by Debby Giusti
“I thought you were upset with Sheriff Taylor.”
“I am, but he needs to know that Mose has a key to my house.”
Once they arrived in Mountain Loft, she parked in a rear lot not far from the sheriff’s office, draped her scarf around her neck and climbed from the car. Gloria pulled into a parking spot next to them.
“William, I need to talk to you.” Brad Abbott’s receptionist seemed breathless as she stepped to the pavement.
“Can it wait, Gloria?”
“It’ll only take a minute.” She titled her head and put her hands together as if pleading with him. “Please!”
He turned to Julianne. “Go ahead and talk to the sheriff. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
Gloria still liked William—Julianne could see it—but with her tight skirts and stiletto heels, she hardly looked suited for a life on an Amish farm. Maybe she thought Will would leave the faith. At one time, Julianne had thought that, too, but Will seemed content farming his land and abiding by the Ordnung. Gloria needed to focus her attention on Ralph Reynolds instead of an Amish man who needed to marry within the faith.
Julianne needed to keep that in mind, as well, lest she become overly attracted to the handsome farmer. She still harbored feelings for him that had started in their youth. Being with Will these last few days had made her even more aware that he was a good and righteous man. He was also considerate and compassionate, and when he looked at her, her cheeks burned and her pulse raced.
Once again, she recalled the intensity of his gaze and the warmth of his embrace when they were at the lake so long ago. Thoughts of his kiss filled her mind as she rounded the corner. An alleyway veered off to the left. On the road ahead, she spied a garbage truck heading toward her. The truck’s trash compactor was activated. The clatter drowned out any other noise and sent her thoughts of William fleeing as she eased into the alley to elude the rickety truck’s approach.
Grimacing at the racket, she closed her eyes for an instant. A hand grabbed her arm. Her eyes popped open. She tried to jerk her arm free. His grip tightened even more.
“Help,” she screamed. “Help me!” The sound of her cry was drowned out by the whirl of the trash compactor.
The man pulled her against his chest. He was tall and bulky, and the sleeves of his shirt were black. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a red bandana.
“Why didn’t you leave town?” the guy snarled.
His breath soured her stomach. She jammed her elbow in his side and kicked his shin. His hands tightened even more.
He dragged her deeper into the alley.
Where’s William?
Her heart pounded, and she thrashed to free herself.
He wrapped his left arm around her neck. She clawed at his forearm to break his hold. His arm pressed on her windpipe. She needed air. Now.
Her limbs grew heavy. She tried to fight, but her mind was groggy. Stay alert, she told herself.
The palm of the man’s right hand pushed on the back of her head. Her lungs were on fire. Her vision blurred.
Metal scraped against metal. The grating sound made her heart pound all the more.
Her limbs went weak, and she slumped into darkness.
Seconds—or maybe minutes—later, she slipped back into consciousness and blinked her eyes open. She was lying on her side. Her hand grasped something wet and slimy, and the putrid stench of garbage made her stomach roll.
A narrow shaft of light filtered into the metal container. At the far side of the enclosure, she saw small beady eyes, whiskers and a long tail.
A scream welled up in her throat just as the lid on the trash receptacle slammed shut, trapping her inside.
The rat scurried over her leg. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She raised her hand and pounded against the side of the Dumpster. Her attempt was drown out by the insistent roar of the garbage truck.
William was with Gloria. The sheriff was in his office, and she would be tossed, along with a Dumpster full of refuse, into the garbage truck. Her last thoughts were of William and whether he would find her crushed to death in the trash compactor.
TWELVE
“There’s nothing going on between us, Gloria,” William said as he tried to distance himself from the receptionist. They had been friends in their youth. Maybe a little more than friends for a few weeks. Gloria had wanted him to leave the faith then, and he had made no pretense of his desire to remain Amish ever since he returned home to care for his father.
Excusing himself, he hurried to the sheriff’s office. Deputy O’Reilly was at the desk.
“Is Julianne with the sheriff?”
“The sheriff’s meeting with the mayor.”
“Julianne hasn’t been here?” William’s stomach tightened. “She parked in the rear lot. Something happened between there and here.”
O’Reilly followed Will outside. They hurried to her car and then raced around the side of the building.
William spied her scarf on the ground beside the Dumpster.
A garbage truck backed into the alley.
His heart nearly stopped, and he ran toward the truck. “No!”
O’Reilly followed. “What’d you see?”
“Her scarf. Something tells me—”
Nearing the truck, he pounded on the driver’s door. “Stop the truck. I want to check that receptacle before you throw the garbage in the hopper.”
The guy peered from the window. “Hey, buddy, I’ve got a job to do.”
“I hear ya, but the deputy sheriff wants you to cut your engine and give it a break.”
The guy looked at O’Reilly and shrugged. “Whatever.”
William ran to the Dumpster. The lid was closed. “Give me a hand,” he called to both men.
The truck driver jumped from his cab and hustled to where they stood. “You guys want to tell me what you’re looking for?”
“Just help us lift the lid.”
