Thick as Thieves (Amish Lantern Mystery Series Book 1)

by Mary Barbee

  “You should sit down, Anna. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack. I’m not ready to live without you just yet,” Beth said, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. Anna waved her hand in the air, content to pace around.

  They had sent Amos to ask Detective Stewart to come see them right away. The sisters were very nervous about going into town and feeling very much in danger. Stewart was due to arrive any minute and Anna was a basket of nerves. She had never been so afraid in her entire life.

  The ends of their dresses still had leaves clinging to them and were damp from wading through the river as they ran from the trailer. They didn’t bother with changing or cleaning up. Their minds were too distracted, and they didn’t want to leave each other’s sight for one second.

  A question kept ringing in Anna’s mind. Who had they escaped? He had the key to the trailer, so he was certainly the person who owned the trailer, right?

  She wished that she had gotten a good look at the man. Remembering now, Anna was so scared. They might not be alive if they hadn’t heard the footsteps when they did, or what if the killer had been in the trailer when they arrived? What if he had seen them leaving? What if he followed them back to their homes? The questions were dancing around out of control in her head, and Anna was regretting ever getting involved.

  There was a knock at the door and Amos hollered out, “Maem, Aunt Anna?” The sisters bounded toward the door and yanked it open.

  “I heard you ladies wanted to see me? This better be worth my time” Stewart said, as he stood on the other side of the threshold, clearly annoyed with having to come out to their home. He sounded very short and impatient.

  “And let me tell you, ladies, again, I am not in control of what happens to Moses. He is going to court tomorrow, and the judge will decide bail, not me,” Stewart said, cutting off Anna who was about to speak.

  “Detective, please come in! I think we found something. Look at this,” Anna said loudly, frantically motioning him to enter. Once everyone was inside, Beth shut and locked the door. Anna showed the papers to Stewart. He read through patiently. Anna bounced around before him, waiting to hear his thoughts.

  “I’m very familiar with this case - it was a very popular one. It happened a few years ago. This guy, Robert Williams, was one of the good guys working undercover and it was a drug bust gone wrong. One of the big drug lords was killed in a shoot-out, but so many others got away. Sergeant Williams had to flee New York because his life was in danger from the rest of the gang members,” he said, pausing to observe the ladies’ faces. Anna was surprised that he didn’t get it.

  “Do you realize that Robert Williams is Derek McCall?” Anna asked, bewildered. “What if his past caught up with him? What if he was killed as revenge for what happened to the drug lord?” the torrent of questions exploded from Anna. Stewart laughed.

  “I think it’s sweet what you are trying to do for your son-in-law but it’s time to give it up. Where did you even get these clippings?” he asked, his eyes narrowing with seriousness. Anna shrank back, taking the clippings from him.

  She didn’t want to lie, so she began to cry instead. It wasn’t much of an effort, however. Anna was emotionally exhausted with this guy. Why wouldn’t he believe that this scenario was likely? Could he be in on it, too?

  Wanting to end the whole scene, Detective Stewart lowered his voice and said, “You should give this up. Even if the drug lords killed Derek, why would they go through all the trouble of hiding the body where it would eventually be discovered? That’s not their MO, and it doesn’t explain the robberies and the stolen goods found at the crime scene,” Stewart said, confidently. Anna’s last drop of energy was zapped. She felt tired and hopeless. What else would she do? Beth sidled up next to her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

  “Thank you for your time,” Beth said to the detective. Amos walked the detective out as Beth helped Anna get settled on the couch before heading to the kitchen to start a pot of tea.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  THOMAS DECIDED IT WAS time to come clean to the detective. The sheriff’s office was so stuffy, the air felt as old as the house itself, and a musty smell hung in the air. He had made it to the office, but he sat there, struggling with where to start.

  Detective Stewart and Jude were sitting on chairs opposite Thomas in the main office area. Stewart’s eyes wandered around and he fidgeted with a loose thread on the hem of his shirt. He was clearly bored and so tired of going back and forth with everyone in this case. Jude, on the other hand, was kind and interested in what Thomas had to say.

