Amish Country Secret

by Lenora Worth

  “Micah,” he said, his nerves on alert. The warm wind picked up and hit against his skin like a warning. The countryside seemed still and waiting. “It’s Micah King. I came by to see how you’re doing.”

  “I’m fine. Boys ain’t here. Run off somewhere again.”

  “Can I come in?” Micah asked, wishing he could do more.

  “I’ll come out.”

  Nettie opened the door and came out onto the porch. She had aged well past her forty-two years. Her hair held patches of gray and her skin looked shriveled.

  “Are you all right?” Micah asked as he guided her to a chair.

  Nettie settled and pulled an old shawl around her shoulders. “I’ve been sick for a while now.”

  “You cooked me some food a few days ago. I wanted to thank you.”

  Nettie gave him a confused look. “I haven’t cooked in months, Micah.”

  He should have known the food her son had brought had been cooked by someone else. Just another ploy so they could snoop and find Samantha.

  “I must have gotten confused,” he replied. “I get food from well-meaning people all the time.”

  “I do, too,” she said, her smile weak. “The boys buy it from all around. Gut neighbors check on me and bring so much food, we have to pass some on.”

  Micah was about to tell her what he’d heard about her boys. When he saw a police car pulling up, the words stuck in his throat. The car parked in front of the house. When the officer got out and saw him sitting there with Nettie Kemp, the frown on the man’s face turned to a determined scowl. Micah knew right then he was about to be arrested.

  EIGHTEEN

  “What?”

  Samantha stared at Nathan, not wanting to absorb what he’d told her.

  “Micah is in jail,” he said again. “They arrested him last night at Nettie Kemp’s house.”

  “No, that can’t be.” Samantha sank down on the nearest chair, the pounding of her pulse making her dizzy. “We heard he might be a suspect. He didn’t do anything except protect me. We used a rock and a limb to fight them both off. Then we ran away.”

  Nathan glanced from Samantha to her grandmother. Raesha and Naomi were listening. They’d been quilting together. “Captain Schroder found a gun and a knife in the woods. The weapons will be sent to the state lab for fingerprints. They’ll take Micah’s to compare.”

  Samantha felt a chill moving down her spine. “He threw those weapons out of reach, then he told the police where to find them.”

  Nathan nodded. “He did everything right, but his DNA could be on their clothes. Based on Samuel’s statement, Micah is being charged for Matthew’s death.” Holding up his hand, he added, “They really don’t have enough evidence, plus Micah is sure to have a good alibi.”

  “He does,” Martha said. “He stayed at my house all night, out of concern for our safety. He slept on the downstairs couch.”

  “And that was well past the time we called for help,” Samantha added.

  “That might work toward reasonable doubt,” Nathan said. “The prosecution would argue that he had ample time to sneak out and move the boys.”

  “With a horse and buggy?” Naomi said, scoffing.

  “I don’t have a horse and buggy,” Gramma said. “I call for taxis or rely on neighbors to get around.”

  “They could say he arranged for someone to help him,” Nathan countered.

  “I need to see him,” Samantha said, refusing to picture Micah sitting in a courtroom. “I’ll explain to Captain Schroder. I was there. They know Leon’s been after me.”

  “Okay, I’ll take you to him,” Nathan said. “As I explained, the case is weak, but the locals want this over so they’re grabbing at any possibilities. You being an eyewitness won’t sway them. They think you and Micah have a thing going on.”

  “A thing?” Gramma looked confused, then shut her mouth. “Oh.”

  Naomi and Raesha shot Samantha sympathetic glances. “We’d heard you two were growing close,” Naomi said. “That doesn’t mean you’d murder someone.” She looked at Nathan. “Micah wouldn’t do that. I believe Samantha and I believe Micah.”

  “We all do,” Nathan replied. “I’m going to talk to people and figure this out, I promise.” He nodded to the other ladies. “Alisha is going to counsel him and go before a judge to secure his bail. He’s not a flight risk so maybe he’ll be home soon. They have motive—he knows the Kemp boys have been harassing him and he had an opportunity in the woods the other night. That coupled with the possibility of his DNA matching, adds up, but he’d have to have had access to some sort of vehicle since your grandmother doesn’t have a horse and buggy, and he has an alibi for that night—he spent the night on Martha’s couch. Also, he has dependents and a farm that needs his attention. He’s innocent until proven guilty and I’m sure Alisha will argue that point.”

  “He’s innocent, period.” Samantha wanted to scream. “And as for the rest, Micah and I are close, just a friendship. We both know the rules. I’m telling the truth about what happened the other night. They were after us. After me. They’ve been harassing Micah and me since...since I arrived at his house.”

  Gramma took her hand. “Don’t worry about that right now. Do what you must to get Micah out of there.”

  “Where are the twins?” Raesha asked.

  “Rebecca and Isaac have them,” Nathan said. “I went by there first. They’re asking to come here and see Samantha.”

  “I’ll go and get them,” Raesha said. “We will watch after them until Samantha returns, hopefully with Micah. I’m sure they’re confused and upset.”

