Noah’s words seemed to echo in my mind. At first I couldn’t make sense of them. Slowly a wave of indignation rose up inside me, and I cried out Levi’s name.
Sheriff Timmons told the other men to stop and turned to face the stunned crowd. “No one thinks Levi killed anyone. I tried to explain that he is only wanted for questioning. I never said he was under arrest.”
“What’s the difference?” Noah said angrily. “If you didn’t believe he was involved somehow, why would you compel him to go with you?”
Jonathon Wiese rose from the table where he sat with his parents. “I agree. Why can’t you question Levi here? Why does he have to go with you?”
Brodie glared at Noah. “I explained this earlier. I told you why the authorities wanted to talk to your brother. I thought you understood.”
“I did, but you never said they would spirit him away like some criminal.”
Roger turned and walked toward the middle of the room. “Don’t worry, folks,” he said, his voice calm and even. “The sheriff is telling you the truth. These men are from the KBI, and they need to ask Levi some questions. He may know something important and not even realize it. They’re just taking him into town to talk to him. The only reason they can’t do that here is because we have resources at our office that aren’t available in Kingdom.”
Before anyone had a chance to respond, a deep voice rang out from the doorway.
“May I ask just what is going on? Who are these men and what are they doing in our town?”
Matthew Engel, Lizzie’s father, pushed past the group of men. Matthew presented an imposing figure dressed in black, from his wide-brimmed hat, long black coat, and dark slacks to his black boots.
The government agent who had addressed us took a step back.
I noticed Charity standing in the doorway, obviously frightened by the scene taking place in front of her. Wanting to protect her, I hurried over, took her by the hand, and told her to go upstairs and stay there until we came to get her. She seemed hesitant to leave her mother, but Lizzie nodded at her, so Charity obeyed and disappeared up the stairs.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Lizzie walked up to the man standing next to Levi. She faced him with her hands on her hips and a challenge in her expression. “Do you have a warrant?”
He raised an eyebrow. “We don’t need a warrant to ask questions, Miss. We’re not charging Mr. Housler with anything.” He frowned at Levi. “I thought you wanted to help us find this person before they kill again, Pastor.”
Levi shook his head. “I’m happy to help you in any way I can, but I must say once again that I have no idea how my book ended up where it did. I assure you that I didn’t put it there.”
Matthew came up next to Levi and put his hand on his shoulder. “I do not approve of having people from the outside world in our town, Pastor. I think it would be best if you go with them. For the sake of Kingdom. Besides, suppressing the truth is not much different than lying.”
Levi’s mouth dropped open. “Suppressing the truth? I don’t know anything about this situation, Brother Matthew. I’m not trying to hide anything.”
Matthew scowled at him. “No one is saying you are, but I believe it is your duty to avoid any appearance of evil. Resisting their investigation makes you look . . . untrustworthy.”
Noah made a noise and rushed to his brother’s side. “Levi is not untrustworthy. How dare you cast doubt on his character? I won’t allow you or anyone else—”
“Noah, stop it!”
Levi spoke so forcefully that everyone in the room froze in place. “I’m not resisting anything.” He gazed around at the people gathered in the dining room. “I have no culpability in this awful matter. I’m going with these men because it’s the right thing to do. If I can shed any light on this heinous act, I intend to do so. The rest of you need to remain calm and try to maintain a quiet and godly attitude. Everything will be all right.” I knew his words were meant to comfort us, but they didn’t have that effect on me. Even though I knew Levi wasn’t a murderer, the idea that someone in Kingdom might have been involved in something so . . . so monstrous made my stomach clench. Was that person in the dining room right now? Was he watching Levi being whisked away like a common criminal? For a moment, I worried about getting sick in front of everyone. However, that feeling disappeared as the agent took Levi by the arm again and began leading him toward the front door.
