Chapter
Fourteen
Reuben followed me as I ran upstairs to Cicely’s room. A quick look revealed her schoolbag lying on the floor near her bed. I hadn’t noticed it when I’d checked on her early that morning. Panic gripped my heart. Where was she? Had my sister’s killer been here?
“We need to call the police,” I said to Reuben, trying to catch my breath.
He grabbed my shoulder to stop me from running out of the room. “Before you do that, you need to know that Jeremiah Ostrander didn’t show up either. Maybe we should check with his parents before we bring the police in on this.”
“I don’t understand. What does that have to do with anything?”
He let go of me. “Cicely and Jeremiah have developed a pretty close friendship. You know Jeremiah. He never misses school. Doesn’t it sound like more than a coincidence that they’re both gone today?”
I frowned at him. “Yes, as a matter of fact, it does.” Suddenly Cicely’s question about dating made sense. Obviously, she didn’t understand that Conservative Mennonite boys don’t just “date.” Besides, Jeremiah was four years older than she. What was she thinking? I was certain the attraction was one way, and Jeremiah would be horrified to think Cicely had a crush on him. He was probably just trying to be friends with her for my sake.
I thought about calling Paul and asking him to come back to Sanctuary, but perhaps Reuben was right. A battle ensued in my mind between believing this situation had nothing to do with the call from Doug and the fear he’d instilled in me.
“Jeremiah’s parents don’t have a phone,” Reuben said, “but I believe I saw his father going into the hardware store on my way over here.”
I made a quick decision to talk to William before taking any drastic or unnecessary steps that could cause problems down the road. I grabbed my coat out of the closet, and Reuben and I hurried down the front steps and down the street to Ingalls Hardware. As the store came into view, I saw William Ostrander walking to his buggy.
Reuben called out to him, and William stopped. He looked a little alarmed to see us both jogging toward him.
“William,” Reuben said when he reached him, “is Jeremiah ill today?”
William shook his head. “No, the boy is fine. Why would you ask?” The frown on his face deepened.
“He wasn’t in school this morning,” Reuben said. “And neither was Sarah’s niece. Jeremiah and Cicely have become friends. It’s odd that they’re both missing. Could they have taken off together?”
“Cicely and I exchanged harsh words yesterday,” I said. “Maybe she decided not to go to school today because she was still upset. But would Jeremiah leave with her?”
“It is not like Jeremiah to do something so foolish.” William’s Dutch ancestry was evident in his accent. He was tall and lean like his son, but that’s where the similarities ended. Jeremiah’s gentle countenance was in sharp contrast to William’s grim demeanor. Although he’d always been polite to me, I’d felt something else brewing below the surface. A kind of quiet resentment. His next comment proved me right. “You need to learn to control your niece, Sarah Miller. She is not the kind of person I want my son to spend time with. She is worldly and vain.”
My fear for Cicely’s safety turned to resentment. “You realize she just lost her mother? She’s hurting and needs help, William. Not judgment. You have no right to talk about her like that.”
“I have no right?” he said loudly. “My boy never deceived us before he met your niece.”
“Stop it, William,” Reuben said sharply. “This isn’t the time for blame. We just need to find them.”
I trembled with rage at William’s attack against Cicely, but Reuben was right. Our attention should be focused on finding Jeremiah and Cicely.
“Where would they go?” I asked. “Cicely hasn’t been anywhere except my house and the school.”
William turned pale. “The mine,” he said, looking at Reuben.
“But we tell the children to stay away from there,” I insisted. “I can’t believe Jeremiah would take Cicely somewhere so dangerous.”
Missouri was rife with abandoned lead and coal mines. At one time the state was a top producer of lead in the United States, but now many of the once profitable mines were closed. There was an old deserted mine just outside of Sanctuary, but most of our residents stayed away from it because it was so unstable. Not only was the ceiling ready to collapse, there was an open shaft inside that was almost a thousand feet deep. Although Reuben had contacted the state many times, so far Missouri’s reclamation project hadn’t reached this area. Unfortunately, some of the town’s teenagers liked to sneak over there from time to time.
“I heard the children talking about the mine the other day,” Reuben said, his face pale. “But I had no idea any of them planned to go there.”
William shook his head. “Jeremiah has been told to stay away, but his brother used to take him there without our permission.”
Jeremiah’s older brother, Joshua, had rejected his parents’ conservative teachings and left Sanctuary almost two years earlier. I’d liked Joshua. He was a young man with his own mind who wasn’t interested in the kind of life William planned for him. On the other hand, Jeremiah seemed committed to his church and to his parents. This was the first time I’d ever known him to be rebellious.
“I think we need to drive over there,” Reuben said. “Then if we can’t find them, we’ll contact the police.”
“The police?” William said. He glared at me. “This is what happens when you bring the world into our lives.”
I struggled to hold my temper. Right now, all I cared about was finding my niece. If we didn’t find Cicely and Jeremiah at the mine, I’d call Paul and ask for his help.
Reuben ran over to the library to ask Martha to watch the children, and then we all got into his truck. William sat in the truck’s small backseat, while I sat in the front. No one said a word as we drove out of town. When we reached the road that led to the mine, Reuben instructed us to find something to hang on to. The road was strewn with rocks and vegetation that had grown after the mine closed. It was bumpy at best, and a couple of times we were jolted so hard I prayed I hadn’t pulled a muscle. When the mine finally came into view, I searched for a sign that Jeremiah and Cicely were there, but there was nothing to indicate the children were anywhere around.