  Samantha ran for her purse and put her phone and laptop inside. She’d need both later and she didn’t care if Leon tracked her down. She wouldn’t put Micah or this community through any more trouble.

  * * *

  Micah sat in the jail cell, worry causing his foot to tap nervously against the cold, concrete floor. Humiliated and angry after a night of tossing on the uncomfortable mattress, he thought about Nettie’s face when the officer had told her one of her sons was dead and the other at a hospital miles away, fighting to stay alive. When the officer had arrested Micah right there in front of the frail woman, Micah tried to explain. Nettie only heard he’d possibly murdered her son and beat up the other one. The poor woman had crumbled right there on the porch.

  Micah had begged the officer to get her some help. Reluctantly, the man had called an ambulance.

  Now, cold and tired, Micah thought back over the last few weeks and all that had brought him here. When he thought of Samantha, he felt no resentment. She hadn’t brought this on him. Leon Stanton had caused this and Leon had somehow managed to convince the authorities that Micah was a murderer. Micah wouldn’t put it past Captain Schroder to take a bribe.

  When he heard the door to the two cells opening, he stood and grabbed the bars, hoping someone would tell him his brother and sister were both okay.

  Alisha Craig came in with Samantha.

  Micah’s blush of shame made his skin burn, but he couldn’t take his eyes away from Samantha.

  Samantha rushed to the bars, her expression full of shock and resolve. “Micah, I’m so sorry.”

  “The twins?” he asked, trying to hide his surprise at seeing her. He should have known she’d be the first one to defend him.

  “They’re at the Bawell house, safe and sound. Rebecca and Isaac are there waiting to hear, too. Everyone we love is there.”

  Everyone we love.

  The air went still, and the musty, aged smell of his cell went away. He took in the fresh scent of her hair and skin. Swallowing, he nodded. “Denke for letting me know.”

  Alisha stepped forward, her expression and tone all business, even if she did have an understanding expression on her face. “Micah, we’ll get you out of here. These charges are trumped up since the local
police department wants to blame someone for all the happenings around here. I’m working on getting you out on bail.”

  Samantha watched his face, her eyes misty. “Someone called in an anonymous tip saying you did this,” she said. “A woman.”

  “A woman?” That didn’t make any sense. “So we don’t know who?” He looked from her to Alisha. “Not Nettie?”

  “No, I’m guessing Leon paid someone to do it,” she said. “He did this and we’re going to prove it.”

  Alisha studied her phone, then glanced at Micah. “We can prove you had no means of transportation to take two fully grown men miles away from where you left them and dump them to die. And...you have a solid alibi. Witnesses who can vouch you were taking Samantha to her grandmother’s house and you planned to stand guard until the next morning.”

  “Which he did. He slept on the couch and Gramma knows that,” Samantha added. “I can vouch for that, too. They might think we’re covering for you. But even if you left on foot and they think you called a cab, the cab records will show you didn’t do that.”

  “We’ll go before the judge later today,” Alisha said. “I’ll argue that this is a very weak case and they could find your DNA on the weapons and some of their clothes, because you fought in self-defense with the boys. You also called for help and we have the conversation with the dispatcher to prove that. Then you left them semi-unconscious to get Samantha to safety. Also, when we hear from the medical examiner, I’m sure he or she will tell us the time of death as well as the cause and how long Matthew had been dead or if he died on the spot. That should be near the same time you were asleep in Martha’s house. You’ll be out of here soon, Micah.”

  “I hope that is the truth,” he said, too weary to add anything. “I have to protect my family.”

  Alisha nodded. “I’ll leave you two to visit. You only have a few minutes.”

  Micah watched the lawyer walk away, her summer dress and light sweater a sharp contrast to her all-business attitude.

  “Micah?” Samantha stood staring at him. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  Micah reached out for her hand. “This is not your fault. I understand you blame yourself, but fate had other ideas, Samantha Herndon.”

  “Fate dealt you a hard blow on my behalf.”

  “I didn’t kill anyone and as long as you know that, I’ll be all right.”

  “I do know that. We all know that.”

  “The twins?”

  “We told them you had to come to see the police, to clear up some things.”

  “They’ll hear. Nettie was in a bad way when I left her.”

  “I’m so sorry. Rebecca and Isaac were going to check on her and try to assure her you didn’t do this.”

  Micah was glad to hear that. “We have to trust in Gott,” he said. “We must.”

  The word would spread and people might shun him. He hoped the people who counted would support him.

  “I do trust in Him,” Samantha said. “When I leave here, I’m going to the Campton Center to use a secure phone so I can call around and try to find Dorothea. Then I’m going to work hard to prove you couldn’t have done this.”

  Micah held her hand. “Don’t go out on your own, okay? Let justice work, let Gott do His work.”

  “I’m going to try, Micah.” She stared into his eyes, unable to speak, but he could see it there in her expression, in the way she held to his hand. “Having faith doesn’t mean I have to sit still and do nothing. Not when I’m capable of ending this, somehow. You’re too kind and decent to have this happening to you.”

  “I could say the same for you,” he replied, his voice caught up in emotion.

