Chapter
Twenty-Four

Dad choked on his coffee at Paul’s announcement. “Where is he?”

“He’s at Anna’s cousin’s house in De Soto.”

“How did you find him?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you pick him up before they take off again?”

Paul raised his hand. “Everyone relax. The Fishers aren’t going anywhere. Their plan is to stay where they are until you” —he pointed at me—“leave town.”

Dad said, “But that means—”

“It doesn’t mean anything yet,” Paul interrupted. “The Fishers definitely don’t want you looking into how they got Elijah, but according to Samuel, he isn’t Ryan Erwin.”

“You talked to Samuel?” I said angrily. “You may have tipped them off. He thought we bought his story about the birth certificate. Now he has no reason not to tell his brother we’re on to him. They’ll grab Elijah and run.”

“Samuel was our only link to finding Elijah. He knew exactly where his brother was hiding. And as far as tipping off Nathan, he has no intention of telling his brother that we know where they are.”

“And why is that?” Reuben said sharply. “I’m with Wynter. They could disappear. We might never find them.”

“No, they won’t. Samuel Fisher cares about his family, but he also cares a lot more about himself.”

“I don’t understand,” I said.

Paul grinned. “Let’s just say that Samuel’s crops aren’t all legal.”

Reuben’s mouth dropped open. “Are you saying . . . ?”

Paul nodded. “Samuel’s growing pot.”

“Wow,” I said. “I guess when you leave the Mennonite Church, you go downhill fast.”

“Naomi, his wife, is a good Mennonite. She didn’t know anything about it. Samuel’s the black sheep of the family.”

“Does Nathan know about Samuel’s special harvest?” Reuben asked.

Paul shook his head. “I’m certain he doesn’t. If he did, he’d probably turn his brother in.”

“Wait a minute,” Reuben said, frowning, “you can’t just ignore what he’s doing.”

“Oh, I didn’t. I took some pictures of the plants with my phone and told Samuel they all need to be out of there and destroyed by tomorrow. If they’re not, I’ll arrest him.”

“But is it right to let him get away with that?” I asked. “You’re an officer of the law.”

“Yes, I am. And I made a decision. A few pot plants or finding your brother. Samuel’s operation, which was very small anyway, has been shut down. We know he won’t warn Nathan and Anna that we’re looking for them because if he does—”

“He goes to jail,” I said. “Of course, your superiors would want to know why you waited so long.”

Paul shrugged. “That’s a chance I’ll have to take. Your brother has been missing almost ten years. I think that’s long enough.”

“I don’t know how to thank you, Paul.”

“Well, I hope it helps,” he said, “but remember that Samuel still says Elijah isn’t Ryan. And he should know.”

“Not a very reliable witness,” Reuben said doubtfully.

Paul nodded. “I agree, but why would he lie at this point? Doesn’t make much sense.”

“I can’t believe we’ve come this far and this boy might not be Ryan after all.” My dad’s voice was so faint I could barely hear him. He’d given a lot to find the truth, even telling me something he knew could tear us apart forever. I fought back feelings of frustration.

“So what do we do now?” Zac asked.

“I’m going there to talk to them,” Paul said. “You all need to stay here.”

“But they don’t know you, Paul,” Reuben said. “You think they’ll open up to you because you’re a deputy sheriff? They won’t. Conservative Mennonites believe in government through the church and don’t have much trust in worldly authority. Although they’ll treat you with respect, they won’t trust you.”

Paul sighed. “There’s not much I can do about that. No matter what they believe, I’m the law, and they’ll have to answer to me.”

“You’re not leaving me behind,” I said forcefully. “I’ve got to know the truth.”

“I understand how you feel,” Paul said slowly, “but it might not be a good idea.”

“What do you mean?” I tried to speak calmly, but I couldn’t control my emotion, and my voice trembled. We were so close. How could he deny me the chance to finally bring Ryan home?

I felt Reuben’s hand on my shoulder. “Wynter, it’s best if you stay here. You could make things more difficult. You’re too close to this.”

I pulled away from him. “Ryan is my brother, not yours. You can’t stop me from going.”

He paused for a moment. “Please, Wynter,” he said finally. “I’m trying to protect you. Stay here.” He frowned at Paul. “Why don’t you let me go with you? The Fishers know me. Even though they don’t recognize me as their mayor, we have a very good relationship.”

I watched as Paul chewed on Reuben’s suggestion. Finally he said, “Okay. But I intend to walk out of that meeting with the entire truth. I want to know who Elijah is—or was. He’s not their natural child, and he certainly didn’t grow in their garden. That young man came from somewhere, and I’m not going to stop until I know exactly where that was.”

He stood up. “Let’s go. It will take us a couple of hours to get there.” He nodded toward me. “I know this is difficult, Wynter, but we’ll contact you when we know something. Just wait for us, okay?”

Although I wanted to fight them, to argue my case, in my heart I knew they were right. I’d jumped out of Reuben’s truck when we went to Samuel’s. Obviously, I wasn’t completely in control. Although it was difficult to give in, I nodded. “All right. But please don’t let them get away again. Bring this to a close, no matter what you find out.”