  Focusing on Jude, Thomas cleared his throat, ready to begin.

  “Sometime today, Thomas,” Stewart said, irritated.

  “Okay...as you already know, I found Sheriff McCall’s body. It’s kind of shocking to see such a terrifying sight. And I haven’t been able to get it out of my head,” Thomas began.

  Stewart rolled his eyes. “This is law enforcement, not your psychologist. If that’s what you need help with, go see a therapist. You said you had some information to share with us and that is what we are all gathered here to hear, so get on with it,” Stewart said, unsympathetically.

  Thomas could not stand this man. Did he learn nothing from Derek’s death? Derek was a jerk who couldn’t bother to be kind to anyone. Everyone seemed shocked at his death, but they were more shocked at the thought of murder happening in Little Valley. No one truly cared about his demise, and that’s because when he was alive, Derek didn’t care about anyone. Stewart had better watch his back, acting like McCall, or he might end up regretting it.

  “Stewart, clearly Thomas is traumatized. You have to let him go at his own pace,” Jude said thoughtfully. Thomas gave Jude a grateful glance. Stewart sat up straight and set his eyes firmly on Thomas. The steely coldness of his eyes was so intense that it almost made Thomas stutter.

  “I want to tell you what I saw on the night that I think may have been the night Derek was murdered,” Thomas began. The words flowed out of his mouth. Jude’s brows furrowed with concentration. He made a big show of writing down words on his pad while Stewart just leaned back and listened pensively. When Thomas was done, Stewart remained quiet for a while.

  “I just want to know why everyone in this godforsaken town is trying to convince me that all the evidence we have against Moses means nothing. I’ve never seen this kind of solidarity in all my years of being in the service. The man killed someone with a hammer and left evidence all over the place for us to find, but no one wants to believe it. So, what, you are all trying to tell me is that Moses is a saint?” Stewart exploded. His voice billowed.

  “No, that’s not what I mean to say. He is not a saint, but he isn’t a murderer either,” Thomas protested. Stewart kicked back his chair.

  “Sir, please, can we just calm down and check out what he said? There may be an element of truth there,” Jude reasoned with him. Stewart was reluctant.

  “How many elements of truth are we going to keep searching for? First, those old ladies keep hounding me to check this and that out. And now, Thomas. It’s a waste of my time. They all have conflicts of interest. The old ladies are related to Moses while Thomas is apparently a close friend and trusted to run his shop. I have no interest in wasting any more time. This is just getting ridiculous,” Stewart said, exasperated.

  “This time, it may be different. Thomas, did you hear the voice or see who McCall was arguing with?” Jude asked. Thomas shook his head.

  “Again, as I said, I couldn’t hear anything they said. And Derek dashed out of the bushes. It was too dark to make out the figure,” Thomas said.

  Jude nodded and wrote down something on his page. Stewart stared at them as if he couldn’t believe it. What kind of a small-town operation was this? Stewart just really wanted to get back to Nashville, far away from these simple folk.

  Thomas couldn’t believe it either. He couldn’t believe that Stewart was such a lousy detective, especially coming from Nashville. He was rea
lly trying to do the right thing here, and Stewart wasn’t even willing to listen to him, let alone take him seriously.

  “I can’t believe this. This is madness. The words of a drunken man will not hold any water in court. Please, stop wasting your time,” he said, snatching the note from Jude.

  Thomas began to protest, but Stewart interrupted him right away.

  “I don’t want to hear it. Please. You were drunk on the night in question. You couldn’t have possibly seen clearly. So, what you are trying to tell me is that Derek stole your key and returned to the tool shed where he was murdered? Or someone else found your key, knew it went to the tool shed, and lured Derek there to kill him and frame your friend. It doesn’t make any sense, and honestly, maybe it sheds a suspicious light on you instead. How about that? You can’t remember what happened, but you remember running into Derek, and you had the key all along... maybe YOU are the one who killed him in your drunken state and left him there to be found,” Stewart raged.

