Chapter 16

"A photo of Leah just flashed across the screen." Delta turned the television's volume up.

"…of the suspects is former Central State Women's Penitentiary inmate, Leah McEllish. Considering the brutality of the crime, the state's prosecutors plan to pursue the maximum sentence."

"We'll keep you updated with any new developments." The news anchor shuffled her papers. "In other news, we're monitoring a potentially deadly storm system developing to our west. Our updated forecast is right after the break."

Delta switched the television off. "Why did they have to mention Leah's name?"

"Because it sells. She has a record. It makes for more interesting headlines when they can sensationalize it and drag an innocent person through the mud," Jo said. "Poor Leah. I hope she doesn't hear about this."

"Me too." Delta glanced at the calendar taped to the fridge. "How long has this been dragging out now?"

"It's only been a few days, although it seems like forever." Jo's phone rang. She snatched it off the counter, thinking it was Leah. It was Claire Harcourt. "Good morning, Claire."

"Hey, Jo. You're not going to believe this. The police picked Robyn Colburne up and took her down to the station for questioning late last night. She's still there."

"When?"

"Right around closing time. She stopped by to pick up her check. They blew in here guns and badges blazing, surrounded the place and escorted her out. I would've called sooner, but I wanted to find out what had happened first."

"That's good news for Leah," Jo said. "Maybe they have evidence she killed Barr."

"They wouldn't blow in here with a small army of cops if they didn't have some sort of concrete evidence," Claire said. "Can you believe it?"

"You said she texted Barr a lot." Jo switched the phone to her other ear. "Maybe the police pulled her cell phone records and found something."

"I was thinking the same thing." Claire let out a low whistle. "I need to start questioning my judgment. This hits a little too close to home."

"Delta and I caught the early morning local news. They didn't mention an arrest," Jo said. "When the story breaks, I'm sure reporters will be beating down your door."

"That's what I'm thinking." Claire's voice grew muffled. "Marlee is here. I bet she saw the cops show up out back when it happened and is wondering what's going on."

"I'll let you go." Jo started to hang up. "Hey! If you hear anything else, please let me know."

"You got it."

Jo ended the call and waved the phone in the air. "The police picked up Barr's girlfriend, Robyn Colburne, late last night."

"They arrested her?"

"Claire didn't say she was arrested, but a whole slew of them showed up and took her to the station."

"Thank the good Lord," Delta whooped. "Our Leah is off the hook."

"Maybe." Jo briefly closed her eyes, thanking God for a break in the case. "I hate to get my hopes up, at least not yet. I'm going to run over to the Kilwin farm and give Leah the good news in person."

"Wait until Gary finds out," Delta said. "This is going to make his day."

"It's making mine." Jo began humming as she set the breakfast table. It was sad to think the man was dead, but she was relieved to find the police were focusing on someone other than Leah.

"Good morning," Jo cheerily greeted the residents as they began arriving. "Are we ready for another busy day?"

"Busy is better," Raylene quipped. "I noticed Nash was in the back yard cleaning out the firepit."

"I was." Nash strolled in and gave Jo a quick kiss on the cheek. "It's perfect campfire weather."

"A campfire sounds like fun," Jo said. "I'm pretty sure we have a few pie irons around here, along with some roasting sticks."

Kelli clapped her hands. "Can we have a campfire meal? Maybe roast some hotdogs and cook pizza pies?"

Jo warmed to the idea. An evening fireside under a bright starry night, feasting on simple food and enjoying each other's company. "I think it sounds like a great idea. We'll need to pick up a few things and maybe even make some s'mores for dessert."

The group grew excited as they threw out ideas about what kinds of campfire pies they could create, while Delta jotted down a list of groceries they would need. She finished and motioned to Gary. "Jo has some exciting news."

"Claire Harcourt called a little while ago. The police picked Robyn Colburne up last night."

"For Shane Barr's murder?" Gary asked.

"It would seem so. They must have some sort of evidence."

He slammed his palm on the table, shaking the silverware. "That is good news. I wonder if Leah knows."

"I don't think the police have released an update. At least it wasn't on the early morning news show Delta and I watched." Jo motioned to him. "I was thinking about making a quick trip over to Dave's farm to tell her in person. Would you like to tag along?"

"I can't. Carli and I have a full day today but if you could tell Leah me ‘n Delta knew everything would turn out all right and I'll get on over there in the next day or so to check on her, I would appreciate it."

"Will do."

The conversation shifted to the day's schedule and even Courtney seemed excited to be helping Delta in the kitchen, which made Jo think perhaps she had misread her all along.

Perhaps she was secretly relieved to know Carli would be all right working with Gary, freeing her up to not have to worry about her sister.

In Jo's mind, it was a win-win for both of them.

