Dark Crossings (22 page)

“Where have you been?” she demanded.

“Out looking for work, as if you have to ask,” he muttered. He
sent Lena an apologetic glance.

She knew it was best to leave the couple to sort out their
troubles, but she wanted to know who’d been driving Brad’s old hunting vehicle
through Wilfred Cummings’s woods. “Brad, who bought your four-wheeler?”

“A guy by the name of Samuel Bow.”

“Is he a local?” Lena didn’t recognize the name.

“No, he said he was from Canton. He paid cash, so I didn’t ask
any questions. Why?”

“I thought I saw it today.”

“That could be. He said he wanted it for hunting wild
pigs.”

So it wasn’t someone she knew. Was Samuel Bow hunting deer
instead of pigs? “Have you heard shooting at night?”

“Yeah.”

She looked at him in surprise. “Aren’t you concerned that it’s
illegal hunting?”

“There are a lot of people out of work around here, Lena. I
can’t blame a few of them for taking a deer or pig by spotlight at night. I just
hope they leave a nice buck for me when the season opens.”

Clara scowled at him. “Like we can afford the license and tag
fees.”

“I’m going hunting, Clara, and that’s the end of it. I’ve given
up everything else.”

It was clear to Lena that there was an argument brewing. She
said a quick goodbye and started for home, mulling over what Brad had told her.
In spite of what he thought, she knew there was more to the poaching than a few
locals filling empty freezers. When she walked in her front door, her sister,
Anna, was setting the table for supper.

Anna, the oldest of the Troyer children, was a widow and nearly
twenty years older than Lena. After her husband passed away, Anna had returned
home to run her father’s house. Her arrival left Lena free to take up the
teaching post and earn some much-needed extra income.

“Forgive me for being late,” Lena took off her coat and hung it
on a peg by the front door. Her father’s hat already rested in its usual
place.

Anna laid the last plate and turned back to the stove. “You
will have to hurry if you are to get back to the school in time for the board
meeting.”

Their father walked in from the living room. A short man with a
ready smile and bowed legs, Micah Troyer was well loved in the community. “Take
the buggy. That will make your trip shorter.”

“
Danki,
Papa.”

Settling in his place at the head of the table, he fastened his
gaze on Lena. “What took you so long getting home tonight?”

She decided not to tell him about her tumble. It was over and
she was fine. “I was giving drawing lessons to one of my students and the time
got away from us. Isaac Bowman gave me a ride home, but I stopped to talk to
Clara for a bit.”

“More of your sketching is not a good thing, Lena. There is
work to be done here at home.”

Her father tolerated her pastime but didn’t encourage it. He
didn’t see how it could be useful to an Amish housewife. Lena decided to change
the subject. “I’m going to let the board know I’m concerned about the poaching
in the woods around the school.”

He frowned. “For what reason?”

Lena raised her chin. “I thought the elders might want to
notify the authorities to put a stop to it.”

Her father ran a hand over his beard as he often did when he
was contemplating what to say. “I know you have a tender place in your heart for
the deer. This poaching is a bad thing. The
Englische
law is to be obeyed when it does not conflict with the
laws given to us by God and our church. But I don’t see how it is any of your
business to try to stop it, Lena.”

Her hopes that her father would support her were instantly
dashed. Briefly, she wondered how Sarah and Abby would handle the situation.
Knowing the strength of character it took for both of them to solve crimes in
their own communities bolstered Lena’s resolve. This was something she would
have to do by herself. She would speak out at the meeting tonight, even without
her father’s blessing.

* * *

I
SAAC
SAT
AT
THE
BACK
OF
the schoolroom on one of the benches that had been set up for the men. The
women, including Lena, sat across the aisle. She didn’t appear to be suffering
any ill effects from her fall.

Throughout the meeting, his gaze was constantly drawn to her
face. She had something on her mind; he could tell by the way she nibbled at the
corner of her mouth. When had he come to know her so well?

“Do we have any other business?” John’s eyes scanned the
room.

The elder sitting beside him bent toward him and spoke softly.
John nodded and said, “The building is in need of a few repairs. If you can
help, raise your hand.”

