LITMIR.BIZ

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won’t be easy.” Climbing out, Noah came around to her side. He’d grown up a lot over the years. Still, no matter how much he’d changed, when she looked at him, she saw the young boy she’d once adored.

      Slightly taller now, he’d filled out from that lanky teen, but those brilliant blue eyes were much the same, as was the blond hair, though he’d cut it much shorter now. She’d thought about him a lot over the years. Wondered. Kept the pain to herself. Her mamm had been the only one who knew how broken Rachel was after Noah left.

      “Ready?” he asked when she stood beside him.

      Letting go of the past was hard. Her life had been blessed. She and Daniel had many happy years together. And a life spent lingering on regrets is a wasted life, her mamm always said.

      She nodded, the hurt too fresh to trust her voice.

      Noah stepped up on the porch with her. It took several knocks before someone rousted. Samuel Lapp opened the door a crack, holding a lantern high, concern etched across his face.

      “Mr. Lapp, I’m sorry to wake you so early. I’m Deputy Noah Warren, and you know Rachel Albrecht. We need to speak with your daughter Anna immediately.”

      Samuel’s gaze shot to Rachel. She couldn’t imagine how pitiful she must look.

      “What is this about, Deputy?” Samuel asked.

      “It’s about Eva, sir. She didn’t come home last night. Is she here?”

      Samuel’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “Nay. Eva left hours ago.” The worst possible news. Rachel struggled to hold herself together.

      “We believe your daughter may have been the last person to see her,” Noah said. “That’s why we need to speak with her.”

      Samuel gasped, his bushy white brows shooting up. “What could have happened to Eva? This is a peaceful community. There’s been no crime.”

      Noah glanced at Rachel. “We’re not sure. We’re hoping Anna can shed some light.”

      “Jah, please come inside.” Samuel held the door open, and they stepped across the threshold. His wife, Kathryn, stood beside her husband.

      “What has happened to Eva?” Kathryn asked with a fearful expression on her face. Rachel could not speak the darkest fears of her heart aloud.

      “She didn’t come home last night. We don’t know where she is,” Noah answered for her.

      “Go quickly,” Samuel said, facing his wife. “Wake Anna.”

      With a worried glance at Rachel, Kathryn hurried away. In the awkward silence that followed, Rachel’s concern for Eva’s safety continued to grow.

      Noises above were followed by voices. Anna came swiftly down the stairs with Kathryn at her heels.

      “Anna, Eva did not come home last night. What time did she leave here?” Samuel asked his daughter.

      Anna’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure. She wanted to be home by ten, and it’s a good walk to her house. She left in plenty of time, though. I cannot believe she didn’t make it home.”

      “Did she mention if anything was bothering her lately?” Noah asked. “Was she having a problem with anyone? A boy, perhaps?”

      Anna’s troubled gaze shot to Rachel. “She was happy. She talked to a lot of different people at the singing, but there was no special boy. She was so excited about taking over the teaching position soon. We had fun at the singing. When it ended, we came home. I made cocoa, and we talked for a while.” Anna smiled at the memory. “Eva spoke of the lessons she and Hannah planned for the kinner the next day and asked if I wanted to stop by sometime and sit in on the class. Eva knows I want to become a teacher, too, and thought it might be helpful. Once she takes over the position, she plans to speak to the community elders about letting me apprentice.” Tears shone in Anna’s eyes. “Eva was happy and excited about her work. There was nothing wrong.”

      “Did anyone pay special attention to her at the social?” While Rachel understood Noah had to ask the question, she couldn’t envision anyone from the community wishing Eva harm.

      “No, no one.”

      Noah barely hid his disappointment. “We appreciate your help, Anna. I’m sorry to wake you and your family so early. If you remember anything else, please let me know.”

      He started to leave, but Anna grasped his arm. “You have to find her, Deputy. Please, she’s my best friend.” Kathryn placed her arms around her weeping daughter’s waist and drew her close.

      “We’re going to do our best to bring her home safely,” Noah assured her.

      Samuel stepped out on the porch with them. “If we can help in any way, please let us know. Eva is like one of our own,” he told Rachel.

      “Denki, Samuel,” Rachel managed through tears. She turned away, trying to hold on for Eva’s sake.

      “Do you think it’s possible you or Anna wouldn’t know if Eva was seeing someone?” Noah asked when they were inside the SUV again.

      Rachel couldn’t imagine Eva keeping something like that secret. “It’s not possible. Eva and I are close. She tells me everything that is happening in her life. She would not keep something like that to herself.”

      The doubt she saw in him hurt. “It wouldn’t be the first time something like this happened. Teenagers keep secrets. It’s part of the age.”

      “Perhaps in the Englisch world, but not here amongst the Amish. Eva would not lie to me.”

      Without answering, Noah reversed the SUV, spun around and headed down the long drive. Hitting the radio on his shoulder, he spoke to the dispatcher again. “Show us leaving the Lapps’ place, Janine. We’re heading your way.”

      “Will do. See you soon.”

      Once he reached the end of the drive, he stopped. “You said you think someone was following you. Did anything else happen before the incident the other day? What about with Eva? Did she mention anything strange going on?”

      “No, nothing. And Eva never said a word about anything out of the ordinary happening.”

      He pulled onto Spruce once more and headed toward Eagle’s Nest. “By the way, where is Beth?”

      Rachel leaned against the headrest as exhaustion settled in her limbs. “Mamm left last week to visit her sister and parents in Colorado. Aenti Deborah has not been feeling well for a while. Mamm wanted to spend some time with her to help nurse her to good health.”

      Noah smiled over at her, gentleness in his eyes. “I was sorry to hear about your father. He was a good man.”

      She ducked her head. “Jah, he was.” Even though four years had passed since her daed died, at times, she still couldn’t believe he was gone.

      Her mamm had become worried about him when he didn’t show up for the evening meal. She’d asked Rachel’s husband to check on him, and Daniel had found Daed passed out in the field he’d been working. He’d suffered a heart attack. Her daed never recovered.

      Shaking off those sad memories, she tried to focus on Noah’s earlier question. Other than the incident with the car, she had no proof anyone was watching her, only a feeling.

      A frown creased Noah’s handsome face. He watched something in the rearview mirror.

      She glanced behind them. Headlights. “Is something wrong?”

      “I’m not sure. That car came out of nowhere the moment we left the Lapps’ drive. I think they were waiting for us.”

      Fear gathered her in its embrace. Someone was following them.

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