Vow of Silence Page 8

  He turned to head down the last row and stopped. In the aisle sat a single bale of hay out of place beneath the window overlooking Hannah’s house. “Sonofabitch…” he growled under his breath.

  From where he stood, Joe had a clear view of Cassie and Hannah’s bedroom. Anger flooded his veins on a current of adrenaline. Hannah was all alone out here, and some twisted fuck was watching her—or had it been Cassie? Was it Saul, or was someone else sneaking into the barn with the “sticky latch?” Had Joe just found a new piece to this puzzle or did it belong to a different one? So many questions and no goddamn answers.

  Snarling another curse, Joe kicked the bale aside and something hit the floor. Lowering the lantern, he knelt to get a better look. A pair of binoculars lay on the hay-covered floor, and mixed amongst the debris were…sunflower seed shells?

  Joe climbed down from the loft and marched out the barn door, throwing it open as he stormed across the yard to his car. He grabbed a pair of latex gloves and two evidence bags from the center console, then headed back to the barn. As he crossed the yard, Hannah rushed out onto the porch.

  “Josiah? What’s goin’ on?” she called over the gusting rain. The wind caught her kapp and blew it back, the ties stretching tight around her neck. She grabbed it, battling the ties threatening to choke her. At the sight of her struggle, autopsy photos flashed through his mind—thick ecchymotic marks banding around the girl’s necks…

  “Go back inside, Hannah!”

  She flinched at the sharpness of his voice barked over the storm that mirrored the one raging inside of him. She turned and fled back into the house, the door clattering shut behind her. Joe proceeded to the barn, his thoughts racing. Was Saul Heinz the Barber? He was the last person to see Cassie alive. Could it be that easy, or was someone else sneaking up here? Who else could be coming and going from the property without raising notice? Joe had a lot of questions and no answers, but at least now he had a starting point in this investigation.

  Until he caught whoever was hiding in this barn, he wasn’t leaving Hannah unprotected. He didn’t care if he had to stay up there every goddamn night. Now that was a thought… Maybe he didn’t need to find the Barber, maybe the Barber would come to him.

  Joe wondered how Hannah was going to take the news that he was moving into her barn. Probably not very well. He tucked the evidence bag beneath his arm and pulled on the gloves before squatting down and carefully picking the shells from the hay and placing them into one of the bags. With any luck DNA could be extracted from the saliva on these shells, so even if there weren’t any prints on the binoculars, he’d have another shot at discovering who had been up there. He peeled the self-adhesive strip away from the edge of the bag. His gaze darted up when a light flickered on inside Hannah’s bedroom. Joe’s heart stuttered inside his chest as he watched her enter her room and untie the strings of her kapp. Setting the bonnet aside, her hands went into her hair and a moment later, a bundle of pale blonde silk came tumbling over her shoulders.

  He was momentarily mesmerized, standing there watching her dry her hair. The hammering of his heart sent his blood rushing south. His body responding to the sight of her, yanked him out of his reverie. With a snarled curse, he tore his gaze away. Holy hell, he was no better than the lecherous bastard he was trying to catch, getting hard as he watched the woman he’d somehow convinced himself he could live without. But being here with her, seeing her… Joe wondered how in the hell he’d ever find the strength to walk away from her again.

  …

  Hannah’s veins hummed with nervous energy as she dried her hair. Josiah had been out there a long time—too long. She’d never seen him so angry. There was a darkness in him he seemed to wear on his sleeve as a constant companion. In all the years she’d known him, he’d never been this…haunted.

  Was that what the outside world did to the soul? Corrupted it? Eroding all goodness and light?

  It should scare her, make her want to stay far away from Josiah Troyer and his demons. She had enough of her own to battle. She’d been burned once and the scars she bore would never fully fade. There was no doubt that if she let him get too close it would happen again.

  For years she’d grappled with her unforgiveness, hating him for leaving her. Holding on to her anger had been self-preservation, but it’d come at a high cost, poisoning her soul and corrupting her faith. Closing her eyes, she took a slow, deep breath and exhaled some of the tension knotted in her chest.

