Angus knew he was risking all by asking her, but his instincts were telling him to persist.

  Mrs. Yoder stopped, her shoulders bending forward before she took a deep breath and turned to face him.

  “Sheriff Reid, around here you don’t question the elders and you certainly don’t question the Ordnung, especially if you are a woman. The men decide and we do as we are told.”

  Angus nodded, his eyes locked with hers.

  “I understand.” He paused then asked, “And Rachel was seeing the doctor, correct?”

  Her eyes confirmed what Angus already knew when Esther briefly glanced at him then looked away.

  Noticing her discomfort, Angus decided to switch gears.

  “How long do the women see the doctor for these adjustments?”

  “They go as long as it takes, until Dr. Fisher decides to stop their treatment.”

  Angus detected a sad tone to her voice and was about to dig deeper when they stopped in front of one of the houses. The simple wooden plaque announced that they had arrived at the Beilers’ house.

  Mrs. Yoder knocked twice, then entered.

  Angus followed her inside, the wooden floorboards creaking beneath their weight as they entered a warm and inviting kitchen where the aroma of freshly baked bread lingered in the air. At the small wooden table sat a man who appeared younger than the men Angus just met. Behind him, a slender woman stood quietly to one side, her face showing signs of fatigue, her eyes filled with angst.

  Mr. Beiler jumped up from behind the table the moment he saw them; an anguished squeal escaped from Mrs. Beiler’s lips.

  “No-no, Lydia, there’s no need for concern. The sheriff is here to help us find Rachel. Jedediah sent him,” Mrs. Yoder said as she rushed to Lydia’s side.

  “Bishop Jed approved this?” Samuel Beiler said, his thumbs tucked behind his suspenders as if he needed them to hold his arms up.

  When Mrs. Yoder nodded, Samuel Beiler quickly reacted by reaching out his hand to greet Angus.

  “Lydia, please get the sheriff a cup of coffee.” He pulled out one of the chairs and invited Angus to take a seat at the table as he sat down at the head of the table.

  “Thank you, Mr. Beiler, and thank you for agreeing to see me.”

  “You’re here to help us find our Rachel, correct? We appreciate anything you can do to bring her back to us,” he said urgently. “This isn’t like her to not come home. I don’t care what anyone says. Rachel’s not like the other young ones who run away.” He cast a watchful eye in Mrs. Yoder’s direction, which evoked a strained look on her face after which she hurried toward the door.

  “I’ll be off then. We’ll be praying for Rachel’s safe return,” she said before she left, flashing a faint smile through pursed lips.

  The atmosphere turned awkwardly quiet, and Angus caught the unspoken exchange between Rachel’s parents, intrigue tugging at his insides.

  “What do you mean she’s not like the others?” Angus asked, “Does this type of thing happen regularly? Teenagers running away from home?”

  Again, there was a silent exchange between them, and Angus was certain he saw a glimmer of warning in Samuel’s eyes in the way he looked at his wife.

  Whatever the silent exchange between them meant, Lydia ignored it and hurried into one of the chairs at the table. She leaned in across the table, her eyes locked onto Angus’ face as she readied herself to tell him.

  “Don’t, Lydia!” Samuel said, his voice low and commanding.

  Chapter Eleven

  Caleb's hands moved with a frantic purpose. The morning light shone through the large windows of his bedroom, casting shadows on the walls as he packed his worn leather duffel bag. Essentials only, just in case he needed to spend a night or two close by—clothes for the colder weather, toiletries, a brand new Bible that he had recently picked up from the bookshop in town.

  With his mind focused on the challenges that lay ahead, the words from Rachel’s letters danced around in his memory. In a desperate effort to make sense of it all he searched for answers beneath any hidden clues, she may have unknowingly scattered throughout the written messages. His heart ached with each passing moment, imagining the fear she must have felt while penning those desperate pleas.

