Bloody Ties (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 8) Read online

  “Is Mary Ester hurt?” Lester’s eyes were dilated and wide with fright.

  “Good Lord, Lester, you both are very blessed! She’s fine and waiting on the road for you,” I assured him.

  Lester heaved a sigh of relief. “Bandit—what of my horse?”

  Dropping my head, I gave a little shake. “He’s gone, my friend. I think it was quick.”

  “That’s a small mercy then.” Lester blew out another breath. He trembled against my side and I feared he might lose his balance.

  Father arrived to brace Lester’s other side. He grunted and jutted his head downhill. “There’s a pickup truck. You better take a look, Daniel,” he advised.

  I’d caught a glimpse of the red truck, but was more concerned with my friend and his wife to pay much attention to it. More than likely the driver was going too fast along the country roads and had struck the buggy because of negligence. It happened all too often in the community. Even with all the warning traffic signs, people wouldn’t just slow their vehicles down and pay attention to the roadways. Many Amish and their horses had died because of Englisher’s rush to be somewhere. Nowadays it was even worse with cell phone distractions.

  But Father was right. At least one person was inside the truck, and they needed help.

  “Do you have him?” I asked Father, making sure he could handle Lester the rest of the way up.

  Father was still a strong man, and he waved me on without hesitation.

  I left Father and Lester and jogged the rest of the way down. The truck had hit a tree and the steaming engine curved around its trunk. When I bumped into the truck’s bed, I braced my hands on the metal. It was tipped and I had to slow down to carefully maneuver to the front of the truck.

  By the looks of the engine, I was afraid what I’d discover when I reached the smashed in driver’s side window. The truck had hit the tree at a very high rate of speed. It was a miracle that Lester and Mary Ester survived the initial impact.

  Taking a deep breath when I made it to the cab, I leaned forward and looked inside.

  There was a man in the driver’s seat. His shaggy hair had glass chips stuck in it and there was a smear of blood on the shoulder of his long-sleeved shirt. The seatbelt had kept him from flying through the windshield when the truck hit the tree.

  I couldn’t believe my eyes. The stranger was sitting up and texting on his phone.

  “You okay?” I asked tentatively.

  The man ignored me for a few long seconds before he set the phone down in his lap.

  When he finally looked up, I drew in a sharp breath and swayed back.

  “Hello, Daniel. What are the chances we’d meet like this after all these years?”

  It was my cousin, Zeke Bachman.

  4

  Serenity

  “How often do buggy wrecks happen around here?” Ryan asked. He’d been gazing out the window with rapt interest since we’d entered the settlement.

  “If we’re lucky, only a few a year. Usually the accidents are minor with no serious injuries, but sometimes a horse has to be put down,” I replied, keeping my eyes straight ahead. A buggy, horseback rider, Bobcat equipment or child on a bike could be around any corner. Driving at a snail’s pace had become second nature for me. “Five years ago, before I became sheriff here, there was an accident where a semi-truck struck a buggy, killing a girl and her boyfriend, and crippling a friend of theirs.”

  “Buggies look kind of flimsy to me,” Ryan commented.

  “They are. Definitely no match for a ton of metal.”

  When the flashing lights came into view, Ryan pressed forward. I could feel the tense anticipation oozing off of him. He lived for moments like these. Charging into the unknown was something that Ryan not only did effortlessly, he really enjoyed it.

  I slowed even more, spotting a half dozen buggies parked in the roadway. Two ambulances were already here and a single cruiser was parked in the road, stopping traffic.

  “Considering no one has cell phones, news travels fast around here.” Ryan glanced my way. He controlled his facial features, but I saw the slight raise of the corner of his lip.

  “Oh yeah. The Amish have an uncanny ability to spread information quickly when the need arises,” I agreed.

  Putting the cruiser into park, I shut off the engine. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daniel’s Jeep. “What’s he doing here?” I said out loud, but I was really just talking to myself.

