Amish Fugitive, page 4
After the home’s owner paid Zeke, Zeke paid him and Abraham and sent them on their way. Abraham drove off, no doubt going home to tell Margaret his news.
Though Zeke had offered to give Daniel a ride, he’d refused it. He was only three miles from home and he didn’t mind the walk. He had a lot on his mind, starting and ending with the possibility of a new place to live.
When he was about halfway there, on a near-empty stretch of road, a gray SUV slowed down beside him. When the driver rolled down his window, Daniel’s nerves went on edge.
“Are you Daniel Miller?”
“Who wants to know?”
“My name’s Nate Borntrager.”
“Yes?” The last name sounded familiar, of course. But there were dozens of families in the area with the same last names.
“Brandt was my nephew.”
A tight knot formed in his stomach. “What do you want?” As much as he felt sorry for the man, Daniel did not want to get yelled at on the side of the road after working on a rooftop all day.
“Listen, can we talk? I have some questions I’d like to ask you. I’m a cop and I’ve recently opened the case again.”
“There’s nothing I have to tell you. I was cleared of Brandt’s murder.”
“I realize that.”
“The evidence proved I hadn’t shot the gun. They’d found no residue from the pistol on my clothes or when they’d taken my prints.” Why he was trying so hard to be believed, he didn’t know. It wasn’t like anyone in the justice system had believed him before.
“Look, can you stop for a moment? I promise, I’m not here to make your life harder. I’m here because I’d like your help.”
Even though he didn’t fully believe him, he still stopped.
“There ain’t nothing I can help you with.”
“There might be.” Nate ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I know we don’t know each other, and you have a lot of really good reasons not to trust anyone in law enforcement. But give me some time, anyway.”
There was something in Nate’s tone that caught his attention. Reminded him of just how much he’d ached for someone, anyone, to give him a chance. To actually hear what he was saying instead of pushing their agenda. “All right. When?”
“Now?”
“Not now. I’m a sweaty mess. I need a shower.”
“How about I drive you to your place, wait while you shower and then take you out to dinner? We can talk then.” He smiled slightly. “At the very least you’ll get a free meal.”
It was obvious that Nate wasn’t going to give up, and just as obvious that it would be better to get the meeting over with instead of pushing it off.
His brother wasn’t going to like Nate pulling up on their drive, but it wasn’t like they were going to like him being there if Nate didn’t. The only thing they would be happy about was if he was gone.
“All right.”
Nate smiled in obvious relief. “Great. Get in.”
Chapter Five
Everything about Daniel’s body language proclaimed that he would rather be any other place in the world than talking to Nate in his vehicle. Though it wasn’t like Nate had needed to read his posture and expressions in order to guess what he was thinking. The guy was very good at verbalizing what he thought.
If the younger man wasn’t so prickly, Nate would’ve told Daniel that he was proud of him. In his line of work, he’d seen far too many men and women—from both sides of the law—break down after fighting years of stress. For Daniel to have survived a prison stint when he was innocent—and then even get himself a job and continue on? Well, it was not only impressive, he considered it a minor miracle.
“So, I guess you’re working construction.” Though it had been obvious, Nate still gestured to the tool belt that was on the floor next to Daniel’s feet. He needed to build some kind of rapport with him if at all possible.
“Jah.”
“How’s it going?”
He shrugged. “Well enough. It’s a job.”
“Do you want to do something else?” Nate didn’t have a lot of connections among the Amish, but he was willing to reach out to people who might.
“I don’t have a choice about whether I want to do it or not. As far as everyone is concerned, I’m a murderer.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“It weren’t your fault.” Thawing slightly, he shrugged. “For the most part, I like construction and the job well enough. The work affords me the chance to be outside, and the other men I’m working with seem to be fair and good-tempered.”
“That’s a blessing.”
Daniel studied Nate. “I don’t understand why you came to find me. Were you involved in the first investigation?”
“I wasn’t. Because I’m Brandt’s uncle, my association could have tainted the case.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah.” Whenever Nate thought about the work that Michael Peck had done, and his subsequent attitude even after it became obvious that Daniel was innocent, Nate’s blood boiled. No cop was infallible. He wished Mike would man up and simply admit that he’d made some mistakes.
But so far, the other detective was so intent on keeping his job that he wasn’t going to admit that any mistakes might have been made. All he kept saying was that it wasn’t his fault he’d never turned in the fingerprints into the lab.
Worse, Daniel’s public defender had been jaded and overworked. He hadn’t done much for the young man besides show up in court. If the man had taken the time to thoroughly examine Daniel’s case, he would’ve pointed out the shoddy police work.
That made Nate irritated. He’d learned early on in the police academy that though DNA and fingerprint databases were terrific resources, they couldn’t take the place of good, old-fashioned police work. Mike should’ve dug into the case a whole lot more than he did.
