deadly echoes
TRANSCRIPT
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 134
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 234
Books by Nancy Mehl
F983145983150983140983145983150983143 S983137983150983139983156983157983137983154983161
Gathering Shadows
Deadly Echoes
R983151983137983140 983156983151 K983145983150983143983140983151983149
Inescapable
Unbreakable
Unforeseeable
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 334
DEADLYECHOES
NANCY MEHL
5
F I N D I N G S A N C T U A R Y B O O K 2
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 434
copy 2015 by Nancy Mehl
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington Minnesota 55438
wwwbethanyhousecom
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group Grand Rapids Michigan
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any meansmdashfor example electronic photocopy
recordingmdashwithout the prior written permission of the publisher The only exception
is brief quotations in printed reviews
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mehl Nancy
Deadly echoes Nancy Mehl
pages cm mdash (Finding sanctuary 2)
Summary ldquoIn the small town of Sanctuary Missouri Sarah has finally
found a peace absent from her childhood as an orphan when her sister sud-
denly reappearsmdashonly to disappear againmdashcan Deputy Sheriff Paul Gleason
help solve the mystery thatrsquos still haunting herrdquomdash Provided by publisher
ISBN 978-0-7642-1158-4 (pbk)
1 Missing personsmdashFiction I TitlePS3613E4254D43 2015
813 6mdashdc23 2014032149
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible
This is a work of fiction Names characters incidents and dialogues are products of
the authorrsquos imagination and are not to be construed as real Any resemblance to actual
events or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental
Cover design by Dan Pitts
Author is represented by The Steve Laube Agency
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 534
To my friend and sister Jolene
who taught me that true friends are friends forever
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 634
7
C H A P T E R
ONE
The old familiar fear returned with a vengeance along with the
musty smell of neglect and the sweet scent of sweat
I was back in that small dusty place under the stairs The
one place in the house that escaped Momrsquos rigorous weekly
cleaning It was used to store things that were only needed on
special occasions like our old luggage and the cane Dad had
used when he sprained his ankle
But this night the often-ignored storage area was the most
important place in the entire world Hannahrsquos arms tightened
around me and she whispered in my ear that I must be quietThat I couldnrsquot say a word couldnrsquot sneeze even though the dust
tickled my nose The terrible noises from outside had stopped
and now there was nothing except an awful silence The only
sound left was our rapid breathing Hannah breathed in I
breathed out Without meaning to I began to inhale and exhale
in harmony with my sister In and out In and out Tears slipped
down my face unbidden but I ignored them and concentrated
on our labored breaths It was the one thing I could control
Footsteps from the other side of the door stopped only inches
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 734
DEADLY ECHOES
8
from where we sat Suddenly our breathing seemed too loud
Could he hear us Something rose inside my throat Fear turned
into an urge to scream that would surely reveal us to the evil
that lurked outside our secret spot Hannah seemed to sense I
was losing restraint and she covered my mouth with her hand
ldquoBe stillrdquo she whispered ldquoWhatever you do Sarah be stillrdquo
I tried desperately to hold my breath not knowing if I could
do as she asked Terror seemed to have wrapped my sister and
me in a cocoon of unreality Surely this could not be happeningMom and Dad were okay We would scurry out from beneath
the stairs and theyrsquod laugh at us Tell us how silly we were to
be afraid Then Mom would make tacos and wersquod watch TV
Life would go on as it always had
All of a sudden the handle on the door of our safe haven
rattled Hannah gasped and took her hand off my mouth The
small door swung open and light washed over us blinding me
I screamed and buried my head on Hannahrsquos shoulder
Then there was blood So much blood Flowers began to
rain down from the sky white orchids mixed with crimson
I screamed again and again until I woke myself up My body
trembled uncontrollably from the fear that gripped me my
sheets soaked with sweat Pushing myself into a sitting positionI could feel my heart pound Why had the nightmare returned
Irsquod been free from it for almost two years
I got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom The
person who looked back at me from the mirror wasnrsquot Sarah
Miller the twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher She was Sarah
Miller the six-year-old child who hid in a closet the night her
parents were murdered
I splashed cold water on my face and dried it with a towel
Then I went into my small kitchen and checked the time A little
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 834
Nancy Mehl
9
after four in the morning Although I hadnrsquot experienced this
particular dream for a long time I remembered the routine that
accompanied it There would be no sleeping the rest of the night I
turned on the coffee maker It would take several minutes to brew
so I opened the door that separated my apartment from the school
and stepped into the large classroom I loved walking through the
school when it was empty before the day began Desks sat in the
dark waiting for the students who would soon fill them Since I
was still wearing my pajamas I kept the light off I walked towardthe front window and gazed outside at a bleak winterrsquos day The
streets of Sanctuary were deserted but an hour from now things
would change Randi Lindquist would arrive to open her restau-
rant The Oil Lamp while across the street Mary Gessner and
her daughter Rosey would get ready to greet customers at The
Whistle Stop Cafeacute the only other place to eat in town Of course
Randi and Mary werenrsquot in competition This was Sanctuary Mis-
souri The two restaurant owners were close friends and worked
together to serve good quality food to the small town People in
Sanctuary helped one another out whenever it was needed
A couple of hours later after the restaurants were already
greeting their customers Rachel Stoltz and her mother would
turn on the lights in the quilt shop while Abner Ingalls gotready to start business at the hardware store Not long after
that Martha Kirsch would open the library next door and
Evan Bakker would arrive at the post office on the other side of
the school The three of us shared the large brick building that
had once housed a saddle and tack store back when Sanctuary
was called New Zion a town founded in the 1800s by a group
of Mennonites who sailed to America from Germany As the
Mennonite population dwindled and others moved here the
name of the town was changed to Sanctuary
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 234
Books by Nancy Mehl
F983145983150983140983145983150983143 S983137983150983139983156983157983137983154983161
Gathering Shadows
Deadly Echoes
R983151983137983140 983156983151 K983145983150983143983140983151983149
Inescapable
Unbreakable
Unforeseeable
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 334
DEADLYECHOES
NANCY MEHL
5
F I N D I N G S A N C T U A R Y B O O K 2
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 434
copy 2015 by Nancy Mehl
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington Minnesota 55438
wwwbethanyhousecom
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group Grand Rapids Michigan
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any meansmdashfor example electronic photocopy
recordingmdashwithout the prior written permission of the publisher The only exception
is brief quotations in printed reviews
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mehl Nancy
Deadly echoes Nancy Mehl
pages cm mdash (Finding sanctuary 2)
Summary ldquoIn the small town of Sanctuary Missouri Sarah has finally
found a peace absent from her childhood as an orphan when her sister sud-
denly reappearsmdashonly to disappear againmdashcan Deputy Sheriff Paul Gleason
help solve the mystery thatrsquos still haunting herrdquomdash Provided by publisher
ISBN 978-0-7642-1158-4 (pbk)
1 Missing personsmdashFiction I TitlePS3613E4254D43 2015
813 6mdashdc23 2014032149
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible
This is a work of fiction Names characters incidents and dialogues are products of
the authorrsquos imagination and are not to be construed as real Any resemblance to actual
events or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental
Cover design by Dan Pitts
Author is represented by The Steve Laube Agency
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 534
To my friend and sister Jolene
who taught me that true friends are friends forever
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 634
7
C H A P T E R
ONE
The old familiar fear returned with a vengeance along with the
musty smell of neglect and the sweet scent of sweat
I was back in that small dusty place under the stairs The
one place in the house that escaped Momrsquos rigorous weekly
cleaning It was used to store things that were only needed on
special occasions like our old luggage and the cane Dad had
used when he sprained his ankle
But this night the often-ignored storage area was the most
important place in the entire world Hannahrsquos arms tightened
around me and she whispered in my ear that I must be quietThat I couldnrsquot say a word couldnrsquot sneeze even though the dust
tickled my nose The terrible noises from outside had stopped
and now there was nothing except an awful silence The only
sound left was our rapid breathing Hannah breathed in I
breathed out Without meaning to I began to inhale and exhale
in harmony with my sister In and out In and out Tears slipped
down my face unbidden but I ignored them and concentrated
on our labored breaths It was the one thing I could control
Footsteps from the other side of the door stopped only inches
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 734
DEADLY ECHOES
8
from where we sat Suddenly our breathing seemed too loud
Could he hear us Something rose inside my throat Fear turned
into an urge to scream that would surely reveal us to the evil
that lurked outside our secret spot Hannah seemed to sense I
was losing restraint and she covered my mouth with her hand
ldquoBe stillrdquo she whispered ldquoWhatever you do Sarah be stillrdquo
I tried desperately to hold my breath not knowing if I could
do as she asked Terror seemed to have wrapped my sister and
