Gates.”
“Aren’t you going to post?”
“At some point, but I can also work from home.” He didn’t mention that he’d been tasked to ensure her safety and to find out if she had additional information about the case.
When she unlocked the door, Bailey bounded outside and barked with enthusiasm.
“You’ve been cooped up for too long,” Carrie laughed. “Sorry, boy.”
His tail wagged as he paused for her to rub his neck, then scurried to greet Tyler.
“Hey there, Bailey. What have you been up to?”
The dog barked playfully. He scampered around the yard before bounding across the road.
Carrie called to him, but Bailey ignored her. Instead he raced to where Eli walked along the road, coming back to the Harris home.
“Looks like your new hired hand is ready to get started on his job,” Tyler said with a smile.
“With Bailey’s help.”
The dog and teenager crossed the road and approached where Tyler and Carrie stood. Eli nodded in greeting. “My Datt said you still want me to care for the chickens.”
“Yes, thank you, Eli. If Bailey gets underfoot I can call him inside.”
The boy scratched Bailey’s ears. “He likes to help, and the chickens do not worry about him when he is outside the fence.”
The boy and dog walked toward the barn to get the feed. Carrie turned as if ready to go inside.
Much as Tyler didn’t want to leave her, he said goodbye and climbed into his SUV for the short drive home. He pulled into the driveway of his house and killed the engine. As he exited the car, he glanced at Eli and Bailey sauntering toward the chicken coop, relieved the day would end better than it had begun.
Once at his door, Tyler wiped his feet on the mat. Before he turned the key, he heard Eli running back to the Harris house.
Even at this distance, Tyler could tell something was wrong. Bailey followed close behind the boy with his head down and tail between his legs.
Tyler ran across the green space between the two homes. Carrie stepped onto the porch, her face drawn as she watched the boy run toward her.
“Chickens,” Eli called. “Ten of them. Blood. Feathers. Their necks have been broken. They are dead.”
SEVEN
Tyler and Officer Inman inspected the chicken coop while Eli sat on the front porch with Bailey. Carrie fixed the teenager a glass of lemonade and brought cookies for him to eat, insisting that he stay close until Tyler and the police officer finished checking the damage.
Glancing at the police car in her driveway, she was glad Inman hadn’t sounded his siren or flashed his lights. She didn’t want the memory of last night to return. Had it only been twenty-four hours since she arrived in Freemont?
So much had happened and none of it good.
“Have another cookie,” she encouraged Eli.
“I dropped the feed bucket. It spilled. I should not be so wasteful.”
“That’s not a concern, Eli. I can get more feed. I’m more worried about you. I know seeing the chickens upset you.”
“Why would someone do that to innocent animals?”
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully.
“My Datt said someone was killed here last night.”
She nodded. “A soldier who lived in a trailer in the woods. Did you know him?”
Eli’s eyes widened. “A friend of mine saw two soldiers arguing on the hill. He stayed back so they would not see him. He said the soldiers were angry, and he feared for his own safety.”
“When was that?”
The boy shrugged. “Maybe two weeks ago.”
“Who’s your friend?” she pressed.
“I should not say things that he told me.”
“The police need to know. The arguing soldiers could have been involved with the soldier’s death last night. You wouldn’t be wrong to share your friend’s name.”
The boy thought for a lon
g moment, then shook his head again. “I cannot.”
“Does your friend live near here?”
“Not far.”
“Had he seen the soldiers before?”
“Not my friend, but I have heard other boys talk about the soldiers.”
Tyler and Officer Inman approached the porch.
Carrie stood. “Did you find anything that might point to who did it?”
“I’m afraid not,” Inman said with a discouraged shake of his head. “The wire on the side of the coop was cut. More than likely, the person knew you weren’t home since he acted in daylight.”
The officer glanced at the neighbor’s house. “They must have known the Lapps were gone too.”
Carrie shared what Eli had told her.
Tyler glanced down at the teenager. “If you won’t tell us your friend’s name, Eli, then encourage him to come forward. The information could help us find some bad people who have hurt others. Do you understand?”
