Love Inspired Suspense June 2021--Box Set 1 of 2, page 20
Jonah removed a glove and tousled his son’s hair. “I suppose a wrecking crew is hard to resist for a four-year-old.” He stepped forward, the glass crunching under his boot. He definitely needed to take a more organized approach to tearing this down, otherwise he’d have to risk one of his children cutting themselves on glass or a stray nail.
Jonah locked gazes with Liddie. “Can you take him back to the house to get proper gloves? We have a lot of work to do.”
If Jonah hadn’t been watching Liddie’s face, he would have missed the flicker of a smile on her pink lips. Guilt sloshed in his gut. He had been too hard on her, allowing himself to listen to the rumors that tarnished a good woman’s name so recklessly shared by the deputy. Hadn’t they all made mistakes in the past? Hadn’t the bishop recommended her? Next chance when they were alone, he’d reassure her that the nanny job was hers as long as she’d have it, and he wasn’t just saying that while they sat around the kitchen to appease his son.
“Can I look for my baseball first?” Andy asked.
Jonah glanced at Liddie, then down at his son. “Yah.”
Andy took off in a crouched position into the nearby patch of weeds. Liddie approached Jonah with a look of concern. For some reason, his apology died on his lips.
“I talked to my brother-in-law late last night,” Liddie said, keeping her voice low so as not to be overheard by his son. “The DEA agent,” she added for clarity.
A ticking started in Jonah’s jaw, a reflex almost. Perhaps he had been too quick to give her a pass if she thought it was acceptable to break the rules of the Ordnung in his home. “You have a phone?” The question came out hard and clipped.
Liddie’s face colored. “Yah, I have a cell phone tucked in the bottom of my wardrobe. I promise I don’t use it unless I absolutely have to.” She paused a moment, then said, “I guess it’s my security blanket, much like your daughter’s doll.”
He searched her face, and despite himself, his heart went out to her. She obviously was struggling with her place and perhaps this phone was her quick ticket out of here if she needed it. Could he have it on his conscience if he was the one who finally pushed her to leave the Amish? Didn’t he have a responsibility to encourage her to stay? He nodded his silent understanding. “What did you learn?” They needed to have this conversation before his son emerged from the weeds with his ball.
“Zach assured me that all the parties involved with my sister’s kidnapping are incarcerated.” Her wary gaze scanned the field where she had been dragged last night. What would have happened if he hadn’t been close? If he had been away on a construction job in Buffalo? He shoved the thought away.
“That’s good to know.” All of this was so far out of his depth, yet he was beginning to wonder if Gott had brought them on the same path for some reason. Maybe helping Liddie was part of his penance for not being there for his deceased wife. He scrubbed his bare hand across his face, then stuffed it back into his leather glove.
Liddie flattened her lips, as if struggling to find the words. “Is there any chance the person who hurt... I mean...” No one liked to use the word murdered, he understood that.
Jonah shook his head slowly. “He was arrested and died by suicide in jail.” Then, to stop her from playing any more guessing games, he added, “Deputy Banks assured me that his fingerprints were on...” Now he found himself groping for the right words to describe the bloody weapon, a metal pipe that had once been the innocuous support for a plant stand. His poor wife hadn’t stood a chance.
“I don’t understand.” Liddie drew up her shoulders and a shudder seemed to course through her despite the relatively warm morning sun beating down on them. It seemed she shared a similar fear: what if yet another outside evil had crept into their midst? How random. How daunting. How would that even be possible?
“Got it!” Andy popped out of the patch of weeds holding his baseball aloft, dispelling the thick tension with a jubilant smile of victory. “Can we play, Dat?”
“Perhaps after we do some work. Would you like to help?”
His son nodded excitedly, immediately making Jonah feel bad about how he had been running away from everything this past year—his pain, his home and his family.
“Perhaps Daisy would like to come out and help, too,” Jonah suggested. “We could start with carrying all the flowerpots and items out of the greenhouse and store them in the barn. Maybe we could sell them at the upcoming auction where they’re raising money for Daisy’s classroom.” The idea of finally tackling this long overdue task made his nerves hum.