Working together, the three of them raised the metal top and pushed it back. William climbed to the top of the receptacle and looked down. His heart nearly stopped.
Julianne was lying on a pile of garbage. He jumped into the bin and placed his hand on her neck.
“She’s got a pulse.”
Lifting her into his arms, he held her close for a second and then passed her over the top of the container to the deputy. The stench was terrible, and his feet sunk into the refuse.
“Looks like a rodent bite on her leg. Call the paramedics.”
An ambulance arrived in less than three minutes. William’s heart pounded. She was pale and unresponsive.
“We’ll take her to the clinic,” the lead EMT said. “The doc will decide whether she needs to go to the hospital.” They loaded her into the ambulance.
William retrieved Julianne’s purse from the Dumpster and climbed in beside her. “I’m catching a ride.”
The sirens screamed as the ambulance raced to the medical clinic on the outskirts of town.
William held her hand. “Come on, Julianne. Open your eyes. Tell me you’re okay.”
William never should have talked to Gloria. Had she pulled him away from Julianne on purpose? Her comments about still wanting to be together had seemed foolish, unless she had distracted Will so someone could attack Julianne.
As soon as they arrived at the clinic, she was wheeled into a treatment room. William had to remain in the waiting area. He paced the floor, and then met O’Reilly outside when the deputy pulled his patrol car to the door.
“Find Gloria and ask her what’s going on,” William demanded. “Then find Ralph Reynolds. He could have done this. He’s got a chip on his shoulder and is as rotten as his brothers.”
“Anyone else?”
“If you see Mose Miller in town, haul him in, too. He had access to a key to Julie’s house an
d could have broken in. Someone did this to Julianne and I want to know who and why.”
Will retrieved the car keys from Julianne’s purse. “Can someone drive her car to the clinic?”
O’Reilly nodded. “Roger that. I’ll get the keys back to you. Tell the clinic to call me as soon as the doc has any information.”
Information, William thought, like what would have happened if he hadn’t seen her scarf. A minute later and the Dumpster would have dumped its load into the back of the truck and then the huge crushing arm of the compactor would have activated. As the garbage was crushed, Julianne would have been, as well.
* * *
“From what you’ve told me, it sounds like some kind of a choke hold made you pass out,” Dr. Norris told Julianne.
Her head pounded and she was queasy, and every time she thought of the rat, she wanted to draw her legs to her chest and huddle in the corner.
“You were fortunate,” the doctor said.
“You call it fortunate to have been tossed in a trash heap?” The doc wasn’t making sense.
“Fortunate you weren’t crushed in the compactor. Seems someone wanted to do you harm. The good thing is the garbage truck stopped before he cleared the Dumpster.”
“I tried to fight, but I couldn’t move.”
“Do you feel like talking to the sheriff?”
“Only if I have to.”
The doc smiled. “He’s in the waiting room. William Lavy is there, too. He’s pacing like a mountain lion ready to attack. I’ve never seen an Amish man so rattled and so angry. I should take his blood pressure to make sure he doesn’t have a cardiac arrest.”
“Evidently he’s worried about me.” She wanted to smile, but her head hurt too much.
“I noticed those scrapes and bruises that are a few days old. You want to tell me what’s going on.”
She explained about coming home and the man in black waiting for her the first two nights and the burglar the third night.
Dr. Norris rubbed his jaw. “Someone didn’t want you to come back to Mountain Loft.”
“That’s what it seems.”
“You need to take care of yourself, Julianne. I can’t let you go back to a lonely farmhouse at the end of desolate two-lane road. Not after what’s happened to you.”
“William contacted my aunt, and she’s staying with me.”
“Still, two women can’t do much against a man, even if you think you can.”
“My aunt and I are staying at William’s house, but I don’t want the information to get around town. In the meantime, I’m trying to sell my farm so I can move back to Dahlonega.”
“Maybe you should move back ahead of schedule. Surely Brad Abbott could take care of the sale.”
“I’m not interested in listing with Mr. Abbott. He seems to think Mountain Loft needs home development and a lot of newcomers.”
The doc nodded. “That’s the mayor’s plan. A number of folks in town are opposed to what’s in the works.”
“Do you think the person who attacked me might have something to do with the housing project?”
“You’ll have to run that by the sheriff. If you start feeling worse or develop a fever, contact me immediately. You have a cell phone?”
She nodded. “I do, although reception can be sketchy.”
“Then have William bring you into the clinic if things go south.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask what bit me.” She glanced at her bandaged leg. “I keep seeing a rat, but maybe I was dreaming. Long tail, beady eyes.”
“I doubt that was a dream. You need a tetanus shot.”
She groaned.
“Rat bite fever is another complication. That’s why I want you to call the clinic if you have a fever, develop a rash or have achy joints.”
“The rat may do more damage than the man in black,” she said, trying to joke, but she wasn’t laughing.
After she had the shot and talked to the sheriff, the doctor released her. William was waiting for her in the hallway. He held up her keys. “I’ll drive home.”
