pulled the covers around her son’s shoulders and brushed the hair from his forehead. “Go to sleep, William. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll be across the hall.”
“I don’t wanna stay here.”
She nodded. “I know.”
The boy’s eyes closed and he was soon asleep.
Abraham placed the lamp on a small table in the hallway. Julia joined him there.
“I appreciate you taking us in, Mr. King.”
“Please, my name is Abraham. Some call me Abe.”
“I hate to disturb your life, but Marshal Mast—”
“You have disturbed nothing, Ms. Stolz.”
Her brow wrinkled.
“Perhaps Jonathan did not provide your new name?”
“He did. It’s just that...” She raked her hand through her golden-brown hair. “So much has happened.”
“We can review the information you will need tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Abraham.” She glanced into her room and then hurried downstairs.
The marshals were eating sandwiches and finishing their coffee. They stood when she entered the kitchen.
Stacy pointed to a plastic bag sitting next to the luggage by the door. “I brought a few games for the kids.”
Julia offered a weak smile. “That was very thoughtful.”
“William and Kayla will adjust.” Stacy squeezed her arm. “You will, too.”
“I hope so.”
Jonathan shook hands with Abraham. “Thanks for the chow.”
“You are traveling back to Philadelphia tonight?”
“We’ll be at our desks before dawn.” The marshal turned to Julia. “You can call us if you need anything. Abraham’s neighbor has a phone. Do you have any questions?”
“None that I can think of at the moment.”
The marshals shook her hand and then left the house. Stacy and Karl climbed into the van. Jonathan hung back.
“I’ll leave the coded message on your neighbor’s answering machine if anything new develops,” he told Abraham, who had followed them outside. “Let me know if you notice anything suspicious. The Philadores don’t have much of a foothold in Kansas, but that could change.”
He slapped Abraham’s shoulder. “Nice seeing you, Abe. Looks like you’ve settled into Amish life.”
“Coming back was a good decision for me.” Abraham hesitated. “I will always be grateful.”
“You saved my hide a few times. The least I could do was reciprocate.”
Jonathan glanced back at the house before adding, “I know this is hard, but the kid’s in danger. I don’t have to tell you the woman looks fragile and at the end of her rope. The boy could be the biggest problem. The cops in Philly found him on the street a couple times and took him home. The mom’s trying hard, but we both know sometimes that’s not good enough. Plus, her ex-husband came after her following their divorce. She got a restraining order and changed locations twice. Each time he found her. He eventually went to prison, but he talked about getting even. She’s carrying a lot of worry, especially concerning her son. Maybe you can redirect the kid and focus him on something other than gangs and crime.”
“The Amish way is not for everyone, Jonathan. You know that.”
“Yah.” The marshal slipped into his own Amish roots. “But for a kid who doesn’t know where to turn, the hard work and strong sense of community might give him a new outlook on life. As I mentioned when I first contacted you, my wife was in WitSec and was placed within the Amish community, which proved successful. I have confidence you’ll make this work as well, Abraham.”
“When I agreed to help, I thought there would be a husband.” Abraham tugged on his jaw. “A husband who would follow his wife here at some later time, instead of an ex locked away in prison.”
“I may have skipped over that detail.”
Abraham chuckled. “You knew I would never agree to a woman without a husband.”
“You’ll be in the house next door.”
“Of course I will, but she was hurt by her ex and probably struggles to trust men.”
“Wouldn’t you struggle, if you had been through what she has? Her husband had a passion for gambling. Too much debt and to the wrong people. Then he embezzled funds to cover his habit.”
“Being placed with a female might have been a better fit.”
“Encourage her to call Stacy if she needs to talk to another woman. In the meantime, you’re our man on this case, Abe. The family needs you.”
Again the two men shook hands. As Jonathan turned toward the car, his cell rang. He pulled it out, pushed Talk and raised the phone to his ear. “Mast.” He nodded. “You’re sure? Thanks. I’ll pass that on.”
Pocketing his phone, Jonathan turned worried eyes to Abraham. “We picked up an informant who was eager to talk. Fuentes got wind of us moving William out of Philadelphia.”
“How?”
Jonathan shrugged. “Beats me, but it compounds the situation. Not that they suspect Kansas. Still, stay alert. His people could be anywhere and anyone.”
“Are you sure the informant is legit?”
“As sure as we can be. I’ll call you if we get more information.”
Jonathan hurried to the van and climbed into the front seat. The three marshals nodded their farewells before the vehicle drove away, leaving Abraham to think of the family he had not been able to protect.
His own family.
He turned and, with a heavy heart, entered the kitchen. The woman stood by the table.
“I live in the house next door,” he said. “I will leave you to your rest now. Tomorrow we will talk about this new arrangement.”
He touched the dead bolt on the kitchen door. “The front door is locked. Do the same with the dead bolt once I leave. Do not worry. The only person prowling the grounds tonight will be me. I will not let harm come to you or your children.”
Without waiting for her to comment, Abraham grabbed his hat and coat from the wall pegs and stepped outside.
He paused and listened for the door to lock.
Silence.
He knocked. “Lock the door, Mrs. Stolz, for your own peace of mind.”
The lock clicked into place. With a heavy sigh, he headed home.
He was glad he had bought the main house and the dawdy, or grandparents’ house, next door. Abraham had not needed two houses, but he had wanted the land. One hundred twenty acres to farm and to exhaust him so he would forget about Marianne and Becca. Except he could never forget his wife and child.
Now this woman had stepped into his quiet world with her two children and all he could think about was what he had lost.
He had made a mistake agreeing to help Jonathan. In a few days Abraham would tell him the setup was not working and insist he find somewhere else to place Julia and her children.
Abraham kicked a clod of dirt with his boot and sighed, knowing that if the Philador gang was after them, there would be no place safe for Julia and her children to hide.