Thick as Thieves (Amish Lantern Mystery Series Book 1)

by Mary Barbee

  Instead, Detective Stewart thrust out his hand to invite Nancy for a handshake. She chose not to return the formality and instead turned toward the door to show the men out.

  Caring less, Detective Stewart walked out of the house, his boots loud on the wood floors. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Fisher. If you do remember any other detail you might have missed, please do not hesitate to come over to the sheriff’s office. Anything useful to the case will be appreciated," he said.

  Jude thanked Nancy personally after the detective had strode out.

  "He's a mean one, that man. I don’t trust him at all. Be careful around him," Nancy whispered to him, her nose pointed at the detective's direction. Jude chuckled.

  "Thank you, Nancy," he said. Outside, the detective had already made it to the car, ready to get on with his day.

  "What a waste of time. But I find it interesting that the same type of buggy Moses rode was spying on that old lady. She's not going to make a very strong witness though. Her story was all over the place and it’s hard to believe details from such an old woman anyway. It's not going to hold up in the court. The defense will have it thrown out in seconds," he said angrily.

  The Mustang rolled away from Nancy's house, and Jude looked back one last time. Nancy was standing by the window, watching them. Jude wondered if she would remember anything else.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ANNA PACED AROUND THE room angrily. She was lost in thought and wringing her hands. Sarah was sitting forward in the corner on an upholstered chair, crying quietly, her hands laying limp in her lap. The house was finally quiet. The family members and friends who had all come to offer their love and support were gone. The community was so wonderful about responding within hours with gifts of comfort. Lovingly made homemade bread, soups and baked goods filled the kitchen.

  After sending Sarah’s children off to stay with their cousins for some time, it was just Beth, Anna and Sarah left. Sarah was exhausted. She sat back on the chair, still crying, and blew her nose into a handkerchief.

  Anna could not believe what had transpired over the last 8 hours. What started out as a normal beautiful day turned into a nightmare. Her precious daughter was in pain. Her beloved son-in-law was currently locked away. It seemed like the sky had fallen on her perfect life, breaking it into fragmented pieces.

  "We have to do something. Moses didn't do this. I know it. I know my husband. Maem, you know you used to say that you know Dat better than anyone else? Well, I know Moses better than anybody," Sarah said tearfully. This was the first time she had spoken in hours, and in spite of the tears, her voice was filled with a mix of conviction and desperation.

  Beth rushed and knelt by her side. "We know, sweetie, but what can we do? Sarah, you need to rest. You've been crying all day. Look, you are so exhausted. Your face is swollen. Think of your babies. They need their mother to be rested and strong," Beth said, gently placing her arm around Sarah, wishing she could protect her from all of this.

  "How can you expect me to rest?! Everything is not alright. My life has been completely turned upside down!” Sarah said hysterically. She turned to Anna, “You know Moses, Maem! You've always said that he is your favorite son-in-law. You know that he couldn't have done this!" Anna sat down beside her daughter. She held both her hands between hers as she had always done when she was a little girl. She wanted nothing more than to fix this for her.

  "Sarah, your aunt Beth speaks good truth. Believe me, I know that Moses didn't do this. I do believe he would never hurt anyone, and as long as I am alive, I will never stop fighting for him and for you. Let me think - I will figure out some way to help Moses. Now, you go lay down and rest. It's been a very long day, and it’s important that you get some rest for the sake of your baby, do you hear me?" Anna said, kissing Sarah’s forehead.

  Sarah nodded her head. Beth helped her stand up. She wobbled towards her bedroom. Beth supported her with a strong arm around her waist as she walked.

  Anna sat on the couch; her head was running in circles. There was so much to think about and do. How could she possibly help her daughter? If Moses' name was not cleared soon, it would drastically affect everything they had spent their entire lifetime building.

  Beth returned to the living room. She found Anna on the couch, deep in thought. It didn’t take her twin bond to see the worry on Anna’s face, and Beth was feeling it too.

