Читать книгу Plain Pursuit - Alison Stone - Страница 13

FOUR

Dressed in sweats, a T-shirt and a hoodie, Anna stuffed her feet into her running shoes and tiptoed downstairs. A recurring nightmare had her up before dawn and she thought she’d go crazy inside the small confines of the sterile room. No television, no radio, no electronics. Nothing to distract her. She opened the front door, surprised to find it unlocked. Stepping onto the front porch, she took in the Miller’s barn and the dense foliage on the surrounding hills. The first hint of pink colored the sky. The sun hadn’t yet poked out over the trees.

A quiet rustling made her glance over her shoulder at the house. For all she knew, the Miller women were up preparing breakfast already. The men were probably in the barn doing their early-morning chores. Not ready to face anyone yet, she jogged down the porch steps and stopped by the road to stretch. A soft wind blew across the cornfields, sending a hint of acrid smoke in her direction. A tightness squeezed her chest.

Focusing all her attention on the ground directly in front of her, she tipped her head from side to side, easing out the kinks. Determined to exercise away her mounting stress, she started her jog on the left side of the road, facing traffic. However, she didn’t expect to see any cars at this early hour in the country. As her sneakers hit the pavement, she tried to get into a rhythm. But the image of her brother’s cold dead body in the morgue seeped into her brain only to be replaced by more graphic images of her dead mother and father.

She pumped her arms harder. The steady incline of the road forced her to concentrate on her breathing, the placement of her feet, her stride. Soon, her thoughts cleared. She crested the hill and sidestepped some horse manure in the road. A horse and open wagon approached. The combination of the brim of his hat and the dim early-morning light shadowed the driver’s features. He waved as he passed. Befuddled, she ignored his greeting and kept running, feeling rude.

The first hint of sun became visible over the treetops. Sweat trickled down her temples. Lost in thought, she realized she had gone much farther than she anticipated. Slowing her pace, she looked up and down the long country road. She crossed to the other side to face the nonexistent traffic as she made her way back.

City habits die hard.

When she reached the road in front of the Miller’s home, she leaned over and braced her hands on her thighs, trying to catch her breath. She found herself staring at the cornstalks. She glanced toward the quiet farmhouse, not detecting any activity. But surely they were all up by now. Sucking in a quick breath, she stepped off the road into the soft soil. She held out her arm to push aside the cornstalks. Their sweet smell tickled her nose, and she pinched her nose to stop the threatening sneeze.

Pushing her way through the stalks, she realized she should have followed the beaten path made by the rescue workers. When she reached the clearing, she froze. A small crater of dark soil marked the spot where her brother had met his fate. Tiny white dots danced in front of her eyes. Covering her mouth, she backed away as her stomach heaved. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark shadow flicker between stalks. Training her gaze on the form, she sensed her fight-or-flight response kick in.

She spun around and plowed through the stalks. Each of her frantic steps was met with a rustling off to her right. Her heartbeat ratcheted up in her chest. Stalks whacked her face. Please help me, Lord. Sensing she was losing ground, she spun back around to face her potential attacker, but she twisted her ankle on the uneven earth and bit back a yelp. Two strong hands gripped her upper arms. A blood-curdling scream died on her lips when she glanced up to find Eli’s concerned gaze on her.

“Thank goodness you’re here.” Her breath came out in ragged gasps.

“I came outside to look for you when you didn’t answer my knock on your bedroom door. What’s wrong?”

“Were you walking through the cornstalks?”

“No, I just saw you when you lost your footing.” He narrowed his gaze. “What’s going on?”

“Someone...” Anna swallowed hard. “Someone was in there.”

“Are you okay?”

Unable to find the words, she nodded. He pointed to the house. “Go wait up there while I check it out.”

Anna nodded and jogged toward the house. Her ankle seemed fine under her weight. She reached the top step and her rubbery legs went out from under her. Dropping down on to the top step, she wrapped her arms around her middle and leaned forward, her eyes locked on the cornfield.