The boy bit his lip and nodded.
“Go home, Eli, before your father gets worried about you,” Officer Inman said. “But if you think of anything else, tell Ms. York or Special Agent Zimmerman. They’ll pass the information on to me.”
Eli downed the lemonade and looked at the plate of cookies.
“I’ll get a plastic bag, and you can take the rest of the cookies home,” Carrie suggested.
“That is too much. May I have one more?”
“Of course. And come back anytime, Eli.”
“I will clean the coop before I go.”
Tyler held up his hand to stop the boy. “I’ll take care of the cleanup. You can come back tomorrow and feed and water the chickens that weren’t hurt.”
“I will.” He took a cookie.
“Take another one,” Carrie encouraged.
He nodded his thanks, took the second cookie and hurried home.
Tyler turned to the police officer. “We need to find this guy.”
“He seems to be everywhere.”
“As if he knows my schedule.” Carrie shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Could my phone be telling him where to find me?”
“Might be smart to turn off your cell when you’re not using it,” Inman suggested. “You can’t be sure about this person...” He hesitated. “Or persons. They could be making good guesses. You said the soldier in the chaplain’s office heard that you planned to stop at the cemetery. Then you saw him at George Gate’s office?”
“After we visited the museum. The lawyer’s receptionist mentioned that my father had donated items I wanted to see.”
“Hate to tell you, but I haven’t had a chance to stop by the museum. It’s only been open a short time. One of the ladies in town did most of the work on getting the project off the ground. What did you find?”
“Some old farm and kitchen tools and a letter that talked about family treasure.”
Inman nodded knowingly. “Folks have been spreading rumors about treasure since I was a kid. A Southerner’s worst nightmare was having the Union soldiers pillage his farm and home. Hiding valuables was universally done south of the Mason-Dixon Line.” He scratched his chin. “Thing is, we don’t know what was hidden. Everyone dreams big. Talk is there were gold coins, but that’s probably not the case.”
“Have you uncovered anything new on Corporal Fellows’s death?” Tyler stated the question everyone wanted answered.
Inman sighed. “I’m afraid not. His trailer was clean. The only thing we found were some shrubs that needed to be planted around his trailer.”
Carrie gazed at the farmland that paralleled the road and stretched all around her father’s property. Her property. She failed to think of it as such.
“I’m heading back to headquarters,” Officer Inman said. “Keep your eyes open. No telling what this guy or group of men might try next, so be cautious.” He pointed to Tyler. “You’ve got this guy next door. Don’t hesitate to call him.”
Once the officer had left, Tyler touched her arm. “I’ll hang around outside for a while.”
“I was thinking about fixing something for dinner. Maybe burgers and a salad. I’ve got more than enough for you to join me, if you don’t already have plans.”
He smiled. “Burgers sound great. I saw a grill behind the house, if you want some help.”
“Perfect. Thanks.” She opened the door and motioned him to follow her inside. Opening her purse, she drew out her phone and placed it on the counter.
“Is your GPS turned off?” Tyler asked.
“I can’t remember if I ever turned it on.”
Tyler stepped closer. He picked up the cell and handed it back to her. “The GPS would pinpoint your location whenever you post on social media. Check your settings. You should be able to find it.”
She sifted through a number of screens. “Here it is. No, it’s off.”
“That’s good. You might want to turn the cell off when you’re not using it, as Officer Inman mentioned, just as another precaution.”
“I’ll do that after dinner. I’m waiting for a phone call from my office.”
“Have you had any time to work on the senator’s speech?” he asked, following her into the kitchen.
“Not yet. I’d hoped to get some guidance from him first.”
“Who’s he speaking to?”
“A veteran’s group.”
“Then he probably wants his antimilitary rhetoric toned down a bit.”
“He’s not antimilitary, Tyler. It’s more about spending and the defense budget.”
