Page 59 of Outsider

“Did you check with tow companies to see if any of them towed the truck Colorosa was driving?” Bertrand asked.

“There are two, and neither has towed a tan Ford F-150. No one remembers seeing a woman matching her description. As far as we know it’s stuck in a snowdrift somewhere.”

“She’s being careful.” Bertrand looked out the window, made a halfhearted effort not to snarl. “What else we got?”

“There’s one motel in town. Half a dozen B and Bs. We’ll check them all while we’re here.”

“What about Burkholder?” Bertrand said.

What about her indeed? Mercer had spent most of last night thinking about her. Remembering things he was probably better off not recalling. Ten years ago, Kate Burkholder had been an idealistic young cop with a reputation for doing things by the book. She was pretty in a girl-next-door kind of way, religious and trying not to show it, and ready to dive into a world she wasn’t quite ready for.

In some ways, Kate had been more of a challenge than Colorosa. Not because she was a player, but because she was young and inexperienced. The first time he’d taken her to bed, he’d half expected her to be a virgin. To his surprise, she wasn’t. He’d slept with half a dozen women since, but he’d never forgotten Kate.

Realizing Bertrand was still waiting for an answer, he shook off the memory and set his mind on the business at hand. “She lives on a farm up in Wooster. Became chief here in Painters Mill shortly after leaving Columbus. Three full-time officers. Two part-timers. No marks against her.” He shrugged. “That’s about it.”

“I can’t see a chief of police taking in a fugitive,” Bertrand muttered. “Not without notifying someone.”

Mercer shrugged. “They were tight back in the day.”

“Or maybe Colorosa is talking and Burkholder is listening.”

“Maybe.”

“You call the hospital in Millersburg?”

“Clinics, too. No sign of her. No gunshot wounds treated recently.”

Bertrand nodded. “We need to pull out all the stops on Colorosa.”

“Everything’s in the works.” Mercer turned down the heat, knowing that the sweat he’d broken beneath his coat had nothing to do with the temperature.

“Let’s check the motel first.”

CHAPTER 19

We’re on our third game of checkers when I hear the mudroom door slam. The scuffle of boots sounds on the floor as Adam and Sammy come in from outside. As usual, the boy is talking excitedly, unfazed by the cold or that they spent the last hour using a heavy pickax to pound through several inches of pond ice so the cattle in the pasture can drink.

The boy rushes into the kitchen. His cheeks glow red. Black felt hat cocked back. Blond hair stuck to a sweaty forehead. Knitted scarf wrapped crookedly around his neck. “Katie, we have to get wood now. Datt says we’re going to take a load over to Amos Yoder. He said we can go ice skating after we get the wood chopped!”

Lizzie and Annie exchange looks and get to their feet, telling me the announcement is being taken very seriously. “Can we come, too, Datt?” asks Lizzie.

Adam steps through the doorway and takes in the scene. Beneath the stoic expression, I see his eyes soften at the sight of Gina and me sitting with the girls.

He addresses his daughter. “Do you think those skinny little arms of yours can swing the ax?” he asks.

Lizzie squeals. “Mine can!”

Annie breaks into laughter. “My muscles are big, too, Datt.”

“In that case, let’s go chop some wood,” he tells them. “I think Mr. Yoder is going to appreciate it.”

“I’ll get the snow shovel!” Sammy exclaims.

“Samuel, I think you should put a couple pieces of wood in the stove and get yourself warmed up first.”

Looking deflated because he’s been relegated to warming up, Sammy lowers his head and trudges toward the mudroom.

Annie goes to him, sets her hand on his arm. “Don’t worry, Sammy, I’ll get the wood chip and your skates.”