Amish Country Murder (Love Inspired Suspense) Read online

  An Amish woman targeted by a serial killer

  is the only living witness...

  As the sole woman to escape the Dead of Night Killer, Catherine Fisher’s the key to catching him—if he doesn’t kill her first. Now it’s up to FBI agent Sutter Brenneman to protect her. But with her memory missing and all clues indicating the serial killer took her for very personal reasons, it’ll take everything Sutter has to keep her safe.

  “Stop right there!”

  Sutter! Relief swept through Catherine’s limbs. He would save her. But the killer jerked toward the sound and fired off several rounds.

  Catherine scrambled to her feet and charged. She hit his midsection. They stumbled backward. His hand snaked around her throat.

  “Drop the weapon!” Sutter yelled.

  Her attacker swung her around in front of him like a shield. He shoved the gun against her temple.

  “Take it easy,” Sutter urged. “Drop the weapon and let her go.”

  Instead, the man lifted Catherine up high and tossed her. She hit the ground hard, landing on her wrist.

  The man had the gun pointed at her again.

  She started crawling toward Sutter. If she could just reach him...

  Gunshots drowned out her labored breathing. Catherine ducked low and covered her head with her hands, certain she would be dead soon. But someone dove toward her.

  Sutter.

  He tucked her beneath his body and returned the killer’s fire, the noise deafening as bullets landed all around.

  Mary Alford was inspired to become a writer after reading romantic suspense greats Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney. Soon, creating characters and throwing them into dangerous situations that tested their faith came naturally for Mary. In 2012 Mary entered the speed-dating contest hosted by Love Inspired Suspense and later received “the call.” Writing for Love Inspired Suspense has been a dream come true for Mary.

  Books by Mary Alford

  Love Inspired Suspense

  Forgotten Past

  Rocky Mountain Pursuit

  Deadly Memories

  Framed for Murder

  Standoff at Midnight Mountain

  Grave Peril

  Amish Country Kidnapping

  Amish Country Murder

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

  Amish Country Murder

  Mary Alford

  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

  —Psalm 23:4

  For my brother, Leon, who passed away May 4, 2019. Leon was a minister, a chaplain for the Texas State Guard, a constable and a man of God who touched so many lives. Mine especially.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  EPILOGUE

  DEAR READER

  EXCERPT FROM MOUNTAIN CAPTIVE BY SHARON DUNN

  ONE

  Her memory before waking up in the basement the night before was blank. Her head ached. Vision blurred. Dried blood caked the makeshift bandage secured around her head. She was completely at her kidnapper’s mercy. And he had none.

  Thinking clearly with her heart threatening to explode from her chest was nearly impossible, but she had to try.

  Her hands were zip-tied in front of her body. Beneath her, the cold of the cement floor seeped deep into her limbs. She was tethered to a support beam by a rope around her ankle.

  He’d blindfolded her, but she’d pulled it free the second he was gone. She’d been in and out of consciousness most of the day, her body broken from the things he’d put her through.

  The room was dark now. A twelve-by-twelve-inch window displayed the blackness of the night outside.

  Through the drilling pain in her head, a niggling of something far more terrifying was just out of her reach. A nightmare waiting to be revealed. Last night, when she’d awakened to find the monster standing over her, she thought she’d heard another woman scream. Her stomach clenched. She prayed it was but a hallucination.

  “Is anyone there?” Her frightened voice echoed through the basement and received no answer.

  As hard as she tried, she couldn’t remember anything from her past beyond waking up in this basement to him. Not how she’d come to be here, or what she’d been doing before he took her. Nothing. Yet one thing was clear. Without help, she would not walk out of this basement alive.

  Outside, a car slowed. The garage door chugged up and fear spiraled throughout her body. He was home.

  Somewhere in the house, a door opened. Closed. Her heart pumped fear-induced adrenaline through her body as footsteps approached upstairs.

  Light crept in from above and terror filled her to capacity. She closed her eyes and clamped down on her bottom lip to hold back a scream. The hurt he’d inflicted on her the night before had threatened to break her. He’d enjoyed every bit of her pain. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure of hearing her scream again.

  The steps leading to her torture chamber creaked. Each sound grated along her frayed nerves. She willed this to be a nightmare she would wake up from any minute.

  His loud breathing filled the room. Vague memories of a safer place crept in. Real? Imagined? She wasn’t sure, but she needed to believe it existed, because going there had helped her reclaim her name earlier. Catherine. She was Catherine.

  The shrill sound of a phone ringing came from upstairs. He snorted in anger, furious to have the fun postponed. She could feel his gaze boring into her.

  He never spoke. Not once since she’d woken last night to him standing over her had he said a single word to her.

  With a growl, he forced the blindfold back over her eyes. But not before she’d caught a glimpse of him. He was dressed in dark clothing, a ski mask covering his face. His eyes were dark and disturbing—filled with evil. They would haunt her forever.

