Page 38 of Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Emily didn’t have the same qualms as she said, “We are here to find out who is behind the murder of Willa’s brother, Henry. We have returned to the scene of the crime.”

Jeremiah looked from Emily to me and back again. “You are investigating Henry’s death.”

I started to shake my head, but Emily said, “Yes, that’s exactly it. To do that we need your help.”

Jeremiah bent down to pick up the buckets again. “I’m sorry that Henry is dead. He was my closest friend. He was like a brother to me, but I can’t help you with this.” He turned and walked away toward the horse stalls.

Emily followed him, and I, of course, followed Emily.

Henry poured water into a trough for a pair of large draft horses that were in the same stall.

Then he moved on to the next stall with his bucket.

Emily wouldn’t be ignored. “We have heard rumors about this place being involved with a slave catcher. What do you know about that?”

Jeremiah shook the last droplets of water out of his second bucket and turned to her. “I have worked here a year, and I have never seen a slave catcher here.”

“Have you heard of any here?” Emily asked. “I assume men of that persuasion keep to the shadows.”

Jeremiah didn’t say anything, which made me believe that he had heard the rumors about the stables and slave catchers.

“Was Henry involved with that?” Emily asked.

Jeremiah spun around. “No. He was fighting it. He was trying to find the truth.”

I gasped.

“And that was why he was killed?” Emily asked.

Jeremiah hung his head. “I am certain of it,” he whispered.

“I think you need to explain from the beginning,” Emily said.

I let out a breath, grateful she was taking the lead with these questions because my mind raced. What could Henry be searching for? How was he finding the truth? The truth about what exactly?

Jeremiah seemed to consider this. “I will tell you what little I know. Henry didn’t share everything with me. He said it was his way of protecting me. He believed the less I knew, the less likely it was that I would become a target.”

“A target for what?” Emily asked.

“For the men that Henry was spying on.”

I blinked. “Henry was a spy? For who? Why?”

“A wealthy man paid him to spy on Mr.Johnson. That is why he began working here. I didn’t know it for some time, but he finally told me.”

“A wealthy man?” Emily asked. “Who?”

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me. Like I told you before, he felt the less I knew, the safer I would be. He didn’t want me involved in that part.” He sighed.

“In that part. What does that mean?” Emily crossed her arms over her chest.

Jeremiah grimaced as if he realized that he might have said too much.

When he didn’t answer her question, she asked another. “Why was he supposed to spy on Mr.Johnson?”

Jeremiah’s shoulders relaxed. “Because of the rumors that you said. Mr.Johnson was known to sympathize with plantation owners who lost slaves to the North.”

“Why?” I asked. “What does he care about it? Is he from the South?”

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