Read Online Missing with Bonus Material: The Secrets of Crittenden County, Book One by Shelley Shepard Gray - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shelley Shepard Gray
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has the answers. We, on the other hand, merely try to figure things out. Remember the saying? . . . I know not what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.”
Abby hadn’t heard that saying, but she thought it made sense. “If that’s how God wants things, he must be real happy with me right now. I don’t know have any idea what’s going to happen with my future.”
Her grandmother laughed as they headed downstairs. “Abby, you are going to have to come here more often. You make me smile like no other.”
And to her surprise, Abby felt herself smiling too as they took the steps together.
Chapter 7
“The problem with me and Perry was that he had too many secrets and I had too few.”
L YDIA P LANK
L ydia, we need to speak with you for a moment, if we may,” her father said.
Looking up from the bowl of frosting she was mixing, Lydia gazed at her father with concern. It wasn’t his way to ask her to talk. Usually, he just approached and said what was on his mind. “Right now?”
“I think that might be best. Unless you can’t stop your baking?”
“I’m only making frosting, Daed,” she said as she turned to the sink and quickly washed her hands. “Where do you want to talk to me?”
“Come to the porch, Lydia,” her mother said. “We can sit on the rocking chairs for a spell. It’s so peaceful out there.”
Both her parents were waiting on her? And her usual bossy mother was standing to the side, waiting for Daed to talk? Something must have happened. “I’ll be right there,” she said quickly.
As soon as she dried her hands, Lydia went out to join her parents. Hanging from the front-porch railing were a series of baskets filled with marigolds. Usually the flowers and the fresh air gave her a feeling of peace, but all she felt at the moment was a sense of foreboding. It washed over her in waves as she saw their serious expressions.
“Is something wrong?”
“ Nee. I mean, not really.” Her mother flashed a smile that disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. “Come sit down, child.”
Her bare feet felt chilled as she walked across the thick planks of decking. When she sat down in one of the white-washed rocking chairs, she noticed that her parents’ hands were clenched together tightly.
“You two are starting to scare me. Is this about the police detective’s visit?” That was the only thing she could think of that would cause her parents to wear such stricken looks.
“It’s not about the detective’s visit. It has nothing to do with Perry,” her father replied. “Well, not really.” Her parents exchanged looks.
“What’s happened?”
“Well, when those English girls first discovered Perry on the Miller farm, it caught us by surprise.”
“I think it caught everyone by surprise.”
“The Lord does watch over us all,” her mother said, “but He also does things for a reason, I believe.”
After looking at her mother for a long moment, her father cleared his throat. “Lydia, when we heard that Perry’s body was found, it got us to thinking.”
“What about?”
This time her mother answered. “Well, that there had to be a reason he was murdered and then hidden in the well. He must have had secrets. No one could have imagined that such a thing would happen in Crittenden County. And especially not in our community.”
Lydia nodded. Perry’s death had been a shock, for sure. But she still had no idea why her parents wanted to talk to her about his death now.
Her parents exchanged looks, then her daed spoke. “It made your mother and I realize that keeping secrets wasn’t such a good thing.”
Lydia blinked. Her father’s Amish accent was slowly becoming stronger with every sentence he spoke. That was a sure sign that something was really bothering him.
Or that he was nervous.
What was going on? Why were they talking about secrets? Did her parents not trust her? “I haven’t been keeping secrets from you. Or from the detective,” she
Abby hadn’t heard that saying, but she thought it made sense. “If that’s how God wants things, he must be real happy with me right now. I don’t know have any idea what’s going to happen with my future.”
Her grandmother laughed as they headed downstairs. “Abby, you are going to have to come here more often. You make me smile like no other.”
And to her surprise, Abby felt herself smiling too as they took the steps together.
Chapter 7
“The problem with me and Perry was that he had too many secrets and I had too few.”
L YDIA P LANK
L ydia, we need to speak with you for a moment, if we may,” her father said.
Looking up from the bowl of frosting she was mixing, Lydia gazed at her father with concern. It wasn’t his way to ask her to talk. Usually, he just approached and said what was on his mind. “Right now?”
“I think that might be best. Unless you can’t stop your baking?”
“I’m only making frosting, Daed,” she said as she turned to the sink and quickly washed her hands. “Where do you want to talk to me?”
“Come to the porch, Lydia,” her mother said. “We can sit on the rocking chairs for a spell. It’s so peaceful out there.”
Both her parents were waiting on her? And her usual bossy mother was standing to the side, waiting for Daed to talk? Something must have happened. “I’ll be right there,” she said quickly.
As soon as she dried her hands, Lydia went out to join her parents. Hanging from the front-porch railing were a series of baskets filled with marigolds. Usually the flowers and the fresh air gave her a feeling of peace, but all she felt at the moment was a sense of foreboding. It washed over her in waves as she saw their serious expressions.
“Is something wrong?”
“ Nee. I mean, not really.” Her mother flashed a smile that disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. “Come sit down, child.”
Her bare feet felt chilled as she walked across the thick planks of decking. When she sat down in one of the white-washed rocking chairs, she noticed that her parents’ hands were clenched together tightly.
“You two are starting to scare me. Is this about the police detective’s visit?” That was the only thing she could think of that would cause her parents to wear such stricken looks.
“It’s not about the detective’s visit. It has nothing to do with Perry,” her father replied. “Well, not really.” Her parents exchanged looks.
“What’s happened?”
“Well, when those English girls first discovered Perry on the Miller farm, it caught us by surprise.”
“I think it caught everyone by surprise.”
“The Lord does watch over us all,” her mother said, “but He also does things for a reason, I believe.”
After looking at her mother for a long moment, her father cleared his throat. “Lydia, when we heard that Perry’s body was found, it got us to thinking.”
“What about?”
This time her mother answered. “Well, that there had to be a reason he was murdered and then hidden in the well. He must have had secrets. No one could have imagined that such a thing would happen in Crittenden County. And especially not in our community.”
Lydia nodded. Perry’s death had been a shock, for sure. But she still had no idea why her parents wanted to talk to her about his death now.
Her parents exchanged looks, then her daed spoke. “It made your mother and I realize that keeping secrets wasn’t such a good thing.”
Lydia blinked. Her father’s Amish accent was slowly becoming stronger with every sentence he spoke. That was a sure sign that something was really bothering him.
Or that he was nervous.
What was going on? Why were they talking about secrets? Did her parents not trust her? “I haven’t been keeping secrets from you. Or from the detective,” she
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