The concern creasing the corners of Liddie’s blue eyes had been replaced by a lightness he didn’t recognize. She normally watched him with wariness or caution, probably because he made it difficult for her to know what to expect from him. His behavior had been downright rude, yet he still couldn’t shake the idea that kindness toward this woman would be a betrayal of sorts. As if by punishing her, he was punishing himself.
Jonah needed to find a way to settle his thoughts. To find peace. It was not Gott’s will that he would be weighed down by excessive burdens, but rather be set free. He needed to dig deep. Rely on the same faith that had gotten him through the worst year in his life. Taking action to remove this eyesore would be a positive step in dissuading any other squatters.
Protecting his family.
A sense of purpose warmed his heart on the gorgeous autumn morning. His children were healthy, and this pretty young woman brought a much-needed change into their home that had been swamped with grief. She deserved his acceptance for the blessings she had brought his children.
Jonah tilted his face to the sun and for the first time since that fateful day when his world had tipped on its axis, he felt a flicker of hope. Of what life, with Gott’s blessing, might look like on the other side of pain and suffering.
* * *
It felt wonderful to get outside and do something productive. Liddie had missed working on her family’s farm, the fresh air, the sun beating down on her, aching muscles. Lately, the only muscle that ached was her backside from sitting too long, reading the children stories or watching them quietly play. Her role—for better or worse—was to keep an eye on the children. Period. Ellen held such tight reins on the house, as if it were her last domain.
Today, Liddie’s job was to help the children clear out the greenhouse. Daisy seemed content taking the lighter flowerpots from her brother at the door and carrying them with one hand to a Radio Flyer wagon on the worn path. She dragged her dolly along in the other hand. She never stepped into the greenhouse, as if some invisible force stopped her short. Liddie couldn’t imagine the horror the child had seen when she found her mem unresponsive and bloodied on the ground inside the greenhouse. Her grandfather had shared that bit of information when he told her about the nanny position. This knowledge allowed her to be ever patient in trying to draw the quiet girl out of her shell. A task at which she had yet to be successful.
“You’re doing such a good job, Daisy.” Liddie smiled brightly and was rewarded with the tiniest of smiles on the sweet child’s face.
“Maybe the girls can pull the wagon and unload the flowerpots in the barn. Stack them in the corner of my workshop.” Jonah seemed in his element working here, his sleeves rolled up, revealing tanned forearms. He had been home more the past few days. She suspected the construction jobs were winding down with the anticipation of the coming winter.
“Of course we can,” Liddie said, admiring how Jonah involved both his children. She crouched down to Daisy’s eye level when she didn’t answer. “Do you want to pull? Maybe your dolly can ride in the back.” Liddie cleared out a spot for the doll and Daisy hesitated a moment, before nestling the doll in a clean spot between the stacks of clay pots.
The little girl picked up the handle and tugged, but couldn’t move the wagon. Liddie reached out and grabbed the neck of the handle, freeing one of the front wheels from a divot. Daisy pulled the wagon and Liddie walked close by to prevent the pots from tipping over. The child took instruction well and went inside the barn and began unloading. Liddie noticed the girl mouthing numbers, “One, two, three...” as she stacked the mud-caked pots. Liddie couldn’t help but smile to herself.
“Dat needs a crowbar.” Andy ran into the barn with his usual enthusiasm. “It’s on the back wall. That’s where he said to look. You can reach it. But I get to carry it to Dat.” Jonah’s son spun around, repeating, no doubt, what his father had told him. His bright eyes took in all the tools on all the walls as he searched for the prized crowbar.
“Hold on. Let me look.” Liddie scanned the back wall and found what she suspected Jonah needed. She stretched and plucked it off the hook. She was surprised by the solid weight of it. She handed it to Andy. The metal bar was almost as long as he was. “Got it?”