  He trudged up the steps and slammed the door hard. Catherine listened carefully, almost certain he hadn’t locked it behind him.

  This was her chance. If she wanted to live, she had to break free of her restraints and escape before he returned.

  Catherine jerked the blindfold down. He’d tied the double knot around her ankle so tight it had rubbed her ankle raw. Her limbs were weak. She barely had the strength to grasp the first knot. She wanted to live. Wanted to see... Her memory would not fill in the blanks, but she was certain there were people out there who loved her.

  Tugging as hard as she could, Catherine worked on the first knot with her fettered hands. No matter how hard she tried, she could not free it.

  Tears stung her eyes. She scrubbed them away with anger. She would not give in to the helpless feeling. To him. Would not let him win.

  When she glanced around the dark room, her attention snagged on something near the stairs. The sliver of light coming from beneath the door above glinted on metal. The knife he’d used. It must
have fallen from his pocket. If she could get it...

  She flattened herself on the floor and strained, yet the knife was still out of reach. Defeat hovered, urging her to give up and accept her fate, but she could not, because she wanted to live. She stretched her fingers as far as possible. Touched the knife. It slid farther away. The last bit of hope threatened to evaporate before she saw it—what appeared to be a piece of wood splintered from the banister. Close enough to touch.

  It took three tries before Catherine reached it. Holding it tightly, she thrust the splinter at the knife. After several attempts she was able to maneuver it close enough to grasp. The mere act depleted her waning energy.

  Clutching the knife awkwardly, she used her teeth to open the blade, then finally started sawing at the zip tie on her wrists. The knife slipped from her hand and she had to start again.

  Stuffing frustration down deep, Catherine kept her attention on cutting the zip tie. After several more tries, it snapped free. The rope around her ankle proved more difficult.

  The man’s angry voice filtered down from upstairs. “It’s my dog and my property. If you don’t like its barking, then perhaps you should move.” Something about his voice was familiar, but there was no time to consider how she might know him. She had to get away.

  She sawed harder. The rope frayed. Almost there... A few more rounds with the knife and she was free.

  Putting one foot in front of the other became an insurmountable effort. She crawled up the steps to the landing. Out of the dark recesses of her mind, the memory of the woman’s scream the night before came back to her. Was it real? She’d been blindfolded at the time. In and out of consciousness most of the day. There’d been no other indication someone else was here with her, so chances were it was just a hallucination. Still, Catherine couldn’t leave without knowing for certain. Clutching the banister, she pulled herself up and struggled back down the steps. Without turning on the light, she searched the shadows of the room. Nothing. Had she been wrong?

  In another part of the house, he was still arguing on the phone. Catherine made it back up to the basement door. Eased it open. A cluttered and grimy kitchen faced her. Stale food odors clung to the walls.

  The man’s voice came from her left, and the backdoor was straight in front of her. Just a few steps. Drawing in a breath, Catherine gathered her courage and slipped out of the basement prison, listening carefully. More angry words.

  Moving to the door, she slid the lock free as quietly as possible. It protested with a squeak. The man stopped arguing. He’d heard.

  With her heart in her throat, she ran, her bare feet sinking into the deep snow outside. Numbness set in quickly.

  Close by, something charged her, growling and barking. The dog. The gate appeared up ahead. She had to reach it before the beast took her down.

  Catherine fumbled with the latch, her fingers trembling. The animal leaped through the air, teeth bared and inches from her face. She could feel its hot breath on her cheek as it reached the end of its chain and fell backward with a yelp.

  Finally, she unlocked the gate. Free of the yard, she raced through the darkness. Dressed only in grimy jeans and a T-shirt, she shivered as the cold wind sliced through her weakened body and threatened to knock her down.

  Pitch blackness stretched beyond the lights of the house, shrouding what appeared to be a pasture. Behind her, a door crashed open. He was coming! Unable to draw enough air into her body, she fought panic and hopelessness as she stumbled across the uneven field.

  Thundering footsteps gained on her. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her bruised face. She would not give up. Could not go back to that prison.

  His heavy breathing warned that he was close.

  “Gott, please help me.” Catherine wasn’t sure if she’d said the words aloud, but she suddenly ran faster, the white silk scarf he’d knotted around her neck flapping behind her. The burst of energy could only have come from above.

  The cold burned her lungs. One big hand snatched her from behind. Another clamped over her mouth, stifling her scream. She fought him with all her waning strength, kicking out and clawing at the mask on his face, but it was useless. Something was jabbed into her neck. She wrestled to free herself, but soon the world blurred. Darkness closed in around her. Her last thought was that he’d won. He’d won.