  "Ok, Sarah is resting. She is tucked in bed, she drifted off fast asleep almost right away, and the children are comfortable and fine to stay at Cousin Rachel’s house," Beth said. Anna thanked her sister, relieved that she could now switch focus to figuring out how to get Moses out of this mess.

  "It's just for one night though. What will happen when she wakes up tomorrow and Moses is still in jail, accused of murder? And the day after? Beth, we need to do something," Anna said. She stood up from the couch, again pacing up and down the room. Their husbands were fending for themselves at home. They were also trying to find out what they could about Moses' case earlier that day, but no one knew anything new.

  The detective from Nashville was not a nice man. He wouldn't offer any help or comfort despite all the efforts from the men in the community, including the bishop. He insisted that Moses would remain in custody until he appeared in court for the initial hearing within the next 48 hours - or maybe even not until early next week considering the weekend.

  No one was sure when her son-in-law’s name would be cleared, and it was becoming excruciatingly clear that life would not remain the same for them regardless. Already, Moses' reputation had been tarnished. It was rumored that some people in the community actually did believe that he killed the sheriff. Anna was heartbroken when she got wind of the snide comments made about her family.

  "What can we do, Anna? You heard what the men said. They said that we can’t do anything more," Beth said. Anna abruptly stopped pacing. She met eyes with Beth, with the familiar stubborn determined look that Beth recognized immediately. Beth knew what that look meant, and she braced herself for what Anna was about to suggest.

  "Yes, we can. We can speak to Jude. We can convince him to continue digging into the investigation. We can tell him that Moses could never hurt anyone. We can do our own investigation if we have to," Anna said. Her voice was becoming very hostile and loud. Beth felt excitement start to brew inside her, but she also knew that she should probably be the voice of reason.

  "Anna, I get that you are upset about what happened, but I think we could get in a lot of trouble if we start poking our nose into the case. I don’t want to step into danger, nor do I want to make things worse for Moses. Perhaps we need to get some rest and sleep on it. Tomorrow, we can think about this with clearer minds," Beth said. Anna was frustrated and she was simply not going to be talked out of this. She saw no other solution but to try to fix things themselves, and time was of the essence. Plus, she could never sleep with her mind just turning like it was.

  Beth saw that she wasn't’ getting anywhere, so she continued, "The evidence against Moses is overwhelming. You heard the detective yourself. As far as their law is concerned, he killed the sheriff."

  Anna hurried to sit beside her. "You and I both know that Moses is being framed. We have to find out who is framing him. Perhaps it will lead us to the real killer. Please, Beth, you know I wouldn't ask you to help me with this if it wasn't so important. It's our family name that's on the line. We will forever be hitched to Moses. If this case against him sticks, it will affect us all. Please, Beth, say you’ll help me," Anna begged.

  Beth had never been able to say no to her sister. Not even as a child and certainly not as an adult. After a short moment of hesitation, she nodded her head and reached out to hold Anna’s hand.

  "If it'll make you feel better. We can try. But I'm warning you, I don't have a lot of faith that this will work," Beth said.

  Anna hugged her. "Worry ends where faith begins, little sister," Anna whispered into her hair. She pulled back, and holding hands, the identi
cal twins sat face to face, looking deep into each other’s eyes. “We can do this,” they uttered quietly, in unison.

  CHAPTER NINE

  THE FARMERS MARKET buzzed with activity. The sisters had been up so late devising their plan for their investigation that they almost skipped out on their booth that day. Anna and Beth had worked so hard on preparing their baked goods, and Beth insisted they continue with their business. It was the perfect way to clear their minds from all the heavy thinking for a few hours. Beth reminded Anna of one of their favorite Amish proverbs, ‘Greet the dawn with enthusiasm and you may expect satisfaction at sunset.’ This could be very fitting for the day that lie ahead.

