Whispers from the Dead (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 2) (10 page)

Brody paused in thought and then he added, “My family needs closure, Sheriff. Any which way we can get it.”

“I understand. And I promise you, I’ll do my best.” I picked up the folder and glanced back up, asking, “Is it possible for me to take a look at whatever you have on the recent fires?”

Brody spread his lips tightly, clearly agitated. Scoffing, he said, “I don’t think it will help with the cold case, but you’re welcome to what I have.”

Feeling as if I was treading on thin ice, I pressed forward and asked, “There’s one more thing. Do you know anything about the gas explosion that killed Rowan’s wife?”

Brody’s expression changed so dramatically that I quickly leaned back and poised my hand close to my jacket opening. I had the hesitant feeling that the topic was probably a sore subject for the sheriff, but I wasn’t prepared for such a violent reaction.

“That was just an accident. And you would be well enough to leave that one be and focus on the true crimes that we’re dealing with,” Brody warned me.

I shrugged. “Fair enough, I have enough to keep me busy.”

I left Brody Gentry with an unspoken truce and a loose alliance that could swing either way, depending on what I kind of dirt I dug up. But as I walked down the corridor alone toward the lobby, I knew one thing was for certain. There was no way in hell that I was ignoring the fire that killed Rowan’s wife.

If anything, I was now more convinced than ever that there was foul play involved, and that there was a connection to the barn fire that had killed Brody’s grandson and the recent rash of fires.

And who the dead woman was in the bishop’s barn wasn’t far from my thoughts either.

13

I
pushed the file folders aside and took a sip from the water bottle that Daniel had just returned with. I glanced at Rowan, who was still pressing his face up to the news article displayed on the computer screen in front of him. I had to smile. It had taken about ten minutes to explain the basics to the Amish man, but once he’d gotten the hang of it, he cruised through the news articles quicker than I had.

The Poplar Spring’s library turned out to be a much better source of information than either the sheriff’s department or the fire department. Besides the extensive file that Brody had on the fire that had killed his grandson in ninety-seven, the other folders on the arsons only contained a single page report each. I did manage to glean some useful names and addresses, but other than that, they weren’t very helpful.

The newspaper articles were a different story, though. After sifting through them for over an hour, I came up with a clearer picture of a troubled town with high unemployment and a seedy, trailer-trash element on its eastern side. My reading branched out from the arsons, to twenty years of burglaries, vandalism, domestic violence, and assault. Looking at a plot map, I was shocked to see how close the Amish community was to the criminal hot spots.

The town had been bustling back in the eighties, but when several factories closed down in the early nineties, the place became a mid-western ghost town. Businesses closed, people had to go on government assistance to survive, and subsequently lost hope. I had seen firsthand in Indy how the downfall of the economy affected the very core of society. People became depressed, they drank more, played around with drugs, and soon enough violence and crime sprang up in previously calm areas.

Except that Poplar Springs’ hardships hadn’t affected the Amish in the same way they had everyone else. The Plain people’s businesses were flourishing from both a steady growth of families and the ever increasing tourist trade. It now occurred to me that there could be a lot of disgruntled, jealous and vindictive people out there who would want to hurt the Amish and their prosperity.

Taking a deep sigh, I frowned at Daniel.

“Not finding anything helpful?” Daniel asked, taking the seat across from me.

“On the contrary, I found out more than I bargained for.”

I quickly jotted down a couple of sentences on the paper before me and shook my head at Daniel’s raised brow. I wagged my thumb towards Rowan, who was still fully immersed in reading the screen.

Daniel got my drift and with a curt nod, he reached over and picked up the notebook that I had shoved his way.

After reading the note, Daniel’s eyes met mine. His mouth was set in a grim line when he said loudly, “I saw a little diner on the corner. Is it any good, Rowan?”

Rowan reluctantly looked away from the computer and replied, “I’ve eaten there a time or two. It’s decent food.”

“Sounds perfect to me, I’m famished.” I stood and quickly gathered the folders together in a neat stack.

“All right then. How do I turn this thing off?” Rowan asked, putting his hat back on. He watched over my shoulder with rapt interest as I logged him off.

“Now that you know the basics, you can come here anytime to do research,” I told Rowan.