But what grated on him—and several other officers—was the man’s complete disregard for how his decisions affected victims, their families and the men and women who were accused or found to be innocent.
Like Daniel.
Feeling the young man’s unusual hazel eyes searching his face, Nate cleared his throat. “Everyone’s opinions about you will change when we find the real killer.”
“You sound confident.”
“I am. It might take me a while but I will do it.”
“Do you think it’s going to really be that easy?” Daniel asked after Nate parked on the gravel driveway of his house.
It took Nate a moment to understand what he was getting at. “Finding who really killed Brandt Showalter years ago? No.”
“Nee,” Daniel said as he unbuckled and opened the passenger door. “I mean reversing everyone’s opinion of me.”
“I don’t think it will make your relationship with a lot of people around here automatically better,” Nate replied as he got out of his vehicle and walked toward him. “That said, there’s going to be a lot of people who will eventually begin to thaw. Right now, your innocence makes sense, but it’s hard to believe. Even people who don’t necessarily believe in the justice system don’t like to imagine that it could go so wrong. However, when your naysayers see who really was at fault, they’ll come around again.”
“Maybe so.”
Nate stepped closer, moving into Daniel’s space. It gave the guy no choice but to stare back at him.
“Daniel, don’t forget that I’m from here, too. I might have made the choice to become English and live in the city now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about the people here, or don’t understand how things work. Most people have accepted me.” Except for his own brother and sister-in-law, that was essentially true. They might not attempt to renew a relationship with him, but most of the Amish community were open-hearted.
* * *
Looking back at the cop, Daniel felt like rolling his eyes. Their situations were nothing alike, and it was irritating that this police detective was acting like they’d had similar histories. “You weren’t in prison.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t.”
“Then you don’t understand.”
“I understand that you aren’t the only person living in the area who feels that life isn’t fair.” When Daniel tried to interrupt, Nate held up a hand. “No, let me finish. You also aren’t the only person concerned about you.”
Thinking of Lela, Zeke, Abraham and even the woman at the coffee shop who teased him on Fridays, he nodded. “I reckon you’re right.”
Nate didn’t budge. “Are you thinking of the Lord?”
Feeling like that question came out of nowhere, Daniel took a step backward. “Nee.”
“I promise, He hasn’t forsaken you.”
He had never been the type of man to speak comfortably about his faith. “I know.”
“Do you, though? Have you been talking to Him?”
“Not lately.” When he’d been first accused, then charged with Brandt’s murder, he’d talked to God a lot. He’d prayed and cried and then prayed harder. It didn’t help.
“I love the Lord. I’m not saying that He doesn’t create miracles. But He has absolutely not been by my side.” Hating the hurt that was filling his insides, Daniel hardened his voice. “I don’t know why.”
To his surprise, Nate started laughing.
Irritated and hurt, Daniel lurched to his feet. “I think it’s time for you to go.”
“Hold on a sec. I’m not laughing at you.” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “I mean, not really. It’s just that, buddy, a group of college students took your case on. Your case. One out of hundreds to choose from. You don’t think the Lord had anything to do with it?”
He’d never thought about it that way. “Well...”
Becoming more animated, Nate continued. “In addition, they worked hard and the professor oversaw it and made sure that the prosecutor listened. And the prosecutor actually did listen! Right?”
“Right.”
Nate threw his hands up in the air. “Do you think that was just happenstance?”
He’d been so intent on wrapping himself in his bitterness, he’d never thought about things the way Nate had just laid it out. In a lot of ways, he felt stunned. “I don’t know.”
“Did you really not ask anyone to see how many cases there are in the Innocent Project?” When Daniel shook his head, Nate continued. “There’s a whole bunch of them. Now, some of the men and women who claim to be innocent are probably guilty. But the court system is made of humans who are subjective and fallible. Mistakes happen.”
“So you’re saying me standing here is because of God intervening.” Daniel realized he sounded skeptical and maybe even like a disbeliever, but he couldn’t help it.
“I’m saying that He didn’t let you down. Not this time. Not ever.”
Daniel stared hard at him. As the seconds passed, he realized that Nate meant every word of what he’d said. Though he still wasn’t completely sure that he trusted Nate a hundred percent, he was starting to believe that he needed to start believing in someone.
And, perhaps, rethink his feelings about God.
“What do you need from me?” he asked at last.
“I want to hear about that night again.”
“Why? I know it’s been already written down in the detective’s notes or in the court transcripts.”
“I have read that account but I still want to hear your version with my own ears.”
“My version? Nate, I’m telling ya, everything I said was the truth. One minute I was standing with a crowd of people, the next, the lights went out, shots were fired and everyone started screaming and running. When I realized Brandt had been shot, I knelt by his side and tried to help him. That’s when the cops came.”