  Tourists flooded the farmers market, many of them looking to purchase Amish made products. Anna watched them frantically and couldn’t help but wonder if one of them was the killer. Little Valley had always been safe for its residents. The Amish and the English residents knew better than to resort to violence. Nonviolence runs in the blood of Amish residents so clearly, Anna believed that the killer must be an outsider. What if the sheriff had gotten into a brawl with someone? What if the fight had resulted in his death? As hard as she tried, she wasn’t able to keep the questions in her mind at bay.

  The women were still searching for some clarity on exactly how to get started on their planned investigation. The men had tried to speak to Moses the day before, but the detective wouldn’t let them. If only they could talk to Moses and ask him questions, maybe he would know what to tell them.

  Anna and Beth had paid a visit to the tool shed in the middle of the night, hoping to be able to inconspicuously look around inside. They were convinced that they would find something in that shed that would exonerate Moses. But they found that the detective had locked it and wrapped police tape around it, further sealing the door. There was no way to get in without breaking the lock - and the tape. The sisters agreed that it wouldn’t look good for Moses if they were caught trying to break in, or for themselves if they left fingerprints behind.

  While Beth worked tirelessly, Anna continued to watch the shoppers. Suddenly, she had an uncomfortable feeling followed by a terrible realization. She realized she had grown quite distrustful of her fellow townsmen, just in the last 24 hours. The killer was still amongst them, possibly roaming around in plain sight right now. He could be any of these people, have a smile on his face, shaking the hands of the very people he might kill next. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She was living in the same town as a killer. Little Valley was the precious town and the place she called home, but it now seemed tainted with dark evil.

  “Good luck today, Mrs. Williamsburg,” Anna heard someone speak behind her. Anna turned around to see Thomas. Anna smiled at him. He was mistaken. Beth was Mrs. Williamsburg, not Anna. Even though they had lived in the town all their lives, the community still couldn’t tell the difference between her and Beth at times.

  “Oh, thank you, Thomas,” Beth said. Sarah had told her about Moses’ kindness towards the man. When his coffee shop was starting to struggle, Moses took him in, gave him a part-time job to supplement his income, and was helping him get back on his feet. Thomas had always been thankful for the job.

  Suddenly, Beth remembered that Thomas was the one who found the sheriff’s body. Maybe Thomas knew something that could help her and Anna with their investigative efforts. She would be lying if she said that she worried a tiny bit that Moses might not have been the man he portrayed to the community and family, and she desperately wanted to get to the bottom of all of this to protect her sister and niece.

  Beth summoned up the courage to ask, “Thomas, can I ask you a question? I know that you worked closely with Moses and that you were there yesterday when... you know... everything happened. We are just so upset about everything and really want to do something. Maybe you can help... maybe there is something that we don’t know. Did you notice anything odd about Moses yesterday or the way he has been acting lately?”

  Thomas’ cheeks became flushed. His eyes started to shift. It was clear he wished he hadn’t started a conversation in the first place.

  “Mrs. Williamsburg, I’m so sorry about everything that is happening. I’m afraid I don’t know anything more than I told the cops already. I really didn’t notice anything odd with Moses. There was a little bit of tension between him and me before I headed out to the tool shed because... well, I wasn’t really a dedicated employee. I barely showed up to work, and it annoyed Moses... I mean, with good reason. I get it. Moses has always been kind to me, though. He understood that I was struggling with some... stuff... some things happening in my life. Moses offered to help, even when I didn’t deserve it. He’s a good man. So, do I think he did this? No, I don’t,” he said.

  Beth was overwhelmed. It was uncommon to start such a brash conversation with a man. Paranoia kicked in, and Beth felt like everyone was watching their interaction. She lowered her eyes.

  Thomas’ response also made Beth feel ashamed of her doubts about Moses. Of course, Moses was a good man. He couldn’t have murdered the sheriff.

  As if Anna felt Beth’s emotions, she called out just in time, “Beth! I need you over here!” Beth muttered thanks to Thomas for the conversation, although he had already turned his back and was walking briskly away, and she hurried back to her sister.

