Undercover Amish

THREE

Hannah woke to the clip-clop of horses’ hooves. She slipped from the bed and pulled back the curtain, then smiled, seeing a farm wagon stop at the side of the Amish Store. She checked her watch. Six thirty.

In the distance she saw Lucas hurrying along a path. He approached the Amish farmer. Together they unloaded boxes and hauled them into the store, then shook hands on the porch before the man climbed onto his wagon and headed back to the main road.

The sun was barely up, yet everywhere she looked groundskeepers and farm hands, many wearing typical Amish garb, were already hard at work. Dropping the curtain back in place, she hurriedly dressed and followed the scent of coffee to the dining area.

Entering the room almost took her breath away at the sight of the ceiling-to-floor windows that looked over the rolling hills, gardens and mountains beyond. Starched, white tablecloths and napkins dressed the round tables set with blue china that matched the curtains and made the room seem bright and cheerful.

A woman, probably midfifties, wearing a simple, calf-length dress and white apron approached Hannah. Her hair was pulled into a bun topped with a starched cap. Her round face and twinkling brown eyes were warm with welcome.

“You must be Hannah. Lucas told me about you.” The woman took Hannah’s hand. “I am Fannie Stoltz. I run the inn, and I am happy you can stay with us. Your room was to your liking?”

“Oh, yes, it was perfect. I slept better than I have in years.”

The Amish woman’s smile increased, and then she tilted her head. “Perhaps the reason your sleep is not usually sound can be worked out while you are here. The simple life sometimes lets us see more clearly that which is important. The world frets about too many things that should not have power over our well-being. Here—” She spread her hands and glanced through the windows at the rolling hills. “Here our focus can turn to that which is most important.”

Finding her sisters was Hannah’s number one priority, but she didn’t want to disturb the innkeeper with troubling thoughts of two missing women. Instead she chose a timelier topic. “You probably need my credit card.”

The woman waved her hand. “We will deal with that when you are ready to check out. Now you must eat.” She pointed to a table by the window. “You may sit wherever you like, but this is a nice spot. Lucas is mending a broken fence. Perhaps he will join you in a bit.”

A young woman wearing the same garb as the innkeeper filled Hannah’s cup with a robust coffee made even richer with the thick cream Hannah added to the hot brew.

“The cream is from our own dairy,” the young girl said with pride. “You would like the regular breakfast or do you have dietary needs?”

Probably eighteen at the most, the server had alabaster skin and rosy cheeks that spoke of wholesome living. Even without makeup, the girl was beautiful.

Breakfast was hearty and delicious. Lucas never showed up and Hannah tried to squelch the disappointment she felt. Surely he would be on the grounds. She would find him there.

“Breakfast was wonderful,” she told the server before leaving the dining room.

Hannah returned to her room and grabbed her jacket. Hopefully her car would soon be fixed so she could drive to Willkommen. She needed information to locate Miriam, and she didn’t have time to while away the morning, enjoying the pretty scenery.

Opening the hallway door that led to the alcove, she nearly ran into a Hispanic man wearing jeans and a navy polo.

“Morning, miss. You are going somewhere?” he asked.

“Just for a walk.”

He tapped the board where the keys hung. “You leave your key here when you are gone. The cleaning staff must make your bed and bring fresh towels.”

“I wasn’t thinking.” She dropped her key onto the wall peg attached to her room number.

“You are the new guest?” he asked.

Hannah nodded. “That’s right. I arrived last night.”

“Someone gave me a note.” He held out a folded sheet of white paper. “It is for you, yes?”

Seeing her name written on the outside, she nodded. “Who’s it from?”

The man shrugged. “I know only to give it to the new lady.”

Unfolding the paper, she smiled seeing Lucas’s signature at the bottom of the page. Meet me at the gazebo after breakfast. I want to show you around the property.

Tucking the paper into her pocket, she thanked the man and hurried out the door. The musky scent of moist earth hung in the air and filled her with anticipation for the new day. She pulled her jacket around her shoulders and scurried to where Lucas had parked her car last night outside the mechanic’s shed.

An African American man, midfifties with a lean face and slender build, greeted her. “I’m Calvin Crawford. You must be Hannah. Lucas said your radiator had sprung a leak.”

“Sprung a leak” wasn’t Lucas’s assessment last night. Evidently he wanted to downplay what had happened. Not that she wasn’t grateful. She didn’t want to call attention to herself or to the incident on the mountain road.

“I’ll have your car ready to drive within the hour, miss, if that works for you.”

“Lucas assured me you could fix anything, Calvin.”

The man laughed. “Anything involving motors or engines. Only wish I could do more to heal the human heart.”

Seemed the mechanic was a bit of a philosopher.

She glanced at the various paths that ran through the property. “Which way leads to the gazebo?”