A number of hands went up. Isaac raised his. John wrote down
the names and assigned each man a task. Looking at Isaac, he asked, “Can you fix
the barn’s hayloft door and see to any other repairs that are needed on the
building?”

Nodding once, Isaac signaled his consent, and John wrote
something briefly beside his name. When all the repairs were covered, he glanced
around the room. “Is there anything else?”

Lena raised her hand; John nodded for her to speak. She rose to
her feet, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. “As many of you know, the
children have reported seeing dead deer in the area and hearing shooting. It is
clearly the work of poachers. It may be one man, it may be more. I bring it to
your attention because I feel it is an issue that needs to be addressed.”

Isaac glanced at his cousin to find a deep scowl forming on his
face. “I don’t see that this has anything to do with the school board,” John
said. “Is there any other school business?”

Lena didn’t sit down. Isaac had to admire her courage in facing
John’s ire. She said, “I believe it is school business when the children are
being exposed to danger.”

Behind her, one of the mothers asked, “Why do you believe our
kinder
are in danger?”

“Many of you have heard the shooting late at night. It goes on
during daylight, too. Early in the morning and late in the evening, times when
the deer are most active and the children are walking to and from school. I’ve
seen men in hunting gear watching the school.”

A murmur moved through the crowd as the parents discussed
Lena’s statement among themselves. John’s scowl deepened. He rose to his feet.
“I see no need to create panic, Lena. A careful hunter will not mistake a child
for a deer.”

“But we don’t know that these men are careful,” she
insisted.

“What would you have us do? Suspend classes until the hunting
stops?” he scoffed.

Lena blanched, but didn’t back down. “I feel this activity
should be reported to the sheriff or the game warden.”

“We do not concern ourselves with the actions of outsiders and
we do not bring outsiders in to solve our problems. You know this, Lena. Have
you forgotten the teaching of our faith to remain separate from the world?”

“Of course not.”

“
Gut,
then the matter is closed.”
John sat down.

“But what if the hunter is one of us?” Lena added quickly.

Isaac could tell his cousin had reached the limit of his
patience as he rose and addressed the crowd. “Does anyone here know who is
hunting deer out of season? Are any of you to blame?”

Stark silence followed his question.

John focused a stern glare on Lena. “Are you satisfied that it
is not one of us?”

Isaac read displeasure on many of the faces around him. Lena
had made a mistake by suggesting the poacher might be one of them.

He saw that she realized her error, too. She lowered her gaze.
Bright spots of color stained her cheeks.

John glared at her. “Your job is to teach the children, Lena
Troyer, not to question your elders or seek to involve the
Englische
in our lives. I have made that point before. I will not
repeat it again.”

Lena sat down. John’s threat was clear. Leave the subject alone
or risk losing her job.

* * *

L
ENA
FELT
THE
EYES
of everyone on her as she struggled to bear her
humiliation with dignity. Most of these parents had supported her in the past,
but she had foolishly suggested one of them, or a member of their family, might
be poaching. She wasn’t sure they would speak up for her again if John Miller
decided to replace her.

She cringed at the thought of her father hearing about this. He
would, she was sure of that. It was best that he hear it from her and not from
someone else. She waited in growing discomfort for the meeting to end.

The moment the group was dismissed, she scurried out the door
to her waiting buggy. She wasn’t fast enough, because Isaac was there a second
later.

“For what it’s worth, I appreciate your concern for my
daughter’s welfare,” he said quietly.

Would a poacher offer kind words of comfort? If only she knew
for certain that he wasn’t involved. “But you think John is right and I
shouldn’t go to outsiders.”

“You have done all you can without incurring the ire of many.”
After unhooking her mare from the hitching post, he stood beside her buggy.

She slipped past him, climbed into the front seat and held out
her hands. “I can’t stand by and do nothing.”

He didn’t give her the reins. “Be careful, Lena. John is not a
man to trifle with. You could lose your job over this.”

She had only the starlight overhead to help her read his face.
It wasn’t enough. She wanted to know what was in his eyes. Was he truly
concerned for her? Or did he want her to stop pressing the issue for his own
selfish reasons? She wished she could tell. How could she be attracted to a man
she wasn’t sure she could trust?