  Beth took one glimpse back and watched Thomas disappear among the crowd. Something was not adding up. She could feel it in her soul. Restless, she began to take inventory and count the pastries that remained on the table that sat at the front of the booth. She and Anna needed to wrap things up and be on their way. They were losing time.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ANNA HELD ONTO BETH’S hand tightly. Beth was squirming. She was struggling to calm her nerves. She was worried that her community might think it was wrong for the women to be seen in the company of men, unaccompanied. Especially a man who was not their relative. But Anna was determined to do what it took to free her son-in-law. She pulled Beth forward until they reached Jude’s table. Thankfully, he was sitting in a corner booth, near the back of the diner, somewhat hidden from the full view of the other tables. The sisters squeezed themselves into the free space in the booth across from the deputy.

  The diner was owned by an Englisher named Jessica. Jessica was a pretty woman in her mid-thirties, with short red-hair and a friendly smile. Anna and Beth had visited the diner on occasion with their families, and she was always welcoming and kind. Jessica would often return the business by purchasing their famous baked goods on the weekends, and sometimes you would find their cookies and muffins beautifully displayed on the counter under a glass dome. Today was one of those days since Jessica had been shopping at the farmers market earlier that morning. When the ladies entered the diner, Jessica was in the back, most likely busy preparing food for dinner or washing dishes from lunch.

  “Well, hello, again you two,” Jude greeted cheerfully. He was one of the few in town that could quickly tell the twins apart, but he never let on that he could.

  Anna smiled at him, and responded “Good afternoon, Deputy Tyman.” Beth’s eyes were cast down, her hands gripping her thighs in an effort to keep them still.

  “We’ve been through this... please, call me Jude,” the deputy responded, finishing the last bite of his club sandwich and wiping his mouth with the paper napkin that was previously placed politely on his lap.

  Beth’s eyes darted around the diner, as though searching for anyone that would identify them, but Anna’s gaze met Jude’s confidently.

  “Hi, Jude. We are sorry to interrupt your lunch, but we would love a minute of your time if you don't mind,” Anna started. Dipping a french fry in ketchup, Jude chewed and swallowed, then he deliberately folded his napkin, wiped the corners of his mouth, and dropped it on the table. The delayed response did not go unnoticed.

  “We wanted to talk to you about Moses,” Anna continued. Jude’s face clouded.

  “You know that I am not at liberty to discuss the case with
you ...or anyone for that matter,” Jude whispered, his tone was conspiratorial. It made Anna automatically lower her own voice.

  “I know you can't, but I think you know that Moses is innocent. You know that the evidence against him is fabricated. Please, we need your help. We just want to prove his innocence. Surely there is something that can be done... surely you can help us,” Anna persisted. Jude shook his head.

  “The detective is so focused on nailing Moses with this. I agree that I don’t think he killed Sheriff McCall. But what can I do?” Jude said. Anna leaned forward, her eyes were narrowed and intense.

  “You can tell me anything that can help me prove his innocence. Please, anything. What do you know? Why is the detective so set on charging him if he didn't do it? Is it because he is from the Amish community? And why would anyone want the sheriff dead?” she pummeled the deputy with questions, still at tone just above a whisper. Jude hesitated. He shook his head again.

  He leaned forward toward the sisters, elbows resting on the table and fingers interlaced. “Well, all I can tell you is that.... Detective McCall was in the middle of solving the robbery cases going on in this town. You know how rough around the edges the sheriff was. And he was very private about the work he was doing - he hardly shared it with me, which was also odd since we always worked on everything together. My suspicion is that he was very close to solving the case, so the robbers murdered him. We found incriminating stolen objects in Moses’ tool shed. I mean, apart from the body, we also found incriminating objects there. That suggests that Moses was behind the robberies and he killed the sheriff because he got too close,” Jude said.