The Chill of an Early Fall

by Mary Alford

  “I remember your face when you saw that bear.” Elam grinned at her. “You were terrified.” His expression sobered. Was he comparing that frightening encounter with what was happening now? She certainly was.

  “Yes, I was.” Yet she’d known Elam would protect her. Just as he did now. She slipped her hand in his. “But you were there for me. And Jonah. Like now.”

  Elam stared at their joined hands for the longest time. Then, he slipped his free and focused on the road ahead and her heart broke at the gesture.

  “Oh no,” Elam said and turned. Sadie’s gaze shot to his face. He gripped the reins tight. A fearful expression on his face. Something was wrong.

  A car’s engine growled up behind them. Sadie turned. A black sedan. Her heart threatened to explode from her chest. He’d found them.

  “We’re almost to the turnoff. Hang on.”

  Elam shook the reins hard. The horse trotted faster. Up ahead, the turnoff appeared. The family’s mailbox on the right. A few more feet. They raced against time. The buggy careened back and forth.

  “Go, mare,” Elam commanded. The increased speed jounced them around on the seat. Sadie clutched the bottom of the seat when the motion of the buggy threatened to throw her free.

  She glanced behind them again. The car was gaining.

  “He’s going to ram us.” Elam barely spit the words out when the car slammed into the buggy. Sadie and Elam lurched forward. Elam struggled to control the mare as the back of the buggy crumpled against the bench seat like a piece of paper. The mare panicked and took off at breakneck speed down the road.

  While Sadie clutched the seat, Elam yanked on the reins to slow the panicked animal, but she was out of control.

  “Hold on!” Elam yelled, his voice anything but steady. Clutching the reins, he jerked them as hard as he could to slow the animal. The horse whinnied nervously and wrenched its head around, ears tipped forward.

  Sadie’s breath exploded from her body as the end of the road came too quickly. Leaving the road, dense woods appeared in front of them. Elam continued to tug on the reins with all his strength until he finally managed to stop the horse.

  The animal pawed at the ground, ready to bolt again at any moment.

  “Whoa, girl.” Elam said in a calming voice while Sadie’s eyes darted around. She could hear an engine running close by. Where was the car?

  “You’re okay,” Elam soothed as the horse continued to toss its head and snort. The back of the buggy had splintered into pieces leaving a gaping hole.

  “Stay here,” Elam told her. He jumped down and winced. Grabbing his leg, he slowly limped to the back of the buggy.

  “Elam, no.” She was terrified the man was close. He would hurt him. Sadie slowly climbed down. Her body bruised from the wild ride, she shook all over.

  Elam stood in front of her, holding her back with his arm. The car that ran them off the road was parked a little ways down, engine revving. The driver leaned forward, his face almost touching the windshield. The ski mask hid his features, but his eyes radiated anger.

  Her heart pounded against her chest. She instinctively reached for Elam’s hand. “What’s he doing?” she asked in a whisper.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” Elam pushed her behind him, shielding her body with his, much as he had when they’d run across the bear. Elam’s protective nature made her love him all the more.

  The man suddenly jumped from the car and pointed a handgun at them.

  “Get down,” Elam shouted and hauled her to the ground with him. He shielded her with his body as bullets whizzed past their heads.

  If felt like forever before silence returned to the countryside. Soon, the noise of another car approached.

  “There’s someone else coming,” Elam said, and fear spiraled through Sadie’s limbs.

  “What if he attacks that driver?”

  Nearby, a car door slammed. Tires squealed. Elam jumped to his feet and brought her up beside him.

  “He’s leaving,” she exclaimed. The man who attacked them sped past the approaching truck, almost striking it.

  The driver of the truck swerved to avoid a collision but managed to keep control of the vehicle. Spotting them, he parked alongside the road and hustled over.

  “You folks need help?” the man asked, frown lines framing his mouth. “Were you in an accident?”

  Sadie recognized him right away and relief spread through her body. He owned a farm on the outskirts of the community. Her mamm gave the man permission to cut down the dead trees on her property for firewood, which he shared with her mother.

