Three Can Keep a Secret

by Judy Clemens

  Queenie and I got in the truck, Queenie back to her usual happy self. My nerves were shot, and I was concerned about the break-in, but at least the guys’ problems had made me forget my own for a while.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A stop at the police department proved useless, since Willard was out somewhere, so I went home. I rummaged through the fridge, feeling suddenly hungry, and pulled out an apple. As I ate, I stared out the window above the sink and wondered what to do with myself. Lucy was repairing a stuck auger, and Tess was at school. Once Abe got to the farm I’d talk to him about getting Lucy’s payroll and benefits started, but that wouldn’t be till he was done at Rockefeller’s at five-o’clock.

  I threw the apple core into the sink and watched it disappear down the disposer. If Abe’s gardening ideas were going to take off, I might have to start saving some of my castoffs for compost. Like I wanted a mound of rotting food for Queenie and her various rodent friends to root through.

  At that moment, Queenie herself starting barking as a car drove into the lane. I ran outside, my adrenalin rushing at the memory of last night’s visitors. With surprise, I realized it was the minister from Sellersville Mennonite. Peter Reinford stepped out of his ancient Corolla and waved. I’d known him for years, having attended church with Ma many times as a kid, and he’d always seemed like a good man. His hair, now a lot grayer than when I first met him, was windblown, and his face glowed red.

  I told Queenie to stay and stepped forward to shake Peter’s outstretched hand. “You look hot, Pete.”

  “That’s because I am. Dumb AC busted on this heap. Costs too much to fix it.”

  “I can relate. Want a glass of water or something?”

  “I’m okay. Thanks, though.”

  “So what can I do for you? Or are you here to visit your new flock recruits? Lucy’s around somewhere, and Tess should be coming home on the bus any minute.”

  He smiled, but a wave of concern washed over his face. “I wanted to talk with you first, if I could. Then, if it’s not too much trouble, I’ll have a word with Lucy.”

  “Sure. Why don’t we step into my office?”

  He followed me in and gratefully took a seat in my air-conditioned office. “Now that’s much better. Until I have to get back in my car, that is.”

  “Enjoy it for a few minutes. What’s up?”

  He ran his hands through his hair. “I got a phone call from Lucy’s old minister in Lancaster. He seems concerned that Lucy could cause some trouble at our church.”

  I sat back, shocked. “What?”

  “I know, it’s really irritating, but I didn’t want to ignore his warning just because he’s a self-righteous jerk.” He grinned. “If I’m allowed to say that about a fellow pastor. You’ve known Lucy a few days now, and I assume you checked her out before hiring her. Anything you see that gives any credence to his tattling?”

  “What kind of trouble is he afraid of?”

  He blew air out through his nose. “Claims Lucy likes to challenge the status quo and question authority.”

  “Isn’t that good in a church?”

  He nodded. “Sure, to some extent. But not if it’s someone who just likes to make waves. You know what I mean. So what do you think? Anything strike a nerve with you?”

  I thought about the questions I had about Brad, the Lancaster hype, the graffiti, and the anonymous phone call. But it didn’t feel right spreading what amounted to gossip. Even to a well-meaning minister like Pete.

  “She’s been nothing but hard-working so far,” I said. “Hasn’t questioned anything I’ve asked of her, and has stayed way out of my personal business. And her daughter’s a great gal.”

  “That sounds right, from what I observed. And I couldn’t help but notice they already have the Grangers in their corner.” A smile flickered on his face. “Thanks to Lucy’s benevolent employer, I’m sure.”

  I lifted a shoulder. “The least I can do. You want to see Lucy now? There’s really not much more I can help you with.”

  “Sure. And I’m sorry. Normally I wouldn’t talk with someone else like this, but I’ve known you since you were a kid and figured I could take you into my confidence. Especially since I was pretty certain it wasn’t true, anyway.”

  “You figured right. I’m not about to go spreading rumors about my employee. Now, let’s go find Lucy.”

