“This is John Ruthers and Toby Bryant. They’re U.S. marshals working a case in Lancaster County.”
Lester shook both men’s hands and his smile broadened. “I lived in Lancaster for a short time after I married Esther. David was a toddler and Mervin was just a baby.” His smile disappeared. “I was reluctant to leave them, but at the time, there wasn’t any work in Blood Rock.”
“When was this?” John asked.
Lester pulled the yoke over the horse’s head and paused. “Hmm. I reckon it was the fall of 2000. I was back here by Christmas. I couldn’t stand being parted from my family. By spring, more opportunities opened up here, and I didn’t go back.”
“Did anyone else from Blood Rock go to Lancaster at that time?” John continued the questioning, while I stood by, my gaze flicking from the horse to Lester.
“Seth Hershberger went with me. He liked it in Pennsylvania and stayed.” He grinned. “He met his wife there. Women hate to leave their families. It’s usually the men who uproot to pacify them.”
John nodded and Toby lifted the rest of the harness off the horse’s back.
“You’re well acquainted with horses, aren’t you?” Lester asked Toby, motioning for him to follow him into the tack room.
“I spent some time on the rodeo circuit out west before I got into law enforcement. It’s one of those things that never really gets out of your blood,” Toby said from around the corner.
When Lester appeared with a tote full of brushes, he tossed one to Toby and they began rubbing the horse down.
I was impressed with John’s patience. I would have continued with the questioning while Lester hung the harness, but John seemed content waiting. I assumed he didn’t want to startle Lester with a slew of questions. He was giving the Amish man time to become comfortable with him and Toby, and even encourage a friendship of sorts to development between the two horsemen. It was classic psychology 101.
“What kind of work did you do in Lancaster?” Toby asked, not pausing while he kneeled to brush the horse’s legs.
His question had been conversational and Lester answered in the same way.
“Building houses and barns for Englishers. I was part of a crew of about eight who worked for Buddy Prowes.” My heart jumped, and Lester abruptly stepped back from the horse. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it—because of Buddy’s death?”
“Murder—Buddy Prowes was brutally murdered,” I said.
Lester ignored my rebuke or perhaps he didn’t get it. “Did they ever find out who did it?”
John shook his head. “We hoped you might remember something about that time period that can help us out.” He pulled a small notebook from his inside coat jacket—the same kind I carried in my back pocket. “Buddy’s body was discovered on November sixth. You said you returned to Blood Rock by Christmas. There’s a gap of time where you wouldn’t have been working for Buddy. Did you find other work in Lancaster?”
“Sure did. After Buddy died, I hired on with one of the dairy farms. I found out that milking cows wasn’t really my thing.” Lester rubbed his jaw.
“So it was a combination of missing your family, and being out of a job again, that brought you back to Blood Rock?” Toby asked. He still knelt beside the horse’s leg, brushing over it slowly.
“More that I missed my family. Just the day before Buddy died, I’d been thinking about coming home.” Lester glanced at me, worry lighting his eyes.
“Did you go by the same name when you worked for Buddy?” John asked.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”
“In all these years of investigating the crime, we never came across your name—” he glanced at his notes “—or Seth Hershberger, for that matter. Was he employed by Buddy, too?”
“He was, but when I went to the dairy, he apprenticed with a furniture maker.”
“What was Buddy like?” John looked up from his notes. “Did you like him?”
Lester took a breath and dropped the brush into the tote. “He was a difficult man. Sometimes, he was jolly, cracking jokes and slapping you on the back, but he had a temper.” Lester exhaled and looked between me and John. “When I got the news, I wasn’t surprised to hear what happened to him.”
John tilted his head. “Do you know anyone who might have wanted to kill him?”
Lester’s lips thinned and he dropped his head. He took off his straw hat and wiped his brow. “Sure—there were a lot of people who probably wanted the man dead, but I can’t think of anyone who’d actually do something like that.”
It would have been too easy for Lester to give us a name to work with, and I was never that lucky.
He unlatched the horse’s halter from the lead ropes at each side and led him out of the barn. He stopped and looked back. “This might sound crazy—” he shifted on his feet “—but I always wondered about Buddy’s ex-wife.”
When Lester had walked far enough away that he was out of hearing range, Toby and John moved in closer.
“That was interesting,” Toby commented, chewing on the end of a long blade of straw that he’d picked up from somewhere without me noticing.
“Lester didn’t do it,” I said.
“I agree.” John looked at his notes. “But what he said about Samantha Prowes should be looked into more thoroughly, and then there’s Seth Hershberger to interview.”
“You boys have your work cut out for you.” I swallowed down the bitter taste of disappointment that my involvement in the investigation was over.
“Actually, do you have any personal days at your disposal, Sheriff?” John asked.
I eyed him, my heartrate speeding up. “I could manage a couple, I suppose, and we’re going into a weekend.” My brow rose. “Why?”
John glanced at Toby, who nodded.
“Have you ever been to Lancaster County, Sheriff Adams? The oldest Amish settlements in the United States are there—an intriguing area for anyone with connections to the Plain people.”