  Thomas shook his head, panicking. “No, that’s not what happened. I know what I’m saying. I didn’t kill Derek. I couldn’t do that to anyone.” Thomas said. Stewart chuckled.

  “Yeah, right, and you saw a figure in the dark through your beer goggles, right?” he asked.

  Thomas stood up abruptly. He would not stand for this any longer. The Lord knows he tried to help. If this was the way it was destined to be, then so be it. He would not sit and listen to someone berate him or turn his words around and especially not accuse him of the murder!

  “If that innocent man is sent to prison, it will be on your head,” he said to Stewart before leaving the office. As he left, he heard Jude’s calm voice chastising Stewart.

  No matter what, something seemed even more out of whack than before he confessed. The detective seemed exceptionally desperate to nail Moses. Thomas wandered out of the station headed toward his borrowed horse and buggy. His straw hat was pulled over his head to protect him from the blazing sun. He muttered a short prayer for Moses. Thomas was deflated. He had really thought his confession would help Moses. Clearly, he was wrong.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  IT WAS MONDAY AFTERNOON and the early morning hearing resulted in Moses remaining incarcerated without bail. Anna had become even more depressed than Sarah. Beth was at a loss. She tended to her sister and her niece simultaneously. Sarah and the children had moved into her parents’ house since Moses’ arrest. Sarah said their house seemed suddenly too big and scary to live in. Beth slept over at Anna’s, most of the time, taking care of whatever - or whoever - needed it. She hated seeing her sister like this. Anna spent all her time in bed, staring at the ceiling and doing nothing. Not even the chatter of her grandchildren was enough to raise her spirits. The children would try to play with her, but when she didn’t respond, they would just go find something else to do, leaving her in the soupy river of sadness she seemed to be drowning in.

  But Beth refused to give up on her sister and knew she would get through this. She cooked food, brushed her sister’s hair, fed her, and sat by her bed reading the holy book and praying to herself. If Anna recognized everything Beth did, she didn’t show it. Neither did Beth expect any thanks in return. If the situation was reversed, Anna would do exactly the same thing for Beth.

  Leaving the house in the care of their cousin Rachel, Beth bounded up the stairs that led to the small library set up in town by the Englisher, Mr. Wilson. Beth could not shake the information that the sisters had found, and her curiosity would not be satisfied until she checked out this one last detail - and she held onto the hope that the Little Valley library would have the answer she needed to quiet her mind.

  Mr. Wilson greeted Beth at the front door, calling her Anna. Beth responded to the name, amused by the fact that no one in the town could still tell the twins apart. Perhaps because she was chatty today, Mr. Wilson had assumed that she was Anna. Beth didn’t mind the anonymity that being an identical twin gave her sometimes. It could be comforting as if there were a cloak of invisibility thrown over her. Anna was often seen as the face and mouthpiece of their relationship, and Beth loved being in the background.

  “How may I help you today?” Mr. Wilson asked. He was a sweet man who was about their age and Beth had always had suspicions that he had an innocent crush on Anna. His wife died a few years ago. His interest in Anna was exposed years ago when they were much younger, but he was an Englisher and Anna fell in love with Eli. Beth liked the fact that he respected Anna’s decision when she turned him down. But since his wife’s death, Mr. Wilson refused to remarry, and Beth often wondered if Anna was single, if he would again pursue a relationship with her.

  “I’m looking for information regarding a specific incident in New York regarding a cop and drug lords,” she said, handing the clipping she had managed to sneak out with. Mr. Wilson took the newspaper and read it carefully.

  “This way, please,” he said. He chatted merrily all the way to where the microfiche readers are found. Adjusting his glasses, he scrolled through pages and pages of newspapers, while Beth looked over his shoulder. She waited patiently until he found what she asked for. He stood up, relinquishing the seat to Beth.