  But we didn’t have to. At that moment, Lucy came barreling into the office, her face white.

  “The school bus just slowed down at our lane, then left without dropping Tess off. I have to go after her.”

  “Did you see her on it?”

  “It went by too fast. There was no way I could check all the windows.”

  “Go ahead, chase the bus. I’ll call the school and see what they have to say.”

  She ran out, not even noticing Pete, and I grabbed the phone book.

  The secretary at the school knew nothing about where Tess had gone. She remembered her, sure, since Tess had just registered for school on Friday, but she had no idea what happened to her after the bell rang and the buses dispersed. She hung up after saying she’d contact the bus driver. She’d call me back in a minute.

  “Anything I can do?” Pete asked.

  “Wouldn’t know what. Unless you want to pray.”

  “I’ve gotten pretty good at that.” He rested his forehead on steepled hands and went to work.

  The phone rang, and I snatched it up.

  “The bus driver says Tess isn’t on the bus,” the secretary said. “Apparently never got on.”

  “Aren’t they supposed to check this sort of thing?”

  She made an exasperated sound. “It’s close to impossible. With all the after-school activities and such, there’s no way to keep track of who’s getting on and who’s not. And with the chaos of the first day….”

  “So there’s nothing you can do?”

  “Not really. If she didn’t get on the bus and she’s not here, there’s no telling where she is. Might someone have picked her up?”

  “Can’t imagine who. She doesn’t know anybody.”

  “I’ll get on the phone to the police,” the secretary said.

  Lucy’s car skidded into the driveway, and she jumped out.

  “Hang on,” I told the secretary. “Tess’ mother is here. We’ll call you back.”

  I met Lucy outside.

  “Is she here?” she asked. “Have you heard anything?”

  I shook my head. “The school has no idea where she is. They’re ready to call the cops.”

  Lucy burst into tears of frustration, and I stood beside her awkwardly. Pete came out of the barn and laid his hand on Lucy’s shoulder. She looked up at him, shocked. “But, what are you doing here? Did Stella call you?”

  He smiled gently. “No. I came by to welcome you to the neighborhood, and happened upon this crisis. What can I do to help?”

  Just then, a powder blue Chrysler rolled in the lane. From Lucy’s widened eyes, I gathered she recognized it. She bolted toward it and flung open the rear door. “Tess!” She pulled the girl out of the car, tangling them both in the seatbelt. Finally free, Lucy turned on the middle-aged man and woman who climbed out of the front seats. “What are you doing here?”

  They looked stunned. “What do you mean? We’re here to see where our granddaughter is living.”

  Lucy closed her eyes, her hands clenched. When she opened her eyes her voice was calmer, but she spoke through her teeth. “You can’t pick Tess up at school without telling anyone. We have people all over town trying to find her!”

  The woman clicked her tongue. “But we were always allowed to pick her up from the school in Lancaster.”

  “Of course you were. They know you there. And I arranged it ahead of time. You can’t just come here and grab her off the sidewalk! I’ve been in a panic!”

  The man raised his hands in front of him. “Sorry, Lucy, we just wanted to be with Brad�
�s only child. And we were bringing her right home. Figured we’d beat the bus.”

  “Well, you didn’t.”

  Tess squirmed, and Lucy released her from her arms. The movement reminded Lucy that other people were present.

  “Oh, Stella, these are my in-laws. Thomas and Elsie Lapp. This is Stella Crown, my new boss.” I couldn’t help but think Thomas didn’t look nearly as cuddly as the man on the Herr’s potato chips bag. Perhaps Tess had meant her other grandpa when she’d made that comment.

  Lucy turned to Peter next, almost as if she was surprised to see him still there. “And this is the minister at Sellersville Mennonite, where we attended yesterday. Peter Reinford.”

  Thomas Lapp looked at Lucy. “Sellersville. We’d heard you went there.”

  The Mennonite grapevine was apparently just as lively as the farming one.

  “And liked it very much,” Lucy said.

