Linda Castillo - Sworn to Silence

• Название: Sworn to Silence
• Автор: Linda Castillo
• Жанр: Прочая старинная литература

Some secrets are too terrible to reveal . . .

Some crimes are too unspeakable to solve . . .

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish. Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

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“There’s some wisdom in there somewhere,” I reply.

“If it hadn’t been for you—” Mona begins, but I cut her off.

“Don’t give me too much credit, okay?” I think of Daniel Lapp’s remains in the grain elevator. “I don’t deserve it.”

I’m saved from having to explain when the switchboard beeps. Mona rushes toward her desk to take the call, and I head toward my office. I flip on the light, and I’m surprised to see that my desktop is neat. The last time I was here, it was covered with papers from the Slaughterhouse Killer file. I realize Mona or Lois must have tidied it up for me.

I’ve barely made it to my desk when the phone rings. I look down, see Mona’s extension on the display and hit speaker.

“Chief, I just got a call from some guy out on Dog Leg Road. Says there’re loose cows on the road.”

I think of the last time we got the call about Stutz’s livestock, and I smile. “Dispatch Skid, will you? Tell him to cite Stutz this time. He’s had ample time to get that fence fixed.”

“Roger that.”

I end the call and lean back in my chair. From where I sit, I can hear Glock and Pickles arguing the pros and cons of criminal profiling. I hear the drone of the switchboard. The scratch of Mona’s radio. Being here, in this place, feels right. This is where I belong. Here, with my officers. In this town.

I’ll continue to live with my secrets. I know there are worse fates. I think of my nephews, Elam and James. I think of Sarah and the baby she’s carrying. I think of Jacob and the ugliness that has passed between us. I think of my own isolation, my inability to connect, and I realize the time has come for me to reach out. They are my family, and I want them to be part of my life.

I think of John for the dozenth time today, and I wonder where he is and what he’s doing. I wonder if he thinks of me as often as I think of him.

My phone buzzes again. I look down and see a 614 area code with “BCI” on the display. I pick up, already anticipating the sound of his voice. “I was wondering when you were going to call,” I say.

“I hear you got yourself reinstated.”

“They came begging yesterday.”

“I hope you weren’t too easy.”

“I held out for a raise.”

“Good for you.” He pauses. “I was in the neighborhood and was wondering if you’d like to go to lunch.”

“Columbus is a hundred miles away, Tomasetti. How can you just be in the neighborhood?”

“I told the brass I needed to handle some case-related paperwork down there.”

“We could probably hustle up a report or two.”

“I told them it would be an overnight trip.” He lowers his voice. “Just between us, I’ve got a big crush on the chief of police.”

My lip hurts, but I smile anyway. “I hear the diner’s got a pretty decent pot roast.”

“In that case I’ll pick you up at the station in fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll be here,” I say, and disconnect.