“Yes, thank you for taking the time to get me started. No one has ever actually taught me how computers work.” Rowan walked beside me and we followed Daniel out into the bright sunlight of the library parking lot. The air was still cold, but the rays made all the difference in the world. I slipped my sunglasses on and tilted my face to the little bit of warmth shining down.

“I didn’t think that you had many opportunities to use a computer,” I said absently.

Rowan shrugged and kept perfect pace with me as we headed towards the diner. “From time to time I’ve needed to check information about farm equipment or livestock sales. Usually one of the drivers will look everything up for me, but it’s nice to actually know how to do it myself. I won’t be as dependent on others that way.” He glanced down and said softly, “Thank you.”

I noticed Daniel look over his shoulder, but I ignored him. “You’re welcome.”

The cheeseburger and fries were extra salty, just the way I liked them and as I took a bite of the burger, I waited for Rowan to answer Daniel’s question.

Rowan shifted in his seat across from me and Daniel uncomfortably for a lingering moment and finally said, “Yeah, I knew Austin Gentry.”

Motioning for more with his hand, Daniel prompted, “Were you friends?”

Rowan glanced out the window beside our table. “Not exactly friends. But we knew each other. He was spoiled and a bit arrogant, but he was all right.” He looked back at us and met my gaze evenly. “He shouldn’t have died that night.”

I swallowed down my food and quickly admonished, “Of course not. It’s a horrible way to die and he was still just a kid.”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Rowan shook his head. “Austin shouldn’t have been sneaking off to a barn in the middle of the night with his girlfriend. I’m sure that he would still be alive today if he had a little more sense.”

The callousness of his words chilled me and I glanced sideways at Daniel to see his reaction. Daniel was shocked, too.

Daniel beat me to the punch. “Wow, man. That’s pretty damn cold.”

Rowan’s dark eyes looked away. “It is what it is.”

I pressed forward, “Do you have any ideas who might be the culprit?”

Rowan rounded on me, and with steel in his voice, he demanded, “Why are you so focused on something that happened nearly two decades ago, while we have burnings from the past few months that we need to solve?”

I didn’t waver. Calmly I said, “I think they may be connected.”

“Really?” Rowan stretched the word out, making it clear that he didn’t agree.

“And then there’s the explosion that killed your wife,” I plowed on, staring unflinchingly into Rowan’s eyes.

Rowan let out a breath and shifted forward to rest his elbows on the table. He pressed his fingers into his head as if he was trying to remove a deep pain before he met my gaze once more.

Rowan’s discomfort was pulsating in the air, but I was able to push aside any sympathy that I might have and patiently wait for him to answer me. Rowan was definitely hiding something. I was sure of it now.

The plastic covered blue booth seats were small and Daniel was sitting close enough that our legs pressed against each other. Even for the dramatic conversation and my desire for answers from Rowan, I was hyper aware of Daniel’s close proximity and how weirdly right it felt. We were literally on the same side this time and it shamed me to admit that it was a wonderful feeling.

Rowan’s gaze finally rose from the table top. In a quiet voice, he said, “There was a gas leak, I already told you that.”

Just as softly, I said, “Did it ever occur to you that foul play may have been involved?”

“No.”

I squinted and bit my lower lip. It was a pivotal moment. If I said the wrong thing, it would screw up any chances of Rowan opening up. But then again, if I said the right thing, a big piece of the puzzle might fall into place.

“I’m sorry to bring up bad memories. It was just a thought, that’s all,” I assured Rowan.

Rowan’s gaze became fierce and he said, “We need to find out who is setting these recent fires before someone else gets hurt.”

I didn’t like being spoken to in such an angry tone and I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes and lean in toward Rowan, who held his ground, returning my heated glare with his own.

“I’ve been here for a total of two days and I’m doing the very best I can to sift through all the information. If you don’t like the way that I’m handling the case, then go ahead and send me home. But if you do that, I can almost guarantee you that with this town’s climate of bad blood, secrecy and poverty, you’ll never find out the truth.”

My words hung in the air the same as the foul stench of decaying flesh. I didn’t like the way Rowan stared at me, his mouth slightly gaping. And I certainly didn’t like having to go all Clint Eastwood on the Amish man, but my patience was wearing thin. I couldn’t shake the needling sensation at the back of my mind that something very dangerous was on the horizon. Poplar Springs definitely had bigger issues than just the barn burnings.