  Thomas’ face remained blank as he stepped forward to shake Peter’s hand. Elsie didn’t move. Peter, I could see, was trying not to grin.

  “Since we’re here, Lucy, can we at least see the place?” Thomas said.

  Tess gravitated back to her mother’s side and peered at her grandfather from behind Lucy’s arm.

  “Sure, you can see it,” Lucy said calmly. “Since you’re here.” She turned to Pete. “Did you stop by to visit Tess and me?”

  He smiled. “That’s okay. I’ll come another time, when you don’t have company. But we did enjoy having you at church yesterday, and hope to see you again.”

  Lucy glanced at her in-laws. “We’ll be back.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll be going then. Unless you need me for anything.”

  “We’re okay now. But thanks. Oh, I guess I should inform the school.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” I said. “You go ahead and give the tour.”

  Lucy took a deep breath, then turned toward the garage. “Why don’t we show you our new apartment first?”

  Peter and I were left looking at each other.

  “Oh boy,” he said. “Glad they aren’t my in-laws.”

  “And I wish they weren’t hers.” I sighed. “Guess I’d better call the school to let them know it was an overzealous grandparent problem.”

  “Yup, you’d better. And I’d better get back in my heat trap and make some more rounds.”

  “You still worried about Lucy?”

  He shook his head, grinning. “Never really was. Besides, if she stands up to her own relatives like that, I’d guess a minister more conservative than I could easily deem her a troublemaker.”

  “Are there any ministers less conservative than you?”

  He laughed. “Certainly not at Yoder Mennonite.”

  After he’d gone I made the embarrassing call to the school, then found more than enough to do until Abe arrived to talk about Lucy’s salary. A dairy farm is a no-fail source of never-ending chores. I took a trip to see the heifers down in the lower pasture, made sure there was enough hay and straw for the older calves, and found Poppy, our soon-to-be-mother, in the pasture with beginning signs of labor. Too late for me to win the bet with Zach, unfortunately.

  There are several ways to tell if a cow’s time has come to give birth, and Poppy was exhibiting a few of them. She had removed herself from the rest of the herd, finding a lonely corner of the pasture; her vagina looked swollen; and her udder was extremely full—more so than usual.

  Cows don’t like to be watched when they’re giving birth. They would be appalled at all of the people who take video cameras and such into the hospital for that pivotal moment. I’ve never understood that myself, but then, I’ve never had my body split apart to admit a new person into the world, either.

  Anyway, I left her alone. I’d check on her in a few hours to see how things were progressing.

  Time flew, and soon Abe’s Camry was pulling into the drive. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see it was almost five-thirty. The Chrysler that belonged to Lucy’s in-laws was gone.

  “You’re a little late,” I said when Abe got out of his car.

  “Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am. Please don’t beat me.”

  I grinned. “Got a minute?”

  “I always have a minute for you. And I have something to show you.”

  He hesitated, then draped his arm over my shoulder. I considered his arm, as did he. He removed it.

  His eyes fell on the garage. “How come the garage is so white?”

  “Painted it this morning.”

  “May I ask why?”

  “Vandals. Sprayed some nasty words on the doors.”

  His face clouded. “About you?”

  “Nope. Lucy.”

  “About her husband’s death?”

  “That, and some references to her lifestyle.”

  He stared at the garage. “Stella—”

  “I called the cops, okay? They’re on it. Now come into the office.”

  “All right. Just a minute.” He went back to the car and pulled out a bag, which he brought with him into the barn.

  Inside, I sat down and watched as he lowered himself into a chair, looking smug.

  “What’s up with you?” I said. “You win first prize in an accounting contest?”

  “You want me to go first?”

  I gestured for him to go ahead.

  Standing up, he stuck his hand into his bag and pulled out three frames. He set them one by one on my desk, facing me. At the sight of the first my stomach tightened, and it got worse with each photo that followed.

