Page 19 of Among the Innocent

His former Denver police lieutenant was worried about him, with good cause. Mark knew the real reason Dalton had come to St. Ignatius, and he’d cautioned him about getting his hopes up. Mark would be checking in to see how things were going. When Dalton had a better idea of what was happening, he’d reach out to Mark.

Sugar eyed him with raised brows as if waiting for an explanation he wasn’t prepared to give her.

“Thanks, Sugar.” He tapped the pink slip against her desk.

“Uh-huh,” she murmured, her disappointment clear. “Team’s all set up in the conference room. Coffee’s hot. Sounds like you’re gonna need it.”

Dalton headed down the corridor to where his people and officers from other branches gathered.

Henry and Ethan came up to him as he entered the room.

“How’s the family holding up?” he asked his youngest officer.

“Not so good. Their bishop and several deacons arrived as we were leaving.” Henry glanced around the room at the impressive amount of police force. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Dalton patted his back. “You’re doing a good job, Henry. I want you to go over to the Mission General Store and speak to the owners. See if they remember seeing Beth talking to a man. Leah said Eva Hostetler told her that’s where Beth met the Englischer.”

“You got it, Chief,” Henry readily agreed. “So, we think he’s the one who killed her? How does it connect to what happened to Leah’s family?”

“That we can’t say for certain yet. Once you’ve spoken to the owners, maybe they can give you some insight.”

Henry hitched up his belt over his skinny frame and headed out.

Dalton stepped away to a quiet corner and called Sam. He’d been told about Sam putting his name in the hat for the chief’s position. The man had worked under Ellis Petri for almost fifteen years. He’d investigated the Miller murders. But according to the mayor’s committee, while being a great officer, Sam lacked leadership skills. He hadn’t even been in the running. When Dalton had introduced himself earlier, there’d been a hint of resentment in the officer. He sure hoped they could work together without having a problem. “How are things going?”

“It’s been quiet, Chief. Marge didn’t much like it at first when I mentioned I’d be parked outside. I told her there’d been some burglaries in the area.”

“Good thinking. If anything seems suspicious, call me right away.” Dalton ended the call and shoved the phone into his pocket. He approached the conference room table, where Leah had been speaking with a female member of the tribal police. Her arms were wrapped around her body in a defensive gesture.

Their eyes met. Things he hadn’t felt since he’d lost his wife took life inside, but he dismissed them. Too soon, his heart warned. Allison had only been gone a few years.

The woman said something, and Leah turned away. The moment passed. Had she felt it as well?

He moved to the front of the room and kept the briefing short. The lead CSI tech believed they’d lifted a viable fingerprint from the bloody one on the door. Imprints from the tire tracks were taken along with the shoe prints outside the barn. Beth had DNA beneath her fingernails that would be analyzed.

The young Amish girl’s death had occurred while the community slept, which meant they wouldn’t have any witnesses. Dalton tried not to show disappointment. This was the beginning stage of the investigation. It promised to be long and grueling.

Dalton hesitated before delivering the news he was certain would be controversial. “From the note left on Beth’s person as well as the one found at the adjoining house, we have to assume this killer is the same one who murdered the Miller family ten years earlier.”

Sheriff Ingalls interrupted immediately. “Hold on there, Chief Cooper. Those murders are closed. I assisted Ellis with the case. Harrison Troyer killed himself rather than go to jail.” His glance slipped to Leah.

Dalton flinched at the man’s description of what had happened to Harrison. “That was the belief, but we can’t afford to overlook anything at this point. And Beth Zook’s killer referenced those murders.”

“So, you’re reopening the case?” Ingalls clearly didn’t approve.

“Yes, I’ll be looking at it again in light of Beth’s death.”

Sheriff Ingalls kept his opinion of this to himself. “What can my staff do to help?”

Dalton had no idea at this point, but he had a feeling they would need every single one of the people seated around the table and then some.

“We’re looking into the man Beth had been seeing before her death, but we can’t discount the boy she was going to eventually marry, Caleb Wagler, as a suspect. If he knew about the other man in Beth’s life, he might have become jealous.” Dalton didn’t know the Amish man, but in his gut he didn’t believe Caleb was responsible for Beth’s death.

“We can speak with him and his family.” Sheriff Ingalls rose and motioned to his deputy.

“Thank you, Sheriff. I appreciate the assist. Let’s meet here later today. Hopefully, we’ll have some answers by then.”

Dalton waited as the room cleared. All he wanted to do was go back to Ellis Petri’s old office and dive into the file from the Miller case again. Something had to have been missed.

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