Shadow of Shame: Book 1 of the Shadow series (15 page)

Ivy invited the sheriff inside. “How can I help you, sir?”

“Good evening, miss. You’re Ivy, right?”

Ivy was taken aback. “Yes.”

“We just need some verification,” Smith said.

“Won’t you have a seat?”

The sheriff and deputy took a seat on the sofa, and Ivy sat in an arm chair. “How can I help?” she asked.

“Jonas Armstrong said you were the one to identify Boyd Egan as the mysterious Mr. E. Can you tell us how you knew that?”

“Certainly. He attacked me as we were walking into the barn dance. He’d never acted like that before, but he’d been drinking. I could smell it. He was acting strangely. Then he started trying to get personal with me, telling me to call him Mr. E. All of a sudden, Jonas grabbed him and threw him against a buggy. He started punching him. Quinn Iverson came and had to pull Boyd out of Jonas’s reach. That’s when Boyd started bad-mouthing Jonas. No one has seen Boyd since that night—until today, that is.”

“Today?” the sheriff asked. “Where did you see him today?”

“I was walking to the dry goods store from the hardware store and he pushed me between the buildings. He told me that Jonas did away with Mrs. Kreiter.” Ivy sighed. “I don’t believe a word of it. I think he’s just trying to get even with Jonas.”

“We think so too, but we have to check.”

“Would you call Jonas Armstrong a violent man?” the deputy asked.

“No more than you would be if you saw a woman being attacked,” Ivy said. “Other than the day he went after Boyd, I've never seen him angry. He's a patient and caring man.” Ivy bit her lower lip. She had hoped Jonas wouldn’t hear about Boyd’s latest threat, but now it was out of her hands.

“That’s all we need for our report. Thank you, Miss Jeffries.” The sheriff and deputy left.

Ingrid had Sundays off, so Jonas had to scramble to get them both ready for church, their first week at Grace. Zoe was able to dress herself now, so he laid her clothes out for her on her bed. He made a hasty breakfast, and waited for his father and Caleb who were to accompany them. His father reported that Phoebe wouldn't be going with them that week as she wasn’t feeling well.

They all squeezed into the buggy. Jonas tightened Zoe’s hat; it was sleeting, and he didn’t want her getting sick. He was so proud of the way she looked today. She wore a red dress with white lace trim, and a white coat that someone had donated. She looked adorable. No one would be able to resist her. He sat her on his lap, and kissed her plump cheek. “I love you Zoe,” he said.

“I love you too, Papa,” she said.

They all walked into the church together, and Jonas had to admit, despite the great introduction by Reverend Jeffries, he still felt nervous. He warned himself to stay calm if anyone should offend him or his daughter in any way.

They stood in the doorway of the sanctuary, wondering where to sit, when Ivy hurried over.

“No back row for the Armstrongs. You’re all coming up front with me.” Then she stooped to hug Zoe.

“My, Zoe, don’t you look pretty!” she said.

Zoe smiled. “I dressed meself.”

“Good job! C’mon.” She took Zoe’s hand, and George, Caleb, and Jonas could do nothing but follow Ivy as she led them to the very first pew.

After they were seated, George leaned over and whispered to Jonas, “I’ve been coming to church for forty years and never sat in the front row.”

“I guess this is what you call a baptism by fire,” Jonas whispered back.

Ivy sat on the far left, with Zoe between her and Jonas, and George and Caleb sat on the far right.

Zoe was all eyes. She spun around and looked at the lady behind her, and said a loud, “Hi,” to the lady sitting there. Ivy tried to pull her back, but the older woman behind them patted Zoe’s hand.

“You must be Jonas Armstrong’s daughter. I’m Mrs. Warner.”

“I’m Zoe.”

“I’m pleased to meet you Zoe,” Mrs. Warner said.

Ivy smiled at Mrs. Warner and mouthed a thank you.

Jonas thought the service was similar to Trinity’s, but he had to admit—Hiram Jeffries gave an excellent sermon.

At the end of the service, Reverend Hiram Jeffries announced, “I’d like you all to meet Jonas Armstrong, our new director of music. Stand up, Jonas, so everyone will know who to complain to if they don’t hear their favorite song.”

Jonas stood and turned to smile at the congregation.