“I didn’t know I loved teaching until all this began to
happen,” she said. “But I won’t let that love be used against me. There is evil
in our woods. Turning a blind eye to it only allows it to grow.”

More people were coming out of the school. She didn’t want to
speak to anyone else. “I must get home.”

Isaac hesitated, as if he wanted to say something more, but in
the end handed over the reins. “Good night, Lena Troyer. May God travel with
you.”

CHAPTER SIX

L
ENA
’
S
FATHER
WAS
UPSET
and made no
bones about it when she told him about the board meeting. She endured a long,
stern lecture about respecting her elders. At the following Sunday service, only
two of her friends spoke to her before the preaching. After the bishop’s fiery
sermon on living apart from the world, avoiding worldly involvement and showing
those who advocated such the error of their ways, no one spoke to her at
all.

She’d been given a small taste of what it would be like to be
shunned. She didn’t care for the feeling.

On Monday, all her students were subdued. None of them talked
about the poaching. Even the twins kept silent on their favorite subject in
spite of the fact that Lena had heard gunfire over the weekend and knew some of
the children must have, too.

Classes went smoothly during the day, but she had a hard time
keeping her mind on her work. It was a huge relief when it was finally time to
dismiss everyone.

She stepped out of the school after the last student was gone,
and pulled the door closed. Once more she had a choice to make. She could go
home and keep silent, or she could try again to stop the poaching. Her family
and her church had made it clear which path she should choose.

After crossing the bridge, Lena reached the highway and turned
toward home, but she had one stop to make first.

Wilfred Cummings lived a half mile from the school in an old,
two-story stone house set back in the woods. He loved the wildlife that
flourished in his forest and enjoyed seeing the sketches Lena drew. She hadn’t
been to visit him since his stroke, and that was remiss of her. She considered
the elderly man a friend.

It had been Wilfred who’d showed her the trapdoor in the bell
tower. The school building had originally belonged to his family and he’d been a
teacher there. When Lena told him she’d taken the teaching position, he’d driven
her to the school and pointed out the hidden opening.

He admitted that he’d rigged the trapdoor in the roof so that
he might watch for a special girl coming home in the evenings. She’d worked at
her father’s store in town and he’d objected to her seeing Wilfred. Her father
often walked home with her, but if she was alone, Wilfred would hurry out to
meet her. His eyes had misted over when he’d told the story, and Lena knew he
was talking about the woman who’d become his wife, a woman who’d died long
before Lena knew him.

When she came within sight of Wilfred’s house, she saw that the
yard was overgrown and untrimmed. A gray car and a black, mud-splattered truck
sat in the gravel driveway. Lena spotted a curtain moving in an upper-story
window, so it looked as if someone was home. She drew a deep breath to firm her
resolve, then approached the front door and knocked.

Instead of the stooped figure of Mr. Cummings, a woman in her
mid-forties answered the door. She looked Lena up and down with a faint scowl.
“May I help you?”

This had to be his granddaughter. Lena smiled. “Hello. I’m Lena
Troyer. I live nearby. I was hoping to speak to Mr. Cummings about an important
matter.”

“Mr. Cummings is sleeping. If you have come hoping to convert
my grandfather to your religion, you are wasting your time.”

Stunned at her assumption, Lena shook her head. “Oh, no. The
Amish do not seek to convert anyone to our ways. Each person’s path to God is
their personal journey to make.”

The woman relaxed a fraction. “I apologize for jumping to
conclusions. I’m Glenda Carter. Wilfred is my grandfather.”

“You are forgiven. Many people have misconceptions about our
faith. When do you think it would be possible for me to see your
grandfather?”

“It’s hard to say. He’s very elderly.”

“
Ja,
I’ve known him since I was a
child. My grandmother told me that he donated the land and the building for our
school when she was a young girl.”

“How odd, since he isn’t Amish.”

“Odd perhaps, but very generous. I am the teacher at the
school.”

The frost returned to Glenda’s eyes. “If you’re looking for a
donation, I’ll give him the message. However, I warn you, he isn’t likely to
part with any of his money. He’s become a real Scrooge in his old age.”

