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CHAPTER FIVE

COLIN WALKED WITH Benjamin as far as the covered bridge, half-thinking the boy might make a bolt for it rather than go home. But Benj walked, if reluctantly, up the lane, and his father came out to meet him.

Colin turned back, emerging from the darkness of the covered bridge into the gentle haze of twilight in the valley. He couldn’t help a sideways glance down toward the dam. It looked so peaceful, the water tumbling over the edge to form a quiet pool beneath the trees. But local people knew that peacefulness was deceptive, and kids had always been warned away, even before Aaron Mast’s death.

He headed for the stable where he’d left Rachel, only to see her disappearing into the back entrance of the house. The door closed with a somewhat determined thud.

So Rachel didn’t want to have a conversation with him about her brother’s story. That was a shame, because he had no intention of letting it slide.

When he reached the door he found that Rachel might have closed it, but she hadn’t locked it. He tapped on the frame while opening the door. This was not a talk he wanted to have through the door.

Rachel spun to face him, annoyance clear in her expression. But he could see past the annoyance to the very real worry that dwelled beneath.

“I don’t want to be rude, but I really wish—”

“Be as rude as you like,” he invited. “I’m sure you don’t want to discuss your brother with me. But it’s too late. I heard, and I’m not going to walk away and conveniently forget.”

“Why not?” She didn’t say it angrily. She actually looked as if she needed an answer to that question.

Because I have something to make up to you, Rachel. “Because Benj is a friend, and he’s in trouble. And because you’re a friend, I hope, and you’ve just agreed to keep quiet about that trouble.”

“I suppose you think I should have told on Benj.” Her voice snapped with irritation.

“You sound like your little brother. Isn’t that what Benj did? Making a stupid promise got him into this grief.” Resisting the impulse to touch her arm, he gestured toward the kitchen table. “Come on, Rachel. You know I’m not going away that easily, and I didn’t make any promises. So let’s sit down and talk this over.”

Her temper hung in the balance for an instant, but then she nodded, capitulating so suddenly it took him by surprise.

“You’re right, of course. I’m sorry for snapping. Sit down. I’d better check on Mandy.”

He’d like to think she’d given in because she trusted him, but he wasn’t that naive. He pulled out one of the ladder-back chairs and sat. No, she’d agreed to talk because of his implied threat. Trust had nothing to do with it.

He glanced around the kitchen. He’d never been in it, that he recalled. Mrs. Mason hadn’t encouraged Ronnie to entertain his friends there. And they certainly hadn’t wanted to sit in that formal parlor, so the result had been that they’d gathered elsewhere. It looked more welcoming than he would have imagined, but maybe that was Rachel’s touch.

Rachel was back in a moment, letting the kitchen door swing shut behind her. “She’s up in her room, so she won’t hear us. I don’t want Mandy knowing anything about Benj’s situation.” On the subject of her daughter, Rachel was uncompromising.

“She won’t hear anything from me,” Colin said. “But that story of Benj’s—you don’t imagine he was telling us the whole thing, do you?”

“No.” Rachel rubbed the back of her neck tiredly. “I’m sure he knows more than that—where they were, and what they were up to, for instance. As for the man with the shotgun...” She let that trail off and sank into the chair opposite him. “Do you think that was real?”

He frowned, picturing Benj’s face when he’d said those words. “I think he believed the man had a shotgun, but whether he really did or not is another question. That might have been Benj’s guilty conscience imagining things.”

“He does feel guilty, doesn’t he?” She grasped on that part of his words. “That’s good, I think. Maybe it will discourage him from doing anything so foolish again.”

“Maybe.” Knowing teenage boys he doubted it, but let her hold on to her illusions. “And the man could have had a gun. It would be a rare house around here that didn’t have a hunting weapon of some sort. And someone hearing prowlers on his property might well carry one to investigate.”

Rachel nodded, a shudder going through her. “Benj should have realized that sort of thing might be dangerous. Why on earth would he sneak out like that?”

