Kingdom Come by Jane Jensen

was doing. True, I’d seen plenty of families with troubled youths, families that were better off when the black sheep in question—usually a kid badly hooked on meth or alcohol—simply stayed away. But surely Katie, an Amish teenage girl, couldn’t have been that much trouble. If liking boys were a crime, I’d have been sentenced to Siberia by age thirteen.
    â€œDo you have any pictures of Katie?” Grady asked. “We’ll need to check the hospitals and morgues in the area. Hopefully, we won’t find anything, but we have to look.”
    Isaac wiped his face as though he were sweating. He looked shaken. “No. We don’t hold to such like. No photos.”
    â€œKatie didn’t have any photos of her own that she left behind, from when she was in
rumspringa
?” I asked.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œI cleaned out her drawers already,” Hannah said with certainty. “Ruth and Waneta are in Katie’s old room now. Didn’t find no photos.”
    â€œWe can call in a sketch artist,” Grady said. “Would you be willing to help us draw a picture of Katie?”
    They exchanged a look and Isaac nodded. “I s’pose that would be aright.”
    â€œDid she have any distinguishing marks?” I asked.
    Hannah shook her head. “Not that I can say.”
    â€œHere.” Isaac gestured to his left front thigh. “A good-sized mole. Shaped like a butterfly.”
    Hannah looked at him in surprise. “That’s right. I forgot about that already.”
    I stared flatly at Isaac. He grew uncomfortable, his face reddening. “I . . . I remember it from when she was a baby.”
    I said nothing.
    Grady cleared his throat. “Can you show Detective Harris Katie’s old room, please?”
    â€”
    Grady called for the sketch artist and to get a search started on any bodies matching Katie’s age and gender that had been found since October of last year. Meanwhile, Hannah took me up to Katie’s room.
    â€œAs I said, her clothes and such like were already handed down. Not much to see,” she said as she opened the door.
    Two girls followed us into the room and stood with their hands behind their backs, regarding me with interest.
    â€œWho’s this?” I asked, giving the girls a smile.
    â€œRuth and Waneta.” Hannah pointed them out. Ruth was the older, maybe just on the cusp of puberty. Waneta looked to be seven or eight. They were both quite pretty, petite like their mother, and dark-haired. I wondered if they took after Katie.
    â€œWanna see some of Katie’s clothes?” Ruth volunteered eagerly. She opened the closet and pulled out a typical blue, long-sleeved Amish dress. She held it up to her chest and primped a bit. “This was Katie’s. It’s mine now, or will be when I grow big enow.”
    â€œIt’s a beautiful color,” I said, lightly fingering the soft cotton with a smile. Ruth was certainly not shy. I wondered if that too was a family trait.
    â€œThe lady is a policeman. I don’t think that’s of much help to her now,” Hannah said patiently.
    â€œIt’s all right,” I said as warmly as I dared. “Did Katie have this room to herself when she lived at home?”
    â€œNah, she shared it with Miriam till she got married, then Ruth,” said Hannah.
    â€œThat’s me!” Ruth added in case I was absentminded.
    â€œHush now,” Hannah scolded lightly.
    â€œActually, if it’s all right with you I’d like to ask Ruth some questions, since she roomed with Katie.”
    Hannah considered the request. “Can I be with her?”
    â€œOf course! I can do it right here.”
    â€œJa, it’s fine. Go ahead now.”
    I turned to Ruth. “Did Katie do or say anything that made you think she was going to leave when she did?”
    â€œShe said I’d have the room to myself right soon enow.”
    I nodded.