Where Shadows Meet by Colleen Coble (17)

Quilting calmed her. Occupied by a needle and thread, Hannah’s hands had finally quit shaking after Reece’s appearance. She studied the block in her hands. The quilt was taking shape. She tied the Triangle Quilt to the three things the Amish held dear: God, their families, and their communities.

Hannah loved the colors. Each set of two rows featured the dark and light opposites of each other—dark blue and light blue, dark green and light green, dark red and light red—all against black triangles that caused the colors to pop. This was the quilt that had to be on the cover of the book. No one could understand the Amish faith without understanding how those three elements shaped their culture.

“I heard from FOX & Friends,” Angie said. “They were so impressed with their interview, they want to come here for a show. Tape you in the kitchen with some traditional Amish food, film the house and greenhouse, that kind of thing.”

Hannah laid the quilt piece in her lap. “No. I told you no publicity while we’re here.”

Angie rolled her eyes. “Hannah, you have to do this! Do you have any idea how huge this is? We can’t turn this down.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I already told them yes. They’re coming next Friday. Your aunt will let you come out there. And it would be good publicity for your cousin’s greenhouse.”

“Luca doesn’t want publicity. No one here does. Don’t you get it, Angie? We are content with what God gives us.” Or she used to be. When had the desire for more crept in? When the first awestruck reader e-mailed her? When she made her first TV appearance?

“You owe it to your publisher. You can’t turn down something like this. It could translate into tens of thousands of copies sold, Hannah. This is just too big. After this is over, if you want to step back and take a break, I’ll go along with it. But we can’t turn up our noses at this.”

Maybe Angie was right. Didn’t she owe it to her publisher to do everything she could to sell the books? But she wanted to be sensitive to her family’s beliefs. How could she walk that tightrope? It was hard enough being an outsider. After just a few days of this treatment, she could see why some came back to the Amish faith. She missed the love, the community.

“All right,” she said. “But tell them they can’t tape Aunt Nora or any other Amish person.”

“If you explained it to Sarah, maybe she would let us tape the children. They’re so cute.”

“No, absolutely not! I won’t even ask her.” Hannah shuddered at the thought.

“Okay, fine.” Angie’s voice held disgust as she stood. “I’m going to run downtown. I need to email your publicity shot.”

“Could you drop me at Aunt Nora’s? I really need to talk to her about this whole mess, see what she knows.” Hannah rubbed her head. “Oh wait, it’s Monday. She always goes to visit her friends on Monday.”

“You need to work anyway.”

“I need some inspiration. There’s a quilt fair going on at the dime store two blocks over. I think I’ll take a look.”

Angie frowned. “I’m not sure it’s safe.”

“I’ll be in a crowd. Call me when you’re ready to come back and I’ll meet you at the curb.” The cats entwined themselves around her ankles, but she booted them out of the way, then grabbed her purse and joined Angie at the door, locking it behind them.

Angie let her out in front of the dime store, then drove on. Hannah stopped to glance at the quilts in the window. The traditional solid jewel tones shimmered against the black background. Looking at them made her want to keep working on her own, just as she’d hoped.

She slipped into the busy store and made her way to the back, where other women were admiring the quilt display. Some were only for display, but she stopped beside a stack of quilts for sale. Her hand smoothed the top one, its cotton fabric soft and lustrous. She lifted it aside and began to sort through them. It was a habit she couldn’t stop. The hope of finding one of her mother’s never left her.

After reverently looking through the stacks, she realized there was nothing of her mother’s here. Someone had those quilts. Their disappearance was the one piece that didn’t fit in the puzzle she’d stitched together convicting Reece of the crime. If he’d killed her family, what had he done with the quilts? If he’d sold them, they would have turned up on the market somewhere. She’d been everywhere, looked online and at flea markets, studied other museums’ collections. Not one had ever come to light.

Her obsession with finding them had infuriated Reece. Had he kept them from her deliberately to exert control over her?

She made her way back into the fresh air. Surely he wouldn’t have destroyed something so valuable, but she had no other explanation. She was so lost in her thoughts, she nearly collided with a figure on the sidewalk. Strong hands gripped her shoulders and steadied her. She looked up into Matt’s face.