“This is only the front of the mine,” Reuben replied. “There’s a lot more to it.” He slowed down and parked. “I don’t dare drive any closer. It’s not safe.”
The three of us climbed out of the truck. The entrance to the mine was carved into a hill. It had been repeatedly boarded up, but between young people from town and tourists who thought the mines were interesting, the boards frequently had to be replaced.
“Let’s look around outside first,” Reuben said. “If we can’t find them, I’ll go inside.”
“No,” William said emphatically. “You do not have a child at risk. If anyone enters the mine, it will be me.”
Although Reuben didn’t say anything, I was fairly certain his offer was made because he was younger and in better shape physically than William. It would be easier for him to stay safe inside the mine than it would be for the older man.
We each took a different area around the old shaft. Reuben went south and William went north. I searched the hill over the shaft, going away from the entrance. I was about to give up when I noticed something lying in the snow. I picked up a blue hair clip just like the one Cora had given Cicely. Feeling a twinge of hope, I scanned the area, but I didn’t see her. I ran back toward the front of the mine, calling out Reuben’s name. He and William met me a few feet from the entrance.
“This is Cicely’s,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “If they’re not here now, they were at some point.”
“William and I looked everywhere and couldn’t find them,” Reuben said. “If they haven’t left, they’re inside.”
“There were footprints in the snow where I found the hair clip,” I said. “What about out here?”
We hurried over to the mine entrance. Sure enough, there were two sets of footprints going toward the entrance, but nothing coming out.
“I will go in and bring them out,” William said.
“William, you need to let me go,” Reuben said firmly. “I’m younger and stronger. The mine is dangerous. I know you feel responsible for your boy, but I’m the best candidate. The children are our most important priority. If you fall or get injured, it won’t help them. I’m asking you to think with your head, not your pride.”
It was evident that William struggled with Reuben’s reasoning, but after a few moments, his expression became resigned. “All right, Reuben. But if I feel you need help or if you do not return in a reasonable time, I will come in after you.”
Reuben nodded and looked at me. “And if that happens, you must get my cell phone and call the police. It’s in the glove compartment.”
“I . . . I will. Please be careful.”
Reuben walked next to the entrance and began to pull away the rest of the old boards that covered the opening. Suddenly he stopped and leaned in, staring inside the shaft. Then he straightened up and turned to us.
“I see them. They’re coming this way.”
William and I hurried over to where Reuben stood. Sure enough, a light came from inside the mine. A few seconds later, Cicely stepped over the remaining boards, holding a flashlight. She was followed by Jeremiah. I ran to Cicely and hugged her.
“Thank God you’re okay,” I said, my voice shaking. “I was so worried.”
She didn’t respond at first, but then she raised her arms and embraced me. As I held her, I looked over at Jeremiah. He stood in front of his father, who didn’t touch him. Instead, he just scowled at the boy.
“You have disobeyed me, Jeremiah,” William said angrily. “You will be punished accordingly.”
“Yes, Papa,” Jeremiah said softly.
William whirled around and pointed at Cicely. “You are forbidden to have anything more to do with this girl. She is obviously a very bad influence.”
I let Cicely go and confronted the furious William. “That will be a little difficult,” I said. “They’re both in my classroom. They will have to see each other.”
William grabbed his son’s shoulder and drew him roughly to his side. “He will see her only in class. If this is not done the way I have said, Jeremiah will be removed from the school altogether.”
I saw a look of fear on Jeremiah’s face and felt my own anger dissolve. “I’ll make sure your rules are followed, William,” I said as gently as I could. “You don’t have to worry.”
Now Cicely glowered at me. Maybe she’d expected me to stand up to William, but Jeremiah’s future hung in the balance. I couldn’t let him down.
We all got back into Reuben’s truck, William and Jeremiah jammed into the backseat and Reuben, Cicely, and I in the front. No one said a word on the way back to town. Reuben let William and Jeremiah off in front of the hardware store, where William’s horse stood waiting patiently for his owner’s return.
Although William avoided eye contact, I saw Jeremiah looking at us as we prepared to drive away. He was clearly upset. I couldn’t understand his rash decision to take Cicely to the mine, but neither could I turn my back on the boy. I gave him a small smile meant to reassure him, and a look of relief swept across his features.
Reuben drove back to Janet’s house and let Cicely and me off. Cicely went straight into the house while I hung back to talk to Reuben.
“Thank you,” I told him. “Pray for us, will you?”
He nodded. “Sarah, Cicely isn’t really angry at you. Don’t take it personally.”
“I know. That’s what Janet says, but at some point she needs to accept that this is her life now and that she’s got to make an effort.”
“It’s hard telling how long it will take, but I know everything will work out. Just don’t get weary in well doing.” He smiled at me. “The whole town is praying for you, you know. I pray for you and Cicely every day.”
My eyes flushed with tears of gratitude. “Thank you, Reuben. I don’t know what I’d do without my friends. And I’m so grateful for your help at school.”
“I’ve enjoyed it. It’s given me a chance to connect with the children. Hopefully, our friendships will continue even after you come back.”
“I’m sure they will.”
“Call me if you need more help, or if you decide you’re not ready to start back to school on Monday.”
“I really appreciate that, but I can hardly wait to get back to my classroom. Sitting around here isn’t good for me. I need to be with my students.”
“I understand. God bless you, Sarah.” With that, he rolled up the truck’s window and drove back to the school. As I turned to go inside, flakes of snow began to swirl around me, blown by a sharp wind that hinted we may be in for rough weather. But I was more worried about the storm I faced inside the house than the one that might be forming outside.