by Dana R. Lynn
Lilah admitted to being disappointed. As much as she was afraid to see what was in the box, there was part of her that needed to know.
Officer Dawson looked at her. “Any other numbers you can think of?”
Lilah thought. She started to shake her head, then stopped. An ice-cold chill went down her spine. A day that she would always remember, but wanted to forget, popped into her mind.
“Try April 27.” The day her parents were killed.
The lieutenant tapped in the new code. A soft click came from inside the box. “I think we have a winner.”
The lieutenant opened the box and extracted the contents.
From where she was standing, Lilah couldn’t make out what he had. Mostly, it looked like a stack of receipts. There was a logbook, similar to the one Jacob had kept in his office, where he kept notes of all his transactions and communications with customers. Lieutenant Quinn opened the book and started reading the first few entries. His mouth dropped open and he motioned for Officer Dawson to read the entries.
When Officer Dawson had read them, she and Lieutenant Quinn exchanged glances. Lilah was concerned. Both their faces had gone very serious.
“What does it say?” Her voice was hoarse. “What was my brother into?”
Lieutenant Quinn cleared his throat. “This logbook is a diary of all sorts of communications between your brother and Billy Whitman. Specifically, starting a little less than five years ago, your brother started purchasing prescription pain medications from Billy.”
Lilah stared. “We were in an accident. My parents were killed, and Jacob and I were both injured. We both had prescriptions for pain medication. It was a onetime prescription, no refills.”
Officer Dawson sighed. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Lilah. Apparently, your brother became addicted to the painkillers. He could no longer get the drugs legally, so he started purchasing them from Billy. He was caught on tape making a drug deal. When he realized how far he had fallen, he agreed to become a source.”
“I don’t understand. What exactly does that mean?” Lilah asked.
Levi leaned forward. “He started helping the cops, didn’t he?”
Both officers nodded. Officer Dawson replaced the book in the box. “He was working with one particular cop. It was one of those deals where none of the other cops knew who he was. Hopefully, this will help us find who’s responsible.”
Levi broke into the conversation. “But you have Billy in jail.”
The lieutenant nodded. “True. But Billy is just a small player. See, we knew that Billy was dealing, but we also know that he is working for someone else. We’re all trying to find the man who’s running this operation.”
“Are you telling me my brother wasn’t doing anything bad?”
“No,” Officer Dawson responded immediately, shaking her head. “In the logbook, he detailed his conversations with your bishop. He had the bishop’s approval. The bishop and the cop involved had a conversation about the other criminal activity the leader of this group was dipping his hands into. Some of that activity could have affected the Amish community. The bishop had agreed as long as helping the police did not compromise Jacob or lead him into doing drugs again. He had kept his end of the bargain.”
Lilah frowned. Her head was starting to ache again.
“Then why kill him?”
“That’s the last entry. He wrote that he felt he could no longer continue with a baby on the way. So, he was going to give all his evidence to the police and break all connection with the drug dealers. My guess, he was either seen talking to the cop or he confronted Billy personally.”
Lilah clenched her fists together to keep from breaking apart. She was happy that Jacob hadn’t been in the wrong, that he was trying to help others. That was completely what she’d expect from him. On the other hand, how had she not known about his previous addiction?
She remembered how it felt when she had taken the painkillers herself. She had been sleepy and had lost the ability to focus. Why hadn’t she noticed a change in Jacob?
It struck her as horribly sad to have all these questions and know that she would never have the answers.
* * *
If Levi had to say what the expression on Lilah’s face was, devastated would be the only word he’d be able to think of. He wasn’t sure which part of this new information was the most painful to her. Certainly, the idea that Jacob had suffered with an addiction before breaking free of it was painful. He’d seen firsthand how addiction could destroy people’s lives.
Or maybe it was the fact that Jacob had been working, sort of undercover, with the police and she never knew. Maybe that was the part that bothered her the most.
It was also possible that she was devastated because she had finally realized that her brother was never coming home again. Sometimes it took a while for that truth to sink in. When it did, there was always an emotional crisis of some kind.
“Are you going to be all right?” he whispered to her.
“I don’t know. I feel a little lost right now.” He knew she was struggling when she admitted it to him. Reaching over, he wrapped both arms around her. He thought she might withdraw from him, but she didn’t. Rather, she settled against him with a sigh. He dropped his chin on the top of her kapp and just held on to her, letting her feel his strength.
Both officers quietly excused themselves, giving Levi and Lilah some privacy. He appreciated their sensitivity. After a couple of minutes, she stirred in his arms. He loosened his grip but didn’t completely let go. Lilah leaned back and looked him in the eyes.
“Danke, Levi.”
He brushed a tendril of her blond hair back away from her forehead. Her face grew warm beneath his fingers. It would be so easy to lean in and kiss her, the way he longed to do. He fought the temptation, knowing that kissing her when he didn’t feel able to court her would be wrong. Lilah was a woman who deserved to be respected and cherished.
He wished he could be that man. He was finding it impossible to keep his emotions under control.
