Plain Truth (Military Investigations) (9 page)

“I wouldn’t know,” Mrs. Landers admitted. “I have two sisters, but I’ve never gone back home. I hadn’t been baptized, so I wasn’t formally shunned, but my father wouldn’t let anyone talk to me after I defied his authority.”

Which sounded like Sarah Miller’s father.

“Bob and I have a son, but he’s not married. Now I’m worried about any future children Mary Kate might have,” the grandmother continued.

“It’s doubtful they would have the condition,” Ella assured her. “Unless Corporal Powers carries the gene, and that seems highly unlikely. I could do DNA testing if they want to know for sure.”

Tears welled up in Mrs. Landers’s eyes. “At this point, I’m not sure Mary Kate will survive. Bob and I are praying so hard for her.”

Turning at the sound of footsteps, Ella saw Mr. Landers standing in the hallway. His face was ashen.

“Did we lose Mary Kate?”

Ella shook her head and stood. “No, sir. I’m sorry if we frightened you.”

Mrs. Landers hurried to her husband. “The twins got sick because of my Amish background, Bob.”

“What are you saying, Lucy?”

She explained about the recessive genes. “Both Levi and Mary Kate had to give a gene in order for the girls to get sick. The condition is found in the Amish, so she inherited it from my side of the family.”

“The good thing is that the girls were diagnosed early and have responded to treatment,” Ella said, hoping to offer encouragement.

“I still blame Levi.” Mr. Landers’s voice was harsh.

“No one’s to blame, Mr. Landers. I’m just glad the girls responded to the treatment.”

His wife patted his hand. “We’ll get through this, Bob. My father always said everything that happened was God’s will, but I don’t think this was His doing or what He wanted for Mary Kate. Knowing God the way I do, He’s not going to let anything happen to our daughter.”

* * *

“They say love conquers all,” Zach said as he and Ella hurried to his car. “Mrs. Landers had to sacrifice a lot to marry her husband.”

Ella nodded. “I thought about Sarah Miller, who even as a married woman is worried about her father. I doubt men realize the important role they play in their daughters’ lives.”

“Levi seems like a loving husband,” Zach mused. “And it sounds like Corporal Powers loves the twins, although right now, he’s worried about his wife and focused on her.”

“I can’t see Mr. Landers harming his daughter.”

Zach agreed. “Some of his anger dissipated when he found out about the Amish tie-in with the girls’ condition. Maybe he feels responsible, just as Mrs. Landers mentioned. If they hadn’t moved to this area, their daughter never would have known Levi.”

“I wish Mrs. Landers could contact her Amish relatives so they could be tested.”

“Perhaps you could arrange to do that through the research center in Harrisburg,” Zach suggested.

Ella nodded. “I could talk to the director. Dr. Vaughn wants me to attend the event this weekend.”

“Do you think that’s wise?”

“I’m not sure.”

Zach didn’t want Ella out of his sight. He needed to convince her to stay in the Freemont area until the investigation was over, although he knew the medical symposium was important because of her husband’s role in the Amish Project.

His fear was that after seeing the people with whom her husband had worked, she might not want to return to her clinic and the simple life in the Amish community.

What was wrong with him? He was thinking of his own happiness. Ella’s happiness was the important thing. That and keeping her safe.

Would she be safer in Freemont, where a killer was on the loose? Or in Atlanta, far from the assailant who wanted her dead?

TEN

E
lla was beyond tired. Her head throbbed and every muscle in her body ached as they pulled into her driveway at the clinic.

“Are you okay?” Zach asked.

“No.” She had to be truthful. “I’m tired and upset and worried about what we might find when we go inside.”

“I’ll check the clinic. You stay in the car.”

She gave him the key and was relieved when he returned with a smile, opening the passenger door and offering her his hand.

“Everything looks just the same as when we left. Your nurse left a note. The receptionist’s husband installed an alarm system. The details are on your desk.”