“Stop!” I called out. I ran over to the coatrack and grabbed Levi’s jacket. Then I took it over to him, holding it out. “You’re not taking him out in the cold without his coat,” I said to the agent. For the second time today, I was filled with anger. I helped Levi into his coat and handed him his hat. As he turned to leave I grabbed his arm and turned him back toward me. “You’ll be home soon.” My voice was strong, but it quavered with unbridled emotion. For a brief second I wondered if I had embarrassed him. But when I looked into his eyes, I saw something there that confirmed my words had strengthened him. Walking out the door, he stood tall, his shoulders straighter, when only moments before they had been slumped in humiliation.
“How will he get home?” Sheriff Timmons asked.
“We’ll drive him back when we’re done,” one of the men said. “It shouldn’t be longer than two or three hours.”
“I’ll come to see you in the morning,” Levi said to me. “Don’t worry. God is with me.”
Even though I nodded and tried to look unconcerned, the tears on my face gave me away. I watched as the men put him into their car and drove off. For some reason I couldn’t find the strength to turn around and face all the eyes I knew were fastened on me. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Come with me,” Lizzie said gently. She led me through the silent crowd and back to the kitchen. When I got there, I collapsed into a chair.
“Oh, Lizzie,” I said, sobbing. “How could anyone think Levi would be involved in such a grotesque act? It’s preposterous.”
She knelt down next to me. “Of course it is,” she said softly. “Remember that the man from the KBI said they only wanted to question him about the book, Callie. They don’t think he killed anyone.”
I took a deep shuddering breath and wiped my wet face with my apron. “I know they said that, but I’m not sure I believe them.” My eyes sought hers. “They’re from the world, Lizzie. Worldly people lie, don’t they? That’s what Papa said. We can’t trust them.”
She put her arm around me. “Not all people who live outside our borders are bad, Callie. I knew many good people when I lived in Kansas City. People I could trust.” She gave me a hug and stood to her feet. “We’re not that much different here. Kingdom is filled with all kinds of people. Good and bad. It’s the same in the outside world.”
I shook my head. “I know we’re not perfect, but I’d like to believe that for the most part we’re different. If we’re not, why are we here? Why should we live away from the rest of the world?”
She crossed her arms across her chest. “I do believe we’re different, Callie, but I don’t think we’re perfect. If you expect too much from those of us who live here, I’m afraid you’ll end up disappointed. And hurt.” She shook her head. “You’ve built a wall of protection around yourself to keep out painful truths or emotions you can’t control. Someday that wall may fail. I’m not sure you’re prepared for what’s on the other side.”
I stared at her, not knowing what to say. Papa used to tell me that I lived in a dream world. Was Lizzie saying the same thing? I started to respond but the phone shrilled, cutting me off. I nearly jumped out of my skin. The phone in the kitchen didn’t ring much, but when it did, it was disconcerting, to say the least. Lizzie picked it up and said hello. She listened to whoever was on the other end, thanked them, and hung up.
“That was Roger. The KBI has opened the road. There are still agents out there, and they’ll be checking the cars and buggies that go through, but at least people can start heading home.”
I sighed. “Well, that’s a little good news.” I started to ask her if she’d like me to announce the road opening to the crowd in the dining room when the kitchen door opened and Noah came in with Charity. Charity held out her arms to her mother, who hugged her fiercely.
“Sorry I had to send you upstairs for a while, Cherry Bear,” Lizzie said.
“That’s okay,” Charity replied. “I got a lot of my homework done.”
“I thought you were going to ask my mother to keep her a little longer,” Lizzie said to Noah.
“I did, and she said she would, but your father decided to bring her back because your mother wasn’t feeling well.”
Lizzie sighed with exasperation and let Charity go. “I wish my mother would just tell us when she’s ill. I know she thinks she’s being a good soldier, but she could make Charity sick too.”
Noah grunted. “You know your mother. She wouldn’t complain if her hair was on fire.”
Lizzie nodded. “You’re probably right.”
Noah was clearly upset and didn’t acknowledge my presence. His attention was fixed on Lizzie. “I wanted to go with Levi, but the men from the KBI wouldn’t let me.”
“He’ll be all right, Noah,” she said soothingly. “They said they’d only keep him a couple of hours. Don’t worry. They know he didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’ve got to call my parents and let them know what’s going on. I don’t know how I’m going to explain it.”