“I’m not here to raise money. I merely wanted to let Wilfred
know that someone has been poaching deer on his property.”

Glenda frowned. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve seen one of the dead animals myself. My students have
seen others. We have heard shooting late at night and seen the bright lights the
poachers are using. Have you not heard them?”

“I’m a sound sleeper. That’s so sad. Grandfather is abnormally
fond of the deer. He plans to leave all his land to the state to be made into a
wildlife refuge. Have you told the authorities about this?”

Lena shook her head. “It is not our way to involve outsiders.
By coming here, I am pushing the boundary of what is permitted. But like your
grandfather, I have a special place in my heart for the deer. They are some of
God’s most beautiful creatures. Are you sure I can’t speak to Wilfred? I saw the
curtain move at his bedroom window. I know he’s awake.”

A man a few years older than Glenda moved to stand behind her.
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “That was me looking out the window. Grandpa
is asleep.”

“Miss Troyer, this is my husband, Chuck. Miss Troyer was just
telling me she thinks someone is hunting deer at night in our woods. Have you
heard shooting?”

“I have, but I thought it was some of the Amish getting a jump
on the hunting season. They don’t believe they have to obey our laws.”

Lena pressed a hand to her chest. “I can’t speak for every
Amish person, but my family and all the families in my church recognize and obey
the law of the land.”

Glenda looked over her shoulder at him. “She wants us to notify
the authorities because she says the Amish won’t.”

“I’ve heard they don’t involve the law. Don’t you pray for and
forgive wrongdoers?”

“We forgive others as Christ forgave us.”

Chuck scratched his neck. “I don’t mind letting the game warden
know we think something is going on, but I don’t expect they’ll do anything
about it.”

Glenda turned back to Lena. “Thank you for your concern. I’m
afraid telling Grandfather about this may upset him unduly. His health is very
fragile. You understand, don’t you?”

Lena nodded. “Of course. Will you contact the authorities?”

Chuck smiled. “We’ll be happy to pass along what you’ve told
us.”

“
Danki.
That is all I can ask. Let
me know if there is anything I can do for you or for your grandfather. I’ve
always been fond of him. My sister makes an excellent tonic from natural herbs.
I’ll bring some by tomorrow.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’m sorry, but I don’t put much faith
in folk remedies. We’re doing everything our doctor has suggested. Grandfather
mainly requires rest. I should be getting back to him.” Glenda smiled and closed
the door in Lena’s face.

Left standing on the stoop, she had no choice but to go home.
She had done all she could do.

On her way back to the highway, she was startled when a man
emerged from the dense woods in front of her. Her foolish heart raced faster
when she recognized Isaac. In his hand, he held a game camera exactly like the
one they had found together during the class outing.

“Lena. What are you doing out this way?”

A shiver raced over her at the sound of his deep voice. She
wasn’t sure if it was fear or attraction that triggered it. Finally, she managed
to say, “I stopped in to see how Mr. Cummings was getting along.”

She focused her gaze on the camera in Isaac’s hand. Here was
the proof she needed. He was in league with the poachers. Her foolish heart had
been wrong about him. Gathering her courage, she asked, “What are you doing
here?”

He held out his hand. “Ruby told me that the twins found three
more slaughtered deer out this way. I wanted to check on the situation.”

She folded her arms tightly across her chest. He was lying.
“They didn’t mention it to me.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Are you surprised? I’m sure their
parents have told them to keep quiet about it.”

That could well be true. “Why do you have a camera?”

“After a little searching, I found the carcasses, and this
camera nearby. These poachers aren’t taking the trouble to hide their work. One
of the deer was a doe. They left her to rot. The bucks had their heads
taken.”

A slight smile softened his stoic face as he hefted the camera
in his hand. “When I saw this, I thought it was much too valuable an item to be
left in the woods. I removed it for safekeeping. I’ll put an ad in the paper
that I found it, although I doubt anyone will report it missing. Perhaps the
deer can move about in safety for a few nights.”