Hiram continued, “And I want everyone to meet Miss Zoe Armstrong, Jonas’s daughter.”

Ivy had Zoe stand on the bench and face the people. They all smiled warmly at her, so she returned the smile, and even waved. Several women said, “Aww,” in unison.

Jonas wondered how anyone could not fall in love with the child.

“I have one other announcement to make,” Hiram announced, “and this is one I couldn’t be prouder of or happier to announce. My daughter, Ivy, and Jonas Armstrong are betrothed, and will marry on February the fourteenth. I’m happy to become Jonas’s father-in-law, but thrilled that I’ll soon be Zoe’s Gram Papa.” Then he proceeded to give the benediction and dismissal.

After church, Hiram and Lavinia invited George, Caleb, Jonas, and Zoe home for Sunday dinner.

During dinner, plans for Christmas were being discussed.  “Have you thought about a Christmas for Zoe?” George asked Jonas.

“I‘ll buy gifts for her, if that’s what you mean.” Jonas said.

“I mean you have to make the day special. Your mother always popped corn, and made this delicious candy from molasses. These are the kind of memories that Zoe will always remember,” George said.

Hiram said, “I agree,” and then he, George and Lavinia all told stories of their Christmases.

Jonas thought he’d run this Christmas thing past Thelma. Surely she’d have some ideas about how to make Christmas memories special for Zoe.

He already knew what his gift to Zoe would be, but he didn’t know what to give Ivy. Maybe Thelma could help him there, too.

Lavinia said, “I’m taking Zoe upstairs to show her Rose’s dolls. C’mon, Zoe.” She took Zoe by the hand, and led her up the stairs. Violet and Rose followed them.

Ivy took Jonas’s hand. “She’s leaving us alone for a reason. I need to talk to you.” She led him to the sitting room.

Jonas smiled. “Will I get a kiss after the talk?”

Ivy smiled coyly. “It’s very possible.”

Ivy sobered. “I saw Boyd yesterday.”

“What?” Jonas couldn’t believe it.

“He pulled me aside on the street, and insinuated that you were a violent man. He said you did away with Mrs. Kreider as well as Minnie. I think he just wants to split us up.”

“He went to the sheriff with that story, too.” Jonas shook his head.“We went to his house, but he wasn’t home,” Jonas said. “We were going to try again, but the sheriff warned me to let them handle it.”

“The sheriff? He spoke with you about it, too?” she asked.

“I was thoroughly questioned about it. He seems to believe me, thank God. I don’t know what I’d do if I were arrested for this after I'd finally gotten rid of my guilt, and been accepted by the town.”

“That was my worry, too. I also told the sheriff everything. I hope they find him. He scares me, Jonas.”

Jonas put his arms around her. “We can only pray about it now.”

With only days before Christmas, Jonas finally remembered to ask Thelma how they could make Christmas memorable for Zoe. Thus far, Christmas had consisted of dinner at his father’s with Caleb and Phoebe. This year he had to do something special.

“We always had mincemeat pie and chocolate drops,” Thelma said. “Maybe some fish for dinner, or a nice duck.”

“We’ve all been invited to my father’s, so I'm not worried about dinner. We’ve invited the Jeffries family, too,” he said. “I just need to make the day special for Zoe.”

“I’ll make some chocolate drops and a mincemeat pie. You can enjoy them on Christmas Eve or Christmas night,” she said. Jonas thought she'd felt honored that he’d asked for her opinion. “And you must hang a stocking from the mantle, for St. Nick to fill.”

“What with?” he asked.

“Candy and a present or two,” she said.

“What should I get Ivy?” he asked.

“Now that’s a tougher question,” she said, scratching her chin. “Does she like to read?”

“I think so. She mentioned it once.”

“How about a book, or a box of sweets?” she said. “Oh, I have just the thing! Buy her jewelry. Women love jewelry.”

“Thanks, Thelma.” Jonas gave her a bear hug, and Thelma swatted him away.

As Christmas approached, amid the excitement of St. Nick and gifts, the town buzzed with the news of Zoe being Baby Jesus for the play. To Ivy and Jonas’s delight, everyone loved the idea.

Jonas bustled around town buying his gifts. He actually felt excited about the giving of gifts. His family had never exchanged gifts, and he couldn’t wait for Zoe and Ivy to open what he’d purchased.

