Plain Pursuit. Alison Stone
jogged down the porch steps and stopped by the road to stretch. A soft wind blew across the cornfields, sending a hint of acrid smoke in her direction. A tightness squeezed her chest.
Focusing all her attention on the ground directly in front of her, she tipped her head from side to side, easing out the kinks. Determined to exercise away her mounting stress, she started her jog on the left side of the road, facing traffic. However, she didn’t expect to see any cars at this early hour in the country. As her sneakers hit the pavement, she tried to get into a rhythm. But the image of her brother’s cold dead body in the morgue seeped into her brain only to be replaced by more graphic images of her dead mother and father.
She pumped her arms harder. The steady incline of the road forced her to concentrate on her breathing, the placement of her feet, her stride. Soon, her thoughts cleared. She crested the hill and sidestepped some horse manure in the road. A horse and open wagon approached. The combination of the brim of his hat and the dim early-morning light shadowed the driver’s features. He waved as he passed. Befuddled, she ignored his greeting and kept running, feeling rude.
The first hint of sun became visible over the treetops. Sweat trickled down her temples. Lost in thought, she realized she had gone much farther than she anticipated. Slowing her pace, she looked up and down the long country road. She crossed to the other side to face the nonexistent traffic as she made her way back.
City habits die hard.
When she reached the road in front of the Miller’s home, she leaned over and braced her hands on her thighs, trying to catch her breath. She found herself staring at the cornstalks. She glanced toward the quiet farmhouse, not detecting any activity. But surely they were all up by now. Sucking in a quick breath, she stepped off the road into the soft soil. She held out her arm to push aside the cornstalks. Their sweet smell tickled her nose, and she pinched her nose to stop the threatening sneeze.
Pushing her way through the stalks, she realized she should have followed the beaten path made by the rescue workers. When she reached the clearing, she froze. A small crater of dark soil marked the spot where her brother had met his fate. Tiny white dots danced in front of her eyes. Covering her mouth, she backed away as her stomach heaved. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark shadow flicker between stalks. Training her gaze on the form, she sensed her fight-or-flight response kick in.
She spun around and plowed through the stalks. Each of her frantic steps was met with a rustling off to her right. Her heartbeat ratcheted up in her chest. Stalks whacked her face. Please help me, Lord. Sensing she was losing ground, she spun back around to face her potential attacker, but she twisted her ankle on the uneven earth and bit back a yelp. Two strong hands gripped her upper arms. A blood-curdling scream died on her lips when she glanced up to find Eli’s concerned gaze on her.
“Thank goodness you’re here.” Her breath came out in ragged gasps.
“I came outside to look for you when you didn’t answer my knock on your bedroom door. What’s wrong?”
“Were you walking through the cornstalks?”
“No, I just saw you when you lost your footing.” He narrowed his gaze. “What’s going on?”
“Someone...” Anna swallowed hard. “Someone was in there.”
“Are you okay?”
Unable to find the words, she nodded. He pointed to the house. “Go wait up there while I check it out.”
Anna nodded and jogged toward the house. Her ankle seemed fine under her weight. She reached the top step and her rubbery legs went out from under her. Dropping down on to the top step, she wrapped her arms around her middle and leaned forward, her eyes locked on the cornfield.
After what seemed like forever, Eli appeared and strode toward her. Her heart rate had returned to normal. “I didn’t see anything.” He narrowed his gaze. “What exactly did you see?”
“I...” Her shoulders dropped. “I don’t know. Maybe I was imagining things.” She pushed a hand through her hair. Maybe I’m as paranoid as my brother.”
Eli planted one foot on the bottom step of the porch and leaned his elbow on the railing. “You’ve had a lot to take in.” He offered her his hand and she pushed off the step to stand next to him.
“My nerves are shot.” Her laugh came out high-pitched and grating.
“Why did you go into the field?”
“I thought it would help me move past this nightmare if I saw the spot where his plane went down.” She had always regretted not returning to her childhood home after her mother’s murder. “I guess it was stupid.”
“No, it’s just that your brother was worried about you.” He glanced back toward the fields. “Until I figure out why, I want to keep an eye on you.”
Anna climbed a step to gain some distance. She didn’t know whether she should be flattered or annoyed. “I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for most of my life.”
Eli pinned her with his gaze. “Humor me, would you?” When she didn’t answer, he added, “Come on. Let’s go inside. My mother is making breakfast.”
“Mind if I clean up first?” He held open the screen door for her. She ran up the stairs, aware of Eli watching her. Now he was worried she was in danger. Had someone been following her in the fields? Shards of ice shot through her veins.
* * *
Despite the unseasonably warm October weather, Anna threw on a thin cardigan and capris, compelled to cover her exposed flesh. Anything less and she would have felt severely underdressed—disrespectful even—in this Amish house. Besides, she couldn’t shake the chill from her encounter in the cornstalks.
When she finally wandered downstairs to the kitchen, she was quickly ushered to the breakfast table. Mother and daughter in their long gowns, hair neatly pinned underneath their bonnets, moved in a practiced rhythm.
“We trust you had a good sleep, Miss Quinn,” Mariam said, never once slowing from the hustle and bustle of preparing breakfast.
“Yes, thank you.” The lie flew from her lips. It was easy because Eli’s mother never met her eyes. Anna rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the kinks in her back. A bead of sweat rolled down her back in the close quarters of the kitchen. The cooking stove gave off immense heat.
“Are you okay?” Mariam’s soft voice snapped her out of her reverie. “Please have a seat.”
Unable to find her voice, Anna nodded and pulled out the closest chair.
“No, please, sit in this one.” The older woman pointed to another chair. Mariam smoothed her hand across the top of the empty chair and slid it back into place.
Anna sat and leaned into the slats of the wooden high-back chair. A fragrant aroma wafted from the stove. Her stomach growled. Until then, she hadn’t realized she was hungry. A moment later, Eli strolled into the kitchen dressed in blue jeans and a dark-blue golf shirt.
“Feel better?” The intensity in Eli’s gaze unnerved her and she nodded. He pulled out a chair across from hers and sat down. The silence stretched between them.
Nervous energy finally got the best of Anna. “I thought I’d drive by my brother’s apartment today. Clean out his things.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“That’s not necessary.” She blurted out the words on reflex, despite knowing he’d insist. “I don’t want you to go to any more trouble than you already have.”
“I’d like to see if I can find anything at your brother’s apartment that might answer why he was worried.” Eli seemed to be selecting his words carefully. His mother placed a bowl of scrambled eggs on the table and smiled but didn’t say anything. “I have two weeks of vacation. I arranged it yesterday afternoon with my supervisor.”
Anna took a small spoonful of scrambled