I looked over at Charity, whose large dark-brown eyes were wide with anxiety as she stared at her parents. Lizzie noticed her too.
“Callie, could you take Charity out to the dining room? Maybe you could get her a piece of pie.”
I nodded and quickly cut a piece of pie and a grabbed a fork. Then I motioned to Charity. “Let’s go, honey.”
She followed me into the dining room without argument, and I sat her down at the only empty table in the room. I noticed that Ebbie, Hope, and Beau were just getting ready to leave. I hurried over to them.
“Ebbie, the road is open now, though it’s still being patrolled by some of the men from the KBI. Could you let folks know?”
He nodded and walked to the middle of the room. Although it took a couple of tries to get everyone’s attention, once he shared the news, people immediately began to leave. I quickly checked out the customers who hadn’t paid yet, but within ten minutes, the room was empty except for Charity, Matthew, and me. Charity asked for a glass of milk, so I told her to stay put and headed for the kitchen. As I opened the door to the kitchen, I heard Noah say, “You’ve got to talk to her. And soon. She needs you to be honest with her.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I need a glass of milk for Charity.”
“Oh, sure,” Noah said, looking uncomfortable. “I’ll go out and tell everyone the road is open.”
“Don’t worry about it. Ebbie already did.” I took the milk out of the refrigerator and got a clean glass out of the dishwasher.
“Thanks, Callie,” Lizzie said.
“By the way,” Noah said, “the KBI talked to Harold. Told him that he and Mercy weren’t to describe what she saw to anyone. Specifically, they’re not to mention the plastic around the body or exactly where the woman was found.”
Lizzie snorted. “As if Harold can keep a secret.”
“I know Harold’s a gossip,” he said, “but all in all, he’s a good man. He won’t say anything. He wants this killer caught as much as anyone. Maybe more. Mercy will have to live with that awful image the rest of her life. That’s got to be tough on a father.”
“Speaking of fathers,” I said, “how did your mother and stepfather take the news about Levi?”
Noah shook his head. “That’s a call I never want to make again. They were shocked, of course. Marvin’s first reaction was to drive over to the jail, but I encouraged him to wait. I doubt he’d get to talk to Levi anyway, and I don’t think he needs the distraction. I told him we’d call if we heard from Levi first.”
I nodded and poured the milk into a glass. As I put the milk container back into the refrigerator, I could feel their eyes on me. Were they wondering if I’d overheard Noah’s comment? Had they been talking about me? I wanted to ask them about it, but I couldn’t. What if it had nothing to do with me, and I ended up looking ridiculous? I grabbed the glass and left the room.
I delivered the milk to Charity, who was sitting with her grandfather. “How about a piece of pie, Brother Matthew?” I asked.
“Thank you, Callie, but no,” he said. “Anna feeds me too much as it is.” He smiled at me, and I was struck by the difference in him over the past several months. He had definitely changed in some ways, although his earlier actions reminded me of the old Matthew.
I was trying to come up with a topic of conversation when I heard the kitchen door open. Lizzie and Noah came into the room.
“Are you hungry, Father?” Lizzie asked. I could hear the weariness in her voice. It had certainly been a tiring day. Emotionally and physically.
Matthew shook his head. “Callie has already offered me food. I am convinced you are all trying to fatten me up.”
Lizzie smiled, but Noah didn’t.
“Levi is a good man, Matthew,” Noah said sharply. “He wasn’t trying to avoid going with those men.”
Matthew sighed. “I did not mean to make it sound as if he was resisting. Perhaps I was not careful enough with my words. My intent was simply to encourage him not to fight their request.”
Lizzie sat down at the table with us. “We should all be praying for Levi—and trying to help officials find the person who committed this horrible crime.”
“I agree,” Matthew said. “The idea that something like this could come so close to us . . .” He shook his head. “It is hard to accept.”
Noah didn’t say anything. He just kept frowning at Matthew. His lingering anger with his father-in-law was evident.