Breakfast ended, and everyone headed out to begin their day. Jo popped into her office to add notes to Carli's and Courtney's files and the progress they were already making.

She sent a text to Leah, to figure out her schedule. After some back and forth, they decided Jo would head over during her lunch break, which would give them time to chat.

"I'm heading over to the Kilwin farm around noon to have lunch with Leah," Jo told Delta when she stopped by the kitchen.

"I'll make one of her favorite sandwiches to celebrate." Delta buzzed back and forth. "I knew everything would turn out all right for our Leah. How could it not?"

"It's a relief to know she's no longer at the top of the investigator's list."

Jo spent the morning making her rounds. She stopped to chat with Nash, who was working with Laverne, and then headed out back to track down Carli and Gary.

She found them by the beehives, and as she drew closer, she could see Carli waving her arms and pointing at the fence.

"What's going on?" Jo came up beside them.

"I don't know." Gary scratched his head. "Carli is trying to tell me something."

The woman was clearly frustrated that whatever she was trying to relay wasn't coming across.

Jo slipped her cell phone from her pocket, pulled up the messaging app, and handed it to her. "Type it out on my cell phone, Carli."

Carli snatched the phone from Jo's hand and rapidly tapped. She handed it back and Jo read what she wrote.

"Angels." Jo's scalp tingled. "You saw angels?"

Carli's head bobbed up and down. She pointed toward the fence line separating her property from the Indian reservation.

"Did you see them too?" Jo asked Gary.

"No. I was fiddling with the beehives to make sure they were level. Next thing I know, Carli is grabbing my arm and pointing at the fence."

Carli pressed her palms together and lifted them skyward.

"The angels disappeared into the clouds?" Jo guessed. "You saw them by the fence and then they floated up into the sky?"

Carli nodded again.

"Sounds like she saw the Divine angels," Gary said.

Jo shaded her eyes and scanned the horizon. "I've seen them before, in almost the exact same location. They usually show up to warn us something is about to happen or to protect us."

"I had my portable radio on back in the garden shed. All the local channels are forecasting some powerful storms coming through later this afternoon."

Divine was smack dab in the center of Tornado Alley, and more than once, the area had been hit by strong storms. In fact, the official tornado season was right around the corner. "We had better keep an eye on the weather." Jo cast a wary glance skyward, and an uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach.

Angelic appearances and storms went hand in hand. At least they did for Jo and the residents of the farm.

"I will, especially now that the angels came here to warn us."

Thinking it might not be a bad idea to give the residents a heads up, Jo stopped by the bakeshop, the mercantile, and then Nash's workshop to share Carli's angel sighting and Gary's concerns over the weather.

It was near noon when a stiff westerly wind began blowing. Dark clouds gathered, and Jo ran inside to check the weather.

Delta had the kitchen television on and there were several warnings of storms coming their way later in the day. "We're getting a cold front from the north and a warm front from the southwest."

"Carli saw the Divine angels out back," Jo said.

"Angels?" Courtney set her dishrag on the counter.

"Divine is a hotspot for angelic beings. They visit people and places around here," Delta explained. "They typically show up to warn us or help us."

"That's cool."

"Cool, except when it means they're trying to warn us." Jo cast a concerned look out the window. "Maybe I should put off heading over to Dave's farm."

"The storms won't start ramping up until later. I think it's safe to go." Delta handed Jo a collapsible cooler. "Your lunch is in there."

"Thanks. I'll be back within the hour."

Duke followed Jo out the back door and to the driver's side of the SUV. "Do you want to go for a ride?"

She swung the door open, and Duke promptly leapt inside. He scrambled into the back while Jo set the cooler on the passenger seat.

During the drive, she turned the radio on and searched for the local forecast. Her concern grew when she discovered Divine was in the middle of the potential storm's path.

Jo arrived at Kilwin Farms and found several vehicles parked in front of the office. She tapped out a quick text to Leah to let her know she was there.

The young woman appeared in the office's doorway and gave Jo a quick wave as she made her way to the driver's side. "Hey Jo. Did you hear storms are coming?"

"I did. We'll need to keep a close eye on the weather."

Duke dashed out of the SUV. Leah dropped to her knees and hugged the pup. "You came to visit."

"He misses you. We all miss you. About the storms, I think they might be bad ones." Jo told her about Carli's angelic sighting.

"She saw them?" Leah's eyes grew round as saucers. "They were there to warn you."

"That would be my guess, so please be careful." Jo shifted her gaze. "Is Dave around today?"

"He's out back, checking to make sure everything is secure before the storms roll in." Leah lowered her voice. "Someone broke into Shane's office and made a mess."

Jo's jaw dropped. "When?"

"I'm not sure. I think it was early this morning."