  “Thank goodness you came along, Mr. Henderson,” she said, relieved that he’d arrived on the scene when he did. Who knows what the man would have done to them otherwise.

  “Are you two okay?” Mr. Henderson’s forehead wrinkled when he noticed the damage to the buggy.

  Elam blew out a heavy sigh. “The man in that car ran us off the road, then started shooting at us.”

  Shock flashed in the older man’s eyes. “Good grief. Why would he do such a thing?”

  Sadie realized she still held onto Elam’s hand. She didn’t want to let it go. “I’m afraid it has something to do with me. He’s been stalking me.”

  Mr. Henderson’s gaze shot between them. “We’d better call the sheriff right away. I’ve got my cell phone in the truck.”

  Elam shook his head. “No need. There’s a deputy at Sadie’s home now. Do you mind taking her home? I’ll unharness the horse and ride her over. I’m afraid the buggy may be beyond repair.”

  Sadie didn’t want to let him out of her sight for a second. “No, Elam, I’ll go with you.”

  Elam smiled gently and brushed his hand against her face. “You will be more comfortable in the truck. I’ll be right behind you. Komm, we should hurry. We don’t know if this guy is still hiding out somewhere close by. He might come back.”

  Together, the two men worked to free the horse and move the wrecked buggy off the road. Elam climbed on the horse’s back and struggled to control the nervous mare while Sadie climbed into the truck.

  On the ride to her house, thoughts crowded her mind. What if the man came up behind them and started shooting again? Did he know about the deputy at her house?

  The deputy’s patrol vehicle parked out front of her home was a welcomed sight.

  Mr. Henderson stopped the truck and climbed out. Sadie followed more slowly. She was still a bit shaky after what happened.

  Elam reined the horse to a halt, jumped down, and tied the reins to the porch post.

  Deputy Clark exited his vehicle and rushed toward them. “What happened?”

  Elam explained about their run-in. “I remembered the plate number,” he said and recited it to Clark.

  The deputy wrote the number down. “Thanks, I’ll check it out.”

  Elam turned to Mr. Henderson. “We’re grateful you stopped to assist us.”

  Mr. Henderson brushed off the thank you. “It was nothing, but you’re welcome. Do you folks need me to take you somewhere? Stick around for a bit?”

  Elam shook his head. “No, we’ll be fine with the deputy’s help.”

  “In that case, I’ll get started cutting up some of those fallen trees. Winter’s coming. Both Irene and I will be needing plenty of firewood to last throughout,” Mr. Henderson said. ”You folks take care of yourself.” He returned to his truck, climbed inside the cab, and drove toward the pile of logs off to the side of the house.

  “I’ll run this plate now. Hopefully, we can put a name to your attacker soon,” Deputy Clark said and went back to his cruiser.

  “You should get the items Irene needs as well as your things,” Elam said. “I’ll take care of the animals first and then help you carry them out to the car.”

  When he turned away, she clung to his hand. “I don’t want to be alone. Can you come with me?”

  Elam smiled gently. “Of course. I can handle the chores once you’re done.”

  Sti
ll holding his hand, they climbed the steps to the house.

  Inside, things were as they’d left them the day before, yet nothing was the same.

  The cold of the house settled around them. With Elam’s help, Sadie gathered the items from Mamm’s list. Besides the flour, it was mostly baking ingredients and pans. Sadie placed them all in a box and turned to him.

  “I’ll wait for you here,” Elam promised.

  Having him near made her feel safe. Sadie hurried to her bedroom and lifted her suitcase from the top closet shelf. Taking some of the clothes she’d put in her dresser, she opened the suitcase and recoiled at what she saw there, a scream tore from her lips.

  A single dead rose lay inside the suitcase.

  ◆◆◆

  Elam peered out the window at Deputy Clark who spoke on his cell phone. Even with police protection parked outside, he didn’t feel safe. Images of the attack earlier robbed him of that security. Who was this man coming after Sadie, and what did he want from her? He appeared to be escalating his attacks.