“Take the walkway on the left. It leads over the hill. You’ll see the gazebo. It’s not far.”

With a quick thank-you, she hurried along the path he had indicated. Topping a slight rise, she smiled, seeing in the distance the lovely gazebo, painted white, with a curved roof and rimmed with colorful winter pansies. The setting would be an ideal spot to sit with a good book or to chat with a friend.

Although she didn’t see Lucas, she continued along the path that led to a shaded area of trees and bushes. The thick undergrowth and tall poplars blocked her view of the surrounding pastures, the gazebo and the inn. The temperature dropped and even the overcast sunlight failed to reach into the dense, albeit well-landscaped, thicket. A gurgling stream ambled along the bottom of the steep incline. She walked to where a wooden walking bridge crossed to the other side. As peaceful as the hidden spot appeared, Hannah’s thoughts fluttered back to the woods last night.

Her heart thumped and her pulse kicked up a notch. She wiped the palms of her hands along the arms of her jacket, all too aware of her body’s reaction to the memories that played through her mind.

A twig snapped. She turned toward the sound. The world stood still as her mind tried to make sense of what she saw. A man. The same man from last night, wearing a hoodie covered with a blue flannel shirt.

She blinked, hoping to send the vision scurrying.

In that instant he started running straight toward her.

A scream filled the silence. Her scream as she raced over the bridge and up the hill. Rapid footsteps and his labored pull of air followed her.

Full from breakfast, she struggled to stay in the lead. The path wove through the wooded area and then into the open. She pushed on, seeing the pasture in the distance. Lucas stood, with his back to her, on the hillside.

“Help!” She flailed her arms and tried to get his attention as she kept running. Her lungs burned and she could barely draw enough air.

The guy was behind her. Too close.

His hand grabbed her shoulder. She jerked, trying to pull free, and stumbled forward. The path rose to meet her.

Air whizzed from her lungs as she crashed onto the asphalt.

“Where is she?” the man screamed. “Where’s Miriam?”

He grabbed her arms and dragged her toward the underbrush. She tried to lash out at him, but the world spun out of control.

Lucas. He would save her.

Then she realized he didn’t even know she was in danger.

* * *

Standing on the rise of the distant pasture, Lucas saw it play out in a flash. Hannah running along the path that led to the gazebo. A man following close behind.

Dropping his tools at the fence where he had been working, Lucas charged down the grassy knoll.

“Hannah,” he screamed.

The wind took her name and scattered it over the hillside. He pulled his radio from his belt and called for help. “Mayday! Gazebo path. Beyond the bridge. A guest attacked.”

He moaned, seeing the man dragging Hannah into the underbrush. Lucas increased his speed, wishing his legs would carry him faster. He cut across the clearing, screaming all the while.

Her attacker glanced up. For half a second, he stared at Lucas, who opened his arms and raced forward. The attacker released his hold on Hannah and disappeared into the woods.

Lucas hurried to where she lay and dropped to his knees beside her. Her forehead and cheek were scraped raw from the fall. Her breathing was shallow.

He wove his fingers into her hair, searching for blood. “Hannah, talk to me. It’s Lucas. Tell me you’re all right.”

Why didn’t she respond?

She moaned and relief flooded over him.

“What...what happened?” She blinked her eyes open.

“Do you remember anything?”

“The man from last night.” She grabbed Lucas’s arm. “Where is he?”

“Gone. You’re okay. He won’t hurt you.”

“But you said to meet you at the gazebo.”

“What?”

“Your note.”

Which he hadn’t written.

“I was trying to find you, Lucas, but...”

She closed her eyes.

Fear tugged anew at his heart.

Her eyes reopened. “If he comes after me again—”

Footsteps sounded. She raised her head.

Lucas turned as many of the Amish men and women who worked on the property ran toward them, responding to his call for help.

Turning back to Hannah, he took her hand. “There won’t be a next time. I promise you, Hannah.”

Lucas thought of Olivia and realized the fallacy of his words. What happened once could happen again. Just as before, a woman was in danger, and if the attacker returned, Lucas might not be able to save her in time.

FOUR

Hannah appreciated Lucas’s help, but she refused to be coddled and tried to stand as the workers flocked around her.

“Are you all right?” one of the men asked.

She nodded, but the ground shifted and her knees went weak. Lucas caught her.

“Easy does it,” he cautioned. His strong arms provided support as a wave of vertigo washed over her.

“Thank you,” she whispered, grateful for his help.

“You stood up too fast,” he said.

“Fannie’s coming.” A workman pointed to the golf cart cresting the rise of the hill. Calvin was driving, and the innkeeper sat next to him on the front seat. They raced along the path and braked to a stop near the small crowd that had gathered.

Fannie hurried toward Hannah and wrapped her in her arms. “You are hurt. What happened?”