  He could see what he knew in his heart. They were falling into a forbidden love. And where would that get them?

  He’d have to be the one to push her away so that she could focus on what she had to do. “Go and take care of yourself,” he finally said. “I’ll be okay.”

  Samantha’s expression deepened into a look of regret, the pain of his brisk brush-off showing in her pretty eyes. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

  He nodded and backed away from the bars holding him. After she left, he let out a breath. She might come back to help him and reassure him, but she’d have to leave soon.

  Would he be the same man after she went back to her world?

  * * *

  Samantha sat in the Campton Center with her head in her hands. Frustration burned through her nerves like a hot wire. She couldn’t reach Dorothea. She’d called most of their friends and all she’d found out was that Leon was on the run and Dorothea had been hiding out since the clinic shut down. No one back in Winter Lake really knew what was going on. Some of their friends thought Leon had killed both Samantha and Dorothea. Some couldn’t believe Leon was behind all of this. They thought he’d been framed. Samantha didn’t say where she was—only that they’d had an argument and she’d needed some time away. The rumors were flying. People would assume what they wanted to assume. She knew the truth.

  Samantha figured one day she’d be on one of those true-crime shows telling the world she had no clue the man she’d fallen for had been a horrible criminal.

  Exhausted, she sat there praying for anything, some sort of break that would give them some relief. She wanted Micah out from behind bars. He didn’t belong there.

  When the door opened and Jeremiah walked in, she was surprised to see him instead of Nathan or Alisha. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he said. The man towered over her and held an air of confidence that made her feel like things would be okay. “I wanted you to know the kinder are at the Bawell house, safe and occupied enough that they aren’t asking too many questions.”

  “That’s a relief. Maybe Micah will be with them soon.”

  “We pray.” He looked out the window. “Some of us finished cutting and drying his early hay, so he can rest assured on that.”

  “Denke.”

  “And, Samantha, I did some footwork on my own. I found out the Kemp boys were being paid by two men who followed them the night of the storm. The boys bragged to some buddies and I was able to persuade those buddies to talk to me.”

  Samantha didn’t want to dwell on how he’d persuaded them. “So they told you the truth?”

  “They said Samuel and Matthew were laughing and joking about how easy it would be to get you away from everyone so you’d go back where you belong. They truly thought you had run away from your boyfriend and that you were using Micah to hide out.”

  Samuel and Matthew had seen her car in the field. How could that equate to her using Micah? “Someone convinced them of that?”

  “Ja.” He gave her a solemn stare, his blue eyes like a dark sky. “I convinced them otherwise.”

  She stood. “Denke. If this is ever over—”

  Before she could promise she’d do her best to pay everyone back somehow, the front door of the center opened and she glanced up to find Micah standing at the door of the conference room.

  “Micah!” She rushed past Jeremiah to hug Micah close, not caring who saw. “Micah, I’m so glad to see you.”

  He held her for a brief moment and tugged out of her embrace.

  Backing up, she looked into his eyes and saw hesitation and regret. “Alisha got me out on bail. I don’t know who paid—”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Alisha said. “We’re going to sit down with Captain Schroder and go over every detail of this case, from the beginning when Samantha was almost pushed off the road, then the tornado and all of the incidents that have happened to both of you since. We’ll make a strong case, especially since Jeremiah has talked to people who can testify that the Kemp boys were working for Leon Stanton.” She took a breath and tucked back a curl of burnished blond hair. “I’m going to question Samuel again and also remind the captain that he never followed through on re
porting back to us about the towed truck or anything else for that matter. That truck held a lot of evidence that’s gone now.”

  “I’m doing everything I can to make that case,” Samantha said, glancing at Micah. “I’m so glad you’re free.”

  Micah took a glimpse at Alisha, then turned to look Samantha directly in the eye. “I’m not free until my name is cleared.”

  Samantha saw the pain and torment in his eyes. He also looked exhausted, that angry frown she’d first noticed when they’d met now back.

  Could she blame him after everything he’d been through on her behalf? He’d been gentle with her earlier only to seem so distant now. Had the man she was falling in love with finally had enough of her and all the problems she’d brought with her?

  NINETEEN

  Three days later, church was being held at the Bawell house, since it was one of the largest properties in the valley.

  Samantha checked her kapp and hair, using a compact mirror from her purse. She knew the Amish frowned on mirrors, but she had to blend in with all the other women today. She’d been well protected here, mostly staying inside the house with Josie as her companion while they watched after Josiah and Raesha’s children, little Dinah and her toddler brother Daniel. She’d met Tobias, Josie’s husband. They seemed so in love with each other.

  Samantha had to admit, she’d enjoyed helping with the little ones. That made her miss Emmie and Jed, but for now she had to be content with hiding out here.

  They could sit on the back porch which was hidden between the main house and the grossmammi haus where Naomi and Gramma were enjoying each other’s company. They all gathered there most afternoons to sew and chatter while Josie tended to the herb garden and plucked weeds out of the flower bed. Tobias worked part-time at the furniture mart in town and he grew vegetables for several of the local restaurants. Occasionally, he’d show up with flowers for Josie, a smile on his face.