me in a cocoon of unreality Surely this could not be happeningMom and Dad were okay We would scurry out from beneath
the stairs and theyrsquod laugh at us Tell us how silly we were to
be afraid Then Mom would make tacos and wersquod watch TV
Life would go on as it always had
All of a sudden the handle on the door of our safe haven
rattled Hannah gasped and took her hand off my mouth The
small door swung open and light washed over us blinding me
I screamed and buried my head on Hannahrsquos shoulder
Then there was blood So much blood Flowers began to
rain down from the sky white orchids mixed with crimson
I screamed again and again until I woke myself up My body
trembled uncontrollably from the fear that gripped me my
sheets soaked with sweat Pushing myself into a sitting positionI could feel my heart pound Why had the nightmare returned
Irsquod been free from it for almost two years
I got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom The
person who looked back at me from the mirror wasnrsquot Sarah
Miller the twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher She was Sarah
Miller the six-year-old child who hid in a closet the night her
parents were murdered
I splashed cold water on my face and dried it with a towel
Then I went into my small kitchen and checked the time A little
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 834
Nancy Mehl
9
after four in the morning Although I hadnrsquot experienced this
particular dream for a long time I remembered the routine that
accompanied it There would be no sleeping the rest of the night I
turned on the coffee maker It would take several minutes to brew
so I opened the door that separated my apartment from the school
and stepped into the large classroom I loved walking through the
school when it was empty before the day began Desks sat in the
dark waiting for the students who would soon fill them Since I
was still wearing my pajamas I kept the light off I walked towardthe front window and gazed outside at a bleak winterrsquos day The
streets of Sanctuary were deserted but an hour from now things
would change Randi Lindquist would arrive to open her restau-
rant The Oil Lamp while across the street Mary Gessner and
her daughter Rosey would get ready to greet customers at The
Whistle Stop Cafeacute the only other place to eat in town Of course
Randi and Mary werenrsquot in competition This was Sanctuary Mis-
souri The two restaurant owners were close friends and worked
together to serve good quality food to the small town People in
Sanctuary helped one another out whenever it was needed
A couple of hours later after the restaurants were already
greeting their customers Rachel Stoltz and her mother would
turn on the lights in the quilt shop while Abner Ingalls gotready to start business at the hardware store Not long after
that Martha Kirsch would open the library next door and
Evan Bakker would arrive at the post office on the other side of
the school The three of us shared the large brick building that
had once housed a saddle and tack store back when Sanctuary
was called New Zion a town founded in the 1800s by a group
of Mennonites who sailed to America from Germany As the
Mennonite population dwindled and others moved here the
name of the town was changed to Sanctuary
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 334
DEADLYECHOES
NANCY MEHL
5
F I N D I N G S A N C T U A R Y B O O K 2
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 434
copy 2015 by Nancy Mehl
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington Minnesota 55438
wwwbethanyhousecom
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group Grand Rapids Michigan
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any meansmdashfor example electronic photocopy
recordingmdashwithout the prior written permission of the publisher The only exception
is brief quotations in printed reviews
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mehl Nancy
Deadly echoes Nancy Mehl
pages cm mdash (Finding sanctuary 2)
Summary ldquoIn the small town of Sanctuary Missouri Sarah has finally
found a peace absent from her childhood as an orphan when her sister sud-
denly reappearsmdashonly to disappear againmdashcan Deputy Sheriff Paul Gleason
help solve the mystery thatrsquos still haunting herrdquomdash Provided by publisher
ISBN 978-0-7642-1158-4 (pbk)
1 Missing personsmdashFiction I TitlePS3613E4254D43 2015
813 6mdashdc23 2014032149
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible
This is a work of fiction Names characters incidents and dialogues are products of
the authorrsquos imagination and are not to be construed as real Any resemblance to actual
events or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental
Cover design by Dan Pitts
Author is represented by The Steve Laube Agency
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 534
To my friend and sister Jolene
who taught me that true friends are friends forever
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 634
7
C H A P T E R
ONE
The old familiar fear returned with a vengeance along with the
musty smell of neglect and the sweet scent of sweat
I was back in that small dusty place under the stairs The
one place in the house that escaped Momrsquos rigorous weekly
cleaning It was used to store things that were only needed on
special occasions like our old luggage and the cane Dad had
used when he sprained his ankle
But this night the often-ignored storage area was the most
important place in the entire world Hannahrsquos arms tightened
around me and she whispered in my ear that I must be quietThat I couldnrsquot say a word couldnrsquot sneeze even though the dust
tickled my nose The terrible noises from outside had stopped
and now there was nothing except an awful silence The only
sound left was our rapid breathing Hannah breathed in I
breathed out Without meaning to I began to inhale and exhale
in harmony with my sister In and out In and out Tears slipped
down my face unbidden but I ignored them and concentrated
on our labored breaths It was the one thing I could control
Footsteps from the other side of the door stopped only inches
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 734
DEADLY ECHOES
8
from where we sat Suddenly our breathing seemed too loud
Could he hear us Something rose inside my throat Fear turned
into an urge to scream that would surely reveal us to the evil
that lurked outside our secret spot Hannah seemed to sense I
was losing restraint and she covered my mouth with her hand
ldquoBe stillrdquo she whispered ldquoWhatever you do Sarah be stillrdquo
I tried desperately to hold my breath not knowing if I could
do as she asked Terror seemed to have wrapped my sister and
me in a cocoon of unreality Surely this could not be happeningMom and Dad were okay We would scurry out from beneath
the stairs and theyrsquod laugh at us Tell us how silly we were to
be afraid Then Mom would make tacos and wersquod watch TV
Life would go on as it always had
All of a sudden the handle on the door of our safe haven
rattled Hannah gasped and took her hand off my mouth The
small door swung open and light washed over us blinding me
I screamed and buried my head on Hannahrsquos shoulder
Then there was blood So much blood Flowers began to
rain down from the sky white orchids mixed with crimson
I screamed again and again until I woke myself up My body
trembled uncontrollably from the fear that gripped me my
sheets soaked with sweat Pushing myself into a sitting positionI could feel my heart pound Why had the nightmare returned
Irsquod been free from it for almost two years
I got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom The
person who looked back at me from the mirror wasnrsquot Sarah
Miller the twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher She was Sarah
Miller the six-year-old child who hid in a closet the night her
parents were murdered
I splashed cold water on my face and dried it with a towel
Then I went into my small kitchen and checked the time A little
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 834
Nancy Mehl
9
after four in the morning Although I hadnrsquot experienced this
particular dream for a long time I remembered the routine that
accompanied it There would be no sleeping the rest of the night I
turned on the coffee maker It would take several minutes to brew
so I opened the door that separated my apartment from the school
and stepped into the large classroom I loved walking through the
school when it was empty before the day began Desks sat in the
dark waiting for the students who would soon fill them Since I
was still wearing my pajamas I kept the light off I walked towardthe front window and gazed outside at a bleak winterrsquos day The
streets of Sanctuary were deserted but an hour from now things
would change Randi Lindquist would arrive to open her restau-
rant The Oil Lamp while across the street Mary Gessner and
her daughter Rosey would get ready to greet customers at The
Whistle Stop Cafeacute the only other place to eat in town Of course
Randi and Mary werenrsquot in competition This was Sanctuary Mis-
souri The two restaurant owners were close friends and worked
together to serve good quality food to the small town People in
Sanctuary helped one another out whenever it was needed
A couple of hours later after the restaurants were already
greeting their customers Rachel Stoltz and her mother would
turn on the lights in the quilt shop while Abner Ingalls gotready to start business at the hardware store Not long after
that Martha Kirsch would open the library next door and
Evan Bakker would arrive at the post office on the other side of
the school The three of us shared the large brick building that
had once housed a saddle and tack store back when Sanctuary
was called New Zion a town founded in the 1800s by a group
of Mennonites who sailed to America from Germany As the
Mennonite population dwindled and others moved here the
name of the town was changed to Sanctuary
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 434
copy 2015 by Nancy Mehl
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington Minnesota 55438
wwwbethanyhousecom
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group Grand Rapids Michigan
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any meansmdashfor example electronic photocopy
recordingmdashwithout the prior written permission of the publisher The only exception
is brief quotations in printed reviews
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mehl Nancy
Deadly echoes Nancy Mehl
pages cm mdash (Finding sanctuary 2)
Summary ldquoIn the small town of Sanctuary Missouri Sarah has finally
found a peace absent from her childhood as an orphan when her sister sud-