  I can do this…

  Josiah needed her help investigating Cassie’s death, and nothing was more important than catching her sister’s killer.

  She’d just finished twisting her hair into a bun and was securing it with bobby pins when the front door opened and then rattled closed. She rushed downstairs and rounded the corner when she realized she’d forgotten her kapp. Josiah stood in the entryway, soaked to the bone, dripping water all over the rug. His clothes clung to him like a second skin, outlining every hard-muscled peak and plane of his body. A rush of feminine awareness fluttered low in her stomach and she diverted her gaze, quelling the unwelcomed response.

  “Hannah…”

  His deep voice bore that familiar, husky timbre that had always been like a caress, making her flesh tingle with goose bumps. Now it made her chest ache with regret for what could have been and burn with resentment for what he’d denied them—a life together.

  When she glanced up and met his gaze, it was no longer brooding anger staring back at her, but something far more unsettling…

  “Hannah, we need to talk.” She nodded, her throat too dry to squeak out a response. What she wasn’t expecting was for Josiah to follow that up with, “Someone’s been watching the house.”

  “What?” A chill swept over her, unease settling in the pit of her stomach.

  “When was the last time you were in the hayloft?”

  “A few days ago. Why?”

  “Were you over by the window? Did you notice any bales out of place?”

  “I…I don’t remember. Nothin’ caught my attention.”

  “There’s a bale beneath the window now. And behind it I found a pair of binoculars.”

  Her chest tightened, fear slowly clawing its way up her throat as her mind began to swirl with disbelief.

  “Hannah, how well do you know Saul Heinz?”

  …

  He was almost home before he realized he’d left something important behind—his binoculars. Anger seethed inside him at the untimely interruption that forced him from Hannah’s loft window. He’d erred in allowing himself to believe he’d be safe tonight, hidden away while the storm raged outside.

  Several days had passed since he’d snuck into the loft to watch her. What had started as reconnaissance of Cassie Beiler had turned into a different obsession, not that he would let one affect the other. Each day he stayed away, the need to see her grew stronger until not even the threat of a tornado could keep him away—or the risk of getting caught.

  He found her ritualistic behaviors oddly soothing, her purity refreshing, such a stark contradiction to her rebellious sinful sister. Watching her had become cathartic for him, calming the chaos in his head.

  Detective Troyer wasn’t the only one who’d fallen for the beauty, there were others sniffing around the farm under the guise of “helping” her. But she was a strong-willed woman, determined to make it on her own. Didn’t she realize he could never allow that to happen? She needed him. They belonged together. In time, she would see that. And until then, he would continue to cut loose the anchors in her life.

  Peeling off his wet clothes, he stepped into the hot shower. His balls ached with the need of release. Just the sight of her…gazing at that beautiful face through the binoculars was all he needed to come. And he’d been so close. Snarling in frustration, he fisted his cock in a punishing grip, angling the head into the jetting spray. As he stroked his shaft, he closed his eyes, picturing her beautiful face framed by all that glorious hair. He focused his tho
ughts on the sweet melodic sound of her voice and the lavender scent of her skin that he’d inhaled deeply when he’d offered his condolences at her sister’s gravesite last month.

  Seconds later, he was sending his release into the water. But the calming aftermath he always reveled in didn’t come, leaving him bereft. She wasn’t here for him to watch for hours as she slept. Hannah always kept a nightlight on. Was she afraid of the dark? Afraid of the monsters under her bed or in her closet? Perhaps she should be more concerned about the one who visited her barn…

  Shutting off the water, he stepped out of the shower and toweled off before entering the living room and prostrating himself on his masterpiece. Closing his eyes, he slowly moved his arms and legs in the manner he’d done as a small child, making angels in the snow. These were his doves…and no one would ever take them from him.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Ya want to do what? Absolutely not…” Hannah shook her head, a flutter of panic taking root in her chest. Perhaps she should be more alarmed by the news that someone had been in her barn, but she couldn’t seem to force her mind past Josiah’s solution to the problem. “Josiah, ya can’t stay here. Ye’re shunned. It’s not proper. If anyone found out—”

  “I’m more concerned about keeping you safe,” he interrupted.