“I understand, Sheriff Adams. I wish you to stay, and I will interfere with your investigation no longer.” He placed his hat on his head and abruptly stood up. “I have chores to do at the farm. Can we be going now?”

I inwardly smiled at the win, but I managed to keep my face blank. I nudged Daniel as I quickly wrapped my burger and fries in a napkin to take for the ride back to the Amish community.

Sometimes things worked out perfectly, I thought. Next stop was going to be Joanna Fisher’s place, and I definitely didn’t want Rowan hanging around in the shadows for that conversation.

14

“Y
ou sure didn’t hold anything back with Rowan,” Daniel chuckled when we were finally alone in the car.

I pulled out on the roadway, remembering the way Rowan and I had gone the day before to get to the bishop’s farm, but going in the opposite direction instead as I listened to my phone’s robotic voice guide me.

“Of course not, he has his own agenda, the same as everyone else in this town and it needed to be reined in.”

“I thought you’ve already been to the bishop’s place?” Daniel asked as he glanced out the window in confusion.

“Yeah, I remember how to get there. But we’re making a couple of other stops first.”

“Mind if I ask, where?”

“I think we need to check out the other three barns that burned down. There’s so much going on around here that it’s difficult to make sense of it all, but there’s one thing I’m fairly certain of. The recent fires
are
connected to the one in ninety-seven that took Sheriff Gentry’s grandson and his girlfriend.”

“What makes you so sure about that?”

“Mostly just a gut feeling at this point—nothing concrete—but the bad blood between the sheriff and the bishop, and even Rowan, is unmistakable.”

“They definitely don’t trust each other. That’s for sure,” Daniel commented.

“No, they don’t. And those types of feelings arise from deeds done to each other or believed to have been done.”

“And how do you think Rowan’s own house fire plays into the intrigue?”

I sighed deeply and glanced at Daniel. He had been staring at me for an unreasonable amount of time, and it was beginning to get on my nerves.

“Honestly, that’s the only wild card in the theory I’m beginning to develop. There’s something I’m missing.”

“It’s damn strange, is what it is. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve personally heard of several Amish houses going up in gas explosions over the years.”

“So what makes this one strange to you then?”

“Well, for starters, that it happened at night, and Rowan wasn’t there—too convenient if you ask me. Then there’s the fact that Jotham Hochstetler
was
there.” He paused and eyed me with a very serious look, before continuing. “It’s not normal for a married Amish woman to have another man in her house in the middle of the night. I hate to say it, but it looks as if Hedy Schwartz was having an affair.”

I thought for a moment. If the woman hadn’t been Amish, I would have agreed with Daniel wholeheartedly, but she
was
Amish and I was still having a difficult time wrapping my mind around the idea that an Amish woman who was married to a good looking and intelligent man, like Rowan, would cheat. Unless, maybe Rowan wasn’t as he appeared.

“It seems to be the thing these days,” was all I said on the matter as I turned into the gravel driveway of the farm. “This is where the first fire took place. Shem Yoder’s hay barn went up on October fifteenth of last year.”

Daniel slowly nodded and then turned to look out the window at the newly constructed barn on the right. I followed his gaze as I shut the engine off. Most of the roof was under cover, but at the far side of the framed in building, there were several exposed joists and a deep snow drift rose below them.

There were a few men hammering boards up and a young girl was in the shadow of the structure pulling two smaller children through the snow on a sled. The sun was hidden by thickening clouds that were spreading out across the sky, making it feel as if the possibility of snow flurries was very real.

A black Labrador greeted me as I shut the car door. Absently, I reached down to scratch his head before I joined Daniel and headed towards the barn. A short man with a long, brown beard that was heavily speckled with gray stopped working and came forward to greet us.

“Ah, you must be the lady sheriff from Blood Rock,” he said in a friendly manner. “I’ve been expecting your visit. I’m Shem Yoder.”

After we had all shaken hands and I introduced Daniel, I asked, “Is the new barn on the same site as the one that burned down?”

“Yes, Ma’am, it sure is. I was in the middle of harvesting the corn when it happened, and I didn’t get around to excavating the area until well into November.” Shem pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his brow before finishing, “With the weather the way it’s been, I really regret that I didn’t get the new barn built sooner.”

“I thought that the entire community would get together to have a barn raising sort of thing,” I ventured.