Andy held up the bar and smiled. He ran outside through the back door closest to the greenhouse and Liddie heard a yelp. She glanced over at Daisy, still diligently stacking the pots. A cross breeze blew in from one open door to another. “I’m going to check on your brother. I’ll be right back.”
The little girl kept up her job. A few feet from the barn door, Liddie found Andy bent over, studying his pant leg. The crowbar rested on the ground nearby. “What happened?” she asked, tilting her head to try to see what had him engrossed.
Andy straightened, a frown pulling on his chapped lips. “I tripped and ripped my pants.”
Liddie was about to reassure him, tell him she could mend his pants, but she knew better. “Your grandmother can fix that.”
“She’s going to be mad. She told me to be more careful.”
Compassion tugged at her heartstrings. This little boy had enough going on in his life without worrying about an innocent mishap.
“Well, if she’s too busy, I can do it.” Liddie snapped her fingers. “Just like that.”
“Really? I’ve never seen you sew.”
Liddie laughed. “Trust me, I know how to fix tiny holes. Your pants will be good as new.”
She picked up the crowbar. “Can I carry this to your father for you?”
Andy nodded, some of the enthusiasm from earlier drained out of him. Poor guy.
When they reached the greenhouse, Jonah had the door off its hinges. He turned to her and his brown eyes felt warm and welcoming. Was she supposed to notice such things about her boss? She blinked, feeling her cheeks warm, and she looked down at Andy. She handed him the crowbar. “Here you go.”
Andy stretched out his hand, took the crowbar and in turn, offered the tool to his father triumphantly.
“Looks like you guys are all set.” Liddie turned on her heel and went back to the barn. When she entered the workshop rich with smells of freshly sanded and stained wood, something immediately felt off. The stillness sent goose bumps racing across her flesh.
“Daisy?” The little girl was nowhere to be seen. Her knees grew weak and her vision tunneled. Deep breath. Relax.
Liddie stepped farther into the workshop and found a stack of flowerpots tipped over. Others were smashed with the force of someone slamming them onto the ground.
“Daisy,” Liddie called again, struggling to hear her own voice over the thundering heartbeat in her ears.
Liddie rushed to the other open barn door, convinced she’d find the little girl in the yard. That’s when she saw it: Daisy’s favorite dolly, lying on the ground, one leg dipped in a muddy puddle. Liddie ran over and snatched it up, upset on Daisy’s behalf that her precious doll had been discarded.
The morning sun dimmed and Liddie thought she was going to be sick. Daisy would have never left her doll here. “Daisy,” she called again, this time louder.
No answer.
With adrenaline heightening her senses, Liddie bolted to the house, hoping to find Daisy there. Of course she went to the house. Where else would she have gone?
Liddie found Ellen sitting in the rocking chair, working on her latest knitting project. “Did Daisy come back inside?”
“No, she was with you.” The elderly woman’s accusatory tone cut through her, then her gaze dropped to the doll in her hand. Ellen lowered her needles and a worried expression replaced the flash of annoyance. “Is something wrong?”
Not wanting to alarm Ellen, Liddie tried to explain. “She must have gotten past me on the way to help her dat.”
The children’s grandmother peppered her with questions as Liddie pulled the door shut. Clutching the doll to her apron, Liddie sprinted to the greenhouse. Her pounding steps jarred her entire frame, exacerbating her throbbing headache. The entire way, she hoped—prayed—she’d run into Daisy with big fat tears over her lost doll.
When Liddie reached Jonah, he and his son were pressing down on the handle of the crowbar. A father teaching his son how to pry off a wood slat. A father-son moment about to be shattered.
Jonah released his grip and straightened. All the color drained from his face. “What is it?”
“I can’t find Daisy.”
FOUR
I can’t find Daisy. Liddie’s words pinged around Jonah’s brain. His knees nearly buckled and he planted his hand on the rough wood of the greenhouse frame above Andy’s head. His son’s face was scrunched up as he pushed down on the crowbar with all his might. “Come on, Dat. Help!”