denly reappearsmdashonly to disappear againmdashcan Deputy Sheriff Paul Gleason
help solve the mystery thatrsquos still haunting herrdquomdash Provided by publisher
ISBN 978-0-7642-1158-4 (pbk)
1 Missing personsmdashFiction I TitlePS3613E4254D43 2015
813 6mdashdc23 2014032149
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible
This is a work of fiction Names characters incidents and dialogues are products of
the authorrsquos imagination and are not to be construed as real Any resemblance to actual
events or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental
Cover design by Dan Pitts
Author is represented by The Steve Laube Agency
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 534
To my friend and sister Jolene
who taught me that true friends are friends forever
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 634
7
C H A P T E R
ONE
The old familiar fear returned with a vengeance along with the
musty smell of neglect and the sweet scent of sweat
I was back in that small dusty place under the stairs The
one place in the house that escaped Momrsquos rigorous weekly
cleaning It was used to store things that were only needed on
special occasions like our old luggage and the cane Dad had
used when he sprained his ankle
But this night the often-ignored storage area was the most
important place in the entire world Hannahrsquos arms tightened
around me and she whispered in my ear that I must be quietThat I couldnrsquot say a word couldnrsquot sneeze even though the dust
tickled my nose The terrible noises from outside had stopped
and now there was nothing except an awful silence The only
sound left was our rapid breathing Hannah breathed in I
breathed out Without meaning to I began to inhale and exhale
in harmony with my sister In and out In and out Tears slipped
down my face unbidden but I ignored them and concentrated
on our labored breaths It was the one thing I could control
Footsteps from the other side of the door stopped only inches
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 734
DEADLY ECHOES
8
from where we sat Suddenly our breathing seemed too loud
Could he hear us Something rose inside my throat Fear turned
into an urge to scream that would surely reveal us to the evil
that lurked outside our secret spot Hannah seemed to sense I
was losing restraint and she covered my mouth with her hand
ldquoBe stillrdquo she whispered ldquoWhatever you do Sarah be stillrdquo
I tried desperately to hold my breath not knowing if I could
do as she asked Terror seemed to have wrapped my sister and
me in a cocoon of unreality Surely this could not be happeningMom and Dad were okay We would scurry out from beneath
the stairs and theyrsquod laugh at us Tell us how silly we were to
be afraid Then Mom would make tacos and wersquod watch TV
Life would go on as it always had
All of a sudden the handle on the door of our safe haven
rattled Hannah gasped and took her hand off my mouth The
small door swung open and light washed over us blinding me
I screamed and buried my head on Hannahrsquos shoulder
Then there was blood So much blood Flowers began to
rain down from the sky white orchids mixed with crimson
I screamed again and again until I woke myself up My body
trembled uncontrollably from the fear that gripped me my
sheets soaked with sweat Pushing myself into a sitting positionI could feel my heart pound Why had the nightmare returned
Irsquod been free from it for almost two years
I got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom The
person who looked back at me from the mirror wasnrsquot Sarah
Miller the twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher She was Sarah
Miller the six-year-old child who hid in a closet the night her
parents were murdered
I splashed cold water on my face and dried it with a towel
Then I went into my small kitchen and checked the time A little
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 834
Nancy Mehl
9
after four in the morning Although I hadnrsquot experienced this
particular dream for a long time I remembered the routine that
accompanied it There would be no sleeping the rest of the night I
turned on the coffee maker It would take several minutes to brew
so I opened the door that separated my apartment from the school
and stepped into the large classroom I loved walking through the
school when it was empty before the day began Desks sat in the
dark waiting for the students who would soon fill them Since I
was still wearing my pajamas I kept the light off I walked towardthe front window and gazed outside at a bleak winterrsquos day The
streets of Sanctuary were deserted but an hour from now things
would change Randi Lindquist would arrive to open her restau-
rant The Oil Lamp while across the street Mary Gessner and
her daughter Rosey would get ready to greet customers at The
Whistle Stop Cafeacute the only other place to eat in town Of course
Randi and Mary werenrsquot in competition This was Sanctuary Mis-
souri The two restaurant owners were close friends and worked
together to serve good quality food to the small town People in
Sanctuary helped one another out whenever it was needed
A couple of hours later after the restaurants were already
greeting their customers Rachel Stoltz and her mother would
turn on the lights in the quilt shop while Abner Ingalls gotready to start business at the hardware store Not long after
that Martha Kirsch would open the library next door and
Evan Bakker would arrive at the post office on the other side of
the school The three of us shared the large brick building that
had once housed a saddle and tack store back when Sanctuary
was called New Zion a town founded in the 1800s by a group
of Mennonites who sailed to America from Germany As the
Mennonite population dwindled and others moved here the
name of the town was changed to Sanctuary
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 534
To my friend and sister Jolene
who taught me that true friends are friends forever
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 634
7
C H A P T E R
ONE
The old familiar fear returned with a vengeance along with the
musty smell of neglect and the sweet scent of sweat
I was back in that small dusty place under the stairs The
one place in the house that escaped Momrsquos rigorous weekly
cleaning It was used to store things that were only needed on
special occasions like our old luggage and the cane Dad had
used when he sprained his ankle
But this night the often-ignored storage area was the most
important place in the entire world Hannahrsquos arms tightened
around me and she whispered in my ear that I must be quietThat I couldnrsquot say a word couldnrsquot sneeze even though the dust
tickled my nose The terrible noises from outside had stopped
and now there was nothing except an awful silence The only
sound left was our rapid breathing Hannah breathed in I
breathed out Without meaning to I began to inhale and exhale
in harmony with my sister In and out In and out Tears slipped
down my face unbidden but I ignored them and concentrated
on our labored breaths It was the one thing I could control
Footsteps from the other side of the door stopped only inches
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 734
DEADLY ECHOES
8
from where we sat Suddenly our breathing seemed too loud
Could he hear us Something rose inside my throat Fear turned
into an urge to scream that would surely reveal us to the evil
that lurked outside our secret spot Hannah seemed to sense I
was losing restraint and she covered my mouth with her hand
ldquoBe stillrdquo she whispered ldquoWhatever you do Sarah be stillrdquo
I tried desperately to hold my breath not knowing if I could
do as she asked Terror seemed to have wrapped my sister and
me in a cocoon of unreality Surely this could not be happeningMom and Dad were okay We would scurry out from beneath
the stairs and theyrsquod laugh at us Tell us how silly we were to
be afraid Then Mom would make tacos and wersquod watch TV
Life would go on as it always had
All of a sudden the handle on the door of our safe haven
rattled Hannah gasped and took her hand off my mouth The
small door swung open and light washed over us blinding me
I screamed and buried my head on Hannahrsquos shoulder
Then there was blood So much blood Flowers began to
rain down from the sky white orchids mixed with crimson
I screamed again and again until I woke myself up My body
trembled uncontrollably from the fear that gripped me my
sheets soaked with sweat Pushing myself into a sitting positionI could feel my heart pound Why had the nightmare returned
Irsquod been free from it for almost two years
I got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom The
person who looked back at me from the mirror wasnrsquot Sarah
Miller the twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher She was Sarah
Miller the six-year-old child who hid in a closet the night her
parents were murdered
I splashed cold water on my face and dried it with a towel
Then I went into my small kitchen and checked the time A little
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 834
Nancy Mehl
9
after four in the morning Although I hadnrsquot experienced this
particular dream for a long time I remembered the routine that
accompanied it There would be no sleeping the rest of the night I
turned on the coffee maker It would take several minutes to brew
so I opened the door that separated my apartment from the school
and stepped into the large classroom I loved walking through the
school when it was empty before the day began Desks sat in the
dark waiting for the students who would soon fill them Since I
was still wearing my pajamas I kept the light off I walked towardthe front window and gazed outside at a bleak winterrsquos day The
streets of Sanctuary were deserted but an hour from now things
would change Randi Lindquist would arrive to open her restau-
rant The Oil Lamp while across the street Mary Gessner and
her daughter Rosey would get ready to greet customers at The
Whistle Stop Cafeacute the only other place to eat in town Of course
Randi and Mary werenrsquot in competition This was Sanctuary Mis-
souri The two restaurant owners were close friends and worked
together to serve good quality food to the small town People in
Sanctuary helped one another out whenever it was needed
A couple of hours later after the restaurants were already
greeting their customers Rachel Stoltz and her mother would
turn on the lights in the quilt shop while Abner Ingalls gotready to start business at the hardware store Not long after
that Martha Kirsch would open the library next door and
Evan Bakker would arrive at the post office on the other side of
the school The three of us shared the large brick building that
had once housed a saddle and tack store back when Sanctuary
was called New Zion a town founded in the 1800s by a group
