Page 62 of Breaking Silence

“Polly McIntyre brought a cherry pie for the children,” she says. “Bishop Troyer was here.”

Tomasetti nails Mose with another hard look. “If you touched that rifle, now would be the time to tell us.”

“You’re not in any trouble,” I add. “We just need to know about the rifle.”

“I didn’t touch it,” he says.

I think of Salome’s pregnancy. “Maybe you needed money, decided to sell it.”

“I didn’t touch the gun,” Mose replies defensively.

We haven’t revealed to anyone that we found the rifle at Ricky Coulter’s house or that Coulter is sitting in a jail cell on a probation-violation charge.

Tomasetti looks at me from across the table. “Did you ask Salome about the rifle?”

“She doesn’t know anything,” I reply.

Tomasetti’s gaze lingers on mine a moment too long; then he offers Mose a dark look. “Did you take that rifle, Mose?”

“No.”

“Did you plant it in Ricky Coulter’s house?”

Mose comes up out of his chair. “I don’t even know who that is!”

“Sit down,” I snap.

Across from me, Nicholas and Frannie exchange anxious glances.

Mose lowers himself back into the chair. “Stop jacking with me! I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Tomasetti sighs. “No one ever does anything wrong,” he says drily.

I turn my attention to Nicholas and his wife. “You’ll be staying here with the children the rest of the night?”

“Yes, of course,” Nicholas replies.

I look at Mose. “You’re coming with us. Go upstairs and pack an overnight bag.”

“What?” He comes out of the chair again. “An overnight bag? Why?”

“Because you’re going to stay with Bishop Troyer and his wife tonight.”

“I can’t leave my family!” he cries. “Not now. They need me!”

“You mean Salome, don’t you?” Tomasetti asks.

“No!”

I cut in before the exchange becomes even more heated. “Taking Salome into the loft was wrong, Mose. You know that. We can’t let you stay here.”

“We love each other!” he shouts. “I’m going to marry her!”

Across the table from him, Frannie gasps. “Er is ganz ab.” He’s quite out of his mind.

Glaring at his wife, Nicholas raps his knuckles hard against the table and rises abruptly.

I give Mose a warning look. “You need to calm down.”