After what seemed like forever, Eli appeared and strode toward her. Her heart rate had returned to normal. “I didn’t see anything.” He narrowed his gaze. “What exactly did you see?”

“I...” Her shoulders dropped. “I don’t know. Maybe I was imagining things.” She pushed a hand through her hair. Maybe I’m as paranoid as my brother.”

Eli planted one foot on the bottom step of the porch and leaned his elbow on the railing. “You’ve had a lot to take in.” He offered her his hand and she pushed off the step to stand next to him.

“My nerves are shot.” Her laugh came out high-pitched and grating.

“Why did you go into the field?”

“I thought it would help me move past this nightmare if I saw the spot where his plane went down.” She had always regretted not returning to her childhood home after her mother’s murder. “I guess it was stupid.”

“No, it’s just that your brother was worried about you.” He glanced back toward the fields. “Until I figure out why, I want to keep an eye on you.”

Anna climbed a step to gain some distance. She didn’t know whether she should be flattered or annoyed. “I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for most of my life.”

Eli pinned her with his gaze. “Humor me, would you?” When she didn’t answer, he added, “Come on. Let’s go inside. My mother is making breakfast.”

“Mind if I clean up first?” He held open the screen door for her. She ran up the stairs, aware of Eli watching her. Now he was worried she was in danger. Had someone been following her in the fields? Shards of ice shot through her veins.

* * *

Despite the unseasonably warm October weather, Anna threw on a thin cardigan and capris, compelled to cover her exposed flesh. Anything less and she would have felt severely underdressed—disrespectful even—in this Amish house. Besides, she couldn’t shake the chill from her encounter in the cornstalks.

When she finally wandered downstairs to the kitchen, she was quickly ushered to the breakfast table. Mother and daughter in their long gowns, hair neatly pinned underneath their bonnets, moved in a practiced rhythm.

“We trust you had a good sleep, Miss Quinn,” Mariam said, never once slowing from the hustle and bustle of preparing breakfast.

“Yes, thank you.” The lie flew from her lips. It was easy because Eli’s mother never met her eyes. Anna rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the kinks in her back. A bead of sweat rolled down her back in the close quarters of the kitchen. The cooking stove gave off immense heat.

“Are you okay?” Mariam’s soft voice snapped her out of her reverie. “Please have a seat.”

Unable to find her voice, Anna nodded and pulled out the closest chair.

“No, please, sit in this one.” The older woman pointed to another chair. Mariam smoothed her hand across the top of the empty chair and slid it back into place.

Anna sat and leaned into the slats of the wooden high-back chair. A fragrant aroma wafted from the stove. Her stomach growled. Until then, she hadn’t realized she was hungry. A moment later, Eli strolled into the kitchen dressed in blue jeans and a dark-blue golf shirt.

“Feel better?” The intensity in Eli’s gaze unnerved her and she nodded. He pulled out a chair across from hers and sat down. The silence stretched between them.

Nervous energy finally got the best of Anna. “I thought I’d drive by my brother’s apartment today. Clean out his things.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“That’s not necessary.” She blurted out the words on reflex, despite knowing he’d insist. “I don’t want you to go to any more trouble than you already have.”

“I’d like to see if I can find anything at your brother’s apartment that might answer why he was worried.” Eli seemed to be selecting his words carefully. His mother placed a bowl of scrambled eggs on the table and smiled but didn’t say anything. “I have two weeks of vacation. I arranged it yesterday afternoon with my supervisor.”

Anna took a small spoonful of scrambled eggs, then pushed them around her plate with her fork. “For your cold case investigation?” Out of the corner of her eye, Anna noticed Mariam watching her son with keen interest. “Why did you have to take vacation for a case? Isn’t it part of your job?”

“It’s kind of a personal project.” Eli’s lips flattened into a thin line. Anna flicked a gaze toward his mother standing by the stove.

“Do you think my brother’s worries had anything to do with your investigation? It’s not likely, right? He didn’t know anything.” Dread washed over her as they locked gazes, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. Shaking his head, he cut a sideways glance toward his mother. She took a bite of scrambled eggs despite the knot in her stomach.

