She felt a tender hand upon her cheek, and she looked up to meet Dominic’s kind eyes. “I told you I love you, and nothing could ever change that. I’m not mad at you, Snow. I mean, Adriana. Can I keep calling you Snow? I do like that name.”
Adriana smiled. “Sure.”
“I know my family won’t be mad at you either. I understand why you lied. And I do want to help you. Yes, I used to be a police officer, and I can help you. Let me help you. Let’s prove Henry is guilty…together. Also, you probably shouldn’t tell anyone here the truth about who you are until after Henry is arrested, for your own safety. Don’t worry. Everyone will understand.”
“I hate lying to them. I’ve felt so guilty this whole time,” she said.
And I can’t believe how blessed I am to have found someone to help me and that he isn’t mad at me for lying, Adriana thought.
“I know. But if you tell the entire church who you really are, word might get out. And if Henry is as powerful as you say, it could lead him right here. Why don’t we go after him now and start our search for evidence?” Dominic asked.
“If Jordan left any evidence against him, it would probably be in her journals. She’s always kept journals, ever since we were kids. I know a few places she might have them hidden that Henry doesn’t know about. But to find them, we’d have to go to the house. I think he has security cameras, even ones Mrs. Clement doesn’t know about. He would know I’m alive and try to kill me again. I’m all Megan has left. No.” She shook her head. “I’ve been in contact with Mrs. Clement, and for now, Megan is safe. She’s been searching the property. We have to wait until the new will is found. Then I will tell the police how he tried to kill me.”
“Okay, I see what you mean. Well, for now, we can see a lawyer in town about the fake will. I know him from when I worked on the police force.”
“Yes, let’s do that. Wait, Dominic. There’s something else. I’ll have to leave after this is over. Damaris told me if you leave again, you’ll be shunned. I think we both know this—us—can’t happen without someone getting hurt.”
Dominic smiled. "I loved and I lost a long time ago, Snow. I am not going to let that happen again. The good Lord who brought us together did not make a mistake. I will not let you go. If I have to leave the Amish and my family to be with you, I will."
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Adriana murmured. “It’s too much of a sacrifice.”
“You don’t have to ask. It would be worth it to be with you, Snow. It’s a choice I’m willing to make.” Dominic wrapped his arms around her, and his nearness warmed her heart.
***
“Dominic, it’s good to see you.” The lawyer smiled at them as he welcomed them into his office. He was a young man in his late twenties and clapped Dominic on the back in a friendly way. “I haven’t seen you since you worked for the Covert Police Detectives Unit.”
“It’s been a while. Thank you so much for seeing us on such short notice,” Dominic said. “Adriana, this is Alec Becker, attorney-at-law.”
“Just call me Alec. Nice to meet you, Adriana.” He shook her hand firmly. “Please, have a seat.” He gestured to two comfortable-looking leather chairs.
Adriana told Alec the entire situation. “How can we challenge the old, fake will?”
“Unless you can find the new one, there’s not much we can do. You could contest the will for your niece, Megan’s, share even if you can’t find the newer will. You could do this by proving she signed the old one under duress and may have died intestate without a will. But it sounds like Henry’s lawyer will rebut that,” Alec told her. “But if you do find a new will, then the earlier one would be revoked, and presumably you would inherit. Or, if you could prove he murdered Jordan in order to inherit from her, the estate will pass as if he had predeceased her. But if the police and coroner believe her death was an accident, I am not sure how you will find any evidence to the contrary.”
Adriana put a hand to her head as her mind swam, trying to grasp what Alec was saying. It was all so confusing. “I don’t care about the money for me. I just want custody of Megan because it is not safe for her to be living with Henry. And I want her to inherit it all when she’s older.”
“Well, you could sue for custody, but that would alert Henry to the fact you are alive. Have you gone to the police about the car crash?”
“The car was burned, and it’s been towed away. Besides, I don’t think they’d be able to tell who exactly tampered with her brakes. All they would find out, if it wasn’t burned too much, is someone cut her brakes. It’s not like they left a signature,” Dominic said.
“Well, I’m sorry. I wish I had better news. But until you find the current will, there is not much we can do,” Alec said, his hands open on his desk. “I’m sorry.”
Adriana barely heard what was said as Dominic thanked Alec and said goodbye. As they walked out of the office, Adriana hung her head, a storm of thoughts and questions raging in her mind. What would they do now? What could they do?
“I know that isn’t what you wanted to hear,” Dominic said, putting an arm around her shoulder. “We will have to find some other way.”
“I don’t know what else to do,” Adriana said. “I just wish I could go search the estate myself.”
“Maybe God is trying to teach you patience,” Dominic said with a shrug.
“But Megan is in that house with that monster,” Adriana said. “Just knowing that makes me feel so helpless. I just wish I could go to her.”
“We will get her away from him, Adriana,” Dominic said, taking Adriana into his arms. “I promise.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
On Sunday afternoon, after church, the congregation gathered downstairs for their regular potluck lunch.
As the men mingled with the men and the women mingled with the women, Dominic was on the other side of the room, and Adriana felt as though he was an ocean away.
The service had been two-and-a-half hours long, mostly in Pennsylvania Dutch, a form of German. Thankfully, Constance was sitting next to her and translated as much as she could, but Adriana had only gleaned bits and pieces.
Feeling completely out of place at the potluck, she didn’t know what to do or say. She wished she had something to do or help with. Relief filled her when Constance came to her rescue.
“Darling, let me introduce you to my friends,” she said, looping her arm in Adriana’s as they walked up to a group of chatting women who were speaking Pennsylvania Dutch, but then switched to English.
“Debbie, Marsha, Roberta, this is Snow, as we like to call her,” Constance explained.
“Oh, we’ve heard so much about you,” Debbie said. “All good things. Although, we are so sorry to hear about your car accident and how you lost your memory.”
Adriana faked a smile, feeling like a terrible person for lying to these people.
“It’s tragic. I can’t even imagine surviving something like that,” Roberta added, slowly shaking her head. “You poor dear.”
“Well, you’re staying with one of the sweetest ladies in all of Unity,” Marsha said, beaming at Constance. “I hope she’s taking good care of you.”