“What about me?” Dad asked. “I know my son better than anyone. If that boy is Ryan, I’ll know it.”

Paul stared at him, biting his lip.

Dad stood up and walked over to Paul. “One other thing to consider. I look almost exactly the same as I did when Ryan went missing. A little older, maybe, but my son would definitely recognize me.”

After a few more seconds of silence, Paul nodded. “I might not take you in with me at first. You’d have to wait in the car until I think there’s a reason to bring you inside. Can you accept that?”

“Yes, absolutely. You’re in charge.”

“Okay. Let’s get going.” He turned toward Reuben. “Are you ready?”

Reuben didn’t respond, and I noticed the trepidation in his expression.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I just remembered that Lazarus is in my truck. I promised Rae I’d bring him by this morning for his shots.” He waved his hand. “I’ll just cancel the appointment. Not a problem. We can drop him back off at the house on our way out of town.”

“You can take him with us, if it will help,” Paul said. “He can stay in the car.”

“Don’t be silly,” I said. “I’ll take him to Rae’s. It’s better than sitting around here doing nothing.”

“Maybe we could do some interviews while they’re gone,” Zac said.

I nodded. “You’re right. With everything going on, I almost forgot about our story. After Ed’s warning, we’ve got to finish this assignment. It just might save our jobs.”

Zac grunted. “I’m all for that.”

“We’ll take Lazarus with us,” I said. “Maybe folks will open up more with him around.”

“I appreciate this, Wynter,” Reuben said.

I sighed. “I think you’re using Lazarus to distract me, but I’ll do it. He’s a great dog.”

Reuben smiled. “Yes, he is. He’ll love spending time with you.”

“We need to get going,” Paul said.

I went over and gave my dad a hug.

“If it’s him, I’ll bring him back to you,” he said.

Overcome by emotion, all I could do was nod.

I watched as Dad followed Paul outside to the car.

“Here are the keys to my truck,” Reuben said. “Thanks for taking care of Lazarus. I know he already loves you.”

I smiled at Reuben. “I love him too.”

He put his hands on each side of my face and gazed into my eyes. “When I get back, we need to talk. Seriously. Lazarus isn’t the only one with deep feelings about you.”

He kissed me quickly and left, the door slamming behind him.

“Wow,” Zac said. “Things are moving pretty fast, aren’t they?”

I nodded. “Yes, and I’m not sure what to do.”

“What do you want to do?”

I stared at Zac for a moment, trying to come up with an answer. Finally I said, “I don’t know. I have these strong feelings in my heart, but my head keeps telling me we’re from two different worlds. My life is in St. Louis. His is on his family’s farm.”

“I’m certainly not an expert on relationships, but I’ve heard that love always finds a way.” Zac smiled. “You know, you’re not the same person who drove us into Sanctuary. You’ve changed.”

“In what way?”

“It was like you had all these walls around you, protecting yourself. It was almost impossible to get around them. Now those walls are coming down. I would say this place has had a great effect on you.”

“And you. You’re not the same smart aleck you were when we first got here.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Does that mean I’m just a different kind of smart aleck?”

I laughed. “That’s exactly what it means.”

Zac chuckled. “You know, my mother says God doesn’t lead us through our heads. He leads through our hearts. So I guess you should follow your heart.”

I sighed. “I know my heart is saying something, but I haven’t sorted it all out yet. Guess I’ll keep trying.” I glanced at my watch. “It’s almost ten. I should take Lazarus to his appointment. Will you be okay on your own?”

He nodded. “I’ll help Esther clean up from breakfast, and then I’ll get my equipment ready so we can tape some interviews when you get back. Do I need to make any calls?”

“I don’t think so. We’ll just do the best we can. Anyone we can’t see today, we’ll schedule for tomorrow.”

“And then?”

I shrugged. “And then we’ll see. If nothing comes of the meeting with the Fishers, if Elijah isn’t Ryan, we’ll leave tomorrow afternoon.”

“And if he is?”

I shook my head. “I can’t think past that, Zac. I really can’t.”

“I understand.” He stood up. “I’m going to start clearing the table, then I’ll locate Esther and see what else I can do to help her.”

“Okay.” I started for the door but stopped halfway there. “Uh, it might help if I know how to find Rae’s office.”

“I’ll ask Esther. Hang on.”

He disappeared into the kitchen and was only gone a few seconds before returning. “Go one block past The Whistle Stop and turn right. Keep going about a mile. The vet’s office is on the right side of the road. There’s a big sign that says ‘Pet Sanctuary’ out front.”

“Wonder why Rae doesn’t have an office closer to town.”

“Esther says her office is on the same property as her house. Guess she likes it that way.”

“Okay. Well, I’m off. Be back in a while.”

Zac nodded and trotted back toward the kitchen while I went out the front door. Sam and Frances were lying on the porch. I took a moment to pet them. Maizie and Clyde were probably roaming around somewhere.