“What happened?” Charity asked after swallowing a piece of pie. “What horrible crime is Grandpa talking about? Why is everyone so upset?”
Lizzie reached over and brushed a dark curl out of Charity’s face. “Nothing for you to worry about, Cherry Bear. Finish your pie. We’re going home.” She looked at Noah. “Would you mind warming up the truck? It’s freezing out there.”
He rose slowly from his chair. “No, I don’t mind.” He stood there for a moment as though he wanted to say something else to Matthew. However, after getting a warning look from Lizzie, he put on his coat and went outside.
“Charity, why don’t you run to the bathroom before we leave?” Lizzie said. When Charity started to argue, Lizzie stopped her. “I’m not asking,” she said. “It’s a long ride home, and there’s nowhere to stop. Just go.”
Charity sighed and stuck the last bite of pie into her mouth before getting up and walking toward the bathroom. She gave her mother one last withering look and closed the door. As soon as the lock clicked, Lizzie scowled at her father.
“I know you’ve been saying things around town about Levi,” she said. “And I want you to stop it. Don’t you dare use this situation to hurt him. He’s a wonderful pastor. His age has nothing to do with his ability to do his job.”
Matthew’s expression hardened. I’d seen that look on his face before and knew what it meant. Sure enough, what he said next wasn’t a surprise.
“God’s Word states very clearly that a man in authority in the church should not be a novice. It is not God’s way to use young men to oversee His church! I do not say this of my own opinion. It is from God himself.”
“Being a novice has nothing to do with age, Father,” Lizzie blurted out. “Levi is hardly untrained when it comes to the things of God. He has studied the Word and served the church for many, many years. He knows more about God than almost anyone I’ve ever known.” She quickly glanced toward the bathroom door, obviously worried about Charity overhearing her discussion with her father.
Matthew’s solemn expression turned even more venomous. “Age has everything to do with this, Elizabeth. Obviously, the longer a man lives, the more he learns. Levi is not even married yet. I believe the church overstepped clear boundaries when he was elected as our pastor. He should not have been considered for this position. He does not qualify.”
“But he is getting married, Father,” Lizzie said, trying to keep her voice low. “And soon. All of the Scripture requirements will be fulfilled.” She shook her head. “Please don’t stir up trouble for him. You know he doesn’t deserve it.”
Matthew stood to his feet. “Getting betrothed simply so he could be voted in as pastor is not sufficient, Daughter. And now, he has become entangled in this evil situation.” He shook his finger at Lizzie. “This is what happens when God’s commandments are broken. Mark my word. This situation will get much worse before it gets better.”
“I wish you’d explain to me why you waited until after Levi was appointed to the pastorate to begin your objections. Why were you silent when his name was offered as a candidate?”
He shook his head. “I wanted to object, but at the time I was encouraged by several in the church to stay quiet—for the sake of peace. After the vote, I realized I had been wrong to allow myself to be swayed by the opinions of others. Christ did not come to earth to bring peace, but a sword. He said clearly that a man’s enemies would be those in his own household.”
“Brother Matthew,” I said hesitantly, “wasn’t Jesus talking about the world’s system in that passage? That He wasn’t bringing peace to the world and that households would be disrupted because some in a family would choose to follow Him and some wouldn’t?”
“Callie’s right, Father. Christ is the Prince of Peace in the hearts of His children. And you are trying to bring strife and division into His church. I think the Bible has some pretty strong things to say about that, doesn’t it?”
“I will not quarrel about God’s Holy Word with you,” Matthew snapped. “How dare you try to teach the Word to me?”
Lizzie pounded the table with her fist. “Father, I mean it. If you don’t let this drop—”
The door to the bathroom swung open, and Charity came back into the room, halting the vitriolic conversation in its tracks. She walked slowly over to the table and sat down next to her mother, leaning against her shoulder. “I’m tired, Mama. When can we go home?”
Lizzie patted her daughter on the head. “Get your coat and your school bag. Your dad should have the truck warmed up by now.”
Charity smiled and jumped up, skipping over to the corner where her coat hung on the coatrack and her bag lay on the floor underneath. While she pulled on her coat, Lizzie pleaded with Matthew.
