“You are welcome. My name is Eli Shetler.” He introduced himself, hoping to put her at ease.
Surprise showed on her face. “Eli? I remember you,” she said in amazement. “My name is Faith... Cooper.”
Faith Cooper? His neighbor was Sarah Cooper. As he continued to stare at her, something about her appearance sparked the tiniest of memories. This was Sarah’s Englisch granddaughter.
“Your grossmammi is Sarah Cooper, right?” He couldn’t hide his shock as he realized the woman standing before him now was the grown-up version of that little girl who used to follow around her grandfather everywhere he went. The one who tagged along behind Eli whenever she could. He remembered the time when she and her parents had left the Amish faith.
Faith smiled at his surprise. “She is.”
“I remember you.” And he did. The sweet little dark-haired girl she’d once been. So curious about everything. How had someone like her gotten involved with a man who was trying to kill her?
“How do you know that man?” Eli asked. “He said you were wanted for murder?”
She pulled her gaze from his. “He’s lying. He killed his wife who is—was—my best friend. He did it in front of me, and now he’s trying to frame me for her death.”
Her chilling words were hard to believe. The desire to ask more questions was hard to resist, but they both needed to get out of here before that man returned. “Those are serious accusations. Way beyond what we can handle ourselves. We need to get the sheriff involved.”
She barely let him finish. “No. No police. He’s a detective. The sheriff won’t believe me over Vincent, and if the tables were turned, I probably wouldn’t believe me either.” She stumbled over the slick path as they headed up the embankment. Eli reached out to catch her before she fell. Once more, he noticed the way she kept her left wrist tucked close to her body. “You’re hurt. That could be serious.” He indicated her injured wrist. “At least let me drive you to the hospital in Eagle’s Nest.” Though the town was some ten miles away, it was the closest clinic to the community.
She shook her head. “No, it’s too risky. The best thing I can do is get out of sight as quickly as possible. He may have left for now, but he won’t give up.” She stopped as if she’d said too much. “And it is only a sprain.”
Eli kept his doubts to himself. Once they reached the road, Eli helped her climb onto the wagon. He glanced back at Silver Creek and tried not to think about what might have happened if he’d worked a little longer. Taken a different path home. Gott had been looking out for her.
Grabbing blankets from underneath some of his tools, Eli then wrapped one around her legs. The other he placed over her shoulders.
Springtime in West Kootenai was deceptive. The warmer temperatures lulled you into a false sense of hope. And then a storm like this one happened.
He climbed up beside her, yet he did not attempt to take up the reins. The questions pounding his mind needed answering, but Faith appeared to be one more bad thing away from falling apart.
So far, she hadn’t said anything to settle his doubts. Faith claimed this man coming after her was a dirty cop who had killed someone. Was he involved in more illegal activities? Was she?
I’m a police officer. This woman is being accused of murder. The man’s troubling words played through Eli’s mind again and again. Though he didn’t believe Faith was capable of murder, there was much about what happened that he didn’t understand.
He thought about the trouble following him for the past two years. Losing his wife was hard enough but being accused of setting the fire that caused her death was unthinkable. He’d had firsthand experience with being accused of something you didn’t do.
Eli gathered the reins from where he’d slung them in haste.
“Thank you, Eli,” she said and faced him. “I’m sorry I put you in the middle of this, but I’m truly grateful you stopped. I’d be dead by now if you hadn’t, and I doubt if anyone would know about it.”
Those alarming words confirmed the seriousness of what happened tonight.
“You and I were friends as kinner, and Sarah is my neighbor. I would do whatever I could to help either of you.”
She smiled at his recollection. “You used to walk me home from school sometimes. I remember you always chose pretty rocks for me.” Her smile disappeared. “It’s been so many years ago since I left here. At times, it feels like another lifetime.”
He certainly understood that feeling. He’d been gone from West Kootenai for a long time himself. The life he left behind was not the same one he possessed now. It would never be the same.
“Your grossmammi isn’t expecting you, is she?”
She shook her head, confirming this wasn’t a friendly visit to catch up. Faith was running for her life.
Eli gave the reins a shake, and the horse responded to his skilled direction.
“Why is this man trying to harm you? Why would he try to frame you for someone’s murder?”
She put up her guard. “Because of the things I found out. It’s better for him if I disappear.” The answer didn’t settle anything in Eli’s mind. Far from it.
They passed by the damaged railing. Eli had a feeling the truth was going to be far worse than anything he could imagine.
The mare clomped along the slushy road while snow continued to fall. Eli kept a close eye behind them. The truck had headed away from the community, but something told him this wasn’t the last they’d seen of the man.
Most people around the town and the surrounding countryside knew each other. Had grown up living with the same
