Whispers from the Dead (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 2) (13 page)

“And you think it was just one person?”

Brody paused in thought, glancing at the burning scene and then back at me again. He shrugged, “Honestly, it just seems to me that it would be a hell of a lot easier for a single person to sneak across that snow white and barren field without being caught. But who knows. There certainly could have been an accomplice.”

Jotham looked between Brody and me and said, “So we aren’t any closer to finding out who’s been setting these fires?”

Brody answered, speaking to the bishop alone. “I’m willing to bet that the day you tell me what you know about the fire that killed my grandson is the day that we’ll have some clarity about this fire,” he nodded towards the debris pile, “and the others.”

“That sounds a lot like blackmail to me, Sheriff,” I spoke up.

Brody fixed a steely gaze on me. “It’s simply the truth.”

As I watched Sheriff Gentry walk away, I was more conflicted than ever about the case. As much as I wanted to distrust Brody, I couldn’t find it in my gut to do so. There was something genuine about the man that made me reluctant to brand him as a bad cop. He was definitely a good old boy, but I really didn’t think that he was behind the fires, or that he knew who was doing them for that matter.

“If you need anything at all, let me know, Rowan. We’ll talk more after the service tomorrow,” the bishop said before he tipped his hat to me and walked back to his buggy.

Jotham turned to me and with a high-pitched whine, said, “Do you see what we’re dealing with here?” he motioned at the sheriff’s retreating form and added, “He won’t help us.”

Swallowing first, I glanced between Rowan and Jotham before saying, “Why don’t you just tell him the truth about that fire that happened eighteen years ago?”

Jotham sighed loudly and ran his hand through his hair. Rowan continued to stand as if he was a statue, staring at the firefighters while they hosed down the burning debris.

When Jotham began to speak, Rowan abruptly came out of his daze and raised his hand to stop him. Rowan looked over at me and said, “Whatever happened back in nineteen ninety-seven has nothing to do with what’s going on today. I only hope you can figure out who is doing this before something really bad happens. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to help the others with the shed.”

Rowan left us with the straight-backed posture of a man who wasn’t anywhere near bending.

“Don’t blame him for his rudeness. He’s overly emotional right now. It wasn’t so long ago that Rowan returned to this very property to find his house in ashes and his wife gone.”

I took the opening that Jotham’s words gave me and asked, “Why were you in the house with Hedy Schwartz in the middle of the night?”

Jotham didn’t hesitate. He almost sounded relieved when he said, “I needed to talk to her about something very important. But we never did get the chance.”

“Do you think it was an accident?” I pressed.

Jotham swallowed and then frowned. “I always thought that it was, but lately here, I’ve been wondering…”

“Jotham will you help us?” Gabe called out. Seth had a halter on the calf and was tugging on the rope as Gabe pushed the animal’s rear end up the driveway.

A slight smile teased at Jotham’s face when he looked at Gabe. I could now see the eerie resemblance between Jotham and Gabe, from the tawny hair and sky-blue eyes to the straight nose and square chin.

“Of course I will, one minute!” Jotham called out.

Jotham turned back to me with a little wetness in his one good eye. The wintry wind had battered the scar tissue on the side of his face to an even deeper, beet red color and I tried not to stare at it. Suddenly, I recognized his pleading look.

“Does Rowan know that Gabe is your son?” I whispered.

Jotham wasn’t surprised, only resigned when he smiled sadly. “I think he does…but after he lost Hedy, he didn’t want to lose Gabe too.”

I nodded with some understanding. Jotham left me standing in the driveway to jog over to help the boys with the calf.

As a heavier, wetter snow began falling, I muttered under my breath, “The truth always comes out, in the end.”

Then I spotted Daniel talking to a couple of firemen near one of the trucks. As if he felt my gaze on him, he looked up and smiled. My very core trembled as warmth spread through my veins.

How am I ever going to stay focused enough to figure this craziness out with Daniel turning me into hot molten lava with a mere glance, I thought to myself. Shaking away the uncomfortable sensation the best I could, I began walking to the house. I needed to call Todd and attempt to help Anna and the girls with supper. I raised my face to the snow in an effort to cool my desire and wipe away the touch of death that had grazed my skin when the barn had collapsed nearly on top of me.

17

W
hen I opened the door, the warmth of Rowan’s kitchen, along with a dozen pairs of eyes greeted me. I quickly recovered, taking note of Mariah’s presence in the room as the teenager gently rocked Cacey on her lap in the corner of the room. But I singled out Joanna Fisher, when I said, “Well, I guess my help isn’t really needed in here.”

