from behind, and before she could scream, he’d have her unconscious.
He closed his eyes and took a deep, slow breath, letting it all play out in his head. He could see himself carrying her the short distance to the shallow stream, then across it and up the bank to the golfcourse. Where they’d play and play and play until he didn’t feel like playing anymore.
And Darlene Myers would pay him back, minute by agonizing minute, for her part in what he’d gone through for all those years. And even then, he wouldn’t be quite finished with her.
7
Genna couldn’t help but have mixed feelings about the part she had played in the arrest of the Frick boys on drug trafficking and possession charges. The case marked the first time since the Amish had migrated to that part of the state years before that any member of that community had been charged with a major crime. There was virtually no juvenile delinquency, unless you counted the buggy races on Saturday evenings, or the stealing of a kiss behind a barn.
And Patsy, of course, had known right away, the minute the story broke on Thursday afternoon, that Genna’s hand had been in it. She looked at Genna from across the living room after turning on the five o’clock news that had led with film of the police van driving down the dirt road on their way to the farmhouse, and said, “I doubt I’ll ever be able to face Mrs. Frick again.”
“I’m sorry, Patsy. The boys were in way over their heads. Now they’ll have to pay the consequences. It’s unfortunate, yes, but it was their choice.”
“How do you suppose those bike people got to them? How did they get those boys to even experiment with drugs?”
“I guess it will all come out, sooner or later. I don’t know the details, Pats. My only involvement was as an observer.”
“When we went to buy eggs.” Patsy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “The day you bought the baby quilt. . .”
Genna nodded.
“Well, I guess someone had to put a stop to it. It’s so sad, though.” Patsy sighed. “Mrs. Frick told me once that when she moved out here with her husband, she was a young wife with two small children. One of the reasons they came here was to escape the encroachment of the modern world into their lives. To protect their children. I wonder what she thinks now. . .”
Genna reached over and took Patsy’s hand.
“I’m sorry that your friend was hurt, Pats. But it had to be done.”
“Oh, honey, I don’t blame you. I just know that Mrs. Frick will be so bewildered by everything that will come next. The trial. If they’re convicted, they’ll go to prison. And that’s just no place for a young Amish boy.” Patsy shuddered slightly, then turned to Genna and said without emotion, “But this was why you came this week. It wasn’t just a vacation. And now that the arrest has been made, you’ll leave.”
“Decker knows that I come here as often as I can. He did ask me to take a few days and just take a look around the farm and see what I could see. Unofficially, of course. I did that.” She paused for a second before adding, “I think you should consider going back to Tanner for a while, at least until the locals are certain that they have taken everyone into custody who’s been involved in this.”
Patsy looked at Genna as if she’d spoken in a foreign tongue.
“Whatever are you talking about?”
“The bikers saw me at the farm. It wouldn’t be difficult to find this cottage, or to find me if anyone took it into their head to look.”
“Why would anyone make a connection between you and this?” She pointed to the television.
“Because sweet little Rebecca Frick identified me as an FBI agent right in front of them.”
“Oh.” Patsy’s face folded into a frown. “That is unfortunate. She may have been standing on the porch when Mrs. Frick asked me what you were up to these days, and I told her. But what does that have to do with me?”
“We’re pretty isolated over on this end of
He closed his eyes and took a deep, slow breath, letting it all play out in his head. He could see himself carrying her the short distance to the shallow stream, then across it and up the bank to the golfcourse. Where they’d play and play and play until he didn’t feel like playing anymore.
And Darlene Myers would pay him back, minute by agonizing minute, for her part in what he’d gone through for all those years. And even then, he wouldn’t be quite finished with her.
7
Genna couldn’t help but have mixed feelings about the part she had played in the arrest of the Frick boys on drug trafficking and possession charges. The case marked the first time since the Amish had migrated to that part of the state years before that any member of that community had been charged with a major crime. There was virtually no juvenile delinquency, unless you counted the buggy races on Saturday evenings, or the stealing of a kiss behind a barn.
And Patsy, of course, had known right away, the minute the story broke on Thursday afternoon, that Genna’s hand had been in it. She looked at Genna from across the living room after turning on the five o’clock news that had led with film of the police van driving down the dirt road on their way to the farmhouse, and said, “I doubt I’ll ever be able to face Mrs. Frick again.”
“I’m sorry, Patsy. The boys were in way over their heads. Now they’ll have to pay the consequences. It’s unfortunate, yes, but it was their choice.”
“How do you suppose those bike people got to them? How did they get those boys to even experiment with drugs?”
“I guess it will all come out, sooner or later. I don’t know the details, Pats. My only involvement was as an observer.”
“When we went to buy eggs.” Patsy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “The day you bought the baby quilt. . .”
Genna nodded.
“Well, I guess someone had to put a stop to it. It’s so sad, though.” Patsy sighed. “Mrs. Frick told me once that when she moved out here with her husband, she was a young wife with two small children. One of the reasons they came here was to escape the encroachment of the modern world into their lives. To protect their children. I wonder what she thinks now. . .”
Genna reached over and took Patsy’s hand.
“I’m sorry that your friend was hurt, Pats. But it had to be done.”
“Oh, honey, I don’t blame you. I just know that Mrs. Frick will be so bewildered by everything that will come next. The trial. If they’re convicted, they’ll go to prison. And that’s just no place for a young Amish boy.” Patsy shuddered slightly, then turned to Genna and said without emotion, “But this was why you came this week. It wasn’t just a vacation. And now that the arrest has been made, you’ll leave.”
“Decker knows that I come here as often as I can. He did ask me to take a few days and just take a look around the farm and see what I could see. Unofficially, of course. I did that.” She paused for a second before adding, “I think you should consider going back to Tanner for a while, at least until the locals are certain that they have taken everyone into custody who’s been involved in this.”
Patsy looked at Genna as if she’d spoken in a foreign tongue.
“Whatever are you talking about?”
“The bikers saw me at the farm. It wouldn’t be difficult to find this cottage, or to find me if anyone took it into their head to look.”
“Why would anyone make a connection between you and this?” She pointed to the television.
“Because sweet little Rebecca Frick identified me as an FBI agent right in front of them.”
“Oh.” Patsy’s face folded into a frown. “That is unfortunate. She may have been standing on the porch when Mrs. Frick asked me what you were up to these days, and I told her. But what does that have to do with me?”
“We’re pretty isolated over on this end of
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