A teenage boy dressed in a blue shirt, pants with suspenders and a straw hat burst in through the back door. Despite a scolding from his mother, he raced from one window to the next.

“Hey, Samuel, what’s going on out there?” The legs of Eli’s chair scraped across the hardwood floor as he stood up.

The teenager leaned on the window’s ledge and peered out. “There’s a big truck with a long pole on it. One of the English is carrying something big on his shoulder and they’re coming this way. Dat told me to get in the house. To tell Mem and Katie Mae to stay put.”

Eli strode toward the front door and yanked it open. When Anna reached his side, she was struck by the hard expression on his features. Eli was a formidable man. A cold chill ran down her spine despite the warm breeze.

A camera crew stood a few feet from the porch steps. A well-coiffed woman with a blond bob and a microphone in hand took a step forward, doing a quick check of her shoes as if she had stepped in something. “Can we speak to someone regarding the plane crash?”

Eli glared at her until she lowered the microphone and gestured to her cameraman to turn off the camera. She pointed the mic at Eli. “Do you live here?” She rearranged her lips into a phony smile. “Help us out here. I need some footage for the evening news.”

Eli jerked his chin toward the street. “Take footage from the road. This is private property.”

“We’d like to interview someone. We’re working several angles.” The woman persisted. “At first we thought it was a cruel twist that a plane crashed in the middle of an Amish field. Two different worlds colliding.” Her lips quirked. “And, I think a lot of people would be surprised to learn of the thriving Amish community in western New York.”

“They can read about it in the guidebooks.” Eli started to close the door. The woman raised her voice. “We learned Tiffany Christopher was critically injured in the crash. I’m sure you’re aware they’re a prominent family in this area.”

Anna froze and held her breath. She had the sensation of standing on the ocean’s edge about to be clobbered by a giant wave. The reporter’s focus turned toward her. “I was told the pilot’s sister was in town.”

Eli held his hand in front of Anna protectively.

“Do you know—” the reporter consulted her notepad “—where we could find Daniel Quinn’s family? His sister?”

Seemingly in an effort to intimidate, Eli moved toward the reporter. “I asked you to leave.”

The reporter tilted her head. “I thought maybe we could get a comment from the sister. To clear his name.”

Tiny white dots floated in Anna’s line of vision. “What are you talking about?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Christopher have alleged the man piloting the plane was unstable. That he had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was drunk when he took the plane up with Tiffany on board.” The pounding of her heartbeat in her ears nearly drowned out the reporter’s allegations. “I understand there was a history of violence in his family.”

Panic pierced Anna’s heart. She stepped forward and wrapped her hands around the smooth railing for stability. “My brother died in the crash. Let him rest in peace.” Tears clogged her throat, making it difficult to speak. She didn’t want her family’s tragic past splashed all over the news again.

“Your brother?” The reporter’s eyes lit up, but she obviously already knew who Anna was. “Would you be willing to go on camera?”

The implications ran through her mind. She didn’t know anyone in this small town. Maybe if people knew she was here they’d help her piece together what her brother was doing in Apple Creek that had him spooked.

Keenly aware of the camera trained on her, she inhaled deeply. Daniel wouldn’t have risked his life by drinking before flying. None of this made sense. She wished she could rewind time. If only she had kept in touch with her brother.

Anna walked down the porch steps and stared straight into the camera. “My brother, Daniel Quinn, died in the plane crash. If anyone knows—” she started over “—if anyone knew my brother, please contact me.” After she rattled off the digits of her cell phone number, Eli placed his firm hand on her shoulder. If his touch was meant to be a warning, it came too late.

An internal voice scolded her for announcing her cell phone number on a newscast, but right now she didn’t care. She had nothing to lose. Worse case, she’d get a new cell phone number after things calmed down. “I want to talk to anyone who saw my brother early yesterday morning or the night before his flight. Or anyone who had ties to my brother while he was in Apple Creek.”