Joanna left the counter to grasp my hand and say, “I heard all about how you charged into that burning barn to help the men get the animals out.” She smiled. “Seems to me that you’ve helped out enough already today.”

The room suddenly seemed smaller and warmer too. I shrugged, feeling my face tingle with heat. “It wasn’t a big deal. I’m just glad that we got the horse and calf out safely.”

Anna handed me a warm, wet wash cloth. She pointed to her own face and said, “You’re face is smudged.”

I touched my check questioningly. Lucinda giggled and held up a shiny pot for me to get a distorted view of my face. Sure enough, Anna was right. My forehead, nose and left cheek were sooty. Damn men. Not even one of them had the decency to point out that I looked like a chimney sweep.

I vigorously wiped my face while Joanna guided me to a seat. She gently pushed me into it as Mareena handed me a tall glass of water. Catching a glimpse of Mareena’s and Lucinda’s worried expressions, I was once again reminded of the amazing resilience of children. Their barn had just been burned to the ground by some nutcase, and here they were, all concerned about my well-being.

Joanna briefly motioned to each of the other women in the room, naming them off, before she turned her attentions back to me. When Joanna leaned in and began whispering, I’d already forgotten the women’s names, being much more focused on the intensity of the look in the bishop’s wife’s eyes than anything else.

“You see, I warned you that it would happen again.”

I tilted my head, “I need some help on this, Joanna. I’ve only been here a couple of days, and no one in your community is willing to point the finger at anyone. Surely, you have an idea who is doing this?”

Anna joined us at the table, sitting close beside me on the bench. She glanced between Joanna and me and urged softly, “We can trust her, Joanna. Go on…tell her.”

The other women in the room, along with Mareena and Lucinda, were now busily making sandwiches at the counter, seemingly ignoring our conversation, but I wasn’t fooled. They were all listening. Mariah didn’t even try to pretend. She just stared directly at me while she continued to rock Cacey in her arms.

Joanna’s face twisted with intense thought and I almost felt sorry for her confliction. But I didn’t say anything, hoping desperately that she’d spill the beans.

With a heavy sigh, Joanna said resignedly, “Our men make most of the decisions in our lives, but they certainly aren’t always right. I’m afraid this is one of those situations.” Her face sobered even more when she added, “You, or Rowan or Daniel could have easily been killed today. This must end.”

Carefully, I nodded my head.

“Our men don’t want to point blame at anyone. They are afraid that it goes against our spiritual convictions to get involved in the goings-on in the outside world, and its system. They are also afraid of what might happen to some of our own people if the box of truth is flung open.” In a firmer voice, Joanna continued, “But enough is enough. We must act.”

Joanna met my gaze unblinkingly and said, “Eighteen years ago, Sheriff Gentry’s son’s barn burnt down. His grandson and a girl were killed in that fire.”

“Yes, I already know that.”

Joanna ignored my comment and went on, “The Sheriff believed that Amish teenagers had something to do with it. Our elders at the time didn’t like the accusation. They chose to hide whatever knowledge they may have had to protect the young ones in the community who were being singled out.”

She must have seen the question in my eyes, because she hurriedly said, “Abner and I don’t know anything about it. I wasn’t much beyond my teen years myself at the time and Abner wasn’t even a minister back then. But what I do know, is that a lot of animosity from the English towards our community began building after Austin Gentry died…and I think the fires that we’re having now are in retribution for his death.”

The room was silent, except for the slight clinks of the dishes being moved half-heartedly around on the counter by the eavesdropping women. The theory wasn’t far off from my own, but there was one thing that I was now certain of. The bishop’s wife herself believed that Amish kids had set the barn on fire that killed Brody’s grandson and another girl. But why would they have done such a thing in the first place?

“Will that help you to find the person who’s setting the fires now?” Anna asked in a hopeful voice.

“I already had this pegged as retaliation crimes. What I need to know is if you have any idea who might be involved—in both the Gentry fire and recent ones?”

Mariah spoke up from across the room. “I already told you who I thought it was.”

“Hush now, Mariah. This is not your concern,” Joanna chastised her daughter.

I met Mariah’s hot gaze. The girl was angry at the world. But maybe it was just because no one was listening to her.

“Trust me, Mariah. I’m looking into what you told me.”

“There are some people you ought to talk to,” Joanna said hesitantly.

I pulled out the notepad and pen from my back pocket and waited.

