Darkness at the Edge of Town (Iris Ballard #2)(63)

“It’s really just the heat and mosquitos you have to worry about,” Billy said.

“Okay.” Though it made me a little sick to do it, I turned off my iPhone for all to see and removed the ankle holster. I locked both in the trunk but kept my purse. “Do you all mind? It just has my wallet, water, and tampons. No more electronics. You can search it if you want.”

“It’s fine,” Mathias said. “Trust runs both ways, Iris.” And now that I was unarmed and couldn’t call for help, what threat was I? “Now, would you like something to eat or drink? We have herbal tea and bread from last night.”

“No, I’m good. I’m fine.”

“Then why don’t we give you the tour? You have gone to great lengths to come here. I’ve always felt tenacity should be rewarded. And I hear you enjoy horses. Ours could use some exercise—perhaps you can ride him for us.”

So he’d been speaking to Helen as well. The side of my mouth twitched.

“When did you start riding?” Billy asked.

“I didn’t.”

“Huh. That’s not what you told Helen,” Mathias said pleasantly, yet Billy hung his head in embarrassment. “Well, there’s still plenty to show you that should interest you. Shall we?”

We followed Mathias up the creaking porch steps into the wooden farmhouse. Ken had disappeared, but I assumed he was close by somewhere. Watching. I wasn’t the only uneasy person with the last name Ballard, though. Betsy clung to Billy’s arm again when I moved beside them. What, was she afraid I was going to attack her? Banish her to the underworld? Billy didn’t seem to notice her reaction. I could practically see the insecurity wafting from her like stink marks in a cartoon. I turned my attention back to the ringmaster of the circus. I wasn’t hunting rabbit; I was hunting bear.



The farmhouse was rustic, with faded prairie wallpaper peeling in places, worn hardwood floors with even more worn brown rugs, and antique furniture that would fetch three dollars at a thrift store. The place showed signs of long-term neglect. But despite this, it was modestly homey. It smelled like apple cinnamon, and toys and sleeping bags were scattered around, along with more crystal wind chimes and statues of the Buddha, ying/yang symbols, and fairies as decorations.

“So, this is our humble lodging—well, one of them,” Mathias said. “Unfortunately the house only has six bedrooms, so some voyagers have to live in tents and trailers until we complete construction on our dormitory. I know it doesn’t look like much, but we’ve only been here for a few months and it was quite the fixer-upper. The roof, the floors, the kitchen—we’ve been working day and night since we moved in.”

“How many people live here full-time?” I asked.

“Including Billy, now twenty-six.”

“And some from The Temple come and help as well? They live here part-time?”

“If they wish to.”



“And do they work all the time? You said night and day.”

“If they wish to.”

“And I assume you don’t pay anyone,” I said.

“Iris!” Billy hissed.

“It’s fine, Billy,” Mathias said.

“We live here too, Iris,” Billy said. “This is our home. When I helped fix up your house, was that wrong? You didn’t pay me then.”

Still sounded like slavery with extra steps to me, but I held my tongue. I was there as the sweet, sympathetic sister, not the investigator. At least that was how it had to appear on the surface. “You are absolutely right, Billy. I’m sorry.”

Mathias touched Billy’s arm and smiled sympathetically. “I told you, son, don’t fault her for her skepticism. Our ways will appear odd to her, just as they did to you in the beginning. It is our job as instruments of the universe to enlighten her and expand her mind to new ways of thinking and living.” He smiled at me. “As long as she’s willing to keep an open mind and tries to be empathetic, we must forgive all her stumbling. Yes?”

“Of course,” Billy said, almost breathless. “I’m sorry, Mathias.”

“It’s fine, son. Now shall we continue on the tour? We have much to show her.”

Mathias began walking again toward the back of the house and Billy led Betsy behind him. Okay, that fucker was masterful. Not only did he demonstrate his power over Billy, but by defending me he made himself the selfless hero and me the outsider dunce. He took away my credibility and made it so anything I said against the group or Mathias came from selfish close-mindedness. If it weren’t directed at me, I’d have been impressed.



There was a lone woman kneading bread in the next room. “This is the kitchen, and this is Hannah, Betsy’s friend. She makes the best Amish friendship bread in the world. We’d all have starved or been forced to eat that poisoned processed garbage if not for them. Both she and Betsy have taught us so much about farming, crafting, making our own food, raising livestock. They are truly gifts from the universe.”

“You were Amish?” I asked Betsy.

“Y-Yes,” she whispered. I got the sense she wanted to be as far from me as possible. That did not bode well for future family reunions.

“We try to live by their example. We make as much of our own food as we can, we have no television or Internet, we have electricity but only for heating and light, and for the most part we live off the land,” Mathias said.