It was a brisk spring morning, and the air was invigorating. Reuben’s truck was parked right in front of the house, and Lazarus sat in the driver’s seat, looking as if he was ready to put the truck in gear and take off. He smiled when he saw me and scooted over to the passenger side, no doubt anticipating our ride together. Little did he know he was getting ready for shots. I wondered if that knowledge would change his happy expression.

I opened the door and got in. Before I could start the engine, I was immediately greeted with a sloppy doggy kiss on the cheek.

“Why, thank you,” I said. “Hope you still want to kiss me after your appointment.”

Lazarus responded with another wet kiss. When I started the truck, he turned toward the window. I rolled it down so he could hang his head out.

After leaving town, I watched the speedometer. Just about the time we’d reached a mile, I spotted Rae’s office. Sure enough, there was a large red wooden sign next to the road that read “Pet Sanctuary.” Below those words was an arrow pointing to the right. I turned and followed a dirt road all the way down to the office. It was obvious it had once been a barn, but it had been completely renovated into an attractive facility.

After parking the truck, I got out and looked around for a leash. I finally found it stuck between the seats, pulled it out, and attached it to Lazarus’s collar. He gave me an offended look, but I had no idea if he’d actually follow me once I let him out of the truck. The last thing I wanted was for him to take off. Better safe than sorry.

As we walked toward the office, I noticed a large house about a quarter mile down the road. Two stories, white with black shutters—it was beautiful. If Rae owned the vet’s office, the house and all this land, she was wealthier than I would have guessed.

The front door was unlocked, so we walked in. No one was in the waiting area. The office was rustic but clean. Pictures of dogs, cats, horses, and even cows covered the walls. There were padded benches across from the front counter, so I sat down to wait. Lazarus jumped up next to me and put his head on my lap. I stroked his soft head, hoping Rae would show up soon. I’d just decided to go looking for her when she came into the room.

“Well, there you are, Lazarus,” she exclaimed. “Wondered when you were going to show up.”

Instead of cowering from her, Lazarus jumped off the bench before I could grab his leash and ran over to Rae. They greeted each other like old friends.

“Guess he’s not afraid of coming here,” I said. “You must be a very special veterinarian to get that kind of reaction from your patients.”

She laughed. “I have some scaredy-cats. They’re not all like this guy.” She gave the dog a big hug. “I think he knows I saved his life. I can’t explain it, but I’m as sure of it as I can be. He’s always acted this way toward me.”

“He’s a great dog, isn’t he?”

She nodded. “Very special. I’m glad he’s got such a wonderful owner.” She looked around and frowned. “Where is Reuben today?”

“He had an errand, so I volunteered to bring Lazarus in to see you.”

“Glad you did. Do you want to come back to the exam room? You can stay with him if you’d like.”

“Sure. Sounds good.”

I followed her through a door behind the front counter and into a hallway with three different rooms. Rae ushered us into the first one we came to.

“You can have a seat,” she said, pointing to a chair in the corner. “I’ll be back in a minute with his shots.”

I nodded and sat down, holding on to Lazarus’s leash.

“He doesn’t really need the leash,” Rae said. “I’ve never known him to run off.”

“Thanks. I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to have to explain to Reuben why I lost his dog.”

Rae grinned. “You don’t need to worry about that. This dog is joined to Reuben at the hip. Never seen a man and a dog as close as these two. Does my heart good.”

“Makes me wish I had a dog.”

“I’ve got two strays in the back looking for homes,” she said. “Just say the word.”

“Sorry. I live in an apartment, and sometimes I work up to twelve hours a day. I’m afraid it will be a while before I can actually take care of a dog. Mr. Henderson is enough company for me right now.”

“Okay, but if you change your mind, let me know.”

I bent down and looked Lazarus in the face after she left the room. “It’s not going to hurt you to keep this leash on until I’m convinced you’ll be good,” I whispered. “I’m not taking any chances, buddy.”

Another lick revealed he wasn’t too concerned about my declaration. Tired of sitting, I got up and checked out the room. A diploma mounted on the wall declared that Mady Rae Buettner had completed a degree in Veterinarian Medicine from Jefferson College in Missouri. It was an impressive piece of paper, but something about it caught my eye. It was a real diploma, but the area with her name looked odd. I’d done some research into faked documents for a story once, and something was definitely wrong with the certificate. Rae’s name had been typed on something else and then added on later. Strange.

I’d just started to sit down again when I noticed some boxes on the counter next to me. They looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d seen them before. I picked one up. It was plain and white, but there was a sticker on the side that said Syringes. Without thinking about it, I peeled back the sticker. Then I opened the box. It held syringes, but the last time I’d seen a box like this, it had contained several pieces of fudge.

As I tried to understand what I was seeing, my eyes went back to the diploma. Mady Rae Buettner.

“Oh no. It can’t be.”

A noise from behind startled me, and I dropped the box.

Rae stood there with another syringe in her hand, staring at me. “It can’t be what?” she asked softly.

“Mady Rae Buettner. The initials. You’re Marian Rose Belker.”