Lucas quickly filled the innkeeper in as together they guided Hannah toward the golf cart. Lucas helped her onto the back seat and scooted in next to her.

Fannie returned to the front. “Please, drive us to the inn, Calvin.”

“I’m okay.” Hannah tried to reassure them as the golf cart sped along the paved path. Her back and shoulders ached, and a wave of vertigo hit whenever she moved her head.

Lucas stared at her as if he could see through her attempt at bravery. She steeled her spine and blinked her eyes to block out the diffused rays of light that made her head pound all the more.

“You need a doctor,” he announced. “As soon as Calvin fixes your radiator, we’ll take your car to the clinic in town.”

“It’s almost ready to drive,” Calvin assured him.

“The clinic is just off the square on West Main Street,” Fannie said, her eyes filled with concern. “Doc Johnson accepts walk-ins, and the inn will cover any medical expenses.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Hannah insisted. “I’m just tired and need to rest. I’ll feel better as soon as I get some sleep.”

“A concussion can cause fatigue,” Lucas cautioned. “We’ll let the doc check you over before any naps.”

He turned to Fannie. “While we’re in town, we’ll stop at the sheriff’s office and file a report about the incident.”

“I am grateful for your help,” Fannie said. “Will you also find out how Sheriff Kurtz is doing with his recuperation? He has been in rehabilitation for some weeks. I sent him a note that he should have received by now.”

“Would he have information about the carjacking?” Hannah asked.

Fannie’s brow furrowed. “I have not heard of this.”

“A woman was shot and two women were taken captive more than six weeks ago,” Lucas quickly explained, although he didn’t mention Hannah’s relationship to those involved.

Fannie patted her chest and tsked. “How can so much bad happen around us? This area used to be peaceful, which is how I describe the inn in the brochures. Now I am fearful for my guests’ safety.”

“I feel so bad,” Hannah said. “I’m sorry to upset your tranquility here at the inn.”

“I am more worried about you,” Fannie assured her. “We must make certain this man does not hurt you again.”

* * *

Hannah had left Knoxville and her sisters and mother in the hope of making her own way in life and finding a place to call home, which she was beginning to realize might never be in her future. She bit her lip and blinked back tears at the realization of what her future would most likely be.

Lucas must have sensed her upset. He circled her shoulders with his arm and pulled her closer, cradling her to him. “It’s okay. The man’s gone. I won’t let him hurt you.”

Hannah nodded her thanks and tried to smile. Lucas seemed sensitive to her needs and, at the moment, she needed the reassurance of his embrace.

Calvin pulled the golf cart to a rear door that led into Fannie’s office.

“Let me help you,” Lucas offered as he hopped out of the golf cart. Taking Hannah’s arm, he supported her as she stepped onto the path.

As much as she appreciated his concern, Hannah didn’t want to go to town. Willkommen meant traveling the road where she’d first been assaulted by the guy in flannel. She wanted to stay put at the inn. She would lock the door to her room and curl up under the hand-stitched quilt and sleep until she forgot about everything that had happened. But how far back would she have to go?

Memories assailed her of growing up and being the odd child who didn’t fit in. Her mother had told Hannah the truth about who her father was on the night she had left home. The same night her mother had accused her of being a thief. Hannah shook her head to block out the memories. She never wanted to remember the pain she’d felt. Better to be a woman on the run, trying to escape her past, than to open the door that needed to remain closed. Now and forever.

“I don’t want to go to town, Lucas. I never should have come to Willkommen. It was a mistake.”

“Hannah, you need to see a doctor. I’ll stay with you. You won’t be alone.”

She stared deep into his brown eyes. Lucas didn’t know who she was or anything about her family. What would he think if he knew the truth about her father?

She shrugged out of his hold, needing to stand on her own two feet. She didn’t need anyone’s help. If her mother had turned away from her, how could she trust anyone else?

* * *

Lucas didn’t understand Hannah’s need to be so independent. She seemed to change in a heartbeat, at first allowing him to help her and then backing away as if he was the one out to do her harm. She reminded him of someone who had been hurt, badly, and feared getting hurt again.

Lucas could relate.

Only his worst enemy was himself.

Hannah took a step forward. He reached for her elbow to steady her faltering gait. “The door leads into Fannie’s office. There’s a couch inside where you can rest and relax.”

Her pallor had him worried, along with the lack of luster in her eyes. More than the wind had been knocked out of her sails.

“There’s a small step.” He pointed to the rise and held her arm as she navigated through the doorway and into the welcoming warmth of the office.

With Lucas’s help, Hannah lowered herself onto the couch. “Thank you,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper.

Fannie followed them in and drew water into a glass in the small sink at the rear of the room. “Take sips,” she suggested as she passed the glass to Hannah.

“I’m really fine,” she assured them both before she raised the glass to her lips.