She was desperate to shed some light on his frame of mind. Had he gone off the deep end with his conspiracy theories? Twin ribbons of shame and grief twisted around her heart. Daniel had always looked out for her. He even saved her life when she was twelve years old. Tears burned the backs of her eyes. It was too late for her big brother, but she owed him this much—to clear his name in death.

“Was it a scheduled flight?” The woman’s hawkish eyes shifted from hers to Eli’s and back.

This time Eli answered. “Neither Miss Quinn nor I have any information regarding the investigation. You’ll have to talk to the sheriff.” He lifted his chin. “Now, if you’ll please respect the privacy of the family who lives here, we’d appreciate it.”

The reporter lowered her microphone and offered her business card to Anna. “If you’d like to do a full interview, please call me.” She pursed her lips. “I’m sorry about your loss.”

“Thank you.” A dark part of Anna’s heart suspected the reporter took pleasure in other people’s misfortune. It made for good news.

Eli’s solid hand rested on her shoulder. She resisted the urge to lean into him for support. After the news crew crossed the road and started filming the crash site, she looked up at him. “Do you think I made a stupid mistake?”

“Sometimes you have to go with your gut.”

A mirthless laugh escaped Anna’s lips. “You don’t know me very well. I’m not one to shoot from the hip.”

Seeming to regard her carefully, he rubbed a hand across his whiskered chin. “Will getting answers help you sleep better at night? Bring you peace?”

She searched his brown eyes, feeling an unexpected connection as if he understood her pain. “I hope so,” she whispered.

Eli brushed a knuckle across the back of her hand, the motion so quick she thought she imagined it. “You’re not convinced?”

Anna shrugged. She turned and climbed the steps, the wood slats of the porch creaking under her weight. Katie Mae appeared in the side yard and placed a wicker basket on the grass. Bending at the waist, she lifted a wet dress and pinned it to the clothesline. Anna stood transfixed as Eli’s younger sister completed the chore. Three rows of garments in subtle hues of gray, bright blue, dark blue and lavender weighed down the lines. Something about the simplicity of the chore, the repetitiveness of it, appealed to Anna. Could peace be found in the simple things?

Anna swept a strand of hair out of her eyes. Nothing about her life had ever been simple.

* * *

After the commotion outside the Miller’s farmhouse, Eli drove Anna to her brother’s place. On the drive over, she finally got the nerve to ask the question that had been haunting her since the reporter first brought it up. “You met my brother. He sometimes gets crazy ideas, but he didn’t seem unstable, did he? Had he been drinking?” Her voice cracked over the last word. Their father had been an abusive alcoholic.

Eli ran the palm of his hand across the top of the steering wheel, never taking his eyes off the road. “I can’t say he was drinking, but he was agitated. He was worried about you.”

“It doesn’t make sense. Does any of this have to do with your cold case?” Anna was afraid of his answer. No way had her brother been involved with a child’s disappearance. But she had to ask.

Eli cut her a sideways glance. “I don’t know. He was reluctant to tell me what he knew, if anything. He seemed afraid.” She sensed Eli wasn’t telling her the entire truth.

The car came to a stop at the intersection. As frustration welled inside her, a sign on the lawn of one of the churches at the corner came into focus. No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace. Slipping her hands between her knees and straightening her arms, she wondered why she couldn’t instinctively shut off her worries and rely on God. Only her faith could get her through this.

Curiosity nudged her. “Growing up in an Amish community, faith was a big part of it, right?” The entire concept fascinated her. “Do you still go to church?”

Anna studied Eli’s profile. A muscle worked in his jaw. He gave her a measured stare. “What is the old saying? Don’t discuss religion and politics.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He stared out the windshield. The silence between them grew thick with tension. Obviously she had touched on a sore subject. About a half mile past the center of town, they turned into the driveway of a well-maintained home. Pots of yellow and purple mums lined the porch steps. Large windows overlooked the front yard.

Eli navigated the driveway until he reached the back of the house. He jerked his chin toward a three-car garage and a set of steps hugging one side of the structure. The furthest bay was open. “Your brother rented the garage apartment.” He parked and climbed out. Anna joined him around the front of the vehicle.