Joanna lowered her voice and leaned even closer. “There is a group of English teens…”

“Momma!” Mariah shouted, waking Cacey when she bolted right out of the chair.

“Don’t interfere, Mariah. If they’re innocent, then Serenity will find that out. But if they’re not…”

“I don’t believe you’re doing this,” Mariah hissed. She abruptly deposited a confused looking Cacey onto the rocker and grabbed her coat from the peg by the door. “You’re all going to regret this.”

There was a brief blast of cold air as the door swung open and then slammed shut.

Anna looked away in embarrassment, but Joanna held my gaze firmly. “Don’t mind her. She’s a rebellious girl and she’s gifted her loyalties falsely.” She took a breath and said, “Cody Buffet, Lyell Simmons, Nathan Tucker and Brandy Warner. Those are the people you need to speak to.”

As I wrote the names down, I immediately pictured the group of teens that I had encountered at the gas station convenience center on my first night in Poplar Springs. Sure, the one boy had attempted to shoplift a pack of gum, but I definitely didn’t get the vibe that any of them would be running around setting Amish barns ablaze. But I’d been fooled before.

I closed the notepad and rose.

Anna bolted up beside me, “You aren’t going out on a night like this and after everything you’ve been through?”

I chuckled. “I only have twelve days left of vacation before I have to return to Blood Rock. I can’t afford to waste any time.”

Mareena handed me a brown paper bag. “At least take sandwiches for you and Mr. Bachman.”

The simple gesture affected me more than I cared to admit. For all the backward thinking, secrets and vigilante tendencies, the Amish were good people.

“Thank you,” I told the girl.

I opened the trunk of my car and grabbed my spare coat and quickly slipped it on. It wasn’t as warm as the other one, but it was better than nothing.

“Where are you going?”

Daniel’s voice made me jump. “Dammit, I wish you’d stop sneaking up on me.”

“Maybe it’s a guilty conscience making you jumpy,” Daniel accused.

I faced him with angry determination that quickly turned to a giggle when I saw the black smudges on his face as well. Pulling an old, but clean napkin, from my pocket, I handed it to him. “Your face could use a little cleaning.”

Daniel took the napkin without argument and began rubbing it all over his face.

“Seriously, are you leaving?”

“The bishop’s wife just gave me the names of some possible culprits.”

“Really, that’s surprising.” He paused and lifted his brows. “And you were going to sneak off without me?”

I exhaled warily. It was true, I was definitely trying to get away without him noticing, but I wasn’t exactly sure why. Most of the time, I really liked having him beside me during my interviews, but there was still that part of me that felt all too vulnerable when he was around. For all of my tough cop bravado on the outside, I was a bowl of mush on the inside when it came to this gorgeous man.

Not wanting to hurt his feelings because of my own issues, I said, “I thought you’d be a while longer with the make-shift building project.”

“We’ve got the buggy horse and the calf under cover for the night. Tomorrow we’ll have some more work to do, but for now it’ll do.” He grinned. “So, I’m all yours.”

I handed him the sandwich bag and said, “Then get in. It’s almost dark and the roads aren’t getting any better.”

18

I
hung up the phone. “The girl lives at thirteen Mulberry Road. Can you put that into my GPS, please?”

“Sure thing,” Daniel replied. “Todd can certainly be handy sometimes.”

I eased up on the gas pedal as another squall of snow whipped up in front of us from a drift on the side of the road. I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward over of the wheel to see a little bit better.

“Damn, I can barely see thirty feet in front of the car,” I grumbled.

“Do you want me to drive?”

Daniel was just trying to be helpful, but I snapped back at him anyway, “Why? Do you have better eyesight than I do?”

The rumbling snort that he answered me with made me feel bad. Trying to smooth things over, I said, “Yeah, it’s convenient to have a partner who doesn’t mind bending the rules to get inside information. Todd’s loyal to a fault sometimes.”

“I still think that he has the hots for you,” Daniel growled.

I chuckled, “He’s getting married this spring.”

“He was supposed to marry her on New Year’s Day, wasn’t he?”

I shrugged. “He had to work. Besides, he isn’t due for his vacation until March. Who wants to tie the knot and then go into work the next day?”

“He might have other reasons to delay,” Daniel suggested.

I took the risk of glancing away from the swirling snow to look at Daniel, wondering if he was actually serious.

“You can’t be jealous of Todd.”

Daniel was silent a moment, and then he said casually, “It’s not jealously, it’s more concern that you’re so distracted all the time solving cases that you don’t really notice what’s happening with the people around you.”

