Amish Country Secret

by Lenora Worth

  They sat to have their tea when Samantha’s phone buzzed. Surprised and afraid, she grabbed it out of her bag. “Hello?”

  “Samantha, it’s Nathan Craig. I have news, and it’s not good.”

  “What is it?” Samantha asked as she walked away from her grandmother.

  “Based on the information you gave us about Leon living in Newark, we found something on Leon Stanton’s ex-wife. Her name was Lisa Proctor before she married him, and she lived in New Jersey. She’d moved out from the city and lived in a house that Leon apparently owned, a secluded little cottage by a lake. It wasn’t easy to find any of this. Stanton covers his online footprints like a pro.”

  “And?”

  “I’m sorry, Samantha. She died five years ago—under mysterious circumstances. From what I’ve gathered, some people believe she was murdered.”

  Samantha gasped and held her hand to her chest. “How did she die?”

  “A car accident. Her car went over a bridge and into a deep ravine. It exploded before anyone could get to her.”

  “Do you think Leon had a hand in this?”

  “I can’t say for sure, but yes, I’m thinking probably. The official report says he has an alibi. We both know he could have called the shots. They weren’t married at the time of her death, but witnesses say he came around a lot. She’d had a restraining order on him.”

  Samantha leaned against a table. “I can certainly understand her being afraid of him.” Taking in a breath, she asked Nathan if he’d heard any word on Samuel and Matthew Kemp.

  “No. I agree with you and Micah, though. After Micah told me what happened, I believe Leon has them with him. He either saved them or...he got rid of them.”

  When she saw a buggy coming into the yard, Samantha checked to make sure it was Josiah Fisher. “Our ride to my next safe house is here, Nathan. Thank you for finding this out for me.”

  “I’m trying to locate your assistant. I keep meeting dead ends there. No one is at her house and her car is gone. I asked neighbors, but they said she’d been gone for a couple of weeks.”

  Almost as long as Samantha had been gone. Did Leon do something to Dorothea, trying to get information about Samantha?

  “I’m so worried about Dorothea,” Samantha replied. “Something is wrong. She might have fled when she heard the reports. I hope she’s hiding out somewhere safe.”

  “I’ll keep you posted.”

  Samantha ended the call and turned to her grandmother. “The investigator who’s trying to help us gave me bad news. I’ll explain later.”

  Martha nodded. “I see Josiah has arrived.”

  “Yes. Time to lock up and move on again,” Samantha said. She took a sip of her tea, then washed up the teacups and sat them on the counter. “I’m so glad you’re with me, Gramma.”

  “I’m glad we’re together, too,” Martha replied, taking her hand. “This will end, Leah. If you keep the faith and know God won’t leave us alone.”

  Samantha nodded at that. She’d prayed for a way out. She was supposed to trust that God would provide. Meantime, she would stay diligent in finding the truth. Each memory brought out something else to use against Leon. Why hadn’t she seen this before?

  Lost in her thoughts, Samantha didn’t see the other man with Josiah. When she looked and found Micah standing there holding Patch, she almost cried. So like him to want to see her grandmother and Samantha safely to another location.

  “Hi,” she said, her voice weak with a roiling torment.

  “Hi,” he replied. “We thought two would be better than one. The roads are treacherous these days.” Then he shrugged. “Patch wanted to see you.”

  She took the little dog and held him close while he tried to lick her face. “I’ve missed you, Patch.”

  “I’ll ride with Josiah,” Gramma insisted, smiling at the tall, nice-looking man who’d come to fetch them.

  Josiah nodded to Samantha and grinned at Martha.

  “You should ride in the back with me, Gramma,” Samantha said, returning Josiah’s nod.

  Gramma spryly got on the front seat of the buggy. “Nonsense. Get in before someone sees us,” she replied in the tone she used when Samantha was growing up. “Redd up!”

  Samantha reluctantly got in the covered back with Micah, Patch still yelping lightly at her. She wasn’t ready, no matter what Gramma had said. She sent Micah what she hoped was a covert glance. His gaze caught hers and held her there.

  “Denke,” she said, “for coming with Josiah.”

  “I had ulterior motives,” he admitted. “I really wanted to see you again.”

  She smiled at that. “Are you getting used to seeing me dressed Amish?”

  “I could get used to that, ja.”

  The buggy bumped, scaring them both back into the real world. Micah automatically reached over to give her a brief touch on the arm.

  “Sorry about that,” Josiah said. “The storm left a lot of deep potholes in the road.”

  Micah kept looking over at Samantha. “I think you’ll be safe with Josiah and his family. We’ve rounded up some people to watch the place around the clock.”

  “Was that necessary?”

  “We want you and Martha to be safe, so ja, it’s necessary.”

  Samantha listened while Gramma chattered away with Josiah as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Then she told Micah, “I don’t know how I can ever repay all of you.”

  Micah took her hand. “I’m not worried about being repaid. I only want to keep you alive and well.” He leaned in. “So maybe I can kiss you again one day.”

  Samantha wanted that day to come, but what would come after? Could she have a life here in this plain community, with this man? As they turned into the sprawling Bawell place, she wondered what her life would be like if she came home for good.

