A Simple Shaker Murder Read Online Free

his parents gave him Owen as a middle name, he has convinced himself he was born to recreate Robert Owen’s utopia—and to make it work this time.” Celia’s sleek black bob swung across her cheeks as she shook her head. “The original Owenites took in a homeless boy, who became successful and wealthy, so Gil and Hugh had to do the same. Unfortunately, they picked a girl with a disturbed mind and questionable parentage. And then they expected me to turn her into something. As for locating her family, Hugh didn’t even bother. The shape she was in, she couldn’t have had anyone looking out for her.”
    â€œI see,” Rose said. She didn’t know which disturbed her more, Gilbert’s crass use of a child to further his reformist reputation, or Celia’s heartless attitude toward the girl. With difficulty, she hid her distaste; if she wanted any more information, it was best not to criticize the New-Owenite leaders. Not yet, anyway.
    â€œAre you certain her mind is disturbed?” Rose asked.
    Again Celia and Gilbert exchanged a quick glance.
    â€œWell . . .” Celia hesitated. “She has always been somewhat odd. Everyone has noticed it. She has no manners whatsoever; we have to keep her out of civilized company for the most part. Mostly she says nothing, just watches everyone as if we were all in a play and she was reviewing us. Then all at once she’ll blurt out a more or less intelligent sentence.”
    â€œShe looks quite young to have been wandering the streets by herself.”
    â€œShe’s eleven, or so she told us,” Gilbert said. “I know she looks to be much younger, but I’m afraid that’s a legacy of her sad past. She won’t talk about it, so we may never know the details, but when we took her to our physician, we discoveredshe had rickets, and it was stunting her growth. If you look carefully, some of her bones are malformed.”
    â€œYou may have noticed that she swings through trees more easily than she walks upright,” Celia said, with a short laugh. “In fact, she—”
    â€œShe may never be able to bear children normally,” Gilbert said. “Her body is certainly damaged, but her mind is capable.” He tossed a reproving frown at Celia, who glared at the ground. “No matter what Celia may believe, the girl is redeemable.”
    As Celia opened her mouth to retort, the sound of voices distracted her. Rose almost preferred Celia’s outrageous comments to the presence of Sheriff Harry Brock, who was approaching the death scene a few yards away from them. What sounded like a curse pierced the air, and Rose assumed he’d discovered that the body had been cut down. Deputy Grady O’Neal accompanied the sheriff, which lessened Rose’s dread as she and the others approached them. Grady was a friend to the Shakers.
    Sheriff Brock’s wiry body stopped its agitated pacing as Rose came into view. He arched an eyebrow at her. She shot a hopeful look at Grady, who avoided her gaze, and she then knew no support would come from that quarter.
    â€œI suppose you’re responsible for this mess,” Brock said.
    For a startled second, Rose thought she was being accused of murder.
    â€œYou shouldn’t have moved the deceased, and you know it. Don’t matter if it was suicide, not that we can figure much out now you’ve let a herd of cattle trample the ground. Makes me wonder what was on your mind.” Brock kicked aside a dead branch in frustration.
    Anger flushed her cheeks, but Rose held her tongue and reminded herself to be cautious. She did not bother to blame the condition of the scene on Wilhelm. It would make no difference to Brock which Shaker was responsible; he would undoubtedly use the information to discredit all of them. As this Depression wore on, North Homage’s Kentucky neighborsgrew more restive in the face of the Shakers’ relative prosperity.