Irritation swelled up inside of me. “I’m more aware than you give me credit for. But honestly, Todd and I have known each other since middle school. It’s just an excess amount of familiarity that you’re picking up on.”

The GPS warned me to turn in five hundred feet and I pumped the brake softly to test the traction. Thankfully, my tires gripped the fresh covering of snow easily and I made the turn without any issues.

“Do you really think these kids are the arsonists?” Daniel asked as I pulled into Brandy’s driveway.

The neat looking brick rancher was covered in multi-colored Christmas lights and there were several cars already parked in front of the garage. The place was pretty much as I imagined it would be.

“No, not really, but I can’t completely cross them off the list either.” I shut the engine off and leaned back, suddenly anxious to discuss the case with Daniel before I bothered the girl and her parents. “In a lot of cases like this, it is rowdy neighborhood kids setting the fires.”

“Then why are you so reluctant?”

“I actually ran into this same group of kids at two o’clock in the morning at the gas station the same night I arrived,” I admitted.

“Seriously? That’s kind of coincidental. And the fact that they were out in the middle of the night doesn’t bode well for their innocence either,” Daniel observed.

“I don’t agree. I overheard them talking and they did mention the Amish community, but they seemed to be good kids for the most part. As far as being coincidental, that seems to be the story of my life lately.”

“Somebody snuck across a snowy field and set fire to Rowan’s barn today. That doesn’t sound to me like something an adult would do.”

“You wouldn’t believe half the crap I’ve seen adults do while I’ve been a cop. And I get what you’re saying, except that I’m just not convinced yet that it’s the English kids doing it.”

Daniels eyes grew wide with expectancy. I savored the moment and said, “Let’s go have a talk with Brandy Warner, shall we?”

The snow on the pathway to the front door was trampled flat from a lot of traffic and adding to the sparkling festive lights hanging around the porch, the inside of the house was also lit up brightly. I knocked a few times on the door and then took a step back, eyeing Daniel with a here-we-go look.

The woman who opened the door had red hair that was streaked with gray at the temples. I immediately guessed her to be Brandy’s mother. She smiled tentatively and said, “May I help you?”

“I’m Serenity Adams, the sheriff from Blood Rock, and this is Daniel Bachman. I’ve been asked by the Amish community to investigate the arsons.”

She nodded in quick succession. “Oh, I see. It’s terrible, I know, but why are you here?”

“Another barn went up a few hours ago—Rowan Schwartz’s. I understand that your daughter, Brandy, is friends with some of the Amish teenagers. I’d like to ask her a few questions if it’s possible.”

The woman’s face lost some of its color and she glanced over her shoulder nervously.

“I don’t know. I mean, my daughter certainly doesn’t know anything about the fires.”

“Mom, it’s okay. I’ll talk to them,” Brandy squeezed her mom’s shoulder affectionately and then glanced at me with the bland expression of inevitability.

“All right then. I’ll be in the kitchen,” Brandy’s mother said as she opened the door wider and motioned us inside.

“I would really rather that you’re present while I talk to Brandy, Mrs. Warner.”

The woman looked relieved and quickly sat down on the recliner beside the sofa. I wasn’t at all surprised to see Nathan Tucker and Cody Buffet already sitting on the sofa. The TV was on and there was a bowl of popcorn and several opened cans of pop on the coffee table. How incredibly convenient, I thought, as I took the only other free chair available. Brandy hurried out of the room and returned a moment later with a kitchen chair that she set down beside me for Daniel’s use.

When Brandy was finally seated on the sofa beside the boys, she said, “I heard you tell Mom that the Schwartz’s barn burned down. Is everyone okay?”

There was genuine curiosity in her voice. Nathan’s mouth dropped at her words and Cody’s face lit up with disbelief. I was convinced that this was the first time that the boys had heard the news.

“Everyone’s perfectly fine, even the animals,” I assured her and then as casually as possible, I said, “What have you guys been up to today?”

“They’ve been sitting in this very room, watching movies all afternoon,” Mrs. Warner told me enthusiastically.

“We did go into town to rent the movies and get snacks this morning, but other than that, Mom’s right, we’ve been here,” Brandy added.

They were telling the truth. I’d bet money on it. But still, Joanna’s insistence about the English kids was fresh in my mind. “What about Lyell. Where’s he?”

