A Dark Amish Night (9 page)

   “Good. Now I’m going to head back over to the cabin I’m staying in and try to get some sleep before that forensic team gets here. Remember, anything happens or seems out of the ordinary, you call me.”

   Abe nodded his assent and walked back to the house.

  Hannah watched Quinn’s squad car pull away from the house and sighed. How did Quinn become such a loyal friend in so short amount of time? She just couldn’t quite imagine her life without him, not that she wasn’t grateful for the support and companionship Abe and Millie provided. God knew she appreciated them both, but with Quinn she felt safe and protected in a way she’d not been since Eric died. This was dangerous grounds she was walking on and Hannah knew it. Falling in love with an English man was tantamount to treason and would get her shunned, or worse, her children would be outcast. It would be better for her and her children if Quinn stayed far away from them and the sooner she got her family off this farm and into town the sooner Quinn would no longer have to stay close.
Dear Lord, let us get off this farm as soon as possible.

  
The sound of the tractor in the barn starting up startled Hannah from her musings. Abe wasn’t wasting anytime in getting started on the planting then. Hannah wished him well with the crops. Abe would have to work day and night, though, to get the planting in and then to keep the crops watered.  Hannah hoped to have her own business up and running long before the pumpkin crop was ready for harvest. Still, it would be nice to see someone working the land in Eric’s stead.

   Millie had the kitchen cleared of the breakfast dishes and was sweeping the floor when Hannah came back inside.

   “Millie, you shame me girl, but I thank you so much for the help. I’ll just go upstairs and check on the children.”

   Millie, who never said much anyway, only waved and smiled as Hannah headed upstairs. Ruth Anne was in her room trying to make her bed by herself.

   “Well now, there’s a good girl, doing chores without being told.” Hannah beamed at her daughter who laughed and smiled adoringly.

   “Look, Mamma, look. I make my bed.”

   “Yes, and look what a fine job you’re doing of it. You keep at it while I go check on your brother.” Hannah went down the hall to Timothy’s room and knocked on the door.

   “Timothy, you all right?” When no answer came Hannah knocked again and opened the door. The room was dark with no light with the heavy curtains pulled tightly shut over the window. Timothy was fully dressed and lying atop his bed not moving.

   “Timothy, are you not feeling well?” Hannah rushed over to place a hand on her son’s forehead in fear he might have a fever. Just as she laid her hand on his head he jerked away from her touch.

   “Go away, Ma. I don’t need you fussing over me. I’m fine.”

   “Timothy, what’s gotten into you? Why are you behaving like this?” Hannah sighed. “Look, I know you miss your Pa. I miss him too. We will always miss him, but your Pa wouldn’t want you acting this way. It hurts, yes, but we have to go on. I hope that I can make a good living for us when I open my bakery up in town and maybe you’re a little nervous about moving off the farm, but I promised Bishop Miller I would keep the farm for you. You understand that don’t you? I’m keeping the farm so it will be yours one day, right?

     “I don’t want this stinky old farm. I hope we leave here and never come back.”

   “Timothy, this was your father’s dream. How can you be so disrespectful? Your father would’ve wanted you to have this land for your own family one day.”

  “I told you I want off this farm and I never want to come back. We’re not safe here. They came looking for me, didn’t they? You and Sheriff Quinn tried to hide it from me, but they came here for me didn’t they? That’s why my room was all messed up.”

   Hannah tried to hide her shock at Timothy’s revelation. “What do mean, they?”

   “The ones who killed Pa.”

   “Timothy, do you know who hurt your father? If you do, you have to tell me. We have to let the Sheriff know so he can find the people who did this.”

   Timothy turned his back to his mother. “I don’t know nothing. Go away, NOW!”

   Hannah tried everything to get her son to talk to her, but nothing worked. Finally, she gave up and went downstairs. She knew she would have to relay this new information to Quinn, but she wanted Quinn to get some sleep after being up all night, and she hoped that Timothy would come around on his own.
Oh, Eric, what happened to you? And what does our boy know about it?

  
When her questions went unanswered she put on her apron and got ready to start her daily chores. In her usual manner, Hannah would put her worries aside with good hard work. Her first order of business would be sorting out household items she could start packing away for the move. Millie was eager to help and Hannah wouldn’t say no to that.

   Quinn woke to the noon day sun shining through a small, curtain-less window in the cabin.  Disgusted with himself for sleeping longer than he’d intended, he jumped up, poured some cold water over head and pulled on his clothes. He checked his cell phone messages and ran to his car. Sure enough, Ollie had called couple of times already. The forensic team was waiting for him at the office to lead them to the abandoned camp site. He made a quick call to his deputy to let him know he was on his way.

   Despite running late, he stopped by Hannah’s to see if everything was good there.
I’ve got to find some way to get her out of this farm house and into a safer place in town.
Quinn realized his problem was not so much in dealing with Hannah, but in having to jump through hoops for what he considered the layers of rules for the Amish. He would still do his best to help her abide by her faith as long as she and the children were safe. Anything beyond that and he was prepared to either move in with her or have her move in with him until this murdering jerk was behind bars for good. One thing Quinn was sure of, this guy was getting bold to come right into the house. There could be no doubt the murderer was looking for Timothy.
What does that boy know that he’s not telling? And why isn’t he telling it?

  
Abe was on the tractor in the field with several neat tidy rows of red dirt plowed. He tipped his hat to Quinn in the distance. Quinn knocked on the door and Hannah answered. The site of her took Quinn’s breath away. Hannah was always so fresh, and even in her plain Amish attire, she was absolutely lovely. Quinn had to catch himself before he started making cow eyes at her.