of Mennonites who sailed to America from Germany As the
Mennonite population dwindled and others moved here the
name of the town was changed to Sanctuary
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 634
7
C H A P T E R
ONE
The old familiar fear returned with a vengeance along with the
musty smell of neglect and the sweet scent of sweat
I was back in that small dusty place under the stairs The
one place in the house that escaped Momrsquos rigorous weekly
cleaning It was used to store things that were only needed on
special occasions like our old luggage and the cane Dad had
used when he sprained his ankle
But this night the often-ignored storage area was the most
important place in the entire world Hannahrsquos arms tightened
around me and she whispered in my ear that I must be quietThat I couldnrsquot say a word couldnrsquot sneeze even though the dust
tickled my nose The terrible noises from outside had stopped
and now there was nothing except an awful silence The only
sound left was our rapid breathing Hannah breathed in I
breathed out Without meaning to I began to inhale and exhale
in harmony with my sister In and out In and out Tears slipped
down my face unbidden but I ignored them and concentrated
on our labored breaths It was the one thing I could control
Footsteps from the other side of the door stopped only inches
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 734
DEADLY ECHOES
8
from where we sat Suddenly our breathing seemed too loud
Could he hear us Something rose inside my throat Fear turned
into an urge to scream that would surely reveal us to the evil
that lurked outside our secret spot Hannah seemed to sense I
was losing restraint and she covered my mouth with her hand
ldquoBe stillrdquo she whispered ldquoWhatever you do Sarah be stillrdquo
I tried desperately to hold my breath not knowing if I could
do as she asked Terror seemed to have wrapped my sister and
me in a cocoon of unreality Surely this could not be happeningMom and Dad were okay We would scurry out from beneath
the stairs and theyrsquod laugh at us Tell us how silly we were to
be afraid Then Mom would make tacos and wersquod watch TV
Life would go on as it always had
All of a sudden the handle on the door of our safe haven
rattled Hannah gasped and took her hand off my mouth The
small door swung open and light washed over us blinding me
I screamed and buried my head on Hannahrsquos shoulder
Then there was blood So much blood Flowers began to
rain down from the sky white orchids mixed with crimson
I screamed again and again until I woke myself up My body
trembled uncontrollably from the fear that gripped me my
sheets soaked with sweat Pushing myself into a sitting positionI could feel my heart pound Why had the nightmare returned
Irsquod been free from it for almost two years
I got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom The
person who looked back at me from the mirror wasnrsquot Sarah
Miller the twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher She was Sarah
Miller the six-year-old child who hid in a closet the night her
parents were murdered
I splashed cold water on my face and dried it with a towel
Then I went into my small kitchen and checked the time A little
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 834
Nancy Mehl
9
after four in the morning Although I hadnrsquot experienced this
particular dream for a long time I remembered the routine that
accompanied it There would be no sleeping the rest of the night I
turned on the coffee maker It would take several minutes to brew
so I opened the door that separated my apartment from the school
and stepped into the large classroom I loved walking through the
school when it was empty before the day began Desks sat in the
dark waiting for the students who would soon fill them Since I
was still wearing my pajamas I kept the light off I walked towardthe front window and gazed outside at a bleak winterrsquos day The
streets of Sanctuary were deserted but an hour from now things
would change Randi Lindquist would arrive to open her restau-
rant The Oil Lamp while across the street Mary Gessner and
her daughter Rosey would get ready to greet customers at The
Whistle Stop Cafeacute the only other place to eat in town Of course
Randi and Mary werenrsquot in competition This was Sanctuary Mis-
souri The two restaurant owners were close friends and worked
together to serve good quality food to the small town People in
Sanctuary helped one another out whenever it was needed
A couple of hours later after the restaurants were already
greeting their customers Rachel Stoltz and her mother would
turn on the lights in the quilt shop while Abner Ingalls gotready to start business at the hardware store Not long after
that Martha Kirsch would open the library next door and
Evan Bakker would arrive at the post office on the other side of
the school The three of us shared the large brick building that
had once housed a saddle and tack store back when Sanctuary
was called New Zion a town founded in the 1800s by a group
of Mennonites who sailed to America from Germany As the
Mennonite population dwindled and others moved here the
name of the town was changed to Sanctuary
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 734
DEADLY ECHOES
8
from where we sat Suddenly our breathing seemed too loud
Could he hear us Something rose inside my throat Fear turned
into an urge to scream that would surely reveal us to the evil
that lurked outside our secret spot Hannah seemed to sense I
was losing restraint and she covered my mouth with her hand
ldquoBe stillrdquo she whispered ldquoWhatever you do Sarah be stillrdquo
I tried desperately to hold my breath not knowing if I could
do as she asked Terror seemed to have wrapped my sister and
me in a cocoon of unreality Surely this could not be happeningMom and Dad were okay We would scurry out from beneath
the stairs and theyrsquod laugh at us Tell us how silly we were to
be afraid Then Mom would make tacos and wersquod watch TV
Life would go on as it always had
All of a sudden the handle on the door of our safe haven
rattled Hannah gasped and took her hand off my mouth The
small door swung open and light washed over us blinding me
I screamed and buried my head on Hannahrsquos shoulder
Then there was blood So much blood Flowers began to
rain down from the sky white orchids mixed with crimson
I screamed again and again until I woke myself up My body
trembled uncontrollably from the fear that gripped me my
sheets soaked with sweat Pushing myself into a sitting positionI could feel my heart pound Why had the nightmare returned
Irsquod been free from it for almost two years
I got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom The
person who looked back at me from the mirror wasnrsquot Sarah
Miller the twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher She was Sarah
Miller the six-year-old child who hid in a closet the night her
parents were murdered
I splashed cold water on my face and dried it with a towel
Then I went into my small kitchen and checked the time A little
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 834
Nancy Mehl
9
after four in the morning Although I hadnrsquot experienced this
particular dream for a long time I remembered the routine that
accompanied it There would be no sleeping the rest of the night I
turned on the coffee maker It would take several minutes to brew
so I opened the door that separated my apartment from the school
and stepped into the large classroom I loved walking through the
school when it was empty before the day began Desks sat in the
dark waiting for the students who would soon fill them Since I
was still wearing my pajamas I kept the light off I walked towardthe front window and gazed outside at a bleak winterrsquos day The
streets of Sanctuary were deserted but an hour from now things
would change Randi Lindquist would arrive to open her restau-
rant The Oil Lamp while across the street Mary Gessner and
her daughter Rosey would get ready to greet customers at The
Whistle Stop Cafeacute the only other place to eat in town Of course
Randi and Mary werenrsquot in competition This was Sanctuary Mis-
souri The two restaurant owners were close friends and worked
together to serve good quality food to the small town People in
Sanctuary helped one another out whenever it was needed
A couple of hours later after the restaurants were already
greeting their customers Rachel Stoltz and her mother would
turn on the lights in the quilt shop while Abner Ingalls gotready to start business at the hardware store Not long after
that Martha Kirsch would open the library next door and
Evan Bakker would arrive at the post office on the other side of
the school The three of us shared the large brick building that
had once housed a saddle and tack store back when Sanctuary
was called New Zion a town founded in the 1800s by a group
of Mennonites who sailed to America from Germany As the
Mennonite population dwindled and others moved here the
name of the town was changed to Sanctuary
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 834
Nancy Mehl
9
after four in the morning Although I hadnrsquot experienced this
particular dream for a long time I remembered the routine that
accompanied it There would be no sleeping the rest of the night I
turned on the coffee maker It would take several minutes to brew
so I opened the door that separated my apartment from the school
and stepped into the large classroom I loved walking through the
school when it was empty before the day began Desks sat in the
dark waiting for the students who would soon fill them Since I
was still wearing my pajamas I kept the light off I walked towardthe front window and gazed outside at a bleak winterrsquos day The
streets of Sanctuary were deserted but an hour from now things
would change Randi Lindquist would arrive to open her restau-
rant The Oil Lamp while across the street Mary Gessner and
her daughter Rosey would get ready to greet customers at The
Whistle Stop Cafeacute the only other place to eat in town Of course
Randi and Mary werenrsquot in competition This was Sanctuary Mis-
souri The two restaurant owners were close friends and worked
together to serve good quality food to the small town People in
Sanctuary helped one another out whenever it was needed
A couple of hours later after the restaurants were already
greeting their customers Rachel Stoltz and her mother would
turn on the lights in the quilt shop while Abner Ingalls gotready to start business at the hardware store Not long after
that Martha Kirsch would open the library next door and
Evan Bakker would arrive at the post office on the other side of
the school The three of us shared the large brick building that
had once housed a saddle and tack store back when Sanctuary
