Page 67 of Among the Innocent

“I can imagine,” he murmured. “I remember how difficult it was to move on after the news of Harrison’s death reached us.”

He’d suffered too. Losing the boy who had become his brother had to be agonizing. She and Dalton had been thrown into a situation that was unimaginable, the bond connecting them to a killer unthinkable.

“Do you feel up to attending Beth’s funeral this afternoon?” Dalton asked, jarring her from her thoughts. “There’s a chance the killer might show up to try and relive the kill.”

With everything that had happened, she’d almost forgotten Beth Zook would be buried today.

“Yes, of course. But what about Marge?”

“I’m sending Ethan over. I told him to stay inside with Marge and leave the two officers to handle the outside.”

“Good.” She wondered about the owner of the truck. Henry had said he’d run the registration. “Did you find the woman who owns the truck yet?”

Dalton sighed deeply. “Not yet. The address on the registration was a dead end. We’re still looking for her, but I can’t imagine how she fits into all of this.”

Leah couldn’t either. “We’ll figure it out,” she told him. “I’ll see you soon.”

She made lunch for herself and Marge, but neither had much of an appetite. While Leah went upstairs to change, Marge returned to Ellis’s office to watch TV.

Leah quickly changed into the only black dress she owned. She’d worn it for Ellis’s funeral and had left it behind in her old bedroom because she’d hoped there wouldn’t be a need to wear it again. She wound her raven hair into a knot at the nape ofher neck. When she was ready, she went back downstairs. Ethan and Dalton had arrived and were quietly talking by the door.

“I’ll just stick my head in and check on Marge before we go.” Leah went to the office, where Marge appeared to be struggling in a fitful sleep.

“No, Ellis,” Marge murmured. “That’s not right.”

Leah shook her gently. Marge’s eyes snapped open. She stared up at Leah with a terrified expression. “Oh, Leah. You scared the daylights out of me!” She sat up slowly.

“I’m sorry. I was just checking on you before we left. You were having a bad dream. Are you feeling all right?” Leah sat down beside her mother.

Marge raised a shaky hand to her forehead. “Yes, I’m fine.” She focused on Leah’s appearance. “You look nice. Are you going somewhere?”

Leah gathered the other woman’s hands in hers and told her about the funeral.

“Oh, that’s right. I’d forgotten. I feel so sorry for the family. I remember—” She stopped and focused on Leah. Both Marge and Ellis had attended her family’s funeral. “It’s good that you are going.”

“Ethan’s here to sit with you, and those two deputies are still outside. You’re safe.”

Marge smiled. “Well, of course I am. Ellis wouldn’t let anything happen to me.” Her smile slipped slightly as she struggled to recall reality and couldn’t.

Leah leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be back soon. In the meantime, don’t spoil Ethan and the deputies too much.” She rose and started for the door. Once she reached it, she turned.

Marge stared at the muted TV as if unaware of the lackof sound. Leah covered a sob and slipped from the room. She scrubbed her hand over her eyes to wipe away the tears. Marge needed her to be strong.

Ethan was in the kitchen talking with Dalton. Both turned when she entered. Dalton’s dark eyes slipped over her.

Ethan cleared his throat. “I’ll take Marge a cup of coffee. She and I were playing checkers before. Maybe she’ll want another game.” Ethan excused himself.

“You look nice,” Dalton said when it was just the two of them.

Warmth spread up Leah’s neck. “You look pretty handsome yourself.” And he did. The dark suit accentuated his tall frame and reminded her how quickly she was losing her heart to him.

As they drove to the Zook farm, Leah couldn’t stop thinking about Marge’s reaction to her dream. She’d appeared to be arguing with Ellis about something. The times she’d seen Ellis and Marge disagree were few. She suspected they kept their arguments from her.

Leah remembered something Ellis had said to her once. He’d told her Marge was fragile. She’d had a hard life and he’d do whatever he could to spare her further heartache. Leah hadn’t understood what he meant. She’d asked Ellis to explain, but he’d refused. Now she wondered if Ellis had kept something hidden about Marge.

“Everything okay?” Dalton’s voice brought her from the past. She turned to stare into his eyes. The tenderness there washed over her.

“Yes. I’m just worried about Marge, I guess. It seems her periods of confusion are growing. It’s bringing back a lot of bad things. And with her losing Ellis, well, it’s almost as if she doesn’t have a reason to hang on.”

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