  He was scared too. Going back after all this time was something he thought he’d never have to do. The elders, his parents, they had all closed the door on him before, made it crystal clear he wasn’t welcome there, that he had made his choice.

  As he tossed the last few items into his bag, he wondered what the people of Weyport would think when they found out that he used to be Amish. Will they reject him too? Would they see him as an imposter, or worse, a fraud?

  He paused, his hands stilling on the worn leather of his shoes. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do. With one last glance around the room, he opened the door and left the one place he had ever truly felt whole.

  As Caleb pointed the nose of his car due north of Weyport, his sister occupied his thoughts, questions flooding his mind. What was she running from, or who? What was she hiding? What if they wouldn’t let him in to see her?

  Caleb’s chest tightened with each new question that crossed his mind. His stomach was tense and the overwhelming feelings captured his senses to the point where he almost pulled his car over and turned back. But he kept going, turning to God instead. Prayers echoed in his heart: “Father, stay with Rachel until I reach her, and guide me on this journey, to face my deepest fears, my family, the bishop. Whatever Rachel is hiding, give me the wisdom to help her, and let my parents put their judgement of me aside, just this once, for Rachel.”

  For a short while his prayers helped, but soon fear ripped through his mind once more. Of seeing those who judged him, of seeing the look in his father’s eyes, of running the risk of losing himself all over again.

  With every mile that passed, Caleb felt nothing but trepidation. And a dark sense of foreboding he could not shake.

  As the minutes passed, the landscape began to change; familiar rolling hills and frost-glazed fields flanked the road. When he neared the community, Caleb could almost feel the weight of fear and uncertainty pressing down upon him, his heart pounding at the thought of what was waiting for him. He pulled his car over onto the side of the road and rolled down his window, desperate for air to unclench his tight chest. The air was heavy with the scent of fresh earth and livestock, its simplicity both comforting and suffocating. He hesitated, uncertain of how he would be received after all these years. Would they turn their back on him again? Would they even recognize him?

  In the distance, he spotted the county sheriff’s vehicle, parked just outside the property gate and his heart caught in his throat. Why was Sheriff Reid there? Had he already discovered Dr. Fisher’s relationship with the community?

  His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, steadying himself for the task ahead as he drove down the country road toward the entrance. He pulled his car up behind Sheriff Reid’s truck. A few deep breaths gave him the courage he needed to get out of his car and walk into the community, his eyes looking straight ahead. Familiar sounds of a lively farm strangely brought him comfort, the smell of manure hitting his nostrils. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a few men coming out of one of the houses and he ducked behind the trunk of a large tree, his breath hitching in his chest. His English clothes made him stick out like a sore thumb. They’d for sure ask him to leave before he got to his parents’ house if someone saw him now. And all this would be for nothing. He had to see Rachel, before she did something foolish.

  A quick glance from behind the tree told him it was safe to keep moving and he picked up his pace, using trees, buggies, and anything else to conceal his presence. When he finally got close to his parents’ house, he dashed the last few yards to their front door and pushed his body right up to the thick wooden post. With a shaky hand, he knocked on the door, praying that Rachel would be the one to answer the door. If she did, he could entirely avoid having to see his parents and he and Rachel could find a quiet place to talk about her letters.

  But his hopes were dashed when his mother opened the door, her face turned as white as a sheet when she saw him. The two of them stood in the doorway, quietly staring at each other.

  “Who is it, Lydia?” Caleb heard his father’s voice echo toward them.

  His mother’s hand went to her mouth as if she needed to stop herself from speaking. Caleb heard the legs of a heavy wooden chair drag across the timber floor before the creaking floorboards told him his father was about to make himself known. Caleb’s heart did a somersault in his stomach moments before his father’s face came into full view.

  The look in his father’s eyes was enough to have Caleb turn and run for the hills. His eyes had the intensity and power of making him feel ten years old again, like he just got caught skipping Sunday service. But Caleb couldn’t run, even if he wanted to, his legs feeling like lead beneath him.

