Page 46 of Among the Innocent

Eva kicked him hard enough to free herself. She ran for the door once more. Once she reached it, she fumbled with the handle and got it open. Without hesitating, she ran toward the old, dilapidated house, her prayer kapp strings flying around her face. Her skirt tangling her legs.

His footsteps tromped after her. Eva was almost to the porch when something slammed against the side of her head. Her vision blurred. Her stomach heaved. She struggled to keep her feet beneath her but couldn’t. Her hands reached for the porch post. Felt the weathered wood beneath her fingers. She tried to scream, but another blow struck hard. And her world tumbled to darkness.

Ten

Something woke Dalton from a hard sleep. He sat up quickly, the darkness outside the curtains proving he’d been asleep for hours. He grabbed his phone. The time showed past midnight of a new day. He was now alone in the living room. Where was Leah? Fear catapulted him from his seat.

With his weapon close, he stepped out into the hall. Quiet conversation came from the kitchen. Marge’s and Leah’s voices drifted his way. He lowered the weapon and gulped in several breaths. His phone reflected several missed calls from Sam. There had been no DNA left at Leah’s house. Not a surprise but a definite kick in the gut. The killer seemed to be familiar with how the police gathered evidence.

Dalton was heading for the kitchen when his cell phone buzzed. Henry. Dalton stepped away before answering it. “What’s wrong?” The bad feeling that had been his constant partner hit him full force.

“Two of Eva Hostetler’s brothers came to the station. Eva is missing.”

“How did she get out of the house without our officers seeing her?” Dalton asked in astonishment.

“We think she may have snuck out through the cellar door. The officers were watching what they believed to be the bedrooms at the front of the house. They didn’t have eyes on the back.”

“Unbelievable.” A door opened behind him. Dalton turned as Leah came over to him. “What is it?” she mouthed.

“Hang on a second, Henry.” He held the phone at his side and told her the news. “Let’s go into the living room.” Once the door closed, Dalton put the phone on speaker. “What did the brothers tell you?” he asked Henry.

“Her mother checked on her only to find Eva’s bed was empty and she was gone. The two brothers searched the property. Found footprints leading to the road behind the house. The two tribal officers are canvassing the property now. Sam is on his way to the Hostetler place now to assist.”

“Send the brothers home, Henry. I’d like the family to stay together. I’ll have Ethan meet Sam over there. Have the officers at the house keep them inside. I’ll be in touch soon.” Dalton ended the call and gave the order to Ethan. They couldn’t leave Marge alone with a killer out there somewhere. “I’m calling for assistance. We need someone watching the house and Marge at all times.”

“I’d better let her know.” She returned to her mother while Dalton placed the call for help.

The sheriff’s department as well as the tribal police force had given them the extra manpower needed to hunt for the killer. Until John was captured, routine patrols had been suspended. Only emergency calls were being investigated. Everything else was filtered to the sheriff’s department in the next county over.

He joined Leah and Marge in the kitchen. “They’re on their way,” he told them.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Marge grabbed for Leah’s hand. “That poor family.”

Dalton’s thoughts raced over the facts he knew. If Eva’s family had searched their property, either the killer had taken her somewhere or she had agreed to meet him.

A text message came through. “Backup is outside. Make sure you lock up behind us, Marge.”

The older woman went with them to the door.

“Try not to worry,” Leah told her and kissed her cheek. After they stepped outside, the locks slid into place.

“This is bad stuff,” the tribal police chief said when they stopped next to his cruiser. “You think she’s still alive?”

Dalton didn’t want to share his dark thoughts yet. “I sure hope so. I’ll call you when we have more information. I appreciate the assist.” He flew from the neighborhood.

“If he has her, he’d want to take her to the barn,” Leah said.

Dalton checked in with the deputy who was watching the Millers’ barn. “Has there been anything unusual happening there?”

“Nothing, chief. There’s been no one near the barn. I checked it just recently.”

“Well, keep your eyes open. If anything looks out of place, radio for backup immediately.”

“Copy that.”

Dalton glanced Leah’s way and saw her struggling to keep it together. “So if he didn’t take her to your barn, then where?”

“He’d want someplace like the barn to mimic the experience in his mind.”

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