was called New Zion a town founded in the 1800s by a group
of Mennonites who sailed to America from Germany As the
Mennonite population dwindled and others moved here the
name of the town was changed to Sanctuary
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 934
DEADLY ECHOES
10
Around eight orsquoclock the farmers would begin to ride into
town Some of them in trucks Some of them in buggies Sanc-
tuary combined modern culture and the simplicity of its Con-
servative Mennonite citizens with complete success This was a
special place and everyone who lived here protected the spirit
of Sanctuary with quiet zeal The townrsquos name was more than
a label It was a way of life for its residents some of whom had
come here because they were looking for a safe refuge from the
past Others because they were just looking for a simpler lifeI turned around and went back to my apartment Once used
as storage space it had been converted to three rooms about a
year ago The efficiency kitchen took up a corner of the living
area A table in the kitchen held my laptop and printer I used it
as a desk to grade papers and create work sheets and tests I had
a desk in the schoolroom but I didnrsquot like working there alone
at night The front of the room had large storefront windows
and I felt too exposed I also used the table as a place to eat the
meals I prepared when I didnrsquot go to my friend Janetrsquos house to
eat A tiny bedroom held my bed and a dresser Next to that was
a bathroom with a toilet and a tub I had everything I needed
and I found my little home cozy and peaceful
I ate a quick breakfast and then got dressed trading my pajamasfor a simple dress that was appropriate for a teacher in a conser-
vative Christian school After a time of prayer and Bible reading
I closed up my apartment and spent the next couple of hours at
my school desk grading papers and preparing for another day of
teaching bright inquisitive minds I loved teaching and I loved
my students My life was quiet and safe Exactly what I wanted
Around seven-thirty the front door swung open and my very
first pupil arrived
ldquoGood morning Jeremiahrdquo I said loudly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1034
Nancy Mehl
11
ldquoGood morning Miss Millerrdquo The fourteen-year-old son of
Conservative Mennonite parents Jeremiah Ostrander always
came early to help me prepare for the day After taking off his
coat and hanging it up on one of the hooks near the door
he went straight to the large blackboard at the front of the
room and began erasing the lesson from yesterday After that
he would clean the erasers make sure the chalk was ready and
then sweep the floor Jeremiah was a quiet boy but he was fully
committed to school An illness as a baby had caused a profoundloss of hearing so I kept his desk in the front of the room and
worked with him after school sometimes to make sure he had
everything he needed to complete his lessons Several months
ago Irsquod started teaching him a little sign language One sign in
particular was extremely useful When he had trouble hearing
me or when I accidentally turned away from him as I talked
he would make the sign for help mdashhis right hand in a fist with
his thumb up Done correctly the left hand should support the
right hand and lift it up slightly although Jeremiah didnrsquot usu-
ally add the second component Since it embarrassed him to
ask for assistance he would make the sign so only I could see
it It was my signal to go back over what Irsquod just said without
stopping the lesson because hersquod missed somethingHis lessons were progressing very well Sign language had
made it much easier for him to learn and to feel a part of class
instead of standing on the sidelines Irsquod approached his parents
offering to show them how to better communicate with their
son but Jeremiahrsquos father William wouldnrsquot have anything to
do with it He was a harsh man who acted as if there were noth-
ing wrong with his son I could tell his mother Trina wanted to
learn but she was under her husbandrsquos thumb and went along
with every edict he proclaimed
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1134
DEADLY ECHOES
12
William had made it clear that he expected Jeremiah to stay
in Sanctuary and take over the family farm someday but I sus-
pected his son had other dreams I doubted that farming would
satisfy his obvious passion for learning It would be interesting
to watch him mature and make choices about his life I couldnrsquot
tell Jeremiah what to do but I could encourage him to follow
his heart I hoped he would
The front door opened again and I looked up from my desk
expecting another student Instead it was Janet Dowell thewoman who had become like a mother to me
ldquoWhat are you doing hererdquo I asked
She smiled her blue eyes twinkling ldquoI made a large pot of
chicken and noodles over the weekend Irsquom just dropping some
off for your dinner this weekrdquo
Janet was a great cook Even though shersquod tried to teach me
I didnrsquot have her knack in the kitchen I was happy she kept me
supplied with plenty of good food
ldquoSounds wonderfulrdquo I said gratefully ldquoCan you put it in the
refrigerator for merdquo
ldquoSurerdquo She went into my apartment coming back moments
later ldquoIrsquom on my way to the clinic but Irsquoll be home by three
Why donrsquot you come over tonight Irsquoll make meat loafrdquoldquoIrsquod love to Irsquoll be there around four-thirtyrdquo
She nodded and waved good-bye As she walked out my
students began to file in one by one After a few minutes of
greeting one another we settled down to work Although the
nightmare that had awakened me left me feeling unsettled as the
day progressed the children helped me push the dark monster
back into a place where it lurked quietly its terrifying power
diminished by the joy of challenging young minds
About twenty minutes before the lunch break I was surprised
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1234
Nancy Mehl
13
to see Janet return accompanied by Paul Gleason a Madison
County deputy sheriff who had become a friend to Sanctuary
residents during a kidnapping case several months earlier I knew
him to speak with but we werenrsquot close friends I actually had a
small crush on him but he was so handsome and self-assured
I was certain I wasnrsquot the kind of woman hersquod ever notice As
I swung my attention to Janet the look on her face stopped
me in the middle of my sentence She walked up to me and
whispered in my earldquoLet the children go home Sarah We need to talk to yourdquo
The fear that had gripped me in the early morning hours
returned in a rush that took my breath away I tried to speak to
my students but nothing came out of my mouth Finally Janet
addressed them
ldquoChildren school is over early today I need you to go home
If any of you need a ride or if someone needs to call your par-
ents I want you to go next door to the post office Mr Bakker
will help you contact your folks If you canrsquot reach them he will
take you home Please have your parents check with me about
school tomorrowrdquo
The children closed their books and filed out quietly Jer-
emiah stood next to his chair staring at me his large browneyes framed by his rather long blond hair At first I thought he
was going to say something but finally he turned and left fol-
lowing the others out
ldquoWhat what rdquo was all I could get out I felt six again
trying to grasp the idea that Irsquod never see my parents again My
eyes fastened on Janetrsquos She asked Paul to lock the front door
As he walked to the front of the room Janet knelt down next
to my chair and took my hands in hers
ldquoI would do anything to save you this painrdquo she said softly
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1334
DEADLY ECHOES
14
her eyes full of tears ldquoBut I canrsquot Irsquom here for you Sarah We
will get through this Yoursquove got to trust me Okayrdquo
I nodded Tears dripped down my cheeks and landed on my
dress Even before she said it I knew what was coming It was
the only thing that could plunge me back into darkness The
dream had come to me for a reason
ldquoItrsquos Hannahrdquo I whispered my voice shaking like an old
womanrsquos ldquoWhat happenedrdquo
ldquoI donrsquot know exactlyrdquo Janet said ldquoWe donrsquot have manydetails yetrdquo She pronounced each word carefully as if it pained
her to speak them ldquoI got a call this morning from Hannahrsquos next-
door neighbor Cicely and some other girls were at a sleepover
at her house When Cicely got home this morning she found
her mother rdquo Janet took a deep shaky breath ldquoShe found
Hannah rdquo She gulped and shook her head
ldquoShersquos deadrdquo
Janet nodded tears cascading down her face ldquoYes honey
Shersquos gone Irsquom so sorryrdquo
ldquoWhat happened Was it her heart She had some prob-
lems rdquo
ldquoNo Sarahrdquo Paul had come back and stood behind Janet
ldquoIt wasnrsquot a medical conditionrdquo He looked at Janet for helpbut she just shook her head overcome with emotion
He took a deep breath and the words tumbled out in a rush
ldquoShe was murdered Sarah Someone broke in and stabbed her
to deathrdquo
ldquoOh no Not not againrdquo As my mind tried to process the
information Janet and Paul had given me a strange unearthly
calm filled my body Before I could sit down I felt myself drift
away into the shadows that surrounded me The last thing I
remembered was Janetrsquos arms reaching out to catch me
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1434
15
C H A P T E R
TWO
I awoke to someone wiping my face with a damp cloth Janet
stared down at me a worried look on her face I sat up even
though she encouraged me to stay still It took me a few seconds
to figure out where I was As I gazed at the empty schoolroom
I remembered For just a moment I wondered if Irsquod had another
awful nightmare Maybe this was nothing more than a bad
dream Then reality hit me cruelly tearing hope away Hannah
was gone Janet put her arms around me and let me cry I had
no idea how long we sat like that but slowly my sobs began todecrease in intensity Little by little my mind cleared until I felt
I could think again When I let go of Janet I realized Paul was
still in the room The look of compassion on his face chased
away my initial embarrassment at breaking down in front of him
ldquoLetrsquos get you homerdquo Janet said gently
I nodded and tried to get to my feet but my body felt limpmdash
almost devoid of strength
ldquoHererdquo Paul said reaching down and helping me up ldquoJust
lean on merdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1534
DEADLY ECHOES
16
The three of us left the school and Paul held on to me while
I got into his car Though Janetrsquos house was only two blocks