“You can’t have a well-trained military without supplies and technology and battle-fighting capabilities, Carrie. The senator likes to pretend he stands with the military, when he undermines them by cutting their funding.”
“The budget has grown far too large.”
“I agree, but look at social spending within the US. The national defense budget pales in comparison.”
“Maybe we should change the subject,” she finally said, pulling a package of ground chuck from the refrigerator. “Or agree to disagree.”
“Stay away from politics and religion, right?”
“That might be wise.”
“While you make the burgers, I’ll bring the grill around to the kitchen door.”
Tyler stepped outside and then glanced back to her. “First, I’d better bury the chickens and get the coop cleaned out.”
“I feel indebted.”
“Don’t. One of the foster homes I lived in was in the country. I know my way around a barnyard.”
“Thank you, Tyler.” She watched him walk away, heading for the chicken coop and a job she didn’t know if she could have handled. Tyler helped her in so many ways, but then, she was an assignment to him. He needed to stay close and ensure that she didn’t get hurt. At least, that was what he had probably been told. For a moment, she wished their relationship could be something more.
Grabbing another hunk of ground beef, she forced herself to think of other things rather than the handsome special agent who was off-limits. Too soon, she’d be driving back to DC and her job. She didn’t have time to get involved with someone in Georgia, especially a special agent who was all business. Bottom line, she needed to be strong and keep up her guard, especially when Tyler was around.
* * *
Tyler walked away from Carrie before he could say something that he’d later regret, something about how she looked at home in the kitchen and how having dinner with her this evening sounded special.
Carrie was a city girl. She had undoubtedly worked hard to land the position with Senator Kingsley, even if Tyler didn’t espouse the politician’s beliefs. Once she decided what to do with her father’s estate, she’d head back to the hustle and bustle of Washington and leave her antebellum roots behind.
Finding a shovel in the barn and a small cardboard box, he placed the remains in the box and buried it in the wooded area. He fed the remaining chickens, ran fresh water into their trough and repaired the f
ence to keep them safe from animal predators. If only he could keep Carrie safe from the two-legged kind who kept attacking her.
Once finished, he tapped on her kitchen door. His chest hitched when she peered outside, looking flushed.
“I’ll shower and return shortly,” he said, taking a step back to distance himself from her alluring charm. “Is there anything you still need?”
“Just some charcoal, if you have extra.”
“I’ve got a full bag from the last time I stopped in the commissary.”
After a quick shower, Tyler returned wearing khaki trousers and a button-down-collar shirt and a pullover fleece. He carried a ten-pound bag of Match Light charcoal and arranged the charcoal in the grill. As the fire caught, he knocked on her door.
“Thanks again for the invitation,” he said when she invited him inside. She’d done something to her hair that made it curl over her shoulders and had slipped into slacks and a colorful long-sleeve blouse.
“The burgers are ready for the grill whenever the fire’s hot.”
He laughed when he saw the plate piled high. “Looks like enough to feed an army.”
She smiled. “Did I overdo?”
“I’ll eat two.”
“We’ll have leftovers.”
Was that another invitation?
Once the charcoal was hot, Tyler grabbed the plate and headed out the door. Bailey followed on his heels but quickly bounded toward the Amish house next door.
Eight-year-old Joseph Lapp stood in his front yard and fell to his knees as the dog slid into his warm embrace.
“I missed you.” The boy dropped his head to Bailey’s neck and scratched his back.
“Joseph, you must help your mother,” Isaac said as he walked toward Tyler.
The boy waved goodbye and hurried back to the house.
“Welcome home.” Tyler stretched out his hand. “How was your trip?”
The farmer looked tan and relaxed. “Gut. But I have twice the work to do now.”
Tyler chuckled. “I know the feeling.” He pointed to the coop in the backyard. “Eli Plank has been feeding the chickens. Thanks for arranging for his help.”
Isaac smiled. “Eli is a fine boy and a hard worker.” Carrie stepped from the house and approached, smiling. “You must be Isaac Lapp.” She introduced herself and shook hands with the tall Amish man. “You were visiting family?”