She had wormed her way into his heart with her sweet ways and her courage. He didn’t know if he’d be whole when they went their own ways, but he would do his best to keep his distance, for her sake.
Reluctantly, he dropped his arms and returned to his seat when the door opened. Lilah remained where she was. Had she decided to keep her distance from him? He was aware of the irony that no sooner had he decided to keep his distance than he became irritated that she might have decided to take the same action.
“When can we go home?” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this drained. Physically, emotionally. Everything about this day had sucked the energy clean out of him. He wanted to go to his haus, hug his mamm, eat some of her cooking and go to bed to sleep for a week.
He also wanted to find a way to avoid being too close to Lilah, and that wasn’t likely to happen until this mess was over. Because no matter how hard it was being around her, it would be worse knowing danger was near her and being unable to assure himself of her well-being.
“We can give you a ride home in about five minutes.” Lieutenant Quinn opened the door and went halfway through before halting again. “Oh, by the way...the man you identified, Pete Oliver, he’s been wanted for a long time on drug and murder charges. We didn’t know he was back in the area. It’s likely that he’s the one running the operation.”
“Which means if you catch him—” Lilah started.
“If we catch him, the operation goes belly-up and you’re safe to return to your life without fearing someone is after you.”
Levi wanted that for her. He wanted Lilah to feel safe. To be able to dream and to laugh frequently.
Just not with him.
Lieutenant Quinn was as good as his word. Five minutes later, he entered the conference room again, this time wearing jeans and a black T-shirt.
He had traded his smart hard-soled police issue shoes for a well-worn pair of sneakers. He sauntered over to the coffeepot and refilled his coffee.
“I’m ready whenever you two are.”
“I’m ready.” Lilah stood gracefully and strode to the door.
“Jah, me, too.”
They walked out to the back parking lot together. Between the hospital and the time spent looking over the database, they had missed most of the day.
“Supper will be on the table before we get to my haus,” Levi remarked.
“Your mamm, will she be worried?” Lilah’s brow creased.
“Nah. I told her I didn’t know how late we’d be today. Of course, I had no plans on getting hit by an exploding barn, but she knows we might not make it until late.”
Lilah snorted. “A piece hit you. You make it sound like the whole barn landed on you.”
He winked at her. It was gut hearing her laugh.
Levi grinned and smacked his hands together when he saw Lieutenant Quinn’s truck. A full-size Ford F-150 pickup truck. “Man! You have wheels!”
Lilah rolled her eyes. “I’m sure it has four-wheel drive.”
The officer laughed. “Yes, ma’am. You can’t go through winter in this part of the country without it.”
Levi hadn’t been kidding when he told Lilah the one thing about the Englisch world he missed was four-wheel drive. “Lilah, I used to drive one of these when I was Englisch. It was sweet.”
Lieutenant Quinn raised an eyebrow and smiled. Levi could see that he didn’t know if Levi was being serious.
“Well, then you’re in for a treat. Hop in. I need to make one stop along the way.”
They piled in the truck and headed out. Levi itched to get in the driver’s seat. They stopped at a small convenience store in town so Lieutenant Quinn could pick up a gallon of milk before he went home.
Levi and Lilah waited in the truck for him. The silence was rife with tension. That kiss that never happened was lingering between them.
“I need to stretch my legs,” Levi said, just to get out of the truck.
He stood outside, looking up at the stars. When he heard a jingle, he dropped his gaze to see Lieutenant Quinn heading his way. He made to go back to the truck.
The first bullet knocked the milk out of Lieutenant Quinn’s hand. The second, as the lieutenant threw himself in front of Levi, hit the lawman in the chest.
FOURTEEN
Levi caught Lieutenant Quinn as he fell. Shouting for Lilah to open the door, he dragged the injured cop to the truck. With Lilah’s help, they managed to get him inside.
The store attendant had rushed out, a rifle in his hands. If he hadn’t been there, Levi doubted they would have survived.
“I called for help.”
A car screeched down the road toward them.
“No time!” Levi jumped into the cab behind the wheel. “Go inside and lock the door. This is a cop. I’m driving to the hospital,” Levi said to the store owner.
“Keys, keys, where are the keys!”
“In the ignition!” Lilah twisted in her seat. “Levi!”
The back window shattered. Twisting the keys to start the engine, Levi floored it. The truck shot forward. He spun out of the parking lot and into the street. A horn blared as he cut off a car coming from the opposite direction.
“Sorry, sorry.” Sweat trickled down his face. “Is he breathing?”
Lilah leaned closer to Lieutenant Quinn. “He’s breathing, but his color is schrecklich.”
That was not gut.
He sent up a silent prayer for help. A roar from the rear alerted him that the shooter was behind him. The light ahead was green. He pushed his foot down on the gas, desperate to put some space between him and the man, or woman, coming after them. It had to be Pete Oliver or Tammy Spitts. No one else had any reason to want them dead. He couldn’t seem to pull away from them. They were two car lengths away from the light when it switched to yellow.
