Deadly Echoes

8102019 Deadly Echoes

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulldeadly-echoes 134



Books by Nancy Mehl

F983145983150983140983145983150983143 S983137983150983139983156983157983137983154983161

Gathering Shadows

Deadly Echoes

R983151983137983140 983156983151 K983145983150983143983140983151983149

Inescapable

Unbreakable

Unforeseeable



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



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



To my friend and sister Jolene

who taught me that true friends are friends forever



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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





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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Books by Nancy Mehl

F983145983150983140983145983150983143 S983137983150983139983156983157983137983154983161

Gathering Shadows

Deadly Echoes

R983151983137983140 983156983151 K983145983150983143983140983151983149

Inescapable

Unbreakable

Unforeseeable



DEADLYECHOES

NANCY MEHL

5








wwwbethanyhousecom









Mehl Nancy







ISBN 978-0-7642-1158-4 (pbk)


813 6mdashdc23 2014032149







15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7 6 5 4 3 2 1







7

C H A P T E R

ONE





















DEADLY ECHOES

8
































Nancy Mehl

9
































DEADLY ECHOES

10




























first pupil arrived




Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLYECHOES

NANCY MEHL

5








wwwbethanyhousecom









Mehl Nancy







ISBN 978-0-7642-1158-4 (pbk)


813 6mdashdc23 2014032149







15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7 6 5 4 3 2 1







7

C H A P T E R

ONE





















DEADLY ECHOES

8
































Nancy Mehl

9
































DEADLY ECHOES

10




























first pupil arrived




Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo










wwwbethanyhousecom









Mehl Nancy







ISBN 978-0-7642-1158-4 (pbk)


813 6mdashdc23 2014032149







15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7 6 5 4 3 2 1







7

C H A P T E R

ONE





















DEADLY ECHOES

8
































Nancy Mehl

9
































DEADLY ECHOES

10




























first pupil arrived




Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo










7

C H A P T E R

ONE





















DEADLY ECHOES

8
































Nancy Mehl

9
































DEADLY ECHOES

10




























first pupil arrived




Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






7

C H A P T E R

ONE





















DEADLY ECHOES

8
































Nancy Mehl

9
































DEADLY ECHOES

10




























first pupil arrived




Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

8
































Nancy Mehl

9
































DEADLY ECHOES

10




























first pupil arrived




Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

9
































DEADLY ECHOES

10




























first pupil arrived




Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

10




























first pupil arrived




Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

11
































DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

12
































Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

13













addressed them



















DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

14



















lems rdquo





to deathrdquo








15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






15

C H A P T E R

TWO

















lean on merdquo



DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

16















Cicelyrdquo








and fell back





comingrdquo




Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

17










a bit longerrdquo














thisrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

18










your lossrdquo
























DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo








DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

20
































Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

21



























23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






23

C H A P T E R

THREE




















DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

24















somethingrdquo





she is nowrdquo



hererdquo









Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

25


be longrdquo













up in a furry body


just realized it















DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

26
























history


grabbed my arm






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

27
































DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

28
































Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

29




ldquoThank yourdquo







ing whyrdquo




into my mind

















DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

30
































Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

31






















businessrdquo










DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

32


















about yourdquo


bell rang












Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

33



ing Jeremiah









down the steps




















DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES

34











I could only nod



ldquoDearest Sarah

















Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






Nancy Mehl

35
















do as I ask
















DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo






DEADLY ECHOES











Remember me

Hannahrdquo




Date post:	02-Jun-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	bethany-house-publishers
View:	221 times
Download:	1 times

Deadly Echoes

Documents