away I was too weak to walk When we reached our destination
Paulrsquos strong arms supported me while we went up the steps
and into Janetrsquos house As I leaned in to him I could smell his
shaving lotion Masculine but gentle After helping me up the
stairs and into the old room where Irsquod lived before moving to
my apartment at the school he quietly left the room Janet
got me settled making me lie down on the bed Then she wentdownstairs to get me a glass of water
ldquoIs Paul still hererdquo I asked when she came back
She nodded ldquoHersquos downstairs I told him he could leave
but he didnrsquot want to go until he was certain you were okayrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos very kindrdquo A thought suddenly struck me I felt
ashamed that it only occurred to me now ldquoCicely Where is
Cicelyrdquo
ldquoThatrsquos something we need to talk about Sarah Yoursquore her
closest relativerdquo
I sat up straighter in the bed ldquoIrsquom her only relative Her
father isnrsquot part of her life Irsquove got to get her Shersquoll have to
come here Janetrdquo
She nodded ldquoWe probably need to contact the police depart-ment in Kansas City and let them know thatrdquo
ldquoYoursquore rightrdquo I tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy
and fell back
ldquoLet me do some checkingrdquo Janet said ldquoIrsquoll find out who
you need to talk tordquo
ldquoAnd ask where she is now Shersquos only ten years old I donrsquot
want her to be afraid I need to speak to her Let her know Irsquom
comingrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll take care of it honeyrdquo She frowned ldquoI know Hannahrsquos
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1634
Nancy Mehl
17
foster father died several years ago but didnrsquot you say her foster
mother was still aliverdquo
ldquoShersquos in a nursing home In the last stages of Alzheimerrsquosrdquo
I shook my head ldquoShe doesnrsquot even remember Hannah Therersquos
no reason to call herrdquo
I pushed the quilt off and swung my legs over the side of the
bed Although I felt another wave of dizziness it dissipated
quickly My shoes sat on the floor so I slipped my feet into them
ldquoIrsquod like to talk to Paulrdquo Janet took my hand ldquoAre you sure Shouldnrsquot you lie down
a bit longerrdquo
I grabbed her hand ldquoIrsquove got to keep myself together for
Cicely Irsquom so thankful Hannah and I found each other again
after all these years If we hadnrsquot I probably wouldnrsquot know
about her death and Cicely would be all alonerdquo
Janet hugged me ldquoShe is blessed to have you for an aunt
There isnrsquot anyone else in the world who could take care of her
the way you willrdquo She stroked my hair ldquoI think it would be
best if you moved back to my house Sarah Right away Your
apartment is too small for two people and I have an extra room
for Cicely Besides I can help Be a support for both of yourdquo
I wiped away tears of gratitude ldquoI donrsquot know what I woulddo without you Yoursquore the best friend Irsquove ever had and I know
Cicely will love you toordquo
ldquoWersquoll all be okayrdquo she said quietly ldquoGod will walk us through
thisrdquo
I finally got to my feet ldquoHersquoll have to I know I canrsquot do this
under my own powerrdquo
Janet slid her arm through mine ldquoIrsquoll make you something
to eat while you talk to Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquom not hungryrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1734
DEADLY ECHOES
18
ldquoI understand honey but you need to keep your strength up
Just trust me Okayrdquo
I gave her a small smile ldquoWhatever you sayrdquo
She returned my smile though her eyes held the pain of the
past few hours ldquoNow thatrsquos what I like to hearrdquo
She helped me downstairs I found Paul sitting on the couch
in the living room When I came into the room he stood up
ldquoHow are you feelingrdquo he asked his eyes wide with concern
ldquoBetter thank you Irsquom sorry I faintedrdquoHe shook his head ldquoPlease donrsquot apologize Irsquom so sorry for
your lossrdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I sank down into the chair next to the couch
ldquoIf yoursquoll excuse merdquo Janet said ldquoI want to make Sarah some
lunch Will you stay and eat with us Paulrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to but Irsquove got to get back to the station Theyrsquore
probably wondering where I am After you called me I told
them I would help you deliver the news about Sarahrsquos sister and
then report right backrdquo
ldquoI called Paul after I talked to Hannahrsquos neighborrdquo Janet
explained ldquoI wanted to make sure what she told me was true
Paul contacted the police in Kansas City to confirm the detailsrdquo
ldquoThank you Paulrdquo I said ldquoI appreciate all your helprdquoldquoI want to thank you toordquo Janet said ldquoNot only for your
assistance with the police but for helping me get Sarah homerdquo
She patted my shoulder and left the room
ldquoIrsquom so embarrassedrdquo I said to Paul ldquoI can remember faint-
ing only one other time in my entire liferdquo
ldquoYou were told some incredibly shocking news Fainting is
a natural reactionrdquo
ldquoYoursquore very kindrdquo
He nodded and stared down at the floor for a moment When
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1834
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 1934
DEADLY ECHOES
20
you and Hannah only recently reconnected Did you get sepa-
rated after you lost your parentsrdquo
I nodded ldquoItrsquos a rather complicated storyrdquo
ldquoIrsquod like to hear it sometime If you want to tell me that isrdquo
I stared at him in surprise ldquoIrsquom not sure yoursquod find it very
interestingrdquo I was startled to see him blush
ldquoActually Irsquom very interested in yourdquo He coughed lightly
ldquoIn your story I meanrdquo
Not knowing what to say all I could come up with wasldquoThanksrdquo I shook my head ldquoI Irsquom sorry Itrsquos hard for me
to think right nowrdquo
ldquoI understand I wish I could do something more to help yourdquo
ldquoYoursquove done enoughrdquo I said trying to smile at him ldquoIrsquom
very grateful you were hererdquo
He stood up slowly I sensed his concern for me and I fought
back the tears that threatened to overtake me again Hersquod seen
me cry enough for one day
Paulrsquos eyes were locked on mine as he ran his hand through
his thick dark hair ldquoSomeone from Kansas City will contact
you soon Again please feel free to call me if I can do anything
Anything at allrdquo
ldquoIf you learn any details about the investigation will youshare them with merdquo
He put his hat on his head ldquoCertainly But Irsquom not really
involved with Kansas City I do have a friend who works for the
department there If you want I can call him and ask him to
keep me updated I really doubt hersquoll be able to tell me anything
different from what the police will tell yourdquo
ldquoIrsquod really appreciate it Paul Whoever killed our parents
was never caught I really donrsquot want to see that happen againrdquo
ldquoGive the police a chance Sarah Donrsquot give up on them before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2034
Nancy Mehl
21
the process even begins Just because law enforcement let you
down once doesnrsquot mean the same thing will happen this timerdquo
I sighed ldquoIrsquom sure yoursquore right Itrsquos just that Irsquove lived withoutclosure for all these years I donrsquot want that for Cicelyrdquo
ldquoI understand Irsquoll give my friend a call For now you take
care of yourself and your niecerdquo
ldquoThank you so much Cicely will need a lot of help Believe
me I know what itrsquos like to feel all alone in the worldrdquo
ldquoIrsquom sure you do Cicely is blessed to have you to turn tordquo He
walked over to the front door ldquoIrsquom going back to the station
You know how to reach merdquo
ldquoI do Thank yourdquo
He paused with his hand on the doorknob ldquoAgain Irsquom really
very sorry Sarahrdquo
ldquoI know you are Thanksrdquo
I watched him leave hoping he would follow through on hispromise to call his contact in Kansas City I really wanted the
person who killed my sister brought to justice Not knowing
who had killed my parents was like having an open wound in
my soul that had never healed Irsquod lived my life in the shadow
of their murders How could I be in the same situation again I
struggled to push the thought out of my mind For now I needed
to concentrate on bringing Cicely home Even more than seeing
Hannahrsquos murderer brought to justice I was certain my sister
would want to know that her daughter was safe and loved I was
determined to do everything in my power to make that happen
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2134
23
C H A P T E R
THREE
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the desk in my old
bedroom talking to the police department in Kansas City Janet
had given me some numbers to call but it still took a while to
find the right person After being transferred more than once I
was finally connected to a very kind woman who worked with
the Department of Children and Families She informed me
that Cicely had been placed in emergency foster care When
she said the words foster care a chill ran through me But the
woman assured me this was one of their best homes and thatCicely was doing as well as could be expected After telling her
who I was she promised they would work with me Although
she couldnrsquot give me Cicelyrsquos number she told me shersquod arrange
to have someone call me About an hour later the phone rang
It was the woman who had provided Cicely emergency shelter
She introduced herself as Cora Anderson
ldquoShersquos in shockrdquo Cora said ldquoIrsquom doing my best to com-
fort her Tomorrow morning shersquoll see a counselor Hersquoll as-
sess her emotional conditionrdquo She sighed ldquoShe may need some
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2234
DEADLY ECHOES
24
follow-up help after she leaves here She discovered her motherrsquos
body you know I canrsquot imagine how that feelsrdquo
A picture of blood and orchids flashed through my mind
and my stomach turned over
ldquoI appreciate everything yoursquore doing to help herrdquo I said
ldquoIrsquom working with the Department of Children and Families
to clear the way for me to bring her homerdquo
ldquoI hope you wonrsquot have any troublerdquo Cora said slowly
ldquoIt would help to have something that mentions Hannahrsquoswishesrdquo
ldquoShe asked me to be responsible for Cicely if something ever
happened to her but I donrsquot have anything in writingrdquo
ldquoCan you prove yoursquore Cicelyrsquos auntrdquo
ldquoI suppose our birth certificates would prove Hannah and
I are sisters And Cicely knows me Shouldnrsquot that count for