Nathan answered me. “His sister had a baby late last night. He went with his folks to the hospital today to see it.” Nathan came to the edge of his seat, leaning forward even more towards me and added, “Look, I know you probably don’t think much of me cause of the other night at the gas station, but none of us had anything to do with those fires and I’m telling the God’s honest truth.”

“I’m not making accusations here. I was hopeful that you may have an idea about who’s behind the fires.”

“You should be interviewing the Amish kids,” Nathan blurted out.

“Nathan, shut up,” Brandy scolded the boy beside her. She met my gaze evenly and said, “I don’t think they’re doing it any more than we are.”

I looked at the three teens sitting on the couch and carefully said, “What about Asher Schwartz. Do you know him?”

Brandy and Cody visibly tensed and glanced quickly away, but Nathan puckered his lips as if thinking hard. Their reactions to the name were interesting to say the least.

Nathan brushed the blond hair back from his forward and exhaled deeply. When his gaze met mine again, he looked resolute. “He’s a bad dude. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s in on it.”

“Nathan!” Brandy threatened.

“I’m not afraid of him,” Nathan retorted.

“You should be,” Cody muttered.

For the first time, Cody had my full attention. The tall boy was tapping his foot nervously and avoiding eye contact with me.

“What did you say, Cody?”

When Cody didn’t answer me, Brandy’s mother ordered, “Cody, answer the lady!”

He shrugged. “He killed a man in the parking lot at Hochstetler’s Country Store last year.”

“What?!” Daniel had suddenly found his voice.

“The cops said that it was self-defense. He was never even charged,” Cody said weakly.

I twisted and looked at Mrs. Warner. “Is that true?”

She sighed, “Yes, it was in the newspapers and everything. This Schwartz fellow smashed a man’s head into a hitching rail and killed him. Supposedly it was in self-defense. The police never pressed charges.”

I exchanged wary glances with Daniel and then turned back to the teenagers who were still tensely sitting on the sofa.

“Do any of you ever come into contact with Asher Schwartz?” I asked, looking around the room.

Brandy answered, “I see him around sometimes with that friend of his…Julian West.”

Their silence told me that they were finished talking. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a few business cards with my cell phone number on them and passed them around.

“If you think of anything else, please call me,” I said rising.

Brandy and Cody nodded, but Nathan seemed lost in thought. When we stepped out into the moonlight, the snow had stopped falling and the night was crisp and clear.

Daniel waited until we were back on the road to finally speak. “So what did you make of all that?”

“For the most part, those kids were telling the truth. I don’t think that they had anything to do directly with the fires, but I am concerned with Brandy’s and Cody’s aversion to talk about Asher.”

“Again, it keeps coming back to the Schwartz family,” Daniel offered.

“Yes, it does,” I agreed. After a pause, I asked, “Why would the Amish kids want to burn barns down?”

“Maybe for a thrill, I’m not sure really. I think it’s odd that the bishop’s wife was pointing the finger at the English kids and in return, they were singling out the Amish kids.” He turned to me and said more directly, “Is it possible that Asher Schwartz really killed a guy and didn’t even get arrested.”

“Absolutely, I’ve heard of many instances where small town authorities deem a killing to be self-defense and no charges are filed. But in the same breath, when a person is involved in violent situations, it’s usually a tell-tale sign that they’re walking on the wrong side of the law themselves. Asher’s rap sheet in Indy includes battery assault on a girlfriend, and a slew of drug offences. He’s not a good guy.”

“Then why would Sheriff Gentry let him off the hook so easily?”

“That’s a question that I don’t have the answer to. I can imagine a few reasons why, and none of them paint the sheriff in a very good light.”

“Are we going to pay Asher Schwartz a visit tomorrow after the church service?” When I glanced at Daniel, he wore a small grin and his eyes were bright.

“Why the corny face?” I asked suspiciously.

Too quickly, he said, “No reason.”

Yeah, right, I thought as I pulled into Rowan’s driveway. It was after nine o’clock and there were still a half dozen buggies in the driveway and the house was lit up brightly. I needed to talk to Todd again and attempt to pull some information up on my phone. If I was lucky, Daniel would hang out with the Amish until I was already in bed. I was exhausted from the insane day and the last thing I wanted to deal with was his smoldering glances and sexual innuendos. I was in no mood for it tonight. But bothering me something fierce was the awareness that my mind could be changed quickly.

Even heavier on my mind was Asher Schwartz, though. Could he be responsible for the arsons after all? I hadn’t been completely honest with Daniel. I actually had a pretty good idea why he had literally gotten away with murder, and couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of what was going to happen if my suspicions turned out to be correct.