Chapter 12: Grief in the Grain

“She got up early that day and made me a pile of pancakes, packed loads of garlic and pickled peppers.”

Dan Harper told everyone he met, his voice thick with tears.

Every word hit the neighbors like a hammer to the heart.

If there must be tragedy in this world, this was surely the worst kind.

A loving young couple, torn apart in an instant, never to meet again.

This human tragedy shook the quiet little town. Many men working far away rushed home in fear, determined to protect their families.

They were scared Joe Barnes would come back from the dead—or at least, return.

Porch lights stayed on late that summer, shotguns were loaded, and mothers called their children inside before dusk. Maple Heights had never felt so small, or so vulnerable.