Lucas returned to the golf cart to speak privately to the mechanic. “How long before the car will be ready?”

“Give me fifteen minutes,” Calvin said. “I’ll bring the car around.”

“Thanks, Calvin. Let’s keep this trip to town between us.”

“You think someone at the inn might be involved?”

Lucas shook his head. “I’m not speculating on anything, but the fewer people who know Hannah’s whereabouts, the better.”

“Don’t worry. You can trust me.”

Lucas smiled. Calvin was a good man and an outstanding mechanic.

Returning to the office, Lucas was concerned by the worry he saw in Hannah’s gaze and the lack of color in her face.

“We’ll leave in about fifteen minutes,” he announced, looking first at Fannie and then at Hannah. She must have realized her own fragile condition because she didn’t object.

“My purse is in my room. I’ll need identification and my medical insurance card.”

“Stay where you are,” Fannie insisted. “I’ll get it.”

She stepped out of the room and soon returned with the handbag. “Hector Espinoza is waiting in the hallway, Lucas. He wants to talk to you.”

Lucas hesitated, confused by the request.

“Hector said he delivered a note to Hannah,” Fannie explained. “He heard what happened and was worried he might be in trouble.”

Hurrying into the hallway, Lucas spied Hector, hat in hand, a doleful look on his full face, and motioned him into a corner alcove that was out of sight from anyone walking along the main hallway.

“Who gave you the note?” Lucas quickly asked.

“The Amish girl who works in the store.”

“Belinda Lapp?”

“Sí. She helps her mother.”

“You saw her in the store?”

The man shook his head. “On the trail. She said you wanted the note delivered to the new guest. She described the woman. Belinda had shelves to stock, so she could not go to the inn herself. She said you told her that I would deliver the note.”

“Was anyone with Belinda?”

“No, senor.” Again Hector shook his head. “She was alone.”

“Did you read the note?”

A look of surprise washed over Hector’s full face. “I would never do that.”

“But you found the lady?”

“She was in the main entryway. She is younger than the other guests. I did not have a problem identifying her.”

“What happened after you gave her the note?”

“I returned to the barn.”

“And Belinda?”

“I did not see her again.”

“Thanks, Hector. You did the right thing in telling me. I know you were trying to help. Next time Belinda asks for a favor, talk to me first.”

“Sí, I will do that. And the lady?” His dark eyes were narrow with worry. “The lady is going to be all right?”

“I think so. Now go on back to work, but don’t let anyone talk you into anything again.”

Hector left the inn through a rear door.

Lucas glanced out a nearby window to the store visible in the distance.

Why would an Amish girl be part of an attempt to do Hannah harm? Knowing she was in good hands with Fannie, he followed Hector outside and double-timed it toward the store.

A bell rang over the door and the smell of homemade soaps and fresh-baked bread accosted Lucas at the entrance.

Joseph, the Amish teen who worked with Belinda, looked up from where he was dusting shelves.

“Where’s Belinda Lapp?” Lucas asked as he neared the counter.

“She has gone home for the day.”

Lucas didn’t understand. “The day has just started.”

“Yah, but she did not feel well.”

“And her mother?”

“She is not here, either.”

“Both of them are sick?” Lucas asked.

The boy shrugged. “Both of them are not here. I do not know anything except what Belinda has told me.”

Returning to the inn, Lucas pushed open the door and stepped into Fannie’s office.

She was sitting next to Hannah on the couch, fanning the younger woman with a newspaper.

“What happened?”

“She got light-headed and almost passed out. She needs medical care, Lucas. Calvin parked her car at the rear of my office.”

“We’ll leave now.”

He encouraged Hannah to stand and helped her outside.

Fannie opened the passenger door and wrapped a throw around Hannah’s legs. “Lucas will get the heater running soon to warm you.”

Before climbing behind the wheel, he hesitated for a moment. “Lydia Lapp didn’t come to work today,” he told Fannie. “Her daughter, Belinda, is the one who gave Hector the note to deliver to Hannah.”

“I trust Lydia, but Belinda seems more interested in young men rather than in getting her work done.”

“Have you seen her with anyone recently?”

“I saw her talking to a man this morning,” Fannie admitted. “I told her that the store was open and she needed to get to work.”

“Can you describe the guy?”

Fannie shook her head. “I was more focused on Belinda and her need to return to work.”

“I’ll talk to her when I get a chance. Hopefully she’s not involved with the attacker, but stranger things have happened.”

Fannie glanced into the car and patted Hannah’s hand. “I will pray the doctor finds you well.”

Hannah gave her a weak smile, which didn’t bolster Lucas’s spirits. He needed to get her to the doctor, but he also needed to talk to Belinda Lapp. Innocent though she seemed with her white apron and prayer kapp, the girl might know something. Lucas needed to find out what.

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