Was he telling the truth? Or had she happened upon him while he
was getting ready to set the camera in a new location? She wanted to believe
Isaac, but did she dare? So much pointed in his direction.

The trouble had started after he came to town. No one knew much
about him, but he seemed to know everything about the poaching trade. She’d seen
him aiming a gun at Goliath. If she hadn’t scared the deer away, would the
buck’s head be hanging on a wall somewhere right this minute?

Part of her wanted to demand that Isaac tell her the truth
about his activities. Was he poaching for the quick money it brought in?

Another part of her didn’t want to ask, and that frightened her
more than anything. If Isaac believed she thought he was poaching, and he
wasn’t, where would that leave the relationship she sensed was growing between
them? Not in a good place.

* * *

I
SAAC
WISHED
HE
KNEW
what Lena was
thinking. He expected her to be pleased that he had removed the camera. Instead,
her expression grew more guarded. She didn’t return his smile. He wasn’t sure
why, but he wanted her to.

Maybe it was because the gentle smiles she gave her students
reminded him of the way his wife used to look at him. Thinking of Ada Mae
brought back the feelings of guilt he couldn’t shake. He did his best not to
remember.

Tipping his head toward the road, he said, “Come, I will walk
you home.” The words came out sounding more like a command than an
invitation.

Her chin came up. “I’m perfectly capable of seeing myself
home.”

He softened his tone. “I didn’t mean to suggest you weren’t.
I’m going in that direction. We might as well go together—unless you object to
walking with me. Are you afraid our names will be linked by gossip if we are
seen together?”

Her mouth opened and then snapped closed on whatever she
intended to say. Without a word, she began walking at a brisk pace.

He had no trouble adjusting his stride to match hers. After a
few hundred feet, he finally asked, “Have I done something to upset you?”

Pausing, she stared at him intently. “Have you?”

That wasn’t the answer he expected. “If I have, I’m sorry. I
don’t know what I did or said that offended you. Enlighten me.”

She chewed her bottom lip as she considered her reply. After a
moment, she shook her head and started walking again.

Totally confused, he followed after her. “Does this mean I have
not offended you?”

Stopping, she faced him once more. Her cheeks were red from the
exertion and the cold weather. The wind played with her bonnet ribbons and a few
strands of hair that had come loose. She was pretty; he admitted that. But
pretty alone wasn’t enough to hold his interest the way Lena Troyer did.

As if she suddenly became aware that she was staring at him,
she glanced down and became the perfect image of a demure Amish woman. It was a
look that didn’t ring true. He had a feeling Lena was anything but demure.

She said, “Nothing you have done or said has caused me
distress. I’m sorry if I gave that impression.”

Whatever had upset her, she clearly wasn’t willing to discuss
it. Why, he wondered, was it so important for him to keep on her good side? Was
it because she was Ruby’s teacher?

No, this had nothing to do with his child. He wanted Lena to
like him because he liked her. The last thing he’d expected to find in Mount
Hope was a woman who stirred his interest, but Lena did just that.

He didn’t want to care for anyone the way he’d cared for Ada
Mae. She had been the best part of his life, and he’d let her down. He wouldn’t
allow himself to be put in such a position again.

He cleared his throat. “It will be dark soon. We should
go.”

Silently, they walked along the narrow lane. They had nearly
reached the highway when the sound of a truck behind them made them step aside.
The man at the wheel passed them with a scowl on his face. He turned his vehicle
toward town and disappeared.

Isaac glanced at Lena. “Do you know that man?”

“He is Chuck Carter, the husband of Mr. Cummings’s
granddaughter.”

“He didn’t look happy.”

Lena didn’t reply.

Isaac said, “Ruby seems to like school. How is she doing in her
studies?”

“Well.”

“That’s
gut
news.” His daughter was
a safe topic of conversation.

He caught the glance Lena slanted in his direction. “She still
isn’t making friends. Has she always been a loner?”

“
Nay,
only since her mother passed
away.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did your wife die?”

He did mind. What would she say if he admitted as much? She
would politely accept that he didn’t wish to talk about Ada Mae’s death, but she
would still wonder what had happened. Perhaps it was best to admit the truth
now.