  Morning clouds had dissipated revealing breathtaking vista views. The Mission Mountains were beyond. They reminded him of why he loved living in his St. Ignatius community.

  A scream broke his peaceful musings. Sadie! He raced toward her room. She ran out, her eyes huge and frightened.

  Elam caught her arms. “What happened?”

  With her breathing ragged, she glanced over her shoulder. “He’s been here. He left a rose in my suitcase.”

  Elam’s stomach clenched. “We need to get the deputy. Come with me.” Clasping her hand, they sped out of the house.

  Deputy Clark spotted them right away and hurried over. Elam explained what happened. “Get in my patrol vehicle and wait there while I check it out.” The deputy raced inside the house. Elam glanced at the expression on Sadie’s face. Something was different this time.

  Elam opened the back door of the car and she slipped inside. He rounded the car, got in and turned to her. “What is it?” he asked, while the hair on the back of his neck lifted at the terror in her eyes.

  “This . . . this one. It’s not the same.” Sadie’s voice shook so much the words were hard to understand.

  Elam braced for the truth.

  She held his gaze. Brought in a couple of breaths. “He left a . . . dead rose. Elam, will I be next?”

  Elam gathered her close. His jaw clenched. How could he protect her from this monster when no one knew who he was?

  Deputy Clark came outside holding Sadie’s suitcase and a couple of evidence bags in his gloved hands. One contained the rose. The other the note.

  He opened the cruiser’s back door, his gaze ping-ponging between them.

  Elam let Sadie go, and they climbed out.

  “I’m guessing he put the rose and note in your suitcase last night.” The deputy opened the trunk and put the suitcase inside along with the bags. “I’ll send them to the lab to see if we can pull any fingerprints. But we don’t need them to identify who owns the car.”

  “You have the name,” Elam confirmed.

  “I do. A man by the man of Donald Lewis. He’s from Billings. Do you recognize the name?” Clark eyed Sadie.

  She repeated the name aloud. “No. Should I?”

  “I’m not sure. Hang on a second. I can pull up his DMV photo.” The deputy brought out his phone and typed something in, then showed a picture to Sadie. “This is Lewis.”

  She stared at the photo, and Elam could tell she didn’t recognize the man.

  “I’ve never seen him before,” she said. “Why would he be doing this?”

  Clark shrugged. “We’re not sure. The Billings police are on their way to his house now. Of course, if he’s driving the car, I don’t expect they’ll find him there.”

  “Do you know anything about this man?” Elam asked the deputy.

  Clark put the phone away. “Some. He’s a sixty-five-year-old doctor who works at one of the hospitals in Billings.”

  “A doctor?” Elam’s radar shot up and he turned to Sadie. “That’s a pretty big coincidence with you being a nurse.”

  “Yes, it is. But I’m positive I’ve never met him before.”

  “Hopefully, we’ll know something more once the Billings PD check out his house. Are you folks ready to head out? I’ll give you a ride. We can have someone haul the damaged buggy to your home.”

  “Thank you,” Elam said. He and Sadie returned to gather their things while Deputy Clark came with them.

  “I’ll just grab a grocery bag for my clothes.” She hesitated, and her forehead wrinkled. “Do you mind coming with me?”

  The frightened look in her eyes made Elam rush to assure her.

  He followed Sadie to the door of her room and waited while she gathered her things. He was grateful the deputy would be with them on the ride home. After what happened earlier, he wasn’t looking forward to chancing another encounter with the man who ran them off the road.

  “Ready?” he asked once she’d finished. More than anything, he wished he could take away all her fears. He’d do everything in his power to protect her. Would it be enough?

  Together they returned to the living room where the deputy kept a careful eye out the window. Elam picked up the box of supplies for Irene, and they left the house.

  Seated next to Sadie in the backseat, he reached for her hand and held it as Deputy Clark drove down the familiar road.

  Elam couldn’t get beyond the fact that the attacker was a doctor. There had to be a connection with Sadie being a nurse. “You’re positive you’ve never seen Lewis before?” Elam asked and glanced at Sadie. He couldn’t let it go.