He walked by the general store and noticed a sign in the window, “Colored and Indians Welcome.” He smiled. Even Mr. Simmons had gotten into the Christmas spirit. Either that, or more than likely, his sales had dropped so low, he had to change his ways.

Ivy came to pick up Zoe for the play rehearsal. They’d had a covering of sleet earlier in the week, but so far no snow had fallen, and everyone hoped for a white Christmas. He’d told Zoe about St. Nick and she worried how he would get there on his sleigh if there wasn’t any snow. Jonas told her St. Nick would come in a buggy.

“Ivy, I’m sorry,” he said when she came for Zoe. “I was planning on going along tonight, but Otto Prinkley wants to pick up the horse he bought for his daughter.”

“That’s fine,” she said. “This way you’ll enjoy the play even more, not having seen it already.”

“I should be back with her in an hour or so.” Ivy took Zoe’s hand. “Kiss Papa, and we’ll go now.”

Zoe wrapped her arms around Jonas, “I love you, Papa.”

Jonas squeezed her. “I love you, too, Zoe. Be a good girl for Ivy.”

Zoe left with Ivy.

Ivy put Zoe into the buggy and covered them both with a heavy blanket. She steered her buggy down the rutted path toward the road. After she’d driven about a quarter mile on the road to town, she saw that a strange buggy had blocked the road. She slowed and was about to proceed around the obstruction, when someone rushed out from the bushes, and grabbed Zoe.

“Hey!” she yelled, “Stop!” She wasn’t sure, but she thought it looked like Boyd Egan.

Ivy didn’t know what to do first. Instinct made her jump out of the buggy and run after them. The man whom she’d thought might be Boyd ran to the buggy that blocked the road, put a now-screaming Zoe onto the seat, and sped away.

Ivy ran back to her buggy and tried to follow, never considering it could be dangerous for her if she caught up with them. She couldn't let that buggy out of her sight. Her heart raced, and she felt a panic attack coming on. Why would he want Zoe? The poor child must be petrified. She didn’t realize that tears were also rolling down her face until the chill in the air nearly froze them on her cheeks.

The buggy ahead of her rounded a curve, but it had disappeared by the time she got there. There was a fork in the road. One went into town and the other to the north end of town.

It was dark, and she could no longer see a thing down either road. She slouched in the seat and prayed.

Feeling a bit more in control, she decided to take the road toward town. If Boyd hadn’t taken this road, she could at least report the kidnapping to the sheriff before having to break the news to Jonas.

When she reached town, she saw Peggy and Quinn walking near the church, and she halted her buggy.

“Are you going to the church?” she yelled to them. They nodded, and she shouted,“Tell them Zoe and I won’t be there. Someone blocked the road, and when I slowed down a man grabbed Zoe. I think it was Boyd. I’m going to the sheriff’s office now .”

“Wait,” Quinn said, “I’ll go with you.” He turned to Peggy. “You run to the church and let everyone know, and have them all pray. Pray really hard.” Quinn jumped into Ivy’s buggy and he rode with her to the sheriff’s office.

They walked into the sheriff’s office only to find neither the sheriff nor the deputy there. Her heart felt as if it had dropped to her toes. A young man she didn’t know was sitting behind the sheriff’s desk.

“I need to see the sheriff,” Ivy cried.

“It’s an emergency,” Quinn added.

“I’m sorry. He and the deputy are out on an important call,” the man said. “They left me in charge. My name's Pickens, Herbert Pickens.”

Ivy began to cry on Quinn’s shoulder. He patted her back. “I feel devastated, and Jonas will be heartbroken,” she cried. “I feel responsible, even though there was nothing I could do. He left his most precious possession in my care, and now she’s gone.”

“It isn’t your fault,” Quinn said. “Do you suppose he took her to his home? I know where he lives.”

“Would he take her to such an obvious place?” Ivy asked. “Would he hurt her?”

“He might take her there because, as far as I know, I’m the only one who knows where he lives. I don’t know whether he’d hurt her or not. I guess it depends on how desperate he is.”

“We have to find him,” she urged.

“No. We need more than just you and me. It could get ugly if he’s there,” Quinn said. “Let’s get Jonas, and maybe Caleb.”

