Page 113 of A Gathering of Secrets

“I thought I might find you out here.”

I look over my shoulder to see Tomasetti approaching from the house. He’s already changed into faded jeans and a T-shirt that has a hole the size of my thumb in the shoulder. He’s holding a Killian’s Red in his right hand. “You found the Killian’s.”

“Balm for a troubled cop’s soul,” I tell him.

He reaches the dock, sets down his beer, toes off his sneakers, and proceeds to roll up his pants. “How’s the water?”

“Not too bad for October.”

He sits down beside me and lowers his feet into the water. For the span of several minutes, neither of us speaks. Instead, we sit in companionable silence, listening to the sounds of early evening.

“Rasmussen booked the three girls into the county jail,” he tells me. “They’ll be arraigned and formally charged in the morning.”

I close my eyes against an unexpected rush of heat. A tangle of emotions I don’t want to feel. Remorse. Guilt. The loss of something that had seemed innocent and good.

Tomasetti had been there for the arrest, along with a female deputy with the Holmes County Sheriff’s Department. It was an intense and emotionally wrenching event. Ina had been stoic. Neva and Viola had cried throughout. I’d done my utmost to keep them calm and explain to them what would be happening in the coming hours and days and weeks. I don’t think it was much help.

“Their lives are ruined,” I say.

“Changed to be sure.” He shrugs. “Maybe not ruined entirely.”

“I talked to the prosecutor,” I tell him.

He sends me a sideways look, arches a brow. “And?”

“He’s talking about second-degree homicide.”

“That could change.”

I slant him a look.

“Neva Lambright told Rasmussen that Mark Petersheim had been threatening her.”

“Did she explain why?”

“According to her, he blamed her for his wife getting into the car with Gingerich the night she was raped. Blamed her for all of it. He was afraid Neva was going to talk about it and the Amish community would find out. He didn’t want that to happen.”

“Jesus.”

“Look, there’s no doubt those girls are in serious trouble, but there are extenuating circumstances. There was a certain level of intimidation occurring.” He shrugs. “Prosecutor might be a little more willing to cut a deal.”

“Tomasetti, what they did was wrong on every level. I mean that. But I don’t think they’re…” I almost say “criminals” but that wouldn’t be true. The fact of the matter is they are criminals. “They’re not sociopaths. I don’t believe they’re a danger to society.”

“If you want to help them, I suggest you get the other women who were victimized by Gingerich to come forward.”

I find myself thinking about Milo Hershberger and our final conversation. If I could, I swear to God I’d make it right.… He isn’t the only person with regrets. Emma Miller’s mother remained silent and her daughter died because of it. I don’t think she’ll make the same mistake twice.

“I’ve got a couple of people in mind who’ll step up,” I tell him.

Leaning closer, he puts his arm around my shoulders and presses a kiss to my temple. “Is there anything I can do?”

I rest my head on his shoulder. “Just be you.”

“Now, there’s a scary thought.”

I laugh and it feels good; it releases some of the melancholy that’s been plaguing me. It reminds me that life goes on. That it’s good. That I’m a lucky woman with a lot to be thankful for.

“What do you say we swing by the barn on our way back inside?” he says. “Check on those chicks?”