  Hannah recognized that determined tone. He wasn’t going to be swayed.

  “You won’t even notice that I’m here.” Was he daft? Josiah was all she’d been able to think about since she’d walked into his room at the inn this afternoon.

  “It’ll only be at night, and I’ll stay in the barn. You won’t even see me coming or going.”

  She shook her head. This can’t be happening…

  “Hannah, I’m just getting started on this investigation. I’m drowning in possibilities and nothing about this case is sitting right with me. You said it yourself, you were supposed to be at the Heinz farm the night Cassie was taken. I’m going to have the binoculars I found in the barn checked for prints. Maybe I’ll get lucky and it’ll turn into a lead, but even if this is unrelated to the case, it still doesn’t change the fact that someone is watching you.”

  “Ya don’t know it was me. It could’ve been Cassie.”

  “Yes,” he conceded. “Maybe. But that’s not a chance I’m willing to take.”

  She was fighting a losing battle. If she’d thought Josiah was stubborn before, that was nothing compared to this hardened, big city police detective standing in her entryway dripping water all over the rug. “All right…but I don’t want anyone knowin’ ye’re here, especially Eli.”

  He nodded his consent. “Fair enough. I’ll come after dark and be gone before light.”

  “And yer car?”

  “I’ll park it in the field. No one will see it.”

  “There really is no arguin’ with ya, is there?”

  A hint of a smile tipped the corner of his mouth. “You know there’s not.”

  “Some things never change, I guess.”

  “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  …

  By the time six a.m. rolled around, Joe was on his fourth cup of coffee. He’d been at the police station since five. After submitting the binoculars and seed shells as potential evidence in the Barber case, he dove into the victims’ files, trying to connect dots that just weren’t lining up. With any luck something would match in the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Not that he was holding out a lot of hope. Serials weren’t stupid, nor were they careless. It was unlikely the Barber’s prints would be on file, but it was a lead he needed to follow up on. Even if it didn’t flag in the IAFIS, he’d have something to match against suspects.

  Although he was waiting for the official profile from Quantico, Joe had spent the night poring over reports. He’d compiled a list of commonalities, but what he lacked was any thread or connection between the girls. Did they know each other? Was there a link he was missing or were these killings random?

  Armed with more questions than answers, Joe left the station and headed to the Heinz farm. The sun was just coming up by the time he pulled into the driveway. As he cut the engine, the front door swung open and Saul stepped onto the porch.

  “Awfully early for a house call, ain’t it, Detective?”

  “Well, you know what they say,” Joe got out and opened the rear passenger door for Dex to get out. “No rest for the wicked.”

  “Sounds about right…”

  Joe approached the old farm house and flashed his badge as he stepped onto the porch, just to be clear this wasn’t a social call. “If you don’t mind, I have a few questions for you?”

  Saul cast a glance at the door behind him, then turned his attention back around. “Thought we already did that yesterday.”

  “Yeah, well, I have more questions and I’m pretty sure you’ve got the answers.”

  Saul’s brow arched—in surprise or amusement, Joe couldn’t tell. The guy wore one hell of a game face. “That so? Well, then by all means, Detective, come in. Far be it for me to stand in the way of justice.”

  It wasn’t exactly what the guy said, it was how he said it that grated on Joe’s nerves. “I don’t remember Amish men being such smartasses,” he grumbled.

  “Ye’ve been gone a long time, Detective.” Saul stepped through the door and held it open for Joe to enter. “Yer dog can wait out here.”

  “Dex, stay.” His partner shot him an affronted look at being left behind, then circled a spot on the porch a few times before making himself comfortable. “For someone fairly new to the area, you certainly seem to know a lot about my history,” Joe commented, stepping past Heinz.

