by Amy Lillard
Kappy opened her mouth to protest