  The first was of my folks and me, which meant I was just a little thing, since my dad died when I was three. We were sitting in the living room of the farmhouse, on the sofa, wearing matching overalls and white T-shirts. I sat on my mother’s lap, and Dad had his arm around her shoulders. We looked healthy and happy and without a clue as to the sadness soon to come.

  The second photo was of my mother, me, and Howie, leaning against one of the fences in the barnyard. I was about ten or so. After Dad died, Howie stayed on as my mother’s hired hand, helping her keep the farm amid financially and emotionally trying times. He became like a second father to me, and more than once I wished Mom had had the guts to bring him into the house as a real one. It wasn’t to be, although I always had the feeling Howie wished it, too.

  The last photo was from several weeks ago, soon before Howie was killed. It was a snapshot taken at the birthday party Ma had thrown for me, and Howie and I were sitting side by side at a picnic table, grinning like fools. Howie had barbecue sauce on his chin, and I was holding a spoonful of what looked like potato salad. Happy as can be.

  I sat back in my chair and looked up at Abe, who was smiling in a concerned kind of way.

  “Where did you get these?” I asked. “The first two look like ones I saw in Howie’s box.” I kept my eyes from moving to the box itself, which sat at my elbow.

  “That’s where I got them. I sneaked back here yesterday while you were gone and got them blown up this morning. Here are the originals. The last one Zach took at your birthday party.”

  He tossed an envelope onto the desk, and I stared at him. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “I hoped you wouldn’t mind. I always wondered why you didn’t have some pictures of your folks around and decided it was time.” He squinted at me shyly. “Do you like them?”

  I stood up slowly and put my arms around his neck. He looked me in the eyes, almost fearful, until I leaned forward and kissed him. He stood still for a moment, then slid his hands around my waist. I reached up into his hair and was pulling myself closer to him when I heard the door open.

  “Oh, geez, I’m sorry.” Lucy slammed the door behind her.

  “Wait, Lucy!” I pulled myself from Abe’s arms and ran into the hallway.

  Lucy stood outside the door, mortified. “I am. So. Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Really.”

  Abe stuck his head out the
office door. “Geez, Lucy. Your timing really sucks.”

  I burst out laughing, and a small smile finally made its way to Lucy’s face. Abe grinned at her, then ducked back into the office.

  “You need something?” I asked.

  “Just wanted to apologize about my in-laws and the trouble they caused today. They’re good at that.”

  “Hey, I’m just glad they’re not mine.”

  “Yeah, you should be.” She looked like she was going to say something else, but turned, instead, and headed toward the parlor.

  When I got back in the office Abe was already sitting behind the desk, had booted up the computer, and was looking through a manila folder, avoiding my eyes. I was glad he wasn’t standing there waiting for more kissing, because I was embarrassed I’d done it at all.

  “There was something you wanted to ask me, right?” he said.

  “Um, yeah. I wanted to make sure we got Lucy’s paycheck and benefits started. You on top of that?”

  “On my list to do today.”

  “Wonderful. Need me to do anything?”

  He looked at me strangely, and heat swept through my body. I cleared my throat. “I’d better get to the parlor. It’s only Lucy’s third day and already I’m leaving her to the milking alone.”

  “Stella,” Abe said as I opened the door. I looked back. “Any chance we could continue our earlier conversation sometime in the near future?”

  I gave him what felt like a very shaky grin, and shut the door.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lucy and I were forking the last shredded newspaper into clean stalls when a Harley rumbled up the lane. I could tell from the timbre of the roar that it was Lenny’s bike.

  “Uh oh,” I said.

  Lucy straightened abruptly. “What?”

  I waved my hand. “Oh, nothing. It’s just Lenny, and he was in a hell of a mood when I saw him today.”

  Abe had already gone to supper, taking Zach away with him, so Lucy, Tess, and I were the only ones around. I leaned in the doorway of the barn and stared at Lenny. He stared back.

  “Hey, Len,” I said.

  He looked out at the field behind my house, then back at me. “Sorry.”