“Sorry,” he said.

“It was my fault. I wasn’t looking.”

“I wanted to talk to you anyway.”

“Something about the little girl?” The hopeful words sprang from her mouth.

His smile faded. “No, nothing about her. I just wondered if you needed anything. And to say I’m sorry Vanessa bothered you.”

He turned and began to walk toward his SUV. “Get in. I’ll drive you home.”

Such an infuriating man. Just because he thought her quest was a wild-goose chase didn’t mean he could ignore her. Maybe she needed to start through town herself and ask everyone she met. She pressed her lips together and got into the vehicle. He shut the door behind her and went around to his side. She called Angie to tell her she had a ride.

She put her cell phone away, then glanced around his SUV. It was neat and smelled clean with a hint of his cologne. The vehicle shifted when he got in. She’d like to ask him about his family. Vanessa’s visit had made her curious about him. Would he answer any of her questions? If she got to know him better, maybe he’d help her find the little girl.

He glanced at her. “I hope Vanessa’s visit didn’t upset you too much. She can be rather . . . overbearing.”

“She was larger-than-life,” Hannah admitted. “You were married to her sister?”

He nodded. “Analise died three years ago.”

“Vanessa told me she’d died. I’m so sorry.”

“So was I. Our daughter misses her terribly. Analise was a great mom. And a good wife.”

“What happened?”

“She had a brain aneurysm. She was prone to migraines, so at first that’s what we thought it was. If I’d taken her sooner . . .” His fingers tightened on the wheel. “Now Caitlin has no mother.”

“Guilt is hard to get over. I know all about that.” She stared out the window.

He turned his head to look at her. “Are you talking about the lemonade? There was no poison in it.”

She stared out the window. “I killed my family.”

“The cookies killed them. It wasn’t your fault.”

“It was my sin God punished.” She turned her head to look at him. “You don’t think Cyrus killed them, do you?”

“No, not anymore.”

“I—I think it was Reece. Except . . .”

“Except for what?”

“What did he do with the quilts?”

“Sold them, maybe?”

She shook her head. “They would have turned up on the market. There’s no trace of them.”

“Tell me, what about the murder itself? Would Reece have had time to arrange the bodies after you left, gather up the cookies, and help Cyrus get rid of the quilts before he came to meet you? How late was he?”

“Probably fifteen or twenty minutes, maybe even half an hour. I didn’t have a watch. The bridge was only five minutes from the house. If he’d been waiting for me to leave, it could have happened that way. When I left the house, I went to the barn to do chores before going to meet him. I was out of the house at least an hour before I went to the bridge.”

The SUV rolled to a stop at a light. Hannah couldn’t face any more questions. “Look, thanks for the offer to drive me home, but I’ve got some errands to run.” She threw open the door and got out. In the sunshine, the fresh air cleansed the taint of death lingering from his probing. Why had she ever come back here? Her new life might have been boring, but at least grief didn’t dog every step. She had to get past this, concentrate on the future. A future that might hold a reunion with her child.

He rolled down the window and called out to her. “Wait, I’ll take you where you want to go.”

“I’d rather walk. It’s not far.” She didn’t look at him but plunged down the street, dodging the water puddles on the sidewalk. If she cut through some yards, she’d have to walk only a few blocks to the house. Alone time was a treat she craved, time to remember.

A dog barked as she walked through a muddy backyard, and she skirted a freshly seeded lawn to find her way to the sidewalk that fronted businesses along the highway. The sun warmed her face and arms, and she fanned her face with her hand. It would be a hot summer if the spring was any indication. The humidity from all the rain coated her skin.

She glanced at the ice-cream shop, Tammy Twist and Sizzle. Children would be apt to frequent a place like that. She changed her course and entered the store. People of all ages thronged the counter. With so many, her chances of someone recognizing the picture were greater. She fell into line behind a large woman in a pair of red capris.

The lady glanced her way, and Hannah pasted on her most winsome smile. “Excuse me, but I wondered if you’ve seen this little girl.” She produced the picture and watched the woman’s expression.

The woman raised her brows and looked Hannah over as if to check whether she might be dangerous. “Why do you want to know?”