"I wonder what they were looking for."

"Dave was mad. I've never seen him so angry. My guess is whoever murdered Mr. Barr broke into his office looking for something." Leah told her he called the police and someone from the sheriff's department showed up to have a look around. "I was surprised when I heard the cop kind of blew it off."

"Because the police have picked someone up."

Leah stared at Jo. "They did?"

"Robyn Colburne, Barr's girlfriend. They picked her up at Claire's laundromat late last night."

"Maybe she knew the cops were closing in on her and she was the one who broke in," Leah said.

"It's a thought. I wonder if Dave knows they made an arrest."

"If he knows, he hasn't told anyone." Leah pointed to the cooler Jo was holding. "What's in the cooler?"

"Delta whipped up one of your favorite meals. I figured we could celebrate the fact you're no longer a suspect."

"I like the sound of that." Leah excused herself to go wash her hands. She returned a few minutes later and led Jo to a cluster of picnic tables dotting a large area beneath a shade tree.

A group of workers, including Jase, were seated at a nearby table.

He gave Jo a friendly wave, and she waved back. "Jase seems like a nice guy."

"He is. He's been training me. Jase knows his stuff. Maybe his uncle will promote him now that Shane Barr is gone."

"It's a thought." Jo handed Leah the club sandwich stacked on lightly toasted wheat bread, a container of coleslaw and another one of macaroni salad.

"I can't eat all of this," Leah groaned.

"You know Delta. She shows her love by feeding us. Eat what you can and save the rest for later," Jo suggested. "So, how is everything else?"

"Great. I'm learning a lot. Gary taught me a ton, but this farm is bigger and they do things a little differently." Leah rambled on about the farming techniques and her interest in how things were done. She told Jo that although her room was cozy and clean, she still missed her old place and her friends.

"They miss you too." Jo tore off small chunks of meat and fed them to Duke, who had plopped down on her feet.

"How are the new residents working out?"

"They're fitting right in. Carli is working with Gary today and Courtney is working with Delta."

"And Laverne? How is she?"

Jo chuckled. "Laverne is Laverne. She tried to set the chickens free. Thank goodness I stopped her before it was too late."

"I miss Egglina and Henrietta."

"You can come by and visit them anytime you want. Carli appears to bond easily with animals and they seem to like her."

"I'm glad. As long as you keep Laverne away from them, I think they'll be fine." Leah shivered involuntarily. "It's happening again."

"What's happening?" Jo asked.

"I think we're being watched," Leah whispered. "Without being obvious, check to see if someone behind us is looking our way."

Jo reached for her bottled water and took a sip, her eyes sliding over Leah's left shoulder. Sure enough, Buzz and Sandi were seated next to each other, their heads close together and looking in Jo and Leah's direction. "You're right."

"Let me guess. It's Sandi and Buzz," Leah whispered.

"Yes."

"They're friendly to my face, but I'm almost certain they're talking about me behind my back. It happened yesterday too."

"Maybe Sandi is jealous of you. You're cute, funny, smart." Jo changed the subject, and the women chatted easily about Leah's training and what was happening at their place. As they talked, Jo could feel herself relax. Everything was going to turn out just fine.

Leah was happy, was fitting in, making friends, at least as far as Jase was concerned. The Ladeaux sisters were acclimating.

All too soon, Leah's lunch hour ended. Jo packed up the empty containers and gave her a quick hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks." Leah grinned. "I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm doing it, Jo. I'm making money and already figuring out how much I can save to put toward a farm of my own. This couldn't be any more perfect."

"When God does something, he does it right," Jo said. "He knew exactly what you needed."

"And the best part is you're close by. I never want to leave Divine," Leah said. "When I buy a farm, it's going to be somewhere right around here."

"If you love living here, I hope you stay forever."

"That's the plan. I better get back to work."

Jo watched as Leah caught up with the other workers and they began making their way back inside the barn. She turned to go when a familiar figure strolled past the grain elevator. It was Dave.

Jo waited for him to catch up. "Hey, Jo. Leah said you were coming by to have lunch with her."

"We had a nice visit. She's thrilled to be here and already has her eye on the future," Jo said.

"She's a good hard worker," Dave said. "My nephew Jase and Leah seem to hit it off."

"You noticed too?"

"Yeah. Jase has always been quiet and reserved, but when Leah's around he seems to light right up."

Jo changed the subject. "The investigators picked up Robyn Colburne."

Dave frowned. "When?"

"Late last night. Claire Harcourt called to tell me about it first thing this morning."

"Do you know about what time?"

Jo thought about it. "She said it was around closing time."

"If Robyn has been in police custody since last night, and they think she was the one who killed Shane, who broke into his office and tore the place apart?"