“What will the bishop say?”
“He knows I can drive a car. Remember that accident I was in as a teen.”
“When my father forbid Bennie from inviting you into our home. Look, I’m sorry this happened.”
“Julianne, it wasn’t your fault. I’m to blame for getting sidelined by Gloria. If I’d been with you, I doubt the guy would have grabbed you.”
“The only person to blame is the guy with the red bandana. Let’s get back to your house so we can ensure Aunt Mary is okay.”
“She’ll be worried about you, just like I am.”
For all the lightness she tried to add to her voice, Julianne was worried, too. The guy who was after her seemed more determined than ever to do her harm.
THIRTEEN
After explaining to Aunt Mary what had happened in town, William settled Julianne in a comfortable chair near the woodstove and then went outside to check the surrounding area. He ran to the Graber farm and tried the doors to ensure they were still locked. Glancing in the windows, he saw that everything looked neat and orderly, including the workshop and other outbuildings. The assailant had been in town and not at Julianne’s property.
William would have to be vigilant in the days ahead to keep Julianne safe. He had let her out of his sight, and the man had grabbed her. From now on, William needed to stay with Julianne, although he doubted she would be pleased with a full-time bodyguard.
The next morning, he heard a buggy and left the barn to see who was approaching. A woman guided her mare into the drive. He approached the rig and was relieved to see Rachel Hochstetler Krause. She and Julianne had been good friends in their youth, and Rachel had driven Julie home from the lake the night her father and brother had died.
“I heard Julianne has returned home and thought I might find her here,” Rachel said, her smile bright.
“Did you go to the Graber farm first?”
“After what happened yesterday, William, I did not think you would let her stay alone.”
“Her Aunt Mary is here, as well, although both woman were determined to remain at the Graber farmhouse at first.”
“Julianne hasn’t changed, yah? She wants to handle everything without help. She is independent for an Amish woman.”
“She has left the faith, Rachel.”
The old friend nodded. “This, I have heard.”
Rachel climbed from the buggy and followed William inside. Julianne was in the kitchen working with Aunt Mary.
“It has been so long,” Julianne said as she hugged her friend. “You know my aunt.”
“Of course. I’m glad you could be with Julianne now.” Rachel placed a plastic container filled with cookies on the counter and smiled. “I baked these this morning.”
“Which is so thoughtful. It is gut to see you, Rachel.” Mary motioned the younger women to the table. “Sit while I prepare a bit of cake to have with a cup of coffee, yah? Or perhaps you would prefer your cookies.”
“Cake sounds wunderbaar.” Rachel sat next to Julianne, then lowered her head. “I wanted to see you after you left Mountain Loft with your aunt, but my datt forbid me to go to Willkommen. Although I have always been a dutiful daughter, I regret not going against his wishes.” She glanced up and took Julianne’s hand. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“You have nothing for which to apologize. I was not myself for a long period.” She glanced at her aunt. “Aunt Mary insisted I stay away from Mountain Loft and from anyone who might stir up memories from the past.”
“Perhaps I am the one who was wrong,” Mary said as she placed the plated cake before both women. “In hindsight, my desire to protect you, Julianne, went too far.” She glanced at William. “I was seeing the situation through my own grief and probably delayed your healing beca
use of my overzealous desire to keep you safe.”
Julianne grabbed her aunt’s hand. “We were both stumbling in the dark, but we survived.” She turned back to Rachel and squeezed her hand. “Today is a new day.”
“With new problems,” Rachel added. “From what I have heard in town.”
William poured coffee into four mugs and took them to the table. “What are people saying?”
“That Julianne was attacked and thrown in a garbage container near the sheriff’s office.” She shivered. “They also said you were bitten by a rat.”
“Yet I survived, thanks to William. He found me just in time.”
Rachel smiled at William. “For this I am grateful.”
“How is Eli?” William asked. Rachel’s husband was a hardworking farmer. They had married while William was away from the faith, and Eli had been quick to welcome William back into the community.
“He said to tell you hello and looks forward to seeing you soon.”
“I always liked Eli,” Julianne said, “although I did not realize you two were attracted to each other.”
Rachel shrugged. “Time changes the way we look at things...and at people, yah?”
Julianne glanced at William for a moment, which warmed his heart.
“There is more cake,” Aunt Mary said once she had finished her own cup of coffee.
“Thank you, but this is plenty,” Rachel said with a smile.
“Then I will leave you and go upstairs.”
As soon as Mary left, Julianne turned to Rachel. “I have wanted to talk to you about the night you dropped me at home.”
Rachel shook her head. “I should have gone inside with you.”
“You did not need to be exposed to what had happened.” Julianne hesitated for a moment and then asked, “Did you notice anything strange after you left my house?”
Rachel nodded and leaned closer to Julianne. “I took the old back road, thinking I would not see anyone.” She turned to William. “It was late and my parents expected me home earlier, yet I knew they would be asleep, and I did not want anyone to tell them their daughter had been driving home late at night.”