“Because the older kid asked him, or maybe dared him, and he had to show what a man he was.” He could remember more than a few instances when he’d fallen for similar temptation. “Somebody once dared me to raid Franklin Sitler’s apple trees, and I was stupid enough to do it. That old man can move faster than you’d think. He took off after me with a BB gun, and I was lucky to escape a peppering. Not so lucky when my dad found out, though.”

Dad hadn’t been one to spare the rod and spoil the child in those days, but hearing his father accuse him of stealing had hurt worse than any physical punishment.

Rachel actually smiled at that, but then she sobered just as quickly. “Mr. Sitler has that reputation.” Rachel glanced toward the front of the house, as if she could see through the walls to the house across the street. “If they trespassed on his property—”

Colin snorted. “Trespassed? They were planning more than that, believe me. Some sort of vandalism, or I miss my guess.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. “I can’t believe Benj would be involved in vandalism. He knows that’s wrong.”

“Of course he does. There’d be no fun in doing it otherwise.” The expression on her face made him dial it back. Now was not the time to tell her about the things he and Ronnie used to get into. “Look, this business about Will Esch disappearing—that’s what bothers me. Benj didn’t seem to know what to really think about it, just that it scares him.”

“Running off is all part of rumspringa for some boys. They think they have to see a little of the Englisch world before they settle down. At least, with him out of the way, Benj won’t be getting into any more trouble.”

He hated to burst her bubble, but he had to. “Benj doesn’t see it that way. He’s acting even jumpier than he did before. And that’s why you ought to let your dad handle it.”

“I know. I know.” Rachel’s eyes were filled with misery. “But you heard Benj. He’s more frightened of disappointing Daad than of whatever it is he’s gotten involved in. Believe me, I know that feeling.”

He reached out, clasping her hand where it lay on the table. “I’m sorry. He still hasn’t forgiven you?”

Rachel shook her head, looking down at the maple surface of the table, probably to hide the fact that there were tears in her eyes. She took a breath so deep he could see her chest rise and fall. “I promised Benj. I know it wasn’t a smart promise to make, but I can’t let him down. If I tell Daad, Benj will never forgive me.”

“Right. And if you keep his secret and your father finds out, he’ll never forgive you.”

She nodded, not looking up. She seemed to have forgotten that he was holding her hand.

“Well, I guess there’s just one thing for it, then.” He forced some cheerfulness into his voice. “I guess we’ll have to find out for ourselves how serious this business is.”

She did look up at that, and she drew her hand away from his. “We?” The spark came back into her voice and her face. “I don’t recall asking for your help.”

“You forget, Benj told me as well as you. That means I’m in.”

She shook her head firmly. “I’ll try to get Benj to tell me more, and I’ll question my sisters and see if they have any notion of what he was up to. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Sure there is. I can find out if anyone’s been complaining about vandalism, for one thing. If a homeowner chased off a bunch of kids, he’ll be talking about it.”

Alarm filled her face. “You won’t let on that Benj is involved.”

“What do you take me for? No, never mind, don’t answer that.” He already knew what she thought of him, and he didn’t need to hear it again. “I’ll be subtle. If we could find out where Will Esch went...”

He pondered, turning over possibilities in his mind. Trouble was, the Amish tended to stay off the grid. There was no easy way to trace an Amish kid who wanted to vanish.

“One of my sisters might know what the other kids are saying. They’re more likely to know than the adults.” Rachel was looking better for having a plan for what to do about Benj’s trouble.

“Good idea.” He hesitated, wanting to touch her reassuringly but thinking he’d better not push it. “We’ll figure it out. Try not to worry.”

She nodded, managing a faint smile. “Thank you, Colin. I’m not sure why you’re taking so much trouble over this, but thank you.”

He did touch her then, just a quick, feather-light brush of his knuckles against her hand. It was a tenuous truce between them, one that could collapse at a breath. But he’d take what he could get where Rachel was concerned, it seemed.