Read Online Off the Grid (Amish Safe House, Book 1) by Ruth Hartzler - Free Book Online

grave site was an open area. Someone who
wasn't Amish would stick out like a sore thumb. If the attacker was
going to show up, that was where she would see him. Of course, she
could not say as much to the Beth. “I feel like I need to see this
through.”
    Beth gave her a worried but encouraging
smile, yet did not try to push her further. Beth, Rose, and Kate
climbed aboard the buggy, and Isaac pulled the buggy into the
solemn procession behind the black, horse drawn hearse.
    “It’s a real shame; it makes no sense at
all. Still, the ways of Gott are not the ways of man,” Isaac
mused as they made their slow path to the cemetery. His wife nodded
in agreement, but she reached to give her husband's knee a sharp
squeeze and a veiled look of reproach. Kate realized that it was
Beth’s way of telling her husband to drop the subject. This was no
doubt for Kate's benefit.
    Kate was itching to ask them if there was
anyone who would have wanted the man dead. At the same time, she
was sure that her questions and interest would be met with the same
quiet avoidance. Don't concern yourself. Rest. Don't get
involved . Kate had taken care of herself since she was a
teenager. This coddling, like she was an invalid, was hard to bear.
She was bound to blow her cover if they didn't find the mole in
WITSEC soon.
    The cemetery was surrounded by a white
picket fence. The little, white headstones were identical and
stretched over a large field. There was a sort of peaceful beauty
to it, Kate thought, upon seeing the plain and simple layout.
    As expected, Kate saw police wandering the
perimeter. She could tell by the looks on people’s faces that their
presence was neither typical nor appreciated. After a moment of
searching, she spotted Officer Ryan Weaver. He was standing in
composed authority at the edge, watching the group and the
surrounding area.
    The final service started relatively
quickly, forcing Kate to turn her attention to the grave. There
were no machines to be seen; rather, just a few shovels, dirt still
clinging to the edges of the blades. Like everything else in this
place, the grave was made by hand. She had to commend these people
for their amazing work ethic. They made no excuses to do anything
halfway.
    Kate thought back to that night as the final
events unfolded. She knew there had to be an explanation for why
the attack took place. Still, she was at a loss. She realized not
all cases had any sort of logic to them, but she couldn’t escape
the nagging feeling that she was missing something important.
    The service was remarkably short. Again,
there were no songs or speeches, no eulogy. The pallbearers lowered
the simple, pine coffin into the grave, while a minister read a
hymn aloud. There were no flowers anywhere to be seen. It was all
carried out with a great deal of somber dignity.
    Once the brief event ended, the small crowd
began to disperse. A few gathered in small groups to talk. This was
the most social Kate had seen any of them all day. Even the
Kauffmans began a quiet conversation with another of their
neighbors.
    Seeing her chance, she walked briskly over
the grounds to where Officer Ryan Weaver was directing his men. As
she moved, she noticed the figure of a man in the distance walking
away. He was too far away to make out any features, but she was
fairly certain that he was not Amish. She watched him for a moment
as she walked. He was dressed in a dark shirt and dark pants, and
his head was tucked down as he made his way briskly off the scene.
Had she been on the case, she would have had someone check on them.
Of course, she wasn't on a case, and seeing the person walk away
was making her most anxious indeed.
    “Officer Weaver?” she called.
    He turned to her voice and inclined his head
in greeting. “Hello, Ms. Lambright, isn’t it?”
    Kate simply stared at him. She had noticed
that the officer was good looking, but in strong daylight, he was
quite handsome. It was apparent that he trained regularly to