somethingrdquo
ldquoOf course But yoursquoll have to work through DCF Therersquos
nothing I can do to help you Irsquom sorryrdquo
ldquoI just want to get her home so I can take care of herrdquo
ldquoI knowrdquo Cora said ldquoHopefully it wonrsquot take long Here
she is nowrdquo
I heard Cora talking softly and then Cicely got on the phoneldquoAunt Sarahrdquo
The pain in her voice made my heart drop ldquoYes honey Irsquom
hererdquo
ldquoAre you coming to get merdquo
ldquoYes I am There are some things I have to do first but Irsquoll
get them taken care of as quickly as I can The people in Kansas
City want to be certain yoursquoll be safe with merdquo
ldquoTry not to take too long okay Cora is very nice but I donrsquot
know these peoplerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2334
Nancy Mehl
25
ldquoI understand sweetheart You just hold on Irsquom sure it wonrsquot
be longrdquo
ldquoAm I going to live with yourdquo
ldquoActually my friend Janet has asked us to live with her Do you
remember her big house Yoursquoll have your own room Therersquos
lots of space hererdquo
ldquoI like Janetrdquo she said slowly ldquoAnd Murphy too My mom
wanted us to have a dog but we couldnrsquot because she wasnrsquot
home enoughrdquoI found myself nodding like an idiot As if Cicely could see
me ldquoMurphy will be very happy to see you Hersquos crazy about
yourdquo At that moment I wanted to hug Murphyrsquos neckmdashalong
with all the other dogs and cats that had the ability to fill a void
in a childrsquos life like nothing else could Animals were one of
Godrsquos miracles Unlimited love and understanding all wrapped
up in a furry body
ldquoSomeone killed my motherrdquo Cicely said suddenly as if shersquod
just realized it
ldquoI know Irsquom so sorry But yoursquore not alone Cicely Irsquom here
and Irsquoll take care of you I promise Okayrdquo
There was a long silence on the other end before she whis-
pered ldquoOkayrdquoI so badly wanted to be with her right at that moment but
all I could do was work through the process the state had set
in place to protect children It was a blessing as well as a curse
but it was necessary
I told Cicely to give the phone back to Cora Then I asked
Cora to allow Cicely to call me whenever she wanted to
ldquoOf courserdquo she said ldquoAnd Irsquoll phone you after her appoint-
ment in the morning Do you have any idea when yoursquoll get hererdquo
ldquoNot yet I want to make sure I have everything I need before
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2434
DEADLY ECHOES
26
I arrive Shouldnrsquot be too long though I want to bring Cicely
home as soon as possiblerdquo
ldquoI understand Please donrsquot worry Irsquoll take good care of herrdquo
ldquoThank you Cora Good foster parents are worth their weight
in gold I know that from firsthand experiencerdquo
ldquoYou were in the systemrdquo
ldquoYes Some of it was good but a lot of it was awfulrdquo
She sighed ldquoIrsquom sorry Wersquore working hard to make it better
for all the children but bad parents slip in sometimes becausethe need is so greatrdquo
I thanked her again and we said good-bye I breathed a prayer
of gratitude to God that Hersquod sent Cicely to Cora Now I needed
to get all the paper work together that DCF needed talk to the
police and plan Hannahrsquos funeral I was trying to figure out how
I could possibly get everything done when I heard the doorbell
ring downstairs A couple of minutes later Janet knocked on
the bedroom door and then opened it
ldquoItrsquos Jonathonrdquo she said ldquoHersquos come to check on yourdquo
Jonathon Wiese was the pastor of my church Agape Fellow-
ship Although I didnrsquot really feel like seeing anyone right then
I knew talking to Jonathon would probably help me He seemed
to always know what to say in certain situations Since hersquodcome to Sanctuary a few years earlier and become our pas-
tor his ministry had blessed me many times Next to Janet
he knew me better than anyone else and he was aware of my
history
ldquoOkayrdquo I stood up but swayed a little Janet ran over and
grabbed my arm
ldquoYou poor thing You need some restrdquo she said ldquoYoursquore so
busy worrying about Cicely yoursquore not getting the time you
need to deal with this yourselfrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2534
Nancy Mehl
27
ldquoIrsquoll be fine To be honest having Cicely to think about is a
big help It makes me focus on her instead of Hannahrdquo
ldquoI understand that But you still have to take care of yourself
Sarah If you wonrsquot do it for yourself then do it for Cicely She
needs you to be strongrdquo
I nodded ldquoOkay Thanksrdquo
ldquoLetrsquos get you downstairs Irsquoll fix you a cup of teardquo
ldquoThat sounds wonderfulrdquo
She followed me down the stairs probably afraid I was tooshaky to make it down alone I had to admit that I felt a little
weak Grief over Hannahrsquos death had left me numb except for
a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldnrsquot shake the
idea that if I could throw up Irsquod feel better It didnrsquot make any
sense but the thought wouldnrsquot go away
When I walked into the living room I found Jonathon sitting
on the couch He stood up when he saw me
ldquoThank you for coming Pastorrdquo I said
He came over and took my hands in his ldquoOf courserdquo he
said ldquoIrsquom so sorry Sarah What can I do to helprdquo
Jonathon was in his early thirties and unmarried Although
an unmarried pastor wouldnrsquot be accepted at Sanctuary Men-
nonite Church his election as pastor had been unopposed atAgape Hersquod been the assistant pastor until our head pastor
Pastor Barker moved away Jonathonrsquos sincerity and knowledge
of the Bible made him the only logical choice He was very care-
ful around the single women in our church and avoided dating
That wasnrsquot to say there werenrsquot quite a few young ladies in
Sanctuary who were interested Jonathon was very handsome
with dark hair and intense blue eyes
ldquoIrsquom making Sarah a cup of tea Pastorrdquo Janet said ldquoCan I
get you anything Tea Coffeerdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2634
DEADLY ECHOES
28
ldquoA cup of coffee would be great If itrsquos not too much troublerdquo
She smiled at him ldquoNot at all Irsquoll be right backrdquo
I pointed to the couch ldquoPlease Pastor Sit downrdquo I took a
seat in a nearby chair ldquoI donrsquot know that you can do anything
except keep us in prayer Right now Irsquom trying to make arrange-
ments to bring my niece to Sanctuaryrdquo
ldquoI remember meeting Cicely a few months ago when she and
her mother were in townrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI canrsquot imagine what
shersquos going throughrdquo He clasped his hands together and leanedforward ldquoBut I guess you can canrsquot yourdquo
Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to blink
them away ldquoSome of it yes I was younger than Cicely when
my parents were killed so I donrsquot remember much Cicely is
ten Shersquoll probably have more to deal with than I did Finding
her mother like that rdquo My voice trailed off I couldnrsquot say
anything else It was too horrific to think about I dabbed at
the tears that fell down my cheeks
ldquoShersquoll need a lot of understanding Sarah If I can do any-
thing to help her Irsquom more than willing Irsquom here for both of
you Please call me anytime Talking things out can make a dif-
ference Many people make the mistake of thinking they can
just ignore the pain and lsquoget over itrsquo But grief doesnrsquot work likethat You have to acknowledge itrdquo
ldquoIrsquom afraid therersquos not much time to grieve Pastor Maybe
after I get Cicely home rdquo
Jonathon shook his head ldquoSarah have you ever heard the
expression lsquoFeelings buried alive never diersquordquo
ldquoNo I donrsquot think sordquo
ldquoIt means we have to find a way to deal with our feelings
because they donrsquot just go away Burying them will only cause
problems in other areasrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2734
Nancy Mehl
29
ldquoThat makes a lot of sense Irsquoll work on thatrdquo
He smiled at me ldquoDonrsquot turn it into work Sarah Just allow
yourself to grieve And if you need a shoulder to cry on Irsquom hererdquo
ldquoThank yourdquo
He sighed and leaned back ldquoForgiving the person who did
this will be one of the hardest things yoursquoll ever dordquo
I could almost feel my heart harden inside my chest ldquoRight
now thatrsquos not even on my mind Irsquom concentrating on Cicely
Maybe Irsquoll never know who killed my parents but I want thisanimal arrested If not for me for Cicely She shouldnrsquot have to
spend the rest of her life wondering what happened Wonder-
ing whyrdquo
Jonathon was quiet for a moment Frankly I was surprised
at the sudden rush of emotion I felt Irsquod tried so hard to put my
parentsrsquo murders behind me Hannahrsquos face suddenly floated
into my mind
ldquoI may have uncovered something about the people who
killed Mom and Dad Sarahrdquo shersquod said during her last visit
ldquoItrsquos possible Irsquom close to finding out what really happenedrdquo
Irsquod listened politely to everything she told me but I couldnrsquot
allow myself to go down that road again I had no desire to
revisit the confusion and hurt that had followed me for yearsBesides how could Hannah solve murders that the police in
Kansas City couldnrsquot crack It didnrsquot make sense Nor did the
information shersquod collected A bunch of loose facts that didnrsquot
fit together No solid evidence Even Hannah admitted she didnrsquot
understand it all Sensing my lack of interest shersquod changed the
subject but I could tell she was hurt that I hadnrsquot been receptive
ldquoThe Bible tells us that God will fight for usrdquo Jonathon said
gently bringing me back to the present ldquoLet Him take care of
whoever did thisrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2834
DEADLY ECHOES
30
ldquoI donrsquot have much of a choice Pastorrdquo
At that moment Janet came back into the room with coffee
for Jonathon and a cup of hot tea for me We thanked her and
I quickly picked up my cup For some reason having something
to hold on to made me feel better After casting a concerned
look my way Janet left the room
Jonathon took a sip of coffee and put his cup down on the
coffee table ldquoYou may have some unresolved feelings about
whatrsquos happened If you do itrsquos perfectly normal Please donrsquotsuppress it God can handle your anger Hersquos not upset with
you He wants you to be free because He loves yourdquo
ldquoIrsquom trying to stay calm I keep reminding myself that just be-
cause the police didnrsquot catch the man who murdered my parents
doesnrsquot mean they wonrsquot find the killer this time In fact maybe