A man about her brother’s age stepped out of the open garage, wiping his hands on a dirty rag. Something flashed in his eyes when he saw Anna. His unshaven face and buzz cut made her think of her brother’s appearance when he got off the plane six months ago from his service in the Middle East. The man wore oil-stained jeans and a ripped T-shirt. It appeared they had pulled him away from his work.

“You must be Daniel’s sister,” he said, his voice gruff. “I’d see the resemblance even if Eli hadn’t contacted me to tell me you were on your way.” He stuffed the rag in his back pocket. “Sorry. That was horrible what happened to him. I hear my cousin Tiffany’s putting up a good fight, though.”

Anna’s eyelids fluttered. “Oh, I’m sorry. Tiffany is your cousin?”

The man gave her a solemn nod.

“Did you know my brother well?” she asked, eager to get any information she could.

He jerked his thumb toward the steps. “Daniel rented out the garage apartment. He was busy on some photography project.” He narrowed his gaze. “I think he was putting photographs together for a book or something. People seem to be fixated on the Amish.” He hooked one thumb through his belt loop. “It’s beyond me.”

“Did he tell you about his project?” Anna asked. Her gaze drifted to Eli, who stood off to the side with his hands loosely crossed over his broad chest.

“Yeah, he seemed eager to wrap up the project and move on all of a sudden. I figured he needed to finish the job to get paid.” He rolled his eyes. “There’s not much to do in this town.”

“Do you have the key?” Eli asked. “Anna would like to see her brother’s apartment.”

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring filled with keys. “Sure, man.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name,” Anna said as they moved toward the stairs leading to the second-story apartment.

“Tom Hanson.”

Something jogged in her memory. “Did you know my brother from when he went to college in the area?” Something about the way he was staring at her—almost through her—unnerved her.

“A little bit. He and my cousin Chase, Tiffany’s brother, were tight.” Jangling the keys, he scrunched up his face, thinking. “They were in the same fraternity at Genwego. I wasn’t the college type. I went to trade school. I do pretty good as a handyman and jack-of-all-trades for my aunt and uncle.”

“Tiffany Christopher’s parents?”

Tom nodded. “My mom and Aunt Beth are sisters. My mom married some loser and moved up to Buffalo a bunch of years ago. Aunt Beth and Uncle Richard have always looked out for me.”

Anna glanced at the main house, her chest growing tight. “Is this...their house?” She should have thought of that the minute he introduced himself as Tiffany’s cousin. She imagined the back door swinging open and Mrs. Christopher emerging, fury in her dark eyes.

Eli smiled gently and mouthed the words, It’s okay.

“Doctor Richard Christopher, Senior, lives here. He’s like a grandfather to me. I hang around in case he needs anything.” He held up his hands. “Ah, don’t worry. I’m the black sheep of the family. It’s my Uncle Richard that runs this town. I’m just another one of their servants.” He smirked. “Long story.” He shrugged. “Actually, I don’t mind. It’s steady work. Good pay. Not much else going on jobwise in the booming metropolis of Apple Creek.” Tom separated a key from the ring. “Here.”

Eli took it from him. “We’ll keep this. I’ll return it in a few days after Anna goes through her brother’s things.”

Anna’s attention shifted to the stairwell leading to her brother’s apartment and she suddenly felt light-headed. Eli flashed her a concerned glance and she forced a smile.

“I think I should hold on to that key.” A deep line marred Tom’s forehead.

“It’s fine,” Eli assured him. “It’s the beginning of the month. Daniel’s paid up to the end, right? I’ll hold on to the key.”

“I guess so.” Tom stuffed the key ring back into his pocket.

The wood creaked under their weight as they climbed the steps. At the top landing, Eli had reached out to insert the key into the lock when the door swung inward. Anna’s heart plummeted. Eli held out his arm to stop her forward momentum. “Wait here.”

She covered her mouth to stifle her shock. Papers littered the floor. A lamp was upended. Couch cushions had been tossed across the small space. Anna’s shoulder hit the doorframe, her knees having gone weak, and she fell to the floor.