“Stop beating around the bush, Marshal. Why do you want me on board? I have no jurisdiction in Pennsylvania.”
A small smile twitched on John’s lips. “But we do.” His face sobered. “The main reason we haven’t been able to crack this case is because of our inability to communicate with the Amish successfully. We don’t understand them well enough to read them correctly and get them to open up. I’m impressed with your acceptance by these people. You seem to have a knack at gaining their trust, and you have good instincts. Our goal is to solve this case for Jim, and I believe with your help, we might actually succeed.”
My heart fluttered and the warm breeze pushed back the few strands of my hair not tied back in a ponytail. The case had roused my curiosity and the fact that there might be some connection to Blood Rock gave me the nudging of a satisfactory reason to do it. Todd and Bobby could handle the department for a couple of days. Nothing was going on in town or the Amish community.
The only thing that kept me from shouting out yes was Daniel.
“I’ll do it, but you boys will have to go on ahead without me. I have a loose end I need to tie up here before I leave.”
“It’s good to have you on board.” John patted my back and Toby winked before pressing his hat down further on his head.
The excited butterflies I’d felt in my stomach a moment before disappeared and were replaced with a heavy knot.
What had I gotten myself into this time?
6
Smoke puffed up from the grill and I inhaled the smell of steaks cooking, making my mouth water. The sky was the buttery yellow of dusk. Crickets chirped loudly in the shrubs alongside the deck. Stretching out on the lounge chair, I stared at Daniel’s back. My heart pounded harder even though I was trying to relax.
“Did my sister provide any useful information to the marshals?” Daniel’s voice cut the tranquility.
I licked my lips. Daniel looked over his shoulder at me, not trying to hide a small frown.
“She gave us two names of men from your community who traveled to Lancaster County during the time of Buddy’s murder.”
Daniel shut the grill’s lid and took the seat across from me. He sat sideways, meeting my gaze. “It’s crazy to think someone from Blood Rock went to Pennsylvania and murdered a man.” He shook his head. “They’re grasping at straws, if you ask me.” When I only pursed my lips, not looking away, he added, “Who did Rebecca mention?”
“A guy by the name of Seth Hershberger. Do you know him?”
Daniel nodded. “I do. He’s about my age—doesn’t live in the community any longer. I don’t know where he is.”
“Lancaster County. He got married and settled down there,” I said.
Daniel grunted and rose. He went back to the grill and using the tongs, deposited the steaks on a platter. I stood and pushed my glass of wine to the side of the patio table, making room for the dinner plates. Daniel scooped garlic mashed potatoes next to my steak. He added some green beans before setting it down in front of me. His smile was forced and I raised my brows.
“Who’s the other man?” he asked in a low voice.
Daniel was worried. I could hardly blame him. He’d spent so many years away from the community he’d grown up in, and in just the past eight months, he’d seen some horrible things happen among his people. And I was always the one who brought the news to him.
“Lester Lapp. But you already knew that, didn’t you?” I cut the steak, then pushed a piece around with my fork waiting for his reply.
He rubbed his face. “Yep. You got me.”
“Why didn’t you volunteer the information when I first told you about the case?”
He shrugged and began cutting his own steak. “Lester didn’t kill anyone, you and I both know that.”
I leaned back, narrowing my eyes. “How would I know that? I’ve seen the man on several occasions, but that hardly constitutes understanding what he’s capable of.”
He snorted. “You’re a keen observer of people and I’ve trusted your gut on many occasions since I met you. But if you’re implying that Lester might be the killer just because he was in Lancaster County when Buddy Prowes was murdered, your instincts are failing you.”
I searched my memories, trying to recall if I’d mentioned the victim’s name to Daniel. With a shiver, I realized I hadn’t. It was a small town and an even smaller Amish community. Perhaps his sister had phoned him about our discussion. That wouldn’t surprise me in the least. It still bothered me that he might be discussing an open investigation with someone.
I blew out a deliberate breath. I needed to stop being so damned paranoid. I’d end up a bitter and lonely woman if I didn’t. There had been times when Daniel had challenged my trust in him, but in the end, he’d always been on my side.
“Have you ever been to Lancaster County?” I blurted out.
His brows lifted and then he chuckled. “I used to be Amish, remember. Of course, I’ve been there—but it’s been many years.”
His amused look made me feel stupid and I glanced away and back again. “I don’t think Lester had anything to do with the murder, but it turns out he was working for Buddy at the time of his death. I’d hoped he could shed some light on the murdered man and his other acquaintances at the time.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “That was a long time ago. Did Lester have anything interesting to say?”
I took a bite of the potatoes and chewed. Daniel had outdone himself on the dinner. The food was delicious. It occurred to me that I should be the one cooking for him, but I dismissed the thought. He actually enjoyed cooking and his schedule was more flexible. Maybe someday I’d have the time to make him a meal.
“He thinks Samantha Prowes did her ex-husband in.”
