Read Online Past Forward Volume 1 by Chautona Havig - Free Book Online

frankly. A week ago,
a young woman walked into the police station and asked what to do
when someone dies.”
    A collective gasp erupted from the group.
“Are you serious?” The question came from a teenager who evidently
didn’t want to be there.
    “D—um,” he fumbled realizing that “dead”
wasn’t exactly an appropriate adjective. “Completely.” He swallowed
his discomfort and plunged forward. “Let me tell you what we’ve
learned about Willow and her mother. Kari moved here when she was
pregnant with Willow. She considered moving into an Amish
community—”
    “Amish!” The man spoke again. Chad now had
no doubts left that this was Willow’s grandfather.
    “Yes, after her attack sh—”
    “Attack!”
    The realization that Kari’s disappearance
was a complete mystery to her family grieved Chad. “Yes. She was
attacked in Rockland over twenty years ago.”
    “Why didn’t she tell us? Why did she leave?
We’d have supported her!”
    “Something about who it was and getting paid
off to disappear. I got the idea that whoever it was is prominent
and wealthy in the city.”
    He went on to describe their life, Kari’s
dream, and finally her death. The gasps of surprise came in almost
rhythmic waves. Finally, people quit listening and started
questioning. Chad answered what questions he could until he simply
didn’t know any more.
    “Ok, honestly, I think this is all I can
help you with. I asked you here because I saw how bothered everyone
was by Willow’s manner, and I wanted to ensure that you all
understood that it wasn’t a lack of appreciation or intended
discourtesy. She is accustomed to saying what comes to mind because
that’s how they lived.
    “Will she start living a more normal life
now that Kari is gone?”
    He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just truly do
not know.”

    At two in the morning, Chad drove by
Willow’s farm as he returned from a transfer to the Brunswick jail
and saw lights in nearly every window. He drove another quarter
mile before he whipped the car around. Oil lamps all over a house
with only one person home made him nervous. He called Judith at the
station. “Something’s wrong there. If it’s a police matter, I’ll
call back. Otherwise, if you don’t hear from me in ten minutes,
mark me officially off duty. I’ll drop off the cruiser as soon as I
can.”
    Wilhelmina greeted him as he exited the
vehicle. Willow’s silhouette in the front room moved rhythmically
causing him to wonder why she ignored the pained cries of her goat.
His knock brought no response. Willow continued whatever she was
doing without a pause.
    Chad knocked on the door again as he opened
it. “Willow? Are you ok?”
    A breeze blew in behind him fluttering her
sleeve against her arm. Willow looked up, startled to see him. “Oh
Chad, you scared me!” She pulled something from her ears.
    “ I saw the lights and
considering the time, I thought I’d stop in. Wilhelmina is out
there pitching a fit.”
    Her shoulders drooped and she stood
resolutely. “Oh I forgot about her. I was asleep and something woke
me up. I wasn’t ready to get up, so I put in plugs and went back to
sleep. I guess I forgot to take them out.”
    “You look beat. Go get yourself something to
eat, and I’ll take care of her.”
    “She’s going to get mastitis if I keep this
up.”
    “Just get yourself some kind of dinner. I’ll
be back in a few minutes.”
    Willow followed him through to the kitchen
and handed him a stainless steel milk pail. “Have you ever milked a
goat?”
    “Cows on my uncle’s farm every summer. I
figure it can’t be all that different.”
    Chad tipped his hat at her and hurried out
to the goat. He found the animal hungry, thirsty, and with very
swollen teats. As he milked, the goat voiced her misery and
disapproval between every bite of alfalfa from her trough. By the
time he’d finished, she curled up in the corner of her pen and fell
asleep almost immediately.
    Inside the barn, he