Debby Giusti - Plain Danger

“Ma’am, did you see anyone behind you when you drove to town this morning?” the cop asked.

Carrie shook her head. “No one.”

Inman turned to Tyler. “What about you, sir?”

“Negative. But I left my house early and went to post first so I could brief Chief Wilson, the head of the CID, on Corporal Fellows’s murder. General Cameron has been informed, as well.”

“He’s the post commanding general?”

“That’s right. As you can imagine, the general’s upset about the corporal’s death and has given us free rein to support you in any way we can.”

“I’ll pass that on. The chief of police is out of town, so Phillips is in charge. Last I heard, he contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to rush the forensics on the case. Freemont is indebted to the military. We’ll do everything we can to bring Corporal Fellows’s killer to justice.”

All of them turned at the sound of an approaching vehicle. Earl’s Tow Service was painted on the side of the tow truck that pulled to a stop. A man hopped to the pavement.

“Craig Owens.” The driver provided his name as he approached the threesome. “Special Agent Zimmerman?”

Tyler nodded. “That’s right. I talked to Earl.”

He pointed to Carrie’s car, wedged in the ditch. “The vehicle needs to be towed. Earl said he’d order a new rear tire. Tell him to check the underbelly and ensure that nothing else is wrong.”

“Will do.” The driver held up a clipboard. “You mind signing the request for service?”

Tyler passed the clipboard to Carrie. “The car belongs to Ms. York.”

“Do you need payment now?” she asked.

“No, ma’am, just your signature.”

After she’d signed the form, the driver tossed the clipboard into his cab and climbed behind the wheel. He backed to the edge of the ditch and used a winch to hoist the vehicle onto the flatbed.

Once the car was safely locked down, he handed Carrie a business card. “Earl will call you with an estimate if your car needs repair work. As soon as the new tire comes in, he’ll notify you. Appreciate your business.”

Tyler stopped Owens before he climbed into his truck. “Any idea how long a wheel would stay attached with only two lug nuts?”

The tow man scratched his head. “Not long. The tire would start to shimmy and work the remaining lug nuts off in a short time.”

Which was exactly what Tyler thought. “Thanks for getting here so quickly.”

“We aim to please.”

Inman slipped the notebook into his shirt pocket as the tow truck headed back to town. “I’ll let you folks know if we find any prints.” He rolled the tire to his sedan and placed it in the trunk.

Then turning to Carrie, he added, “I might be jumping to the wrong conclusion, ma’am, but it looks like someone’s not happy that you’re in Freemont.”

Tyler had to agree.

“Lock your doors and windows. Call my number or Special Agent Zimmerman if you feel threatened in any way or if anything else happens.”

“Good advice,” Tyler said to Carrie. “We’re both worried about your safety.”

“Use caution, ma’am,” Owens continued. “As I said before, seems someone wants to do you harm.”

Her face twisted with concern. “But why?”

The cop pursed his lips. “No clue, except it might tie in with the soldier’s death.”

“Or my father’s,” she added.

Tyler needed to learn more about the sergeant major. He wouldn’t give voice to his suspicions, because it would upset Carrie even more, but just as she had mentioned earlier, her father could have been involved in something illegal that could play in to the corporal’s death and have bearing on her accident today.

Inman nodded to Carrie and slapped Tyler’s arm before he slid behind the wheel of his police sedan.

After ushering Carrie to his car, Tyler held the door for her as she settled onto the passenger seat. “I’m grateful Officer Inman responded to the call,” he said as he climbed into the driver’s side. “Someone without knowledge of what happened last night might not see the significance of the accident.”

Her face was drawn and her eyes reflected both fatigue and worry. “How would someone know where I was or which car in the lot was mine?”

“Your out-of-state tags would be easy to spot. Information travels fast in small towns. No telling who knew you planned to visit George Gates.”

She shook her head. “But I didn’t have an appointment.”

“You told him yesterday that you would return in the morning.”

“What if losing the tire was just a random act?”

Tyler sighed. “Having three lug nuts go missing is more than happenstance, Carrie.”

“Then either someone’s trying to scare me off, or it involves Corporal Fellows, as Officer Inman mentioned.”

When Tyler failed to reply, she turned her gaze to the road. “Whatever the reason, the person responsible doesn’t understand my determination to learn more about my father.”

“Might be a good idea to program my cell number into your phone, Carrie.”

“I already have.”

They drove in silence until Tyler turned into the Harris driveway and parked at the side of the antebellum home. He glanced at the barn and the small chicken coop at the rear, seeing movement. His neck tingled a warning.

“Looks like someone’s prowling around your property, Carrie. Stay here until I give you the all clear.”

Before she could object, he slipped from the car and cautiously approached the barn, keeping his right hand close to the weapon on his hip. He stopped at the corner and watched as a man peered over the top of the coop.

“You’re trespassing.” Tyler raised his voice. “Put your hands in the air and turn around slowly.”

The man complied without hesitation. Only he wasn’t much over fifteen, with a shaggy haircut, suspenders and black pants. A hat lay on the ground, along with a bucket half filled with what looked like chicken feed.

“State your name and the reason you’re on the Harris property.”

“Eli Plank.”

His clothing identified him as Amish. “Isaac Lapp asked me to feed the chickens while he and his family are out of town.” The kid blinked. “I have done nothing wrong.”

Tyler realized his mistake. “You can put your hands down, Eli. I didn’t know anyone was helping out.”

The boy lowered his arms. “Isaac has been caring for the chickens since Mr. Harris died. He asked me to lend a hand so he and his wife and Joseph could visit the boy’s Grossdaadi. His grandfather.”

“Where do you live?”

He pointed south. “The next farm. You know my Datt?”

Tyler shook his head. “I’ve seen him working in the fields, but we haven’t met.”

“Tyler?”

Hearing Carrie’s voice, Tyler peered around the barn. She was walking toward them.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Everything’s fine.” He introduced Carrie to the Amish boy and explained the reason Eli was on the property.

“Thank you for taking care of the chickens.” Carrie opened her purse. “I’d like to pay you.”

The boy shook his head. “I was helping Isaac. That needs no payment, but I must go home now.” After returning the unused feed in the barn, Eli waved goodbye and hurried across the road.

“I don’t think Eli is anyone to fear.” Carrie watched as the boy approached the two-story farmhouse visible in the distance.

“Probably not, in fact, it’s doubtful any of the Amish are involved, but you never know. Remember Corporal Fellows was a neighbor.”

She tilted her head. “You’re a neighbor too.”

He nodded. “The difference is that you can trust me. I’m going back to post this afternoon to talk to Corporal Fellows’s first sergeant. He worked in the same unit as your father. If you want to join me, I’d be happy to show you around Fort Rickman.”