“Hang on!” Levi hollered. Pushing the gas pedal clear down to the floor, he shot toward the light. It changed red as he was clearing the intersection. Lilah grabbed Lieutenant Quinn and held him tight. She gasped as a car coming from the other direction missed them by less than a foot.
He didn’t know that he loved four-wheel drive anymore. This kind of excitement was the kind he would happily live without.
A quick look cast over to Lilah showed that her face was pale, but her jaw was set. That was his Lilah. Strong and capable. She would not falter in the midst of danger. He knew he could rely on her to watch over Lieutenant Quinn while he took care of the driving.
The traffic going the opposite way leaned on their horns. He glanced in the rearview mirror. They hadn’t lost their tail. The shooter had run the red light right behind Levi. Levi spun the wheel, taking a hard left. He hoped the oncoming traffic would slow the other vehicle down.
It did, but not enough to matter.
The car kept pace with him no matter where he went.
“We have to get him to a hospital,” he yelled over the engine. “I’m hoping the shooter behind us won’t follow us into the emergency room. I’d wait, but I think Quinn will die if he doesn’t get there soon.”
The car continued to trail after them as they turned and swerved, one street after another. It could have been worse. Instead of gaining on them, the vehicle was keeping up, sometimes getting closer, but never overtaking them.
Sirens burst out behind them. Flashing lights pulsed, flaring red, white and blue against the dashboard.
The convenience store attendant had come through for them. Finally, the car chasing them veered off. Two police cars lit off in pursuit.
A third car slipped around them, lights still on and sirens flashing.
“They’re giving us an escort to the hospital to make sure we get there in time to save Lieutenant Quinn.”
At the hospital, Levi drove under the emergency room awning. A paramedic was waiting at the door. At his shout, others came running. Obviously, someone had called in to expect them. Within seconds, they were swarmed with medical personnel. Lilah jumped down so they could get Lieutenant Quinn out of the vehicle.
It was amazing how gently and efficiently they extricated Lieutenant Quinn from the truck and placed him on the stretcher. Within seconds, he was whisked back inside the hospital, the automatic doors whooshing closed behind them.
Lilah started to climb back up into the cab. Levi halted her.
“I need to go and park this truck. Please go into the hospital and wait for me. There might be information the police or the doctors need to give us.”
She gave him a doubtful look but didn’t complain. Backing away from the vehicle, she shut the door and ran to the electronic doors, pausing only long enough to allow them to open for her before dashing inside to the safety of the hospital.
He didn’t blame her. After what had just happened, he felt exposed out here himself. That was the real reason he sent her inside. The parking lot was crowded. The last thing he wanted was to have her walking that distance, vulnerable to a sniper. He didn’t know if the man had been caught yet or not.
Once Lilah was safely inside the building, Levi shifted the truck back into Drive, put his foot on the gas pedal, and gunned the engine more than he planned. Grimacing, he darted a glance around to see if anyone had noticed. No one was there. Gut. He had not had the opportunity to drive like this for a while. His skills were a bit rusty.
But still gut enough to have driven an injured police officer to the hospital, he reminded himself.
To his surprise, he found the thrill of driving a big truck was no longer as fun as it had once been. He was glad he’d possessed the ability at the critical moment when they were being shot at. But other than that, he didn’t think he would miss it the way he had. Not now that he’d had the chance to
drive again.
He’d be much happier driving his buggy with his mare.
It took him a while to find a parking space big enough for the large pickup truck. He shook his head every time he passed a spot that might have worked but had been rendered useless because someone had parked over the line.
Carelessness? He could see someone being distraught and not paying attention. Although he had known people who would deliberately take up two spaces so their car wouldn’t get scratched by another driver.
You didn’t have to worry about that with a buggy. It was plain and serviceable, so if it got a bit scratched or dinged, no one cared. As long as it worked.
Finally finding a spot, he turned off the engine. Sitting in the cab, he breathed deep for a moment. Saying a prayer for protection, he opened the door, hopped down and made a mad dash for the entrance. Dodging the parked cars, he weaved through the lot, not feeling safe until the doors whooshed shut behind him.
* * *
Lilah paced the waiting room. The doctors had rushed Lieutenant Quinn to surgery. A couple of police officers prowled the hallways. So far, no one had said much to her other than asking if she was well or if she needed something.
What she needed was Levi. Well, she needed to know he was safe, she clarified. Her mind mocked her. She ducked away from the knowledge of how much he was coming to mean to her, but she couldn’t escape it.
Levi Burkholder had become very important to her in the few days they’d known each other.
Ach! How could this have happened? She knew he was helping her because she was Jacob’s little sister. He was being generous with his time, risking his life, but she wasn’t foolish enough to believe there could be more. Every time they seemed to be getting closer, she felt a wall springing up between them.
This afternoon, at the police station, she had known he wanted to kiss her. Her heart had pounded. She hadn’t backed away, hadn’t wanted to. At the last instant, he’d drawn back and closed her out.
That had hurt—she couldn’t deny it. When Lieutenant Quinn had walked in, she had been relieved. His presence had stopped her from doing or saying something she might have regretted.