Ella let out a grateful sigh. “That’s good news.”

Entering the clinic, she was overcome with relief. Not only were things back in place, but Wendy had vacuumed and mopped the floors. She’d even washed the windows, and the fresh scent of furniture polish and floor wax filled the air.

On Monday, Ella would see patients again; at least she hoped she would. No telling what the Amish families would decide after the attack. Knowing how skittish they could be, she wondered if the parents would trust their children to a doctor involved in a criminal investigation.

“Why don’t you go on,” she told Zach. “I need to take a nap, and there’s no reason for you to stay here, especially since I have the security alarm.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He pointed to the hallway. “Get some sleep. I’ll check my email. I also need to make a few phone calls.”

Although his voice was firm, she saw the concern and sincerity in his gaze.

“If you insist. But I’ll set my alarm clock for an hour so I don’t oversleep.”

“Make that two hours, and I’ll be happy.”

“Can I get you something to drink before I disappear?”

“A cup of coffee would be good. Or water.”

“One of each coming up.”

She hurried into her kitchen and returned with coffee and a chilled bottle of water.

“The coffee’s just what I need, and I’ll chase it with the water. Thanks.” Again, he pointed to the hallway. “Now go.”

She gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”

He laughed, and the heaviness that had weighed her down lifted for a moment, until she entered her residence and saw a photo of Quin that sat on the hutch in her dining room. For some reason, his frown pulled her down again.

She hurried into her bedroom and locked the door—not because she was worried about Zach; she didn’t fear him and believed him to be an honorable man. But she wanted to lock out the memories from her past. She had left Pennsylvania and started a new life for herself, yet no matter what she told Zach, she was vulnerable.

The security alarm would be a deterrent, but would it save her if the assailant returned? The police in Freemont were too far away to protect her. Anything could happen by the time they arrived. She wouldn’t be able to summon Levi in the dead of night, since he didn’t have a phone, and even if she called Zach, he lived at Fort Rickman, miles away from the Amish community.

She thought of the invitation to Atlanta. Perhaps that would offer her a reprieve, at least for a day or two. By the time she returned, the local police might have apprehended the assailant. A change of scenery could be just what she needed.

Zach would leave later today, and she’d be on her own again. He had become a comfortable—too comfortable—presence. They seemed to work well together, but he was a special agent who was merely investigating a case.

As she washed her hands and face, Ella looked into the mirror. She’d vowed never to make the mistake of getting involved with a man again. She’d done so in giving her heart to Quin, a mistake that had hurt her deeply as he became more and more reclusive and less and less interested in her.

So many times she had yearned for something more, for a family like the ones who brought their children to her Carlisle practice. She’d envied the love she’d seen reflected in the parents’ eyes.

She’d had her chance and ruined it with the failure of her marriage. Again, the terrible guilt overwhelmed her. Had Quin turned away from her because she wasn’t lovable, wasn’t the woman he had wanted her to be? She’d made mistakes—he’d said it more than once. But did the failure of their marriage rest on her shoulders alone?

Turning away from her reflection, she dried her hands and face and then stretched across her bed, not even pulling down the Amish quilt that reminded her of the good people who put God first.

Where had she put God? He wasn’t even in her life. Was that why nothing seemed to go well for her?

She gripped the edge of the quilt and closed her eyes so that everything that had happened would disappear. So that she’d slip into oblivion, where she didn’t have to worry about an evil man who had attacked her so violently he must have wanted her dead.

* * *

What was wrong with him?

Zach was sitting in Ella Jacobsen’s clinic, a rural facility similar to the one where his mother had died and the very place he never wanted to be. He’d been taken in by the doctor. He needed to be a CID special agent and not the doctor’s guardian, yet that’s exactly what he wanted to do—protect Ella and make sure she was safe from the terrible predator.

