Whispers from the Dead (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 2) by Karen Ann Hopkins

of chips and a pickle spear on the side. I had to give the guy credit. He pegged my eating habits perfectly.
    “Thank you,” I told Jotham. As Mariah was turning to leave, I reached out and lightly grasped her arm. She stopped and looked down at my hand as if it was a rattle snake and I quickly let go. “Hello, I’m Serenity. I believe that I met your mother earlier as I was coming up the road to the store.”
    Mariah’s eyes narrowed a little and in a what-do-I-care sort of way before her face became expressionless again. She replied, “Oh, that’s nice,” and then she smiled slightly and hurried away.
    It was an awkward moment for sure, but I got what I wanted from it. Mariah was definitely the girl that Brandy had gone to bat for. I would bet money on it. The terse brunette didn’t look at all like Naomi, but I still compared the two girls and wondered if Mariah had thoughts of running away from her roots, too.
    “I apologize for that. Girls her age are moody and act funny sometimes.”
    “Is she quite a handful?” I asked with forced casualness.
    His long hesitation answered my question, but he said, “Not really. Mariah has her moments, the same as the other teenagers who work for me. I’m sure it’s difficult being the bishop’s daughter.” He paused and then changed the subject. “Your task here will not be an easy one, Ms. Adams. Many in our community don’t want to even ponder the thought that our own youth may be involved.”
    “Please call me Serenity. Do you believe that the fires might have been set by Amish teens?”
    Jotham shrugged and said, “I don’t really know, but I think it would be silly to overlook them completely.”
    “All right, I’m going to need a list of names of interest from you. I’ve already created a timeline of the arsons, but I need a lot more clarification than the little information that I was able to piece together online.”
    “I can do that…but not right now. I have to get back to work.” He began to rise, but before I could stop him to arrange our next meeting, he paused and abruptly sat back down again.
    “How far back did you go when you did your research on the computer?” he asked.
    The slow and precise way that he asked the question made me shudder.
    “Rowan told me the first fire happened on October fifteenth of last year…so that’s where I began.” Reluctantly, I added, “Why?”
    Jotham looked around for eavesdroppers once again and then leaned in even closer. The fact that he was risking such close contact with a woman who was basically a stranger to him impressed onto me the importance of what he was about to say.
    “The very first fire in Poplar Springs took place in nineteen ninety-seven…” he sucked in a nervous breath and rushed out, “…and two people died.”

5
    I o nly had a few seconds for his words to sink in before Rowan walked up to the table with his three daughters in tow.
    “There you are!” exclaimed Lucinda, who quickly sat in the seat beside me.
    “Hello, Jotham,” Rowan said, and then he tipped his black hat to me and added, “Serenity.”
    “Good morning,” I chirped out, suddenly feeling slightly flustered.
    Jotham stood and said to Rowan, “I have to get back to work…but I’d like to talk to Serenity in more detail later in the week.”
    Rowan nodded, “Of course.”
    Rowan motioned for Jotham to step away from the table and they began whispering. They were too far away for me to hear what they were saying, but I strained hard to listen nonetheless. The bombshell that Jotham had just dropped about a possible arson with deaths that happened almost two decades earlier was the same as throwing a cup of cold water in my face. The man wouldn’t even have mentioned it unless he personally thought that the crimes were connected in some way. I shook my head. Damn Amish. Nothing was ever simple with them.
    Mareena took the other chair and Cacey climbed onto her lap. I waved down Mariah and asked her to get