Ivy prayed the whole ride to Jonas’s house.

Jonas, and Quinn rode on horseback in the direction of Barn Road. Caleb followed in his buggy.  Jonas was frantic. He kept telling Quinn it was his own fault, and that he was being punished for his past.

Ivy had stayed at Jonas’s house in case someone should bring Zoe back.

They were stopped by the sheriff before they could reach the house.

“Is that you Jonas?” the sheriff said.

“Yes. Someone’s taken my daughter, and Ivy thinks it was Boyd. There’s a light on in that house, and I’m going in to get her.” Jonas slid off his horse.

“Whoa!” the sheriff said, putting his hand on Jonas’s chest. “You aren’t going anywhere. We’ll handling this.”

“Please tell me what’s going on. Is Zoe all right?”

“Calm down, Jonas, and I’ll tell you,” the sheriff said.

“We found some evidence at the Kreider home that led us here. There was no one here so we staked out the house from those trees yonder. Boyd drove up in the buggy about a half hour ago with a very hysterical child—”

“Zoe! Dear Lord!” Jonas cried. “She must be terrified. I have to get to her.”

“Let me finish,” the sheriff said. “I have a posse of ten men, and we have the house surrounded. Egan says if we make a move he’ll—keep calm, Jonas—he says he'll hurt the child.”

Jonas was having trouble breathing. “So you’re doing nothing?”

“We're trying to think of a way to get into the house—”

“Tell him I’ll give him everything I own for that child. Let him take me for a hostage,” Jonas begged.

“We think someone may have told him we were onto him, or he saw us emptying the Kreider home. We wore masks and went through everything there—what a mess!” the sheriff said. “Boyd knew we’d find something on him, and we did. We found Beulah’s body stuffed into a closet. She’s been there for months. We also saw notes that he wrote to the babysitter with instructions signed by Mr. E.”

“He killed her?” Jonas moaned. “That means he could kill again.” Jonas fell to the ground and prayed out loud for the safety of his daughter.

Quinn jumped down from his horse, knelt beside him, and joined him in prayer.

“I’m going back to see if my deputy found a way to sneak in the house,” the sheriff said as he walked back to his posse.

“She must be terrified.” Jonas said. “I have to find a way to get her, Quinn.”

“I wonder if the sheriff would let me talk to Boyd,” Quinn said.

“Ask him. We have to do
something
,” Jonas said.

“All right. I’ll be right back,” Quinn said.

Caleb had been talking to the men in the posse. Now he met Jonas and knelt with him. “They're thinking of sneaking in a back window, but—"

“What? They
can’t
,” Jonas cried. “He’ll kill Zoe!”

“We have to trust them, Jonas.”

“The last thing Zoe said to me tonight was 'I love you, Papa.'” Tears rolled down Jonas’s face. “What can I do, Lord?” he said, addressing the sky. “Please give the sheriff’s men the wisdom and the skill to get Zoe out safely,” he prayed.

The sheriff walked over to them and said, “I’m going to allow Iverson to try talking to Egan. He’s going in now.”

“Oh, dear Lord…” Jonas prayed.

The deputy signaled to the sheriff, and the sheriff said, “Iverson's inside the house.”

“Please?”
Jonas prayed.

To Jonas, the several minutes Quinn was in the house seemed like hours. Finally, he saw Quinn talking to the sheriff who was back in front of the house with his men. Then both men walked back to Jonas.

“Here’s what’s happening, Jonas,” the sheriff said. “Iverson got Egan to agree to give up the girl, but he wants something in return. He wants us all to back off and let him ride away. He said he’d come out with the child and leave her in front of the house, but if anyone came after him he’d shoot her.”

“That’s good!” Jonas said. “Thank you, Quinn.”

The sheriff continued, “He wants us to ride one mile down the road to the east. He doesn’t know you’re here. You need to hide in these bushes until he rides away, and then you can run to get your daughter. We’ll go after Egan. In fact, I just sent a few men a half mile down the road to the west by a route that can’t be seen from the house. We’ll get him as he passes that way,” the sheriff said. “But make sure he doesn’t see you, or he won’t leave the child.”