  She also wondered if she’d live to see that day and be able to make that decision.

  SEVENTEEN

  “We have plenty of room,” Naomi Bawell kept telling them from her wheelchair in the corner. “I live in the grossmammi haus alone now that Josie has married Tobias. They live across the way in what used to be the Fisher house. You will meet them later when Josie comes over to help with the kinder.”

  The older woman stopped and looked longingly out the window. “I miss my Josie. She tries to come over every day to visit with me. So you see, you’re doing us a favor. Martha can visit with me now and you’ll be safe here.”

  “I plan to help out as much as possible,” Samantha replied. “This house is amazing.”

  “And always needing to be cleaned,” Raesha Fisher said with her quiet smile. “But we do love it.”

  Samantha absorbed all of the chatter about her, thanked Josiah and Raesha over and over, and helped clean up their iced tea and cookies after they’d sat and chatted for a while.

  After they’d discussed how they’d help her blend in and that people would be watching and reporting on anyone who tried to get near the house, she walked out to the breezeway between the big house and the smaller one where Gramma would stay with Grammi Naomi. Glad that Gramma rolled with the punches, she could tell the two women were close. This might be good for Gramma, at least. She got lonely on her own, same as Naomi.

  Overwhelmed, Samantha decided she needed some air to let this all settle in. She wasn’t used to the kindness of others and she sure wasn’t used to being a nomad.

  The peace of this valley helped to calm her. Micah being here also helped with that. He’d left the twins with Rebecca and Isaac. They were like grandparents to Emmie and Jed.

  A sweet little family all alone. When she pictured herself staying here, those three always came to mind.

  For now, the Bawell house was her temporary home. She had to admit, this place was like a fortress. Off the road, with a storefront hat shop that brought in tourists yea
r-round. While the hat shop was apart from the main house, it was also busy enough to keep away intruders.

  She hoped.

  Samantha had a room on the second floor of the main house, down the hallway from Josiah and Raesha’s room, with a nice view of the creek and the main bridge across it off in the distance. Micah lived closer to the Bawell house. Why that mattered, she didn’t want to delve into too much. It did matter. He mattered. Knowing he was across the fields and valleys gave her courage to fight harder against the forces trying to destroy her. Whether she stayed here or not might depend on her job, but it would also depend on Micah.

  She could admit that while she stood here alone in the late afternoon breeze with the fragrance of honeysuckles and roses floating through the air.

  The door to the main house opened and Micah came to stand with her, a glass of lemonade in his hand. “I thought you might be thirsty.”

  She took the lemonade and smiled over at him. “I feel so strange these days. Discombobulated.”

  “Is that a word?” he asked, his eyes sparkling. For a moment he looked young and carefree and it made her heart open a little wider.

  “It is a word. It means I feel out of sorts and confused, not to mention terrified.”

  Micah looked off in the distance. “Josie lives over there in a house that haunted her for years. The man she married came all the way from Kentucky to find her and marry her. She was confused and terrified and now she’s a happy newlywed. The house went from being a bad memory to being a new joy.”

  Samantha glanced over at the property directly to the east of this house. A nice, flower-filled yard and a neat house with a wraparound porch. A big swing hung in one corner of the porch. “I’m happy for Josie and Tobias. My gramma told me some of their story. What are you saying, Micah?”

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Except to tell you not to give up. There is always hope.”

  “I only hope to bring Leon to justice,” she replied. “Nathan called me this morning before you came to pick us up. He found out Leon’s ex-wife died five years ago.” She gave Micah the details, then shook her head. “I think he had her killed.”

  Micah’s expression held shock, his dark eyebrows lifting in astonishment. “But how?”

  “He has the means to do anything he wants,” Samantha said. “He obviously has ways of finding anyone he wants, too.”

  “You need to stay off your phone and laptop,” Micah said. “If he put a bug in my house, he might be tracing your every move with your devices, too. Jeremiah told me it’s easy to do that these days with the smartphones.”

  “I’ve tried to stay offline,” Samantha replied. “Other than doing research to prove what I saw, I also want to talk to Dorothea. It’s not like her to ignore my calls. She has to be scared.”

  “You can use one of the computers at the Campton Center,” Micah replied. “And they have secure phones, too.”

  “I can’t stand sitting and waiting.” Samantha took a sip of the tart lemonade. She couldn’t eat or drink much these days. “You’re right. I’ll disguise myself and try to get there tomorrow.”

  “I will drive you.”

  “Micah, you have so much to do. You don’t need to escort me all over the county.”

  “I will take you,” he said again. “I will work early in the morning and I’ll pick you up as soon as I get the main chores done. If you want?”

  “I appreciate that,” she said, thinking he was the kindest man she’d ever met. “How about you drop me off and I’ll catch a ride back. I hear Jewel loves to cart around Amish people in her little car.”

  Jewel worked at the Campton Center, which was a wonderful resource for the Amish that included pro bono legal advice from Nathan’s wife, Alisha, doctors and nurses who checked on the ill, and help with anything as needed. Tobias Mast, Josie’s husband, had stayed there when he first came here. Samantha had also met Bettye Willis and Judy Campton, the two matriarchs who held reign over the center and lived in the carriage house.