   “Good afternoon, Quinn, I wasn’t expecting to see you back so soon, but come on in. I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

   “That’s all right, Hannah, I have to be getting on to the station. Got some people waiting on me. Wow, it looks like you’re busy anyhow.” Quinn couldn’t help but notice the stacks of boxes that had already been packed and sealed scattered around the front room.

   “Yes, I want to get this done so I can get started on opening my bakery in town as quickly as I can. Sure you don’t want a cup of coffee? I’ve got some strudel cooling on the counter.”

   “How ’bout I take some to go?”

   “Sure, I’ll just wrap you up some to take back to town with you.”

   Quinn followed Hannah into the kitchen and watched as she carefully wrapped the entire strudel for him to take. “So, has it been quiet here since I left this morning?”

   “Well, there hasn’t been any more signs of our visitor from last night, but Timothy figured out that visitor was looking for him. He’s frightened, Quinn, my boy is scared out of his mind, and he won’t talk to me about it, and he won’t come out of his room either. I just don’t know what to do.”

   “There has to be something the boy isn’t telling us. He’s got to know something or he saw something. There’s no other explanation.” Quinn took a deep sigh. “I’ve got to get into town right now, but I’ll be back later this evening. I think maybe it’s time for me to have another talk with Timothy. Don’t tell him I’m coming. Let him calm down, and maybe between the two of us we can get him to talk, okay?”

   “It sounds like that’s about all I can do. Maybe together we can get something out of him.”

   Quinn made it back to the office with only half of the strudel left. His old pal Ollie was standing out in front of the Sherriff’s office smoking a cigarette in a standard issue plain black suit.

  “Well, Quinn, I been here cooling my heels for a good couple of hours. Don’t tell me you already got this one solved and won’t be needing my services after all.” Ollie was only half joking. He knew Quinn to be a solid detective who had the most impressive track record of any one. Quinn Ramsey was an old dog who never lost a bone, ever.  Ollie was one of the few people who knew why Quinn left the city. Crying shame about that wife of his, a murder-suicide as it was.

   Quinn slapped Ollie on the back. “Good to see you, Ollie. I wish I could tell you this case was all wrapped up, but to tell the truth I need you more than I ever have. Quinn caught Ollie up to speed and the both of them went inside to wait for the forensic team to arrive.

   “So, how’s that partner of yours? Maggie, that’s her name right? She still looking good and keeping you at bay?” Quinn remembered Ollie’s partner well. There was a time Quinn had given Maggie more than a passing glance.

“Maggie’s still around. She asks about you sometimes. So did you and her ever…”

   “NO! She and I never...” Quinn cut Ollie off but there was no mistaking the mischief in his old friend’s eyes. Ollie was teasing and Quinn had taken the bait.

   “Well then maybe you should come on back to the City and you and Maggie could…”

   “Yeah, maybe we could.” Quinn let the matter drop, but the truth was right now he only had one woman on his mind. And that woman was as far out of his reach as the sun, the moon, and the stars.

  Later that afternoon the forensic team finished gathering evidence and cleaned up the campsite. There was still no sign of the suspect in or around the camp, but Quinn did find some fresh tracks about a mile off the road from Hannah’s farm. Ollie confirmed with Quinn the obvious.

   “Yup, I’d say these were laid down last night sometime, and whoever made them left in a real hurry. Looks like an old pick-up truck maybe.” Ollie radioed the forensic team and got them started on getting pictures and molds of the tire tracks.

   “Well, Quinn, I’d say we got enough to get started on, and I better head on back home. You sure you don’t wanna pack it in here and just come on back with me?” 

   It was a tempting offer and Quinn could not deny that there was a small part of him that wanted to do just that, but there was no way he was leaving Hannah now.

   “Aw, Ollie, I can’t say it isn’t tempting, but I can’t let this one go, you know. I got a new widow with two young children in harm’s way. I just couldn’t live with myself if I let them down.”

    “Nope, and I knew you wouldn’t do it anyhow, but still I had to ask. Okay then, I’ll give you a call when I start getting some reports back.”

   “Do me a favor, Ollie, and put a fire under those lab techs. I need some answers, fast.”

 
A Dark Amish Night

Chapter Nine

     Hannah worked her way through the day as she always did, with mindless work allowing her to put her growing fears for her son to the side. Pounding dough for pie crust seemed the best way to let out some of her pent up frustrations. A simmering rage for her circumstances had threatened to boil over since her worst fears had been realized with the death of Eric, her most beloved, and then last night with a stranger who had invaded her home and threatened the wellbeing of her son. It was becoming more and more difficult not to want for great harm and even death to come to Eric’s killer, or killers as the case may be.

   Her thoughts again swung to Timothy.
How dare these monsters threaten my son? Oh, Eric. What happened to you? How could this awful thing happen? A thousand questions and no answers
. Pound! Pound! Pound! Hannah slammed her fist into the dough so hard the table shook and Ruth Anne began to cry.

   “Sister Hershberger, what is the matter?” Millie ran down the stairs and swooped up Ruth Anne in her arms.

   “Nothing… just my thoughts run away with me I guess. Ruth Anne needs a nap. Here, let me take her.” Hannah set the dough aside, shook off her flour covered apron and took a trembling Ruth Anne up the stairs leaving a bewildered Millie behind.