  Ryan followed my gaze. “He used to be Amish, didn’t he?”

  “Yep,” was all I could manage to say. Things might be even more complicated than I’d feared.

  Ryan exited the car when I did. I scanned the scene, quickly absorbing every detail I could. Deputy Todd Roftin was the first to approach. Jeremy Dickens stood beside the dead horse, talking to Moses Bachman. Even with Todd’s huge aviator sunglasses, I could still tell that his eyes widened when he saw Ryan by my side.

  “Any fatalities?” I asked, keeping my tone guarded.

  He shook his head. “Only the horse.” He motioned to the poor animal before flicking his wrist at the crowd of Amish gathering near the ambulance. “The couple in the buggy miraculously survived being hit by a speeding pickup truck. They have minor injuries that Beth and Raymond are treating them for right now. The paramedics are trying to talk them into going to the hospital for a full checkup, but so far, they’re not having any luck.” He moved closer and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “You should intervene. The couple might listen to you.”

  “What are their names?” I asked.

  “Lester and Mary Ester Lapp,” Todd answered. His mouth set into a grim line and I nodded understanding.

  “What about the driver of the truck?” Ryan asked before I had a chance to ask.

  Todd puffed his chest out and stared at Ryan without answering. When I’d hired Ryan, I hadn’t thought about the dynamics between the two men. They were both blaring type As, and each considered themselves to be my best friend. The competition was on the moment they’d met. All the testosterone was giving me a major headache.

  “Todd?” I coaxed in a firm voice.

  My first deputy straightened, turning to face me. “He’s from out of town—just moved into the community. He’s renting that small white house at the edge of the community. Usually migrant workers stay in the place, but I guess he shelled out some serious cash to talk farmer Elmsby into renting it to him.” Todd sighed and then gave a short chuckle. “Oh, he doesn’t want to go to the hospital either.”

  I considered what he’d said, wondering exactly why the bishop had insisted I come personally. Other than the tragic death of a nice horse, there wasn’t any reason for me to be here.

  “Is the driver under the influence?” I asked.

  “No, he volunteered to do a breath test. He’s sober, and I ran his name. His record is clean.”

  “Then why did he just run over a buggy?” I felt my chest constrict when my eyes strayed to the dead horse.

  “He says there was sun glare in his eyes. And the buggy didn’t have a red safety sign affixed on the back of it. Lester Lapp said he’d just bought it from a neighbor and it needs some fixing up.” He saw my scowl and shrugged.

  A tall, thin form separated from the dark clad group and strode directly at us. The man walked straight-backed. His long white beard lifted with the breeze and even at this distance, I saw his narrowed, determined eyes.

  Bracing for bad news, I shifted to Ryan. “Go with Todd and Jeremy for the rest of the afternoon. You can assist them with the paperwork and getting the road cleared of this mess. Someone is going to have to move that horse right away. If the Amish can’t do it, call Jimmy from the Road Department. He’ll get it taken care of.”

  “Paperwork?” Ryan’s brow shot up.

  All I had to do was purse my lips and cock my hip. He knew the look w
ell. I wasn’t fooling around. The two men left my side at the same time that the bishop arrived. He wasted no time getting straight to the point.

  “You must insist Zeke Bachman moves away immediately.”

  I tilted my head and took a long, steady breath. The bishop was just as likely to be infuriatingly secretive, wanting me to stay out of community business, as he was to make demands of my services. This was obviously one of the latter scenarios.

  “I don’t even know who you’re talking about.”

  “Zeke Bachman is the one who hit the buggy. He’s not welcome here.”

  I crossed my arms. “He might have been driving too fast, but since the Lapp’s didn’t have a safety sign on their buggy, the report will state there’s no determination of who’s at fault. Hopefully they both have insurance.”

  The bishop’s bushy brow drew together. He wasn’t a happy camper and to prove it, he grabbed my arm and tugged me further away from the crowd.