He had never felt so committed, determined and focused on keeping someone safe, which was a good thing. But there was something else, a feeling deep in his heart that was about more than keeping a witness secure. A feeling that he couldn’t explain and didn’t completely understand, yet it made him stronger and tougher and more determined to do what was right.

He called Tyler Zimmerman at CID headquarters. The special agent answered on the second ring. “What’s up, Zach?”

“I’m at the Children’s Care Clinic and wondered if I could ask a favor.”

“Shoot.”

“I need a burner phone. When you head home, would you mind stopping by the PX and buying one? If you could drop it off here, that would be perfect. Otherwise I can stop by your place once you get home.”

“The doc doesn’t have a cell phone?”

“Negative. It’s her Amish neighbor. I’m hoping he’ll agree to keep the phone so Dr. Jacobsen can contact him if she’s threatened in the night.”

“You trust him to protect the doctor?”

“Only if someone tries to break into her clinic again. He’s the closest neighbor. The doc is taking care of his pregnant wife and will deliver their baby. That’s got to have bearing on his desire to keep her safe. I’ll hang out here as late as possible, but she’ll eventually tell me to go home. Fort Rickman is more than a thirty-minute drive. I won’t be able to respond quickly enough if someone tries to get in here.”

“You know I live along Amish Road?”

“I knew you lived off post. Are you close by?”

“Just after the turnoff from town. Give her my number. In fact, I’ve got a spare bedroom. You’re welcome to stay there.”

“That sounds like a plan. How do I find your house?” Zach asked.

“You’ve seen the big antebellum home?”

“I have. Is that your place?”

“It belongs to Carrie York.”

“Your fiancée?”

“That’s right. I’m in the small ranch south of there. I’ll get that phone and deliver it later today, along with a spare key to my house so you can come and go as you please.”

“I appreciate the hospitality and your help. I’ve got a gym bag in my office and an extra set of clothing. Would you mind bringing them to me, as well?”

“Will do.”

Zach felt a surge of relief. He had planned to hang out in the Amish area late into the night to make sure Ella didn’t have any strange visitors. Staying at Tyler’s house meant Zach could come to Ella’s aid at a minute’s notice.

“What about Corporal Hugh Powers?” he asked Zimmerman. “Has anything new surfaced on him?”

“I questioned him extensively, but he kept to his story. The guy’s exhausted and worried to death about his wife. He seems to be the doting husband, although we both know that can be faked.”

“Did he mention having PTSD?”

“Roger that. He was forthright about his condition, although he’s so distraught that it’s hard to say if it is caused by his deployment or by what happened to his wife.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Still on a ventilator and unable to talk. No one is offering any encouragement. Her kidneys started to shut down. They’re watching her blood pressure and are concerned about infection.”

“Have you seen her parents?”

“The dad visited early this morning. He’s cranky and complains about everything that’s being done. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt and blaming it on his love for his daughter.”

“Have you gotten a sense of how he and the husband get along?”

“Both men are emotional wrecks. The tension is high and one of the nurses said they’ve had words. I can’t tell you if there’s a true animosity or just the fatigue and worry that comes when a loved one is in critical condition.”

Zach looked at his watch. “Let me know if anything new surfaces.”

“Will do. I’ll be in touch.”

After disconnecting, Zach called Sergeant Abrams. “Any success with Daniel Fisher?”

“He’s a strange one. I’m not sure if he’s really Amish or just pretending to be in the fold to keep his father happy. We’re running a ballistics on the rifle. Seems a coincidence that both he and Levi Miller own the same type of gun.”

“Actually, it makes sense. The Model 94 is a good hunting rifle. Perfect for deer or wild boar, and it’s a dependable weapon, yet fairly inexpensive. The Amish use their rifles to hunt for food. Seems the 94 would be a good choice.”

“You might be right.”

“Did you question Daniel about his past relationship with Mary Kate?”

“He says he knew who she was and that’s it. Do you think he was jealous of Levi?”