“I—I’m looking for my daughter.” The words sounded sweet on her tongue.

“Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry.” The woman took the picture and studied it. Her eyes held real regret when she handed it back and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m not from around here, though. You might try the counter people.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that.” In the meantime, Hannah drifted from person to person and showed the picture, but no one seemed to have seen her. Finally she reached the counter, where she ordered a cup of chocolate-almond ice cream. There was a lull in the line of customers, so she asked the employee, a young girl with a nose ring, if she recognized the child.

The girl glanced at the photo as she was ringing up Hannah’s order. “I don’t know, maybe. I see a lot of kids.” She stared at Hannah with suspicion pulling at her mouth.

“Do you know her name?”

“Look, I’m not a detective agency. I can’t tell you anything.”

“Sorry.” Hannah took her dessert and walked away from the counter. She meandered across the street and cut around a couple of blocks to Sycamore Drive. As she neared the house, she saw a long box by the front door. As she came closer, she saw it was addressed with black marker. The letters were large enough that she could make out her name on the box from a distance. Postage stamps decorated the top right corner.

She reached the door and stood looking down at the box. Her cell phone was in her hand before she realized it. Matt would want to check out this parcel before she opened it. She dialed the number and kept her gaze locked on the box. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Five minutes later, Matt’s SUV came squealing to a stop by the house.

Blake got out first, then both men jogged to the house. “You think we need to call in a bomb squad?” Blake asked.

“Let me take a look first,” Matt said. He pulled out some wipes and carefully went over the box before looking at them. “Seems clean. Is Ajax inside?”

She nodded. “I left him here with the cats when I went to town.”

Matt unlocked the door and let the dog out. He led Ajax to the box. The dog sniffed around the box, then sat on his haunches and looked at Matt with an expectant expression.

“I think I’ll risk it,” Matt said. “Stand back.”

Blake and Hannah moved out by the street. Matt took out a pocketknife, slit the brown paper wrapping, and lifted it away from the box. About eight by twenty inches, the box didn’t look big enough to contain a bomb. She watched him slide the blade under the tape until the flaps lay loose and ready to reveal the contents.

He gently lifted first one flap, then the next, and peered inside. He jumped back. “Flowers,” he said. “Don’t get close enough to smell them.” He glanced at the dog. “I’d better get Ajax checked out. I’ll have the state forensics lab take a look and see if they can lift any prints.”

“I’ll take it to the jail,” Blake said. He jogged back to the SUV and got out a big plastic bag, then slipped on a mask. He slid the box of flowers into the bag and tied the end. “I’ll be right back.”

Matt put his hands in his pockets. “I’d lay money the flowers are loaded with strychnine. Maybe the killer was counting on you not knowing what killed Moe.”

Hannah took a step back and rubbed her palms along the material of her skirt. The attempt on her life left a bad taste in her mouth. “Maybe the killer knew I’d know. Maybe it was a warning he was coming after me.”

“Maybe. And now we know he knows where you are as well.”

“Reece saw me at the door when Vanessa came by.”

“And you’re just now telling me?”

“Sorry. I was more concerned with finding the little girl.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’ve got my number. I need to be aware of everything. I’ve got a murder on my plate to try to solve. Every clue is vital.”

“Four murders,” she reminded him.

“Okay, four.”

Maybe she should just pack up and head back to Milwaukee. Her arrival seemed to have brought more trouble to the people she loved.

“I showed the picture to some people at the ice-cream shop. I think the girl behind the counter recognized her, but she wouldn’t say anything. I’m going to start hanging out there.”

His lips flattened, and his nostrils flared. His words came out clipped and hoarse. “Just leave it alone. Do you want to hurt her?”

Hannah stared at his face. Was that anguish in his eyes? “You know where she is, don’t you?” The air thickened around her, close and still as she waited for his answer.

“Just forget it, Hannah.” He turned his back to her and went to unlock the house.

But she knew why he wouldn’t look. Her daughter was with someone he knew. But who? She rubbed her forehead. Oh, she was jumping to conclusions. If he knew, he’d tell her. What did he have to gain from hiding anything? She was so used to Reece’s games, she questioned everyone’s motives.