  A rocking motion woke her. How long had she been unconscious and entombed in this tiny space? She felt around, touching metal above and beside her, and what felt like carpet beneath her. A car trunk. The jostling continued for a while before the vehicle came to a halt. His familiar footsteps approached. He’d taken her from her prison. Why? The only explanation...he was planning to kill her.

  No matter what, she would not die without putting up a fight.

  The trunk swung open, but she was ready for him, her feet in position. With all her strength, she kicked him in his midsection. He slumped over and Catherine clambered out of the car and ran.

  Up ahead, the noise of rushing water captured her attention. She ran toward the sound, and a bridge came into view, with lights beyond it. If she could make it to them someone would help her.

  She stepped onto the bridge and almost slipped. It was covered in ice and snow, forcing her to slow down. She glanced over her shoulder. He was there, but he didn’t appear to be in a hurry. In his hand, he carried something. Why wasn’t he coming for her?

  Slipping and sliding, Catherine kept moving. When she was halfway across the bridge, a bang split the night, louder than her ragged breathing. Pain seared through her body and shoved her forward. She lost her footing. Slipped. The momentum of the bullet piercing her shoulder was too much.

  The railing gave way beneath her weight, and Catherine screamed as she plunged through the air. Her hands grasped for something to hold on to, but there was nothing. Unable to blink, she watched as the raging water came up fast. Seconds ticked by while her heart exploded with fear.

  She hit the river hard, the cold sucking the breath from her lungs. Catherine was sinking and she didn’t know how to swim. Frozen tears clung to her cheeks. Up above, he leaned over the bridge. Watched her struggle.

  Her face slipped beneath the water’s surface. Her body grew limp. She was dying. He’d won. She’d fought so hard to live, but it wasn’t enough.

  * * *

  “I beg your pardon?” FBI Profiler Sutter Brenneman couldn’t believe he’d heard Sheriff Walker Collins correctly. The sheriff stood in the doorway of the conference room where Sutter, his partner, and two agents from the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation had been working around the clock, poring through the information they were able to obtain from the latest victims. Which amounted to little.

  So far, six young women had died at the hands of a killer whose identity remained as elusive as his motives. Yet one thing was without question. A serial killer was on the loose in Montana, and they needed to figure out what motivated him to commit these murders before he could take another innocent woman. And the clock was ticking.

  Sutter rubbed his eyelids. He wasn’t sure if his sleep-deprived brain had created the possibility of their first real break.

  “I said you need to head to Eagle’s Nest Memorial Hospital right away. A young woman was just brought in. Two Amish boys from the West Kootenai community pulled her from Silver Creek a few hours ago and carried her to the hospital. She’s been shot. The doctor is in with her now. We don’t know anything more about the extent of her injuries.”

  Sutter scraped back his chair. The expression on the sheriff’s face confirmed the news was big. “You think...?” He couldn’t finish.

  “Yeah, I do. In fact, I’m sure of it. We have the first living victim of the Dead of Night Killer.”

  The sheriff’s words sank in while Sutter swallowed his disgust at the name the media had given the perp, who took each of his victims during the dead of night.

/>   “How can you be so sure?” Sutter asked while his partner, James Pennington, grabbed his jacket and started for the door.

  “Because she had a white silk scarf tied around her neck. Like the other victims. That information has never been released to the media.”

  “Go,” Garrett Miles, one of the DCI agents, told him. “Trevor and I will head to the crime scene to see if we can find anything useful there.”

  Sutter shoved his arms into his coat and followed his partner without a word.

  “Ask for Dr. Rolland. He’s the one treating her. The two Amish boys are at the hospital. I’ll head to Silver Creek with Trevor and Garrett, and start canvassing,” the sheriff called after him.

  Sutter barely heard him, his mind was on what lay ahead. He and James practically ran from the station. His partner clicked the key fob to their Bureau-issued black Suburban and then slid behind the wheel, while Sutter scrambled into the passenger seat.

  They had a live victim. He couldn’t believe they’d caught such a break. Up until now, the only things tying the victims to each other were the method of death—a single gunshot wound to the chest—and the white silk scarf tied around each victim’s neck. Plus the note, “You made me do this.” The profiler in him was still trying to unravel the meaning behind that.

  James backed out of the parking space, shoved the SUV into Drive and floored the gas pedal, dodging the light evening traffic until the blue hospital sign came into view. After turning, he drove the short distance to the lot and whipped into the nearest vacant spot.

  They exited at the same time, as if choreographed. Inside the building, Sutter advanced to the receptionist’s desk, showed his badge and told her who they wished to speak with.

  The young woman’s troubled gaze swept from one to the other before she picked up the phone and spoke briefly.

  “Dr. Rolland will be down in a minute,” she assured them with a nervous smile. No doubt the news of the killer, along with the FBI’s presence in Eagle’s Nest, had the citizens on edge.

 
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