  Jerking my arm from his grasp, I rounded on the holy man. “You’re walking a thin line, Bishop. I’m not your personal civil servant. I don’t kick people out of my jurisdiction just because you want them gone.” After taking a quick look around, I lowered my voice. “What is it with this guy that’s got your beard in knots?”

  He sighed heavily. “It’s a long story, and Amish business. I thought after everything we’ve been through together, you’d trust me to know what’s for the best.”

  “The best for the Amish or everyone else?” I demanded.

  The bishop swatted my words away with a brush of his hand. “Pay close attention to Zeke Bachman. If you don’t, I fear you’ll regret it later.”

  With that cryptic statement, the bishop whirled around and headed back to the throng of his people. The sound of clip clops vibrated in the air and I inhaled the quaint smell of tall grass and mud. It seemed the lull of criminal activity among the Amish was over. Along with the country scents, I definitely had the whiff of a case on the warm breeze.

  Wasting no more time, I made my way to the ambulance where Beth was arguing with Lester. Mary Ester stood behind him with the kind of scowl that made her look like she’d bitten into something sour.

  I raised my hands and stepped between them. Beth rolled her eyes and mouthed a thank you. Lester continued to stand with his hands on his hips in a defensive posture.

  “Lester, what’s the big deal about going to town to get checked over thoroughly by a doctor? After that kind of impact, there’s a chance either one of you could have internal injuries, even though you feel fine at the moment.” I tried not to sound too harsh. Coaxing was the better way to go with Daniel’s best friend.

  “That’s one of my finest horses lying dead over there. I’d like to get him buried right quick. It’s my responsibility, not some garbage collector you might send over.” The man’s cheeks were flushed red and there were scratches on his face. He’d lost his hat and his ginger beard was a tangled mess. I understood what he was saying.

  “All right then. How about if Mary Ester goes into town with Beth and Raymond to have an examination and you take care of your horse?” Before Beth could interrupt, I held up a finger, and brought my gaze back to the Amish man. “I’m sure Daniel would be happy to assist you. Afterwards, he can take you into town to pick up Mary Ester and at that time, a doctor can have a quick look at you. What do you say?”

  Slowly Lester nodded. I glanced over my shoulder at Beth, who seemed content with the results. Lester spoke to his wife in the Pennsylvania Dutch language and then walked stiffly over to where Todd and Ryan stood over his dead horse. I could see by the look of relief on both officers’ faces, they were glad that they weren’t going to have to make arrangements for the horse.

  Leaving Beth and Raymond to their job, I made my way over to the other ambulance. The driver was from the next county over, and I didn’t know him personally.

  “You’re not going to be able to talk this one into going to the hospital. His vitals are normal and other than a bruise from the airbag deploying, he appears all right.”

  The EMT was an older gentleman with a wise look about him. I nodded and took him seriously. When I came around the corner of the ambulance, I was surprised to find Daniel there with the infamous Zeke Bachman. By their close proximity, I guessed my husband knew the other man well.

  “Zeke?” I said.

  The man looked up and smiled broadly. “You must be Sheriff Serenity Adams. I’ve heard so much about you.” He stepped forward in a more fluid way than I expected after the wreck and grasped my hand firmly. Winking, he glanced back at Daniel. “You didn’t tell me she was such a looker.”

  Daniel grinned back, and I felt my cheeks warm. This man was definitely Daniel’s buddy. When he released my hand, I surveyed him from foot to head. He was average height, but his build was wiry and loose. There was a twinkle in his bright blue eyes and deep lines at the corners, making me think he smiled a lot. Judging by his lack of beard and regular street clothes, I knew he wasn’t Amish—at least anymore.

  As I reached over, he held his ground, letting me pick a piece of glass from his shaggy hair. Holding the fragment up, I said, “Don’t you think a trip to the hospital is in order?”