  “Like I told ya last night, people talk and word travels fast. A shunned man is about as popular ‘round here as a leper. I’ll be the first to tell ya, I’m not excited to see ya visitin’ Hannah. She’s my friend, and she’s been through a lot. The last thing she needs is ya damagin’ her reputation and makin’ things more difficult fer her. I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  “By you, Detective…” He dropped the slang and accented the word sharply.

  Just how close were Hannah and this guy? Had she confided in him about her and Joe’s history?

  “Ask yer questions, Detective, and be on yer way. I got chores that need tendin’ to.”

  Joe studied him a moment, letting the silence hang between them. Sometimes more was said with body language than words. Stretching into a lazy sprawl, Saul crossed his arms over his chest, then met and held Joe’s stare, waiting for him to speak. Zero fear sparked in the man’s eyes, no flicker of anxiety or guilt. Was it genuine, or was Saul just really that good at fronting?

  As the silence stretched, Heinz exhaled an impatient sigh. “If ya want to know if I’m interested in Hannah, then just ask me. If ye’ve come here to question me about Cassie, then I can’t tell you anythin’ more than I’ve already told the police.”

  “Are you interested in Hannah?”

  “Of course, I am. Who wouldn’t be? But I’m not stalkin’ her.”

  “I didn’t say anything about stalking her.”

  “But someone is. Though, ye’ve already figured that out, then, haven’t ya, Detective?”

  “I’m more interested in discovering how you know that, Mr. Heinz.”

  He studied Joe a moment, seeming to decide whether he trusted Joe enough to confide in him. “I think someone might’ve been in the barn when I got there last night.”

  And he was just telling Joe this now? Convenient… “Why is that?”

  “The door wasn’t latched properly when I arrived. I thought maybe Hannah forgot to close it, but then I heard somethin’ when I was milkin’ the cow. I didn’t pay any mind to it. I thought it was the other animals getting antsy, but maybe it wasn’t.”

  “You have any idea who might have an interest in watching Hannah? Besides you?”

  He shot Joe a glare who barely resisted the sm
ug grin tugging the corners of his mouth. He was getting under the guy’s skin, which was exactly where he wanted to be. Maybe if Joe rattled his cage a bit, then Heinz would make a mistake.

  “Perhaps her dead husband’s brother?”

  “Abel?”

  “Yep. He’s ‘round there a lot, asked her to marry him, even. He’s always tellin’ Hannah she can’t keep doing this alone and fillin’ her head with ideas about needin’ a man ‘round to run things. But she’s doing a fine job if ya ask me. That’s why I help her out as much as I can.”

  That wasn’t the only reason he was helping Hannah. Hearing Saul talk, one would think he was a regular Boy Scout, but Joe knew bullshit when it was shoveled at him, and Saul Heinz wasn’t as altruistic as he made himself out to be.

  “Tell me about the night Cassie disappeared,” Joe prodded, switching tracks on him. Not a flicker of unease crossed his placid expression. Hmm… The guy should play poker, but then Amish didn’t gamble. Well, not at cards anyway, but Saul was definitely hedging his bets now.

  “There’s nothing to tell. Hannah usually brings me baked goods every Friday—preserves, pies, stuff like that. In exchange, I help her out with the animals on the days she works. Cassie came by instead of Hannah that night. She dropped them off, said something about being in a hurry to go meet some friends, and then left. That’s it.”

  “She tell you who she was meeting? Mention any names?”

  “No, and I didn’t ask. None of my business.”

  “You didn’t see her with anyone?” he pressed.

  “She was alone. If that’s all, I really need to be getting’ out to the barn. The animals are hungry.”

  Saul stood and Joe followed him to the door. He generally considered himself a pretty good judge of character, but with Heinz, he could not get a read on him. He couldn’t decipher if his general dislike for the man was his cop instinct kicking in, or if Saul’s admitted interest in Hannah was clouding Joe’s judgment.