  A dry patch took shape in the back of Caleb’s throat when he opened his mouth to say something, his father’s stern look still pinning his legs to the ground.

  “You’re not welcome here.” Samuel Beiler spoke the single sentence that had consumed Caleb’s heart since the day he had left their church.

  Next to Samuel, Lydia squealed from behind her hands that were still keeping her mouth in check.

  Say something, Caleb told himself. Be a man, take courage, for Rachel, the small voice in his head continued.

  “I don’t want trouble. I’m just here to see Rachel,” Caleb spoke, his voice firmer than he had intended.

  “You have no business here, Caleb, not with me and certainly not with Rachel.”

  Samuel tried to close the door when Lydia stopped him.

  “No, Samuel! He’s our son! Is it not enough that we’ve lost our daughter too?”

  His mother’s words sent a chill down Caleb’s spine.

  “What do you mean ‘lost our daughter’?” he heard himself ask.

  “Leave, Caleb. This is family business,” Samuel said again, moving to close the door.

  But courage to stand up to his father smothered his fear and Caleb pushed his way through the door and into the house.

  Chapter Twelve

  Caleb’s father didn’t fight back. Partly because he was much shorter than Caleb, but most likely because Caleb had seen that Sheriff Reid was there too. He glanced briefly at Angus who had been quietly watching them from the far side of the room. Angus pushed his chair out from behind the table and stood up, confusion written all over his face when he looked at Caleb.

  “Caleb?” Angus queried.

  “Morning, Sheriff,” Caleb replied, his heart now filled with fear about why his local sheriff would be in his estranged parents’ house. “What are you doing here?” Caleb asked.

  “I should ask you the same question,” Angus replied.

  “Ignore him, Sheriff, he won’t be staying,” Samuel interjected.

  Lydia’s eyes were pleading when she looked at Samuel, her hands now on her throat.

  “He should know, Samuel,” Caleb heard his mother say.

  “Know what? What should I know, Father?” Caleb pressed, inviting an angered stare from his father in return.

  Angus turned his gaze to Samuel.

  “Father? Caleb’s your son?” he asked trying to make sense of it all.

  “No, he’s not! I don’t have a son anymore. Our son died a long time ago.” Samuel’s icy words filled the room.

  Pain stabbed at Caleb’s heart and threatened to smash it into pieces once again, but he held steady, his eyes firmly locked with his father’s like two stags fighting for territory.

  “Samuel, please, stop this!” Lydia pleaded again, her voice heavy with suffering. “Our little girl is lost out there somewhere. Caleb deserves to know. He can help.”

  Samuel spun around to face his wife.

  “Know your place, Lydia. The son we once had does not exist. He’s dead to us!”

  Lydia gasped with emotional pain but didn’t let it go.

  “What if someone took her, Samuel? What if Rachel is…” She stopped herself from saying what she feared most.

  “Enough!” Samuel’s voice echoed through the room, instantly causing his wife to turn into a sobbing mess, her hands covering her face as she ran out and disappeared into the next room.

  A million questions flooded Angus’ mind, confusion momentarily blocking the words from coming out. Across from him Samuel Beiler and Caleb Townsend stood silent, their eyes locked in a silent dual.

  “Why don’t we take a seat, Mr. Beiler?” Angus eventually said and pulled out the chair Samuel sat in earlier.

  “He’s not welcome here. This is my home, and this man has no business here. I welcomed you into my home, in obedience to our bishop, to help us find our daughter. Don’t make me regret it,” Samuel said, his voice low and strained as he fought to remain controlled.

  Angus nodded, heeding the warning before turning back to Caleb.

  “Then since I am here in an official capacity, let me ask you this, Caleb: Why are you here and how do you know the Beilers?”

  Caleb cleared his throat from the sorrow that lay thick in the back of it.

  “I didn’t mean to deceive you or the town, Sheriff. I just needed to start over. To find a place where I’m not judged for who I am, or who I am supposed to be.” His eyes briefly went to his father’s face as he said it.