  He continued to smile, nonplused by my strong suggestion. “Naw.” He leaned in. “I don’t have insurance, Serenity. Since I’m feeling fine, I can’t afford a medical bill right now, especially after the loss of my truck.”

  My eyes met Daniel’s. There was something shining in those familiar depths that I couldn’t figure out. “Don’t you have car insurance?”

  Zeke’s smile turned into a grin. “Nope, can’t say that I do. I’ve been living off the grid for a while, you know what I mean?”

  I shook my head, my inner alarm bells going off. “No, can’t say that I do.”

  Daniel decided it was time to intervene. “Lester has general farm insurance that will cover replacement of his horse and buggy. You already know the Amish don’t sue people. The loss will be Zeke’s only.”

  I couldn’t help frowning. Daniel looked at me in a pleading way and I didn’t like it one bit. I stared at Zeke. “Except the horse. He suffered more loss than you.”

  Zeke recovered quickly. His expression was still cheerful, but his tone had become more serious. “I’m so sorry that it happened. Of all people, I know better. But it wasn’t really my fault. You see, the sun was blinding me and Lester didn’t have any safety signs on the back of his vehicle, which if I remember correctly, is against state law.”

  The subtle warning made me immediately dislike Zeke Bachman. He said all the right things, and made sure that his ass was sufficiently covered. He wasn’t sorry about the horse. I could see it in his eyes that he didn’t give a damn that he’d just killed the poor animal and nearly its owners. “You’ll get a ticket for not having the mandatory state liability coverage.”

  “Yes, yes. I expect that.” Zeke continued to smile at me.

  Holding my temper in check, I glanced between Daniel and Zeke. “Are you two related?”

  “He’s my cousin and one of my dearest friends,” Daniel said.

  “How come you never mentioned him before?” I persisted.

  Zeke made just the right apologetic expression. “I’ve been gone from Blood Rock for a long time. I’m back now, and that’s all that matters.”

  He squeezed Daniel’s shoulder and then sagged a little. “I’m tired. Daniel offered to drive me home. It was a pleasure to meet you, Sheriff. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”

  His complete dismissal of me was irritating, but I didn’t have any reason to keep him here. “I know where you’re staying.”

  I said it in a casual way and Zeke just kept on smiling. When Daniel bent down and planted a kiss on my forehead, I hardly felt it.

  “I’ll see you at dinnertime,” he spoke into my ear.

 
I nodded and watched him talk to his mother for a moment before he and Zeke got into the Jeep.

  “You better keep an eye on that one.”

  I glanced over at Ryan, who was watching the Jeep pull away.

  My heart rate slowed. “Do you know the guy?”

  “He’s a low-level hustler in Indy—with ties to the Moretti family.” Ryan spoke quietly for only me to hear. When our eyes met, I saw the glint of fear there.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” I hissed the words out.

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” Ryan replied.

  5

  Daniel

  “I really appreciate you driving me home. I could always count on you to come to my aid.” Zeke lifted the corner of his mouth and jerked his head in the direction of the little white house. “Do you have time for a beer?”

  Zeke’s interaction with Serenity had made me a little uneasy, but the ride to his rental home had been just as carefree as in the good old days. More than anything I wanted to believe that my cousin and friend had fought his demons and won. “Of course.”

  The little white house was just as bland on the inside as it was on the outside. I sat down on the plastic lawn chair in the living room. Other than a matching chair and an outdated kitchen table, it was the only furniture in the rental that I could see.

  Zeke handed me a bottle and I popped the cap off, taking a deep swig. The memory of the dead horse still haunted my mind and knowing that Serenity would have a million questions for me when I got home made me extra thankful for the drink.

  Swallowing, I leaned back, facing my cousin. “Why’d you come back?”

  It was a reasonable question and Zeke seemed to only bristle a little by the lift of his shoulders and dramatic sigh. “Probably for the same reason as you. I missed my family and a few other people here in Blood Rock, including you.”