Daniel coughed and took a sip of his beer. “Wouldn’t the authorities have checked out that possibility when the crime occurred? I thought relatives were always the first suspects.”
“John says that she was interviewed extensively, but nothing came up to incriminate her.”
He tilted his head. “I don’t see why the marshals are going to the trouble of opening up an investigation so many years later. Whatever happened to this man ended with him, right? There were never any other murders in the area. It might have been completely personal.”
I bit my lip and studied Daniel. What he said was reasonable, but the way he said it bothered me. He was trying too hard to convince me. By now, he knew my personality. Once a mystery was raised, I couldn’t let it go until I discovered the truth.
“I think it was very personal, but that doesn’t mean it’s all right to allow a vicious murderer to walk free. As law enforcement officers, it’s our job to make sure justice is served.”
“Our job? Unless someone from Blood Rock is implicated, this is marshal business—not yours.”
I looked away and took a deep breath. “Actually, it is my business.” I met his gaze. “I’m going to help with the case.”
“Whoa—in what capacity?” He leaned over the table, his brow furrowing.
“John wants me to accompany them to Lancaster County where some more interviews need to be conducted.” I pushed the food around my plate with the fork. “He thinks my experience with the Amish might be helpful.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow. I’ll be back by Monday.”
He lowered his voice. “You’re just going to blow off the weekend trip we had planned to the lake?”
I set the fork down. “We can go camping any weekend—it’s the beginning of summer.” Seeing the hurt on his face, I softened my tone. “This case intrigues me, and I’ll only be gone a few days. If you want, you can come along.”
He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “Not if you leave tomorrow. I have to finish Mrs. Pickett’s roof. We’re in for some stormy weather over the weekend.”
“Then it’s not a great time to go camping anyway.” I arched my brows and half-smiled.
Daniel laughed, throwing his head back. When he looked back, his eyes widened and he jumped up. “I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared through his kitchen door, leaving me alone. I pushed the plate away, losing my appetite. I didn’t like always putting the job first, but it was a habit I didn’t think I could break easily. My sister, Laura, said I was too independent, and she was probably right.
When Daniel reappeared, he was walking more leisurely with a lopsided grin and an excited look. Butterflies exploded inside my stomach and my groin tingled. He had that effect on my body, and most of the time I hated it, but at the moment, since we had the rest of the evening ahead of us, I welcomed the sweet sensations.
“I was going to do this over the weekend—planned it out perfectly, but with you, I can’t schedule anything. So I guess I’m going to have to make do with the little time we have together.”
My heart began pounding and I opened my mouth, but he held out his finger, silencing me.
“For once, Serenity, let me do the talking.”
I slumped back in the chair, lifted my chin and waited. The sky darkened to a dull gray and the air cooled, sending goosebumps along my arms. I ignored the change in temperature.
Daniel kneeled in front of me, swallowed and then cleared his throat. My heartbeat banged in my ears.
“You’re probably going to think I’m rushing things, but I don’t care.” He pulled something from his pocket, folding his hand over it. “I need to make you mine—for eternity—and I don’t want to wait any longer.”
My eyes bulged when he opened his hand. It was a ring. A silver band, sprinkled with small diamonds that sparkled. The large rock in the middle made my jaw drop. Even in the dusky lighting, it twinkled with a brightness of its own.
&n
bsp; I could hardly breathe and the hammering in my chest was almost painful.
“Will you take me as your husband, Serenity—will you marry me?”
I couldn’t quite catch my breath. I blinked many times, and tears leaked from my eyes. “You want to get married?” I choked out. “For real?”
He grunted, grasped my hand and pressed the ring into my palm. “I tell you every day I love you. Is it so hard to believe I want to marry you?” He searched my stunned eyes and his smile disappeared. “Dammit, why do you have to be so difficult about everything? It’s a simple yes or no answer.” He moved closer. “Either you love me and want to make it official—or you don’t.”
For all the chaos of emotions I was experiencing, his demanding tone made me bristle. “I think it’s a little more complicated than that. This is a serious matter—one we shouldn’t take lightly or jump into too soon.”
Daniel stood up and turned away. “So you’re declining my offer. It doesn’t surprise me.” He hung his head, shaking it. “I feared your feelings weren’t the same as mine. I get it—your job is your world and there isn’t much room for anything or anyone else.”
I rose, reached out and touched his shoulder. He flinched away, but didn’t leave.
I inhaled, struck by the throbbing in my chest. With steady determination, I cleared my mind and allowed memories of my time with Daniel to wash over me. Ever since the first moment I’d laid eyes on him, when he’d put a new roof on my house, I’d had a crush on him. But now, it wasn’t his rugged handsomeness that made my stomach do somersaults. It was the all-consuming way he kissed me, the way he touched me, the way he followed me into dangerous situations unconditionally—the way he loved me. No man had ever loved me so deeply. Even though the intensity of his feelings terrified me sometimes, the fact that he was willing to leave his bachelor days behind him for good and make me his wife filled me with something I hadn’t felt in a long time—hopefulness.