  She looked up. The strain on her face confirmed how frightened she’d been. “I don’t know him, which makes it hard to understand why he is so infatuated with me.”

  Elam thought the same thing. He shook his head. “We’re missing something.”

  Deputy Clark glanced his way. “Once the police speak with Lewis, we’ll know more.” The deputy turned the cruiser onto the drive leading to Elam’s house.

  Elam noticed the way Sadie’s eyes darted around the countryside. He squeezed her hand to reassure her.

  An attempt at a smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

  His heart warmed at her words. He’d cared about her for a long time. But, above all else, she was his friend, and he didn’t want to do anything to harm their friendship.

  Deputy Clark parked in front of the house. Elam noticed Sheriff Mackenzie’s SUV was there already. Did the sheriff have news for them?

  He got out and opened Sadie’s door. With her close to his side, Elam grabbed the box from the trunk and they entered the house. Sheriff Mackenzie sat quietly talking to Irene. Both turned toward the door as they entered.

  “Has something happened?” Elam closed the door and set the box on the floor, keeping his focus on the sheriff’s face. Had Lewis come after Irene?

  Sheriff Mackenzie shook his head. “No, nothing, but we’ve had some disturbing news from Billings.”

  Sadie sank into the closest chair.

  “The car that ran you off the road was reported missing by Doctor Lewis.”

  Seconds ticked by while Elam tried to understand the significance of what he’d heard. “In other words, you have no idea who’s doing this.”

  Mackenzie’s nod was curt. “And no clue why they’re coming after Sadie.”

  Chapter Seven

  The news could not be more discouraging. “I don’t understand any of this,” Sadie said, her voice filled with dejection.

  Elam placed his hand on her shoulder. His touch set her nerves zinging. Her feelings for Elam had changed, leaving her vulnerable every time he was near.

  “What do we do now?” he asked.

  What if the sheriff and his men can’t stop this man? What if he hurt her, or worse, her mamm or Elam?

  “We’ll keep looking for the car and its driver,” the sheriff said. “We’ve put out
a BOLO—be on the lookout—alert on the car. It’s obvious the man who took it is in the area. Until we catch him, I’ll have deputies stationed at the house. If you go anywhere, you’ll have a police escort.”

  Her mother balled her hand against her chest.

  At the terror in her eyes, Sadie knelt beside Mamm. “It will be alright. Gott will protect us. We must have faith.”

  Mamm managed the tiniest of nods. “Jah, Gott will watch out for us all.” She patted Sadie’s hand.

  “This guy believes there is some type of relationship between the two of you, even though it exists only in his mind. He could have seen you from afar, and his delusions took it from there.”

  Sadie shivered. To imagine they had a relationship when they’d never met was truly twisted.

  “I’ll have two of my deputies close at all times. He won’t come near you again.”

  Sadie blew out a breath. She hoped his words proved true.

  “When he realizes we have police presence surrounding you, he might give up, but we can’t count on it.” Sheriff Mackenzie stood. “Deputies Harris and Anderson will take the first shift.”

  Elam followed the sheriff to the door.

  Mackenzie opened it and faced Elam. “Other than taking care of the animals at Irene’s place, what are your day-to-day activities? Do you mostly stay close to the house, or will you be going somewhere?”

  “I planned to start harrowing and planting Irene’s fields today, along with my brother, Jonah.”

  “That should be fine,” Sheriff Mackenzie said. “His interest is Sadie. The less time she’s out in public the better.”

  “Understood,” Elam said. “Irene brings her baked goods into the diner a couple of times a week to sell. Today would be one of those days.”

  “I’ll have Deputy Anderson take you to deliver them,” the sheriff assured Irene.

  “Danki,” Mamm murmured.

  “Keep the doors locked, and don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Sheriff Mackenzie told them.

  Elam shook the sheriff’s hand. “We will.”

  The door closed. Elam turned to them, worry in his eyes.