  “So, you are their son?” Angus asked, a deep frown etched into his forehead.

  Caleb nodded.

  Samuel groaned under his breath.

  “At least I was once,” Caleb quickly added before he offered a quick explanation. “I left the community and its church a long time ago and made Weyport my home. I adopted a different last name so I could start over.”

  “Because you are ashamed, of us and our faith,” Samuel cut in.

  Caleb didn’t defend his father’s hurtful statement and looked away instead.

  “What brings you here today, Caleb?” Angus continued before Samuel could cast another accusation.

  “My sister, Rachel.”

  “She’s not your sister anymore, Caleb. You should leave,” Samuel persisted.

  This time Caleb could not hold back.

  “Rachel is my sister, and she always will be, like it or not. She is my blood. You might have turned your back on me, but she never did. She’s a young woman who’s desperate to leave these ridiculous ritualistic laws you hold her to. It’s smothering her just as it did me.”

  “You know nothing about her or our faith. Have you no respect?”

  “I have respect, and I have faith! A different faith with a God who doesn’t need me to do anything or act a certain way to love me. He loves me even if I’m not perfect, even if I sin, without punishment and without rejection.”

  The door to the other room creaked open and Lydia came to stand between them, her tear-stained face begging for peace between her husband and the only son they had.

  “Can you not see what’s happening here, Samuel?” she whispered. “God has brought our son back to us. He’s giving us a second chance. Rachel is out there in the cold somewhere. Our focus should be on finding her and bringing her home. Not continuing this senseless feud between the two of you.”

  Lydia’s hand rested on her husband’s arm, her eyes pleading for Samuel to set aside his anger. But Samuel’s face was stern, his fists clenched by his sides as he turned and walked away without uttering another word as he disappeared into the back room.

  When he had shut the door behind him, Lydia turned to Caleb.

  “This doesn’t mean I’m siding with you, Caleb. What you did was wrong. But I choose to set our differences aside until Rachel is safely home again. Agreed?”

  His mother had always been the one who saw things with clarity and wisdom and Caleb nodded in agreement before he asked the question that had been burning at the back of his mind ever since he stepped back into his childhood home.

  “What’s happened to Rachel? What do you mean she’s out there somewhere?”

  Feeling it was safe to speak up, Angus said, “I think I can help with that, Caleb. According to your parents she never came home last night.”

  Caleb’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at his mother and she nodded, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks.

  “It’s true.” She sank down in the nearby chair and buried her face in her white apron.

  “I don’t understand. Where would she be, and since when do you call in outside help in times of crisis?” He glanced at Angus then back at his mother.

  “Actually, they didn’t,” Angus said. “I came here looking to speak with your sister, regarding the death of Dr. Fisher.”

  Caleb’s insides tied into a tight knot since that was the reason he needed to see Rachel too.

  “What does Rachel have to do with Dr. Fisher’s death?” he asked nonetheless, eager to hear how much Angus knew.

  “We believe she was the last one to have seen him alive yesterday.”

  The knot in Caleb’s stomach moved up to his chest.

  “Except now she’s gone missing,” Lydia sobbed.

  Angus’ eyes narrowed as he studied Caleb’s face. The look in Caleb’s eyes indicated that Caleb knew more than he was letting on.

  “But I’m guessing you know that already, don’t you Caleb? Why else would you have come back here, facing the wrath of your family and the community you were once a part of?”

  “Because Caleb thrives off of humiliating us, challenging our faith and our church,” Samuel’s voice cut through the thick air as he emerged from the back room.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hurt sat shallow in Caleb’s eyes, telling Angus just how deeply Samuel’s words were affecting him. Neither of them said another word, as their tongues would cause any more pain between them.

  “If I could have a word with you in private, please, Mr. Beiler,” Angus said, breaking through the tension and gesturing for them to step outside.