“Hold up, buddy,” Jonah said, as if on autopilot as he scanned the path behind Liddie, willing his sweet little girl to appear. When she didn’t, he reached down and unhooked the crowbar from under the slat and tossed it down on the grass and pivoted to face Liddie. “Isn’t she in the barn?” He ran the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead, pushing his felt hat back a fraction.
The desperate look in Liddie’s blue eyes was a jab to the heart. His pulse whooshed in his ears and a shadow crossed the landscape.
“She’s not in the barn or the house.” Liddie’s lower lip quivered. The confirmation that they had a very real problem dangled in her raised hand: his daughter’s favorite doll. “I found this in a puddle outside of the barn.” A look of fear flashed in the depths of her eyes. “There’s no way she would have left this behind.”
Jonah’s gaze drifted to the field where Liddie had been attacked and dragged last night. Had the assailant come back and abducted his daughter? A band tightened around his lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
“Dat, we have work to do,” Andy said, bending down to scoop up the crowbar. Jonah watched absentmindedly as his son pressed the edge of the crowbar against the greenhouse.
“We need to search all the outbuildings.” Liddie’s urgent command snapped him out of his shock.
“We’ll work on the greenhouse later.” Jonah grabbed Andy’s hand and tossed the crowbar away again, keeping his frustration in check. “We have to find Sissy now.” He forced a light-hearted tone despite the fact that his heart was about to explode out of his chest.
His son tugged his hand free and crouched down to grab the crowbar again. Jonah bit back a scolding. Impatience and panic warred for dominance.
Liddie held out her hand and Andy readily took it, apparently sensing his father’s swell of emotion, but unable to pinpoint its source. “We can work on that later,” Liddie said. “I need your father to help me find your sister.”
Something in her tone had his young son squinting up at her in the bright sun. Confusion swept across his face. “Where did Sissy go?”
“I don’t know.” Liddie led his son toward the barn. The child had to run to keep up with her frantic pace as she double-checked inside his workshop and the stalls. “Do you and Daisy ever play hide-and-seek? Is there someplace she might hide? Somewhere outside?”
Andy shook his head. “Neh, we’re not allowed to play outside because Mammi can’t keep up with us.” His mother-in-law had always preferred quiet, indoor activities. That had been part of the appeal of hiring a nanny.
Jonah swung back the door separating his workshop from the rest of the barn. They searched around, behind, between. The little girl was nowhere to be found.
“Okay...” Liddie seemed to be considering something, but Jonah was growing impatient.
Why had he let his guard down and allowed the children to play outside, especially while he was trying to work? Especially after last night? But he had been right here. Liddie had been right here. He bit back the blame resting on his lips.
“Take Andy to the house and stay there,” Jonah said, not bothering to hide his agitation. “I need to find Daisy.” He planted his hands on his hips and debated the most likely places she’d go if she had wandered off on her own.
He trusted Liddie to take his son to the house while he circled back around the barn. Where could Daisy have gone? The last time—that he knew—she ventured away was when she found her mother’s body. Even since, she had been hesitant to wander beyond the front porch. Today had been a huge milestone, watching her work industriously packing up the flowerpots.
Jonah took his hat off and ran a shaky hand through his hair. Why was this happening? Was Gott punishing him for something?
“Daisy!” he called, his voice ringing across the fields. “Daisy!”
Jonah went through the barn again with no sign of her. Since he hadn’t noticed her come by the greenhouse, he suspected she might have gone the other way toward the neighbors’. Yah, he thought to himself. Maybe she had wandered over to visit Amity, their teenage neighbor who frequently visited their farm. A ray of hope allowed him to catch his breath.
“Daisy!” he called again as he ran over to the Beilers’ farm through a worn path that separated the two properties.
The eerie quiet made his nerves hum. His eyes darted around the yard. No sign of any of their five children. That can’t be good. Jonah marched toward the house, hoping the children could help him search. Or maybe his daughter had been welcomed inside for a visit, however unlikely.