“I want to hear you tell me everything you remember about that night.”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” He didn’t even try to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
“Of course you have a choice. You are innocent. You’ve received restitution. You’re not going to get in trouble or arrested.”
“So I can refuse.”
“You can, but I hope you won’t. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you could help me, Daniel.”
“Fine. I will talk about it again, but not now and not here.”
Nate stared at him intently. “It needs to be soon. I don’t have months to make things right,” he warned. “I have other cases on my docket.”
“I know. I didn’t ask for a month. Just one night. Give me until tomorrow. I’m tired and I’m standing in the front lawn of my brother’s’ house. You showing up caught me off guard. I’m kind of rattled. I’ve done my best to never think about that night.”
Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Nate nodded. “All right. Fair enough. Tomorrow, then?”
Figuring that he might as well get it over with, Daniel nodded. “Yeah, sure. I have the day off. I can talk to you in the afternoon. I’ve got to go look at an apartment tomorrow. Since I have the day off, I’m gonna go in the morning.”
“Are you going to move?”
“I hope so.”
“It’s not a done deal?”
“I only heard about it today.”
“Ah. Good luck with that. So, where do you want to talk? Should I come back here?”
“No. How about at Jefferson Park? It’s big and there are a lot of places to sit that are spread out.”
“Sounds good.” Heading to the door, he added, “I’ll see you around two. That okay?”
“I’ll be here.”
Nate turned to meet his gaze. “Be safe, Daniel.”
“What? Safe looking at a place to live?”
“No, kid. I’m talking about every hour of every day.”
Daniel raised his eyebrows. “Because?”
“Have you seriously not connected the dots? Daniel, if you didn’t kill Brandt then someone else did. And if the killer is still in the area, he’ll know you’re talking to me.” He looked at him pointedly. “And telling me what you know. He might not like that.”
“What, like I could be in danger?”
“All I’m saying is that you’re not the only person who doesn’t like going to prison. The real killer set you up. Now that you’ve been found innocent, word is going to get out that we’ve opened the case again.”
Daniel felt his expression blanch, but he pulled himself together and walked through the door.
As he walked inside the dark house, he shivered. Like a ghost had just crossed his path. That had to be the reason there were now chill bumps on his arms.
* * *
Daniel had been rattled.
Nate was still thinking about Daniel’s reaction to his warning when he stopped at BJ’s Burgers on the edge of town. The small, old-fashioned-looking diner had been there for generations. Though he’d never gotten the chance to visit when he’d grown up nearby and was Amish, he had gotten the opportunity to visit several times over the last five years.
BJ’s was known for their burgers, of course, but also for their shakes and malts. And daily specials that ran the gamut from turkey platters to spinach quiche to Salisbury steak.
Deciding to take a short break and eat an early dinner, he parked off to the side, pleased that it wasn’t crowded, and entered.
A tall, slim woman was behind the center counter. “Hey!” she said with a smile. “How many?”
“One.”
“Well, come on in, then. There’s space at the bar.”
There were eight spots and only one was filled. The man who was sitting at the end was reading the paper and eating a burger. Nate took a seat at the other end. It wasn’t an ideal spot because he wasn’t facing the door, but he figured it didn’t matter. He didn’t expect to see anyone he knew or run into any trouble.
“Here’s a menu. The special today is chicken à la king.”
“Really? You serve chicken à la king in a burger joint?”
“We’re more like a diner, actually.” The woman darted a look toward the back. “No offense to BJ in the kitchen, but it’s not my favorite dish. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Noted.”
“What do you want to drink? Soda? Water? Shake?”
“I better stick with water.”
“Good idea. Stay hydrated.”
He couldn’t help but watch her stop to check on the guy at the other end of the bar, fill his coffee cup, then fill a glass with ice and water. She was probably close to his forty years, and her red hair was cut into some sort of short, messy style. He knew enough to realize that her hairstyle looked like she’d stepped out of the shower, finger combed it and was ready, but he knew few women were able to get away with that.
All he did know was that there was something about her that was fresh and vibrant.
“Do you know what you want yet?”
He was surprised to realize that he hadn’t thought about much but her. “No, not yet.”
“Take your time. I’m here for another three hours.”
“Thanks. Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”
Her blue eyes lit up. “That’s probably because I never gave it to you. My name is Mitzi.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever met a Mitzi before.”
“You probably haven’t. It’s unusual.”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
“I’ve always thought the same thing. Hey, what about you?”
“Me?” She’d lost him.
“What’s your name?”
“Nate.”
“That name isn’t too common, either. At least not around these parts.”
“I guess we were meant to meet each other, then.”
She laughed. “You let me know when you’re ready to order, all right, Nate?”