  “Please don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything,” Mr. Wilson said before heading back to his desk. There was a boyish smile on his face, like a high school teenager in love. Beth chuckled to herself.

  “I’ll be sure to do that. Thank you, Mr. Wilson” she said. Beth settled down to work. She flipped through the pages of the newspaper, reading and studying and jotting down notes on a pad. The research was going slowly. She was about to give up when she saw a picture that made her gasp. It was the picture of a young boy clinging to his mother outside a courthouse.

  Leaning forward, she raced to the front desk where Mr. Wilson was sitting. She showed him the newspaper frantically, unable to articulate her words.

  “Do you...see that? Do you see what I’m seeing?” Beth asked the questions spiraled out of her mouth without pause. Mr. Wilson stared at her, confused.

  “Quick, I need you to help me confirm this. Do you have a way to get this boy’s information?” she asked, desperately. Mr. Wilson nodded.

  “Yes, I do - let me print it for you,” he said, leading the way towards the front, “and if it’s okay with you, I think I would probably just like to stay out of it.”

  Beth assured him she would keep his involvement (although practically nonexistent) private. She couldn’t wait to get back to tell Anna that she had just solved the case. Moses was going to be freed!

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  BETH DASHED INTO THE house with girlish energy that reverberated around the room. She ran right to Anna’s room and leaped onto the bed next to her. Anna groaned and turned away from her.

  “I figured it out! I figured it out!” she said, brimming with excitement. Anna pulled the cover over her head. Beth pulled it away.

  “Seriously, Anna, I went to the library and I solved the case! Moses is going to be freed!” Beth could hardly stay calm.

  Anna met her sister’s gaze. “What did you figure out?” she asked, pushing away the papers that were being thrust into her face.

  “Everything!” she said. Anna sat up, tired, but eager to listen to her sister’s story.

  “So, remember those news clippings we found in the.... No, come on, let’s get to the sheriff’s office. They need to hear this directly,” Beth stopped. Her excitement was too all over the place and she didn’t want to tell the story twice.

  She hopped around spiritedly, helping Anna get dressed. Anna was frustrated with the display of emotion, but she also knew and trusted that her sister really did have something worth the ride to the sheriff’s office. Anna knew that there was no point in asking her questions because she would never reply to them.

  Anna put on her dress, kapp, and slippers. They dashed out of the house.

  Beth opened the door to their buggy and the sisters jumped in. She handed Anna the papers and Anna glimpsed
at the picture of a young boy holding onto his mother.

  Before Anna could ask any more questions, Beth began to drive the buggy. She picked up speed and drove recklessly. Anna was thrown side to side, hanging on for dear life.

  Anna cried out to her. “You are going to get us killed!” she said. Beth was focused, power flowing from her arms. Where had she found the strength to drive like that? Anna was marveled Beth still knew how to handle the buggy. They hadn’t driven a buggy since they were teenagers. Their father taught them how to drive but as soon as they got married, they didn’t need to drive anymore.

  They turned towards the outskirts of town where the sheriff’s office was located. The road was empty with tall grass looming on both sides. Anna heard the low hum of the car first. It seemed like it was hidden somewhere near the bushes. She turned to look out on her right side. Beth’s scream made her turn back. A black car made a quick swerve from nowhere, hitting their buggy. They were thrown around as Beth lost control of the buggy. The horse neighed loudly, running wildly. The cart broke off at the link that connected it to the horse. Anna didn’t stop screaming until their cart turned on its side and narrowly avoided hitting a nearby tree trunk. In shock and a bit disoriented, she couldn’t clearly see the face of the figure approaching them.

  She blinked. Her sight was blurry. She tried to stay awake for as long as she could, but her mind shut down, pulling her into a dreamless sleep as she slipped into unconsciousness.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  WHEN SHE WOKE UP, ANNA found her arms and legs tied, lying on a cold hard floor. Her body ached all over. Her sister laid beside her, also tied up, but completely passed out. Blood trickled down the side of her face. Anna moved carefully, shifting her weight slowly, trying to reach her.