Jonas ran to the bushes and ducked down. He could not see the house from where he crouched, but he did have a perfect view of the front yard near the road. He waited nervously. He’d never felt so nervous or panicky in his life. If he got Zoe back, he would never let her out of his sight again. He began to pray again.

Jonas watched the posse disappear to the east, and then he watched the front yard of the house until he saw Boyd on his horse with Zoe, still crying, under his arm. Boyd rode to the front of the house, looked up and down the road, seemed satisfied, and gently dropped Zoe to the ground. He rode off toward the west, right past where Jonas was hiding. Jonas stayed in the bushes, but he kept a close watch on Zoe. She sat there as if stunned. She was still crying, but not as hard. She seemed confused and scared, sitting there alone in the dark.

Finally, after about four minutes, Jonas stuck his head out and looked westward—Boyd was nowhere in sight. He darted from his hiding place to grab Zoe.

He ran with her back to the bushes, where he crouched with her. “It’s okay, Zoe. No more crying. Papa has you.”

Zoe grabbed on to Jonas’s collar, still gasping and having breathing spasms from crying so hard.

Jonas rocked her and patted her back, whispering soothing words to her.

Since Quinn and Caleb had taken his horse with them, he had to wait for someone to come back for him and Zoe.

Zoe tried to talk through her crying hiccups. “P-papa, b-b-bad m-man!”

“It’s all right now, honey, he’s gone. You’re with Papa, and as soon as Uncle Cal and Uncle Quinn return, we’re going home.”

“I l-love you P-papa,” she said, and hugged him tightly.

“Zoe, Papa loves you so much, he doesn’t ever want to be without you again.”

A few minutes later the men that had gone east rode back. Quinn and Caleb trotted over to Jonas and Zoe. The rest, along with the sheriff and deputy, rode west.

Caleb and Quinn were relieved that Zoe was safe.

“I have to thank God, and then we’re going home,” Jonas said. “I don’t care if they catch Boyd or not.”

All three bowed briefly in prayer and thanked God for Zoe’s safety.

When Jonas and Zoe walked into the house, Ivy ran to them. “Jonas! Zoe!” she cried, and threw her arms around them both.

Zoe smiled at Ivy. “Papa got me from bad man.”

“Oh, I’m so glad.” Ivy hugged them both. “I was so worried. I somehow felt that it was my fault,” Ivy cried. Tears rolled down her face.

Jonas felt assured that Ivy was the right choice for him. No matter how much he loved Ivy, if he wasn’t sure she’d love Zoe, he couldn’t marry her. Tonight proved to him how important that was. The three of them hugged for several moments.

“It
will
be a merry Christmas after all,” Ivy said.

“And thanks to you, Ivy, Zoe's talking so much better,” Jonas said, “even after tonight’s scare. She was petrified.”

“I hope,” said Ivy with a worried look, “she doesn’t have any bad d-r-e-a-m-s,” she spelled.

Jonas nodded knowingly. “Zoe, guess what? Papa is going to sleep with you tonight in my big bed. Would you like that?”

“Yeth—yes-s, Papa.” She smiled brightly, unshed tears still in her eyes.

“All right. Here’s what I need you to do,” Jonas said to Zoe. “Go up to your room, get your nightgown on, and wait for me in my bed. I’ll be up in just a few minutes.”

“Okay,” she said, and ran up the stairs.

When she was gone, Jonas relayed the story of what happened at Boyd's house to Ivy.

“Oh, how terrifying for you.” She hugged Jonas. “I prayed the whole time.”

“Thank you.”

“I knew I loved Zoe, but tonight really made me realize how much,” Ivy said. “To have her snatched right from my buggy—“

Jonas hugged her. “It’s over now. They found Beulah’s body in a closet in the Kreider home.”

“Oh, no!” she cried. “I’ll bet he was trying to find a way to pin that all on you.”

“Probably so. It shocks me, though, because for two years the three of us were close friends. I don’t know what's happened to him.”

“Was he a believer?” Ivy asked.

“No, I don’t think he was. He never went to church, and he never talked about God.”

“Well, that’s fertile ground for Satan isn’t it?”

“Exactly,” Jonas answered.

“Peggy stopped by to see what was going on and I told her to send my father. He should be here any minute. I couldn’t stand waiting alone. I guess the little girl in me wanted
my
Papa, too.”