they already have that person in custodyrdquo I sighed ldquoThinking
that way helps me some I really do want to see the murderer
punished Pastor I canrsquot help it Being raised Mennonite you
probably find the idea of retribution offensiverdquo
He smiled ldquoMennonites believe in justice Sarah They just
donrsquot believe in vengeance meted out from the hands of menrdquo
ldquoI wish I could be like that but I guess Irsquom just not as perfect as
yourdquo My comment sounded rude but I hadnrsquot meant it that way Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise ldquoIrsquom not perfectrdquo
He stared down at the floor for a moment ldquoIrsquom going to tell you
something Irsquove never told anyone in Sanctuary except the elders
in our church I shared it with them because I felt they had the
right to knowrdquo He took a long deep breath ldquoI almost shot a
man once Thankfully I didnrsquot have to But I was ready to do itrdquo
To say I was shocked was an understatement This friendly
quiet unassuming man had pointed a gun at someone ldquoBut
you lived as a Conservative Mennonite before you came hererdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 2934
Nancy Mehl
31
ldquoWell I looked like a Mennonite and I went to a conserva-
tive church but obviously I wasnrsquot living by all the principlesrdquo
ldquoCan I ask why you wanted to shoot that manrdquo
ldquoYes you may I was afraid he was going to kill the woman
I loved I raised my gun to protect herrdquo
ldquoDid she liverdquo
ldquoYes Someone else took the shot before I didrdquo
ldquoSo someone else saved her liferdquo
He noddedldquoAre you grateful to that person for protecting herrdquo
ldquoIrsquom grateful she lived but Irsquom also glad her attacker survived
If Irsquod shot him I believe I would have killed himrdquo He sighed
ldquoBelieve me when I was caught up in that moment wounding
him was not my intention I still have to face that every day Donrsquot
get me wrong I know Irsquom forgiven I donrsquot feel guilty anymore
but that incident showed me what Irsquom capable of It forced me
to take a hard look at myself In the end I decided I had to start
trusting God to protect me and those I loverdquo
ldquoYou said you loved that woman yet yoursquore still singlerdquo
He nodded again ldquoYes She married someone elserdquo
ldquoBut but you were willing to kill to protect her Why isnrsquot
she with yourdquo I suddenly realized how personal my questionwas ldquoIrsquom sorry Pastorrdquo I said quickly ldquoThatrsquos none of my
businessrdquo
He smiled ldquoItrsquos all right Sarah I donrsquot mind She married a
man who would have died before going against what he believed
I wasnrsquot as strong as he was then But I believe I am nowrdquo
ldquoWhat does your story have to do with merdquo
ldquoIt has to do with making wrong choices for the right rea-
sons In the next few weeks you might begin to feel incredible
rage toward the person who killed your sister With your past
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3034
DEADLY ECHOES
32
there could still be unresolved feelings about your parents I
hope yoursquoll deal with those feelings honestly and not keep them
locked inside You and Cicely will need to heal Just remember
exposing a wound to the air brings healing faster than covering
it uprdquo He stood up ldquoLook Irsquove taken enough of your time But
please consider what Irsquove said Let God bring justice You work
on restorationmdashand forgiveness It will be very important in
the upcoming daysrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll think about it Pastorrdquo I said softly ldquoMaybe there issome unresolved anger inside me because Irsquove lost so muchrdquo
Jonathon came over and put his hand on my shoulder ldquoGodrsquos
in the healing business Sarah Just rest your burden on His
shoulders Hersquos willing to carry itrdquo
ldquoIrsquoll try Thank yourdquo
Jonathon smiled ldquoI believe some of the women in town will
be bringing food by Both churches are getting together to helprdquo
Fresh tears stung my eyes ldquoThatrsquos so nicerdquo
ldquoPeople want to let you know yoursquore loved They truly care
about yourdquo
As if someone were listening to our conversation the door-
bell rang
ldquoIrsquoll walk you to the doorrdquo Jonathon said ldquoI need to getback to the churchrdquo
I nodded and we both headed toward the door as the bell rang
again Janet came into the room from the kitchen
ldquoItrsquos okayrdquo I told her ldquoIrsquom already on the wayrdquo
I swung the door open and found Jeremiah standing there his
eyes wide He looked back and forth between Jonathon and me
ldquoI Irsquom sorry I didnrsquot mean to bother yourdquo he said star-
ing at me ldquoI I just wanted to tell you I mean Irsquom sorry
about your sister My mother is bringing a casserole by laterrdquo
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3134
Nancy Mehl
33
Jonathon greeted Jeremiah and then said good-bye to both
of us I waited until hersquod walked down the steps before address-
ing Jeremiah
ldquoThatrsquos so considerate of your motherrdquo I said ldquoPlease tell
her how much I appreciate itrdquo I pointed toward the living room
ldquoWould you like to come inrdquo
He shook his head ldquoNo Mama said not to keep you We
were over at the post office and Mr Bakker said you had mail
He let me bring it to you so you wouldnrsquot have to go over andpick it uprdquo
He handed me the stack of mail in his hand and I thanked
him Before I could say anything else he turned and almost ran
down the steps
I closed the door and leaned against it praying that no one
else would visit today I needed some time to myself For some
reason my legs felt like rubber
Janet came into the room and saw me ldquoSarah yoursquore ex-
hausted Come here and sit down on the couch Irsquoll make you
another cup of teardquo
ldquoThank yourdquo I managed a small smile ldquoYoursquod better start
clearing out space in the refrigerator and freezer I understand
the women of Sanctuary have taken to their stovesrdquoldquoOh for landrsquos sakerdquo Janet said ldquoWersquore going to be drown-
ing in fried chicken and strudelrdquo
As she hurried off to prepare her kitchen for the onslaught
I plopped down on the couch Immediately Murphy jumped
up next to me I stroked the golden retrieverrsquos soft fur and then
began to riffle through the mail When I read the return ad-
dress on one of the envelopes disbelief flooded my body like
an electric shock and I cried out for Janet She came running
in from the kitchen her eyes round with alarm
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3234
DEADLY ECHOES
34
ldquoWhat in the worldrdquo she said when she saw me ldquoYoursquore as
white as a ghostrdquo
I held out the envelope ldquoIt itrsquos a letter From Hannahrdquo
ldquoWhatrdquo Janet took the envelope from me and stared at the
postmark ldquoIt was sent Priority Mail yesterday Oh my good-
nessrdquo She started to hand it back to me but I waved it away
ldquoNo Will you read it Please I I canrsquotmdashrdquo A sob cut off
the rest of my sentence
Janet sat down and slowly opened the envelope Then shepulled out the folded paper inside ldquoHoney are you sure you
want me to read thisrdquo she asked
I could only nod
She put the envelope down on the coffee table and opened the
letter Then she took a deep breath and began to read
ldquoDearest Sarah
This past year has been the best year of my life Find-
ing you again was the fulfillment of a long-held dream
Reuniting with my sister is one of the greatest blessings
Irsquove ever had No matter what happens in the future I
want you to know that I always loved you And I always
believed God would bring us together againI had to make sure you knew this because of what Irsquom
preparing to do Cicely and I are going away Right now
Irsquom not sure if Irsquoll ever see you again Irsquoll try to contact
you but if I donrsquot itrsquos only because I donrsquot want to put
you in harmrsquos way Please donrsquot worry about us Irsquom taking
us someplace safe Someplace where no one will find us
Our past has always haunted me Sarah Knowing that
the people who killed our parents got away with it has
never left me I know you donrsquot really want to hear this
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3334
Nancy Mehl
35
but I have to explain so you wonrsquot think my leaving means
I donrsquot love you My search for the truth made me stick
my nose in places I shouldnrsquot have And now itrsquos blown
up in my face Random thieves didnrsquot murder Mom and
Dad Sarah It was something else Someone else I know
who it was but I canrsquot tell you You might make the same
mistake I did Itrsquos just too dangerous The conspiracy is
huge Much bigger than I realized Too big for either one
of us to handleDonrsquot look for us Sarah I mean it You will be putting
all of us in terrible danger if you do Leave it alone Please
Just pray for Cicely and me
Sarah I need you to promise me something else Never
search for Cicelyrsquos father or look too closely at my past I
canrsquot stress enough how important this is Donrsquot take this
warning lightly If you love me if you love Cicely yoursquoll
do as I ask
I think I can get us out of here safely but if anything
goes wrong if something happens to me please take care
of my daughter As I already told you yoursquore the only
person I trust to raise her the right way We may have had
tough childhoods but somehow through it all you retainedyour goodness and your sweet spirit I know yoursquoll pass
that on to Cicely and yoursquoll help her to become all God
has created her to be Irsquom counting on you Sarah I know
you wonrsquot let me down Irsquove made out a will stating that
you are to be Cicelyrsquos guardian My attorney David Rose
has a copy His office is on 2nd Street in downtown Kansas
City His number is in the phone book He doesnrsquot know
anything about my plans to leave Kansas City so asking
him where I am would be pointless
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry
8102019 Deadly Echoes
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 3434
DEADLY ECHOES
After you read this please destroy this note No one
else is to ever see it Especially Cicely Raise her up with
joy and love the way Mom and Dad raised us They weresuch good people Sarah I want you to always remember
that what happened to them wasnrsquot their fault
I really love you Sarah Please donrsquot be sad Wersquove been
apart before but we will never lose each other Wersquoll be
together again either in this life or in the next And some-
day wersquoll be reunited with Mom and Dad What a great
reunion we will have
I will love you forever
Remember me
Hannahrdquo
Janet dropped the letter as if it were hot ldquoOh Sarah What
are we going to dordquo
All I could do was shake my head and cry