Deadly Echoes by Nancy Mehl Read Free Book Online Page B

friends a long time, haven’t you?” I said.
    â€œEver since we were kids.”
    â€œHow are things going with him and Wynter?”
    Wynter Evans was a reporter who had supposedly come to Sanctuary to do a story about interesting towns in Missouri. In truth, she suspected her kidnapped brother lived here. She was right. Wynter moved to Sanctuary not long after she found herbrother, Ryan, who had been adopted by a Mennonite couple that had no idea their son had been abducted from his parents and sister. Wynter had fallen in love with Reuben, and now they were engaged. She’d left her job in St. Louis and moved to Sanctuary to do some writing—her real passion. She lived with Esther Lapp, an older Conservative Mennonite woman whose house was next door to Janet’s.
    Wynter’s real name was Emily Erwin, but she’d changed it when she went into broadcasting. Although her family called her by her given name, everyone in Sanctuary knew her as Wynter, so the name had stuck.
    â€œThey’re doing great. They’re working on wedding plans, but they can’t seem to agree on a date.”
    â€œWell, I hope they work it out. They’re such a wonderful couple.”
    â€œYes, they are.”
    That seemed to end our conversation about Reuben. Paul was quiet and still seemed preoccupied.
    Finally I put my fork down. “Paul, why did you ask me to breakfast this morning? I’ve enjoyed our time together, but I got the impression you had something specific you wanted to talk about.”
    He drained the rest of his coffee and then poured himself another cup. After checking my cup, he put the carafe down. Then he wiped his mouth and put his napkin back in his lap. “I guess I’m thinking about our conversation. Sometimes we need to heed warnings. I wonder if I’m getting one now.”
    I frowned at him. “What kind of warning? What are you talking about?”
    â€œA warning to walk away, Sarah. Not to pursue your sister’s death too closely.”
    â€œWhy? What’s happened?”
    â€œI don’t want to make this more dramatic than it is. It’s probably nothing. But . . . well, it bothered me, and I felt you should know.”
    â€œShould know what?”
    â€œI heard back from my friend in Kansas City. He e-mailed me the initial report taken at the scene of your sister’s murder. Again, this may not mean anything . . .”
    â€œLet me be the judge of that,” I said.
    â€œYou mentioned something about flowers at the scene of your parents’ murder. Is that right?”
    I nodded. “White orchids.” I thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it, I remember Hannah saying something about those flowers. That they weren’t there before the murders.”
    â€œBut you don’t remember?”
    â€œNo. I saw them when we were taken out of the house, but I assumed Dad bought them for her. I do remember that he liked buying her flowers.”
    Paul picked up his coffee cup and stared at it, as if he couldn’t stand to look at me. “I was able to see the report taken at your sister’s crime scene. And it just seemed odd to me . . .”
    â€œWhat? Tell me, Paul.”
    He looked up slowly until he met my gaze. “Orchids. There were white orchids scattered around your sister’s body.”

Chapter
Five

    The food in my stomach rolled over, and for a moment, I thought I was going to be violently ill. Paul must have been afraid I would faint again because he got up from his chair and came over to sit next to me.
    â€œAre you all right, Sarah? You look so pale.”
    I nodded, but I couldn’t find my voice. The room spun around me, and I felt as if I were looking at myself from somewhere far away.
    â€œDo you want me to take you home?”
    I shook my head. “No. Just tell me about the flowers.” My dream from the other night came flooding back. In