Shem laughed. “Well now, you do know something about our ways. I’ve had a lot of help here with mine and about a month ago, we all got together to put up Elijah Mast’s buggy shed and Samuel Miller’s stable, but the snow has put my construction off schedule.”

I pulled out my small notebook and checked the names I had written down at the library. “The Miller’s buggy shed was the second fire, right…back on October twenty-ninth?”

Shem scrunched his round face up in thought for a minute and then answered, “Why yes, I believe that was the date. My sister-in-law had her baby that day, and the wife and I were heading up the road to see the newest family member when we saw Elijah’s barn on fire in the distance.”

“It happened during the day?” The wind was gusting again and I took a step closer to Daniel to use his large frame as a wind block. I caught his grin from the corner of my vision, but I let my annoyance slip away as I paid closer attention to Shem.

Shem nodded his head. “I reckon it was about dinnertime when we passed by Elijah’s driveway and first smelled the smoke. We continued on, rushing to the phone box and called the fire department, but by the time they arrived, the barn was gone.”

“Was that barn as far off the road as yours is?”

“Yes, maybe a little further. Samuel’s stable is about a quarter mile back and it was set alight too.”

Daniel and I exchanged glances. “Samuel Miller’s stable went up on November eleventh. Was that during the day also?”

“I wasn’t personally there when it burned, but I arrived in the early evening to help clean up. So I reckon it was in the middle of the afternoon.”

I took notes and tried to control my building anxiousness. With control, I asked, “Were there any horses in the stable at the time?”

Shem shook his head, “The Lord blessed Samuel that day. He had turned all the horses out in the field to muck the stalls that morning. Usually, they would have been in.”

I thought for a moment and said, “So, out of all three fires, no animals were killed.”

“No. Of course, that wasn’t the case with Abner’s barn.” Shem’s face was already red from the stiff, cold breeze, but I could have sworn that it turned a shade even darker when he shrugged and said, “But I’m sure you already know about that.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I know all about it.” Closing the notebook, I went out on a limb and asked, “Do you have any idea who would want to burn Amish barns, Shem—any ideas at all?”

Shem fidgeted and wiped his face once again. The poor guy was a nervous wreck, but what—or who was he afraid of?

Finally, he shook his head firmly. “That’s why you’re here, Ma’am, to figure out what’s happening.”

Irritation shot though me, warming my face. “Usually in cases like these, the victim has an idea of who might be the perpetrator. That kind of information helps law enforcement solve the case.” I took a deep breath and asked once again, “Are you sure you don’t have any information that will help me to help you?”

“Sorry, Ma’am,” Shem said. He tipped his hat and returned to the other three men who had paused from their work to listen in on the discussion.

I caught a glimpse of Daniel’s amused smile as I got into the car, but was thankful that he didn’t say anything obnoxious.

“I guess there’s no point stopping by the other crime scenes if they’ve already been cleared and have new barns erected,” I sighed.

“Afraid not,” Daniel had lost the smile when he turned to me. “You’re not surprised that Shem Yoder didn’t have your answers, are you?”

I shrugged as I pulled out onto the roadway. “He wouldn’t be an Amish man if he wasn’t being difficult. But I did get some of my questions answered…and I’m fairly certain now that Shem’s and the other two barn fires were not set by the same person who burned down the bishop’s barn.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

I purposely eased my foot off the gas pedal to make the short trip to the Fisher’s last even longer.

“They just don’t match up. The first three fires were all set during the day, to barns or buildings that were set well off the road. There were no animals or people in any of the buildings. Whoever committed those arsons did it in rebellion or animosity, not with serious malicious intent.” I paused and thought for a moment and then continued. “The bishop’s fire happened in the middle of the night and to a barn that was a stone’s throw from the road. And of course there was a body.”

“Do you really think that we’re dealing with two arsonists? That’s crazy,” Daniel scoffed.

“Maybe so, but that’s sure what it looks like to me. Think about it for a minute. Whoever set the fire at the bishop’s was very careful to pick a barn that he could get in and out of easily and did it in the middle of the night so that he would have the best chance of not getting caught. The person who set the other fires was much more emotional about it. He wanted to create a spectacle or maybe even make a point.”

“
He
?” Daniel questioned.

“I read up on it. Most arsonists are male.”

“It’s starting to make sense, but why would a random person set fire to the bishop’s barn?”

I smiled for an instant at Daniel’s naivety and then quickly sobered, saying, “To hide the body, of course.”