“It’s a possibility. Or he could be a protective older brother who’s concerned about his sister’s marriage. He comes back to Georgia on the pretense of helping his dad. Maybe he saw Levi and Mary Kate together. Her father said Levi had been hanging around. Of course, Levi’s story is that he was inquiring about the twins. His wife is pregnant, and they’re worried the condition the twins have could be passed to their own baby.”

Abrams picked up on the direction Zach was headed. “So Daniel sees Levi with Mary Kate and suspects his brother-in-law might be involved with her again?”

“Stranger things have happened. Lots of folks jump to the wrong conclusion. Daniel seems to be a bit on the hotheaded side. I can see him getting aggravated and feeling that he needs to defend his sister’s name.”

“So he tries to kill Mary Kate?” Abrams asked.

“He could have followed her to the clinic. The storm works into his plans. He cuts the electricity, hoping the doc will think it’s an area-wide power outage. She leaves the house to tend to the generator, and he confronts the twins’ mother. Maybe he wanted to scare her or threaten her, and everything goes south. Emotions could have run wild. He fires without thinking through his actions.”

The officer let out a stiff breath. “I see what you mean. We’ll hold him for another hour or so and see if his story changes. Something needs to break soon.”

“We’ve got bits of information. Somehow they have to fit together. Stay in touch.”

After Zach disconnected, he called CID headquarters. Sergeant Raynard Otis answered.

“Hey, Ray, it’s Special Agent Swain. I’m interested in talking to law enforcement in Alabama that would have jurisdiction over an Amish community. As I recall, it’s located not far from the town of Harmony.”

“Yes, sir. You’ve got that right. Special Agent Colby Voss was involved in a case near there. Give me a minute and I’ll access the information.”

Zach stretched back in the chair and waited. His eyes wandered to the picture of Quin Jacobsen on a table behind Ella’s desk. He needed to find more information about her husband’s death.

Ray came back on the line. “I found it, sir.” He provided the name and phone number of the lead officer. “Sheriff Lewis Stone should be able to help you.”

“Thanks, Ray. I’ve got another request. A research physician died in Memphis about eight months ago. He was attending a medical conference and drove his rental car to one of the bridges that span the Mississippi River. Supposedly, he jumped, and his body washed up on shore some days later. I want to contact the law enforcement agency that handled the case.”

“Do you have more information, sir?”

“Only the doctor’s name. Quin—or Quinton—Jacobsen. He lived in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and worked for a Harrisburg research center that studied genetic diseases affecting children, primarily Amish children.” Zach hurried to Ella’s desk and leaned over the invitation he’d seen the night before. “The name of the facility is the Harrisburg Genetic Research Center.”

“I’ll do some checking and get back to you.”

After disconnecting, Zach called the Alabama sheriff. He introduced himself and stated the information he needed. “Do you know a Daniel Fisher? He supposedly has lived in an Amish community near you. Medium height. Kind of bulky build. Probably five-eleven and two hundred pounds. No distinguishing features or marks that I was able to see. His sister may live nearby, although I don’t have a name for her.”

“I know Fisher,” the chief quickly replied. “He built a little house on the edge of the Amish community. Far as we could determine, he wasn’t living the Amish life. He’d come into town at times and do some odd jobs to make money. At first, he seemed like a hard worker, but the longer he stayed on a job, the lazier he became. A number of times he argued over the pay he received, declaring that he’d been promised a higher wage. I’ve known some of the construction bosses who hired him. They’re God-fearing men who are known for their honesty and the care they provide their workers. I trust them and their business practices. A couple of the firms fired Fisher after he put up a fuss.”

“Were other Amish men working construction?”

“A few do at times, especially when money is tight. Farming is hard work. In the lean years, when crops don’t do well, we see a number of Amish lads looking for employment to support their families. A couple guys work as volunteer firemen. They get paid when they go out on a call. The Amish ladies sell their produce and baked goods at our Saturday farmers’ market. Some of them take in sewing and alterations.”