  “Jewel loves life,” he said with a smile. “She’s close to all of us and she used to be a bouncer in a bar, so she can protect you.”

  Surprised at that, Samantha stared out into the gloaming. “I’m used to taking care of myself. My mother would pass out on the couch and I’d cook and clean, hoping to impress her.

  “She never even noticed. She’d start drinking early and be out cold by the time I got home from school.”

  Micah’s eyes held sympathy. “Your gramma did the right thing, raising you here.”

  “Gramma is the best. She never judges.”

  “Does she...question you about...me?”

  Samantha didn’t know how to answer that. “She has asked, yes. I told her we’re friends and you’ve been kind to me.”

  His hurt expression changed to one of resolve. “I should remember that instead of thinking about kissing you.”

  They stood gazing at each other when the door opened and Gramma walked out, her hands on her hips as she stared them down. “There you two are. Supper is ready.”

  Micah moved away and let Samantha take the lead. When they passed Gramma, she gave them a knowing smile.

  “See? No judgment,” Samantha whispered.

  When they got inside the humor left her completely.

  “We’ve received word that the Kemp boys have been found,” Josiah told them.

  His wife Raesha came down the stairs. “Nathan called the phone I use for the shop. We have one here inside the house now since we have the kinder to consider when I’m constantly going back and forth from here to the shop.”

  “Where did they find them?” Samantha asked, afraid to hear the answer.

  “Just outside the town proper, near the foothills of Green Mountain,” Josiah said. “Samuel has been beaten very badly and...Matthew is dead.”

  Samantha gasped and grabbed her grandmother’s hand. “Do they know who did this?”

  Josiah glanced at Micah. “Not yet, but Nathan said they are considering Micah as a suspect.”

  * * *

  Micah put his hands on his hips. “What?”

  Josiah rubbed his bearded chin. “Nathan said he’d discuss it with both of you when he gets home tomorrow. He’s going to investigate further.”

  Samantha looked at Micah. “Your fingerprints would be on the gun and the knife.”

  “Ja, because I threw them both in the bushes, and we told the police that.”

  “Leon will say you beat them up, tried to kill them and dumped them over the state line.”

  “That’s not true,” Gramma said, indignation in her tone.

  “No, it’s not true. Leon is only out for himself and he’ll lie and blame anyone else to get what he wants,” Samantha said. “You should hide out, too, Micah. Or leave for a while.”

  “I’m not doing either of those things,” Micah replied, his eyes dark with an anger that scared Samantha. “We didn’t hurt those boys that badly and we were protecting ourselves. If Samuel recovers, he’ll tell the truth.”

  “Not if Leon gets to him first,” she replied. “He’ll either bully Samuel with threats so he’ll be forced to lie or...he’ll finish killing him and blame it on you.”

  “Has anyone checked on their mamm?” Gramma asked.

  “The police told me they’d check on her,” Micah said. “I could go by there on my way home.”

  “I pray Nettie is all right. She tends to keep to herself and let the boys run their small farm. That is when they aren’t in trouble. Matthew’s death will take its toll on her.”

  Raesha nodded at Micah. “She’ll need us. Micah, let me know what you find out. We can call on her tomorrow and get people to stay with her and help with bringing Matthew’s body home.”

  “I should go before it gets too late,” he said. “I’ll let Rebecca and Isaac know what’s
happened. They can check on Nettie, too.”

  After he declined supper, Samantha walked him to the door. “Be careful. The police will be watching us even more now. Now they think we did something wrong.”

  “Me,” he said, his head down. “They think I’m a suspect. What will happen if I get taken to jail?”

  “I won’t let them do that,” she said. “You did nothing wrong and you were protecting me.”

  He gave her a look that told her so many things. She saw concern and remorse, hope and doubt, and she saw a longing that reflected that in her own soul.

  “We’ll get through this,” he said. “We won’t let this evil win out.”

  Samantha wanted to hug him tight and hold on, but she knew the rules. So she stood with her fists clenched tightly against her legs. “I will see you tomorrow, unless you hear any news tonight.”

  He nodded and walked away, his broad shoulders slumped. To possibly be accused of murder would do any man in, but it would especially destroy this man. He wasn’t the kind to bring harm to anyone. And this was her fault.

  She had to do something to end this harassment. For this whole community and especially the man she was falling for.

  * * *

  Micah went to Nettie Kemp’s place before going to pick up the twins. They didn’t need to be here for this. His brother and sister had been through a lot, so he hoped to shelter them from the worst of these criminal activities.

  He pulled up to the old house, thinking it looked desolate and in need of some tender loving care. Nettie Kemp wasn’t a pleasant woman, even when neighbors tried to be kind to her. The boys hadn’t had a gut life. No one, however, should have to tell a mother that her son was dead.

  Should he wait on that? But then, she’d hear it later and hate him. If he was charged for this murder, she’d really hate him. He had no way of proving he was innocent. Just his word and Samantha’s word. Would that be enough?

  Micah knocked on the door and waited. He heard shuffling and a woman’s voice. Finally Nettie opened the door a few inches. “Who is it?”