“Please, Father, I’m begging you to think about this before you cause damage that can’t be undone. Your legalistic attitude has created so much harm.” Lizzie wiped away a tear that snaked down her cheek. “Don’t stir this up.”
Matthew stared at her, his jaw working. I expected an angry backlash, but instead he only nodded and buttoned the front of his coat.
“I will carefully consider your words, Lizzie,” he said finally. “And yours as well, Callie. Forgive me for losing my temper. It is a problem I struggle with. But you must realize, Daughter, that sometimes we will disagree. I am not always wrong. You are not always right. However, it is true that God is merciful to His children. He has been merciful to me. Perhaps I am not behaving the same toward others.” He fastened the last button and frowned at his daughter. “But remember that God also warns us about certain situations—just as a parent warns a child to stay away from danger. We must listen when He chastises us. Both of these paths lead to our protection and security.” He stood to his feet. “I know you have confidence in Levi. I hope you will also have some confidence in me.” He smiled at Charity, who had come back over to the table. “Thank you for coming to our house today, Charity. I am always so glad when you visit us. You make your grandmother and me very happy.”
She grabbed Matthew in an exuberant hug. “I love you, Grandpa,” she said.
“And I love you,” he responded. He turned his eyes toward Lizzie, and I was surprised to see tears in them. “And I love you too, Elizabeth.”
With that, he left. Lizzie was silent as she watched him get into his buggy and drive away.
When he was out of sight, I turned to her. “I’m worried. He could make things very difficult for Levi.”
“I know,” she said slowly. “My father is as stubborn as they come. If he believes he’s right, he won’t back down.”
“What’s the matter, Mama?” Charity asked in her little-girl voice. “Is Grandpa doing something bad again?”
The innocence displayed on her face hurt me. The last thing I wanted was for division to once again rear its ugly head in Lizzie’s family.
“No, honey,” Lizzie said. “We just disagree about something. That doesn’t mean Grandpa’s being bad.” She cast a quick look my way.
“Your mama’s right, Charity,” I said gently. “You and your mother don’t always agree, but you still love each other, right?”
Charity’s dark eyes narrowed as she thought this over. Then she smiled. “Yes. Mama makes me go to bed too early sometimes, but I still love her.” She shook her head and her dark curls bounced. Like her mother, Charity didn’t wear a prayer covering except on Sundays in church. “I don’t want anything to go wrong with Grandpa.” She sighed deeply. “It took a while to straighten him out.”
Even though Lizzie and I were both concerned about Levi, we couldn’t help but laugh at Charity’s statement.
The front door was suddenly pushed open, and I shivered from the chilly air that rushed in.
“Truck’s warmed up,” Noah said loudly. “Let’s get going.”
Lizzie stood up. “You get in the car with your father,” she said to Charity. “I want to talk to Callie for just a minute.”
“Not too long, Lizzie,” Noah said. “It’s late and it looks like we’ve got more snow on the way.”
“Okay.”
Lizzie was silent as she watched Noah and Charity head for the door. They both said good-bye to me and went outside to their truck.
“Listen, Callie,” Lizzie said when the door closed, “I don’t want you to worry about my father. I’ll talk to him.”
“I hope he reconsiders,” I said. “At least he promised to think about his attitude.”
“And that’s a step in the right direction,” she agreed. “He needs to understand that stirring up trouble in the church again would put us right back where we were a year ago. I don’t think he really wants that.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t.”
“As far as I’m concerned,” Lizzie continued, “Ebbie Miller, Noah, and Levi are the best leaders we’ve ever had. And Levi is a wonderful pastor. They all work so well together. I’m convinced they will bring positive changes to Kingdom.”
“Elder Zimmerman, Elder Scherer, and Elder Wittsman are strong men of God too.”
She shrugged. “I guess. They certainly don’t seem to have the passion of the younger men though.”
“Maybe that’s the reason younger elders are such a blessing. They bring great enthusiasm to the position.” I sighed. “Levi loves being our pastor, Lizzie. He’s never cared about anything except serving God.”
Lizzie grinned. “And being with you.”
I could feel myself blush. “Yes, and being with me.” I stared at her silently until she frowned.
“What’s wrong, Callie?”
I hesitated a moment, not certain I wanted to open a door I might not be able to close. “It’s late, Lizzie, and your family is waiting. Why don’t we talk tomorrow?”
“A few minutes won’t make any difference. What’s on your mind?”
I took a deep breath. “Is it possible Levi became engaged to me just because an elder is supposed to be married?”
“Oh, Callie. Is this because of what my father said?” Lizzie got up and slid into the chair next to me, taking my hands in hers. “I know Levi’s not very demonstrative, but if you could see his face when he looks at you . . .”
I wrinkled my forehead in confusion. “I see his face all the time, Lizzie. He doesn’t look at me in any special way.”
Lizzie squeezed my hands and laughed softly. “He hides his emotions around you, sweetie. But when he’s sitting in the dining room, watching you work . . .” I was startled to see tears in her eyes. She cleared her throat and smiled at me. “Never doubt his devotion to you, Callie. Trust me. Levi loves you. You really need to believe that. It could be very important in the days ahead.”
“I was afraid to bring this up. I was so insistent earlier when I said I knew he loved me.”
She nodded. “I’ve been concerned that you didn’t really trust his love. But you should.” She gazed earnestly into my eyes. “There may be some things you might doubt, Callie. But Levi’s sincere devotion shouldn’t be one of them.”
I was encouraged by what she said, but I still wondered. Did my father think the same thing about my mother before she left us? Would Levi’s feelings for me change when he got to know me better? When he realized how flawed I really was? My fear was that someday I would see disappointment in his face. That he would be sorry he married me.
“I still remember when you came to work here,” Lizzie continued. “You told me the very first day that you intended to marry Levi. Of course, poor Levi had no idea you’d set your cap for him.”
“It must have seemed silly to you.”
She smiled. “I guess it did. But after I got to know you, I realized you were the best thing that could ever happen to him. I’m so glad you two fell in love. You already feel like my sister, but when you marry Levi, we’ll be real family. Noah’s excited too. His brother’s been alone for a long time.”
“I know. Even though we both had to wait awhile, it was worth it.”
Lizzie chuckled. “You’re still young, Callie. You didn’t really wait that long.”
“Well, it seemed like forever to me.”
Lizzie’s eyes shone as she smiled at me.
“You know what? I understand exactly what you’re saying. I felt the same way about Noah. Like I waited an eternity for him. But now—”
“It feels like he’s been in your life forever?”
She nodded. “You’re going to make me cry, and if I go outside with tears on my cheeks, they’re liable to freeze on my face.”
I laughed. “You’d better get going before Noah comes back and drags you out.”
She let go of my hands and stood up. “You’re right.” She took off her apron and started toward the kitchen.
“Leave it here,” I said. “I’ll take care of it.”
She stopped and looked around the room. “I feel awful leaving this mess for you.”
“Don’t be silly. Cleaning up at the end of the day is my job. Besides, I kind of like being in the restaurant by myself.” A small meowing sound came from the stairs. Dora had come down to check on me. “Well, almost by myself.” She ran into the dining room, stopped, and slowly stretched. Then she meowed again, this time with more enthusiasm.
“I think she’s ready for dinner,” Lizzie said.
As if he’d been waiting for his friend, Prince’s plaintive mew came from the kitchen. “I guess they’re both ready,” I said with a chuckle.
Lizzie paused as she put on her outer garments. “This certainly has been a strange day. Frankly, I’m glad it’s almost over.”
“It won’t be over for me until Levi is home.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine, but I’ll certainly feel a lot better when I know he’s been released.”
“Me too.”
“How are you doing upstairs?” Lizzie asked suddenly.
It took me a moment to readjust my worried thoughts to something positive. I managed a smile. “I love it, Lizzie. Your apartment is so cozy and relaxing. Thanks for letting me move in.”
She nodded. “Do you miss your house at all?”
I shook my head. “No. Selling it was the right thing to do. Papa was sick and sad for so long, I’m afraid it wasn’t a very cheerful place. He was never the same after Mama went away.”
“I understand,” Lizzie said, “and I’m so glad you like our apartment. I loved living here, but I’m much more content in our new house. Lots more room.” She snorted. “And a bathroom near the bedroom. A nice luxury.”
“Well, the apartment has plenty of room for me, and I don’t mind using the restaurant bathroom. To be honest, I think I’ll miss living here after Levi and I get married.”
Lizzie chuckled. “Trust me. Getting married and moving into your own house is much better.”
“I’m sure you’re right. We’re looking forward to living in Avery’s home. It needs some work, but it will be a great place for us to start our lives together. I just wish it was closer to the restaurant. It will take me a lot longer to get here than it does now.”
“To be honest, Callie, I’m not sure the elders will want you to work at the restaurant after you marry Levi. They’ll probably expect you to be available for church work.”
“I know. And I’ll do whatever they decide. But to be honest, I’d really miss coming here. I love my job.”
She smiled at me as she wrapped a thick winter scarf around her neck. The sound of an automobile horn spilt the silence.
“Noah’s getting antsy. I’d better go.” She put her hand on the doorknob. “Lock this door behind me, Callie. I’m sure you’ll be perfectly safe, but it’s smart to be cautious.”
Until that moment, it hadn’t occurred to me that I could be in any danger. A wave of doubt washed through me. But my concerns were silly and childish. The woman on the road wasn’t from Kingdom, and there was no proof the killer was anywhere within a hundred miles of our small town.
“I will,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. “And I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay. Good night.”
Lizzie stepped outside onto the porch and closed the door, but instead of leaving, she stared at me through the big front window. I got up and hurried to the front door, making a big show of locking it. Lizzie nodded and jogged down the stairs. Then she climbed up into the truck. I watched the truck turn around and drive away from town. I wondered how long the men from the KBI would be guarding the road. The thought that they might still be out there made me feel a little better.
I spent the next two hours feeding the cats and cleaning up. Before I finished, snowflakes began to fall, illuminated by the porch light outside our door. I made a cup of hot tea and took it upstairs to my cozy apartment. Dora and Prince followed behind me, their soft, padded feet silent on the stairs. I took down my hair and brushed it out. Then I changed into my nightgown and curled up on the couch. Prince found his favorite place on my lap, and his quiet purring brought me the first feeling of peace I’d had all day. I closed my eyes, sipped my tea, and was enjoying the quiet, when suddenly, a noise from downstairs cut through the silence. The previous sensation of serenity fled, and I jumped up, spilling Prince onto the floor. He meowed loudly in an effort to relate his dissatisfaction at being dumped without warning.
I eased toward the top of the stairs, my heart racing. Why did I agree to stay here by myself? The sound of a crash almost brought me to my knees. I was alone, with no way to get help. I turned and ran to the window, staring outside, but there was no one there. The streets of downtown Kingdom looked like a ghost town at night. I hurried back to the stairs and slowly began to close the door. It wasn’t much, but at least it would afford some protection. It was almost shut when something brushed against my leg, causing me to shriek. I twirled around and found myself looking at Dora, who was busy licking her paws, her mouth suspiciously white. If I could have found my voice, I would have scolded her. I pulled the door open and walked slowly down the stairs. As I suspected, a pitcher of cream was lying on the floor. I’d accidently missed putting it away when cleaning up. After retrieving it and wiping up the floor, I went back upstairs.
“You’re a rotten cat,” I said when I returned. Dora didn’t look the least bit repentant, and frankly, I was so relieved, I couldn’t be mean to her.
I got back on the couch and tried to reclaim the tranquility I’d felt earlier. Everything was fine. I should have felt completely safe, but now an undercurrent of alarm stirred inside me. The silent streets outside my window provided no reassurance. It was as if something dark and sinister lurked in the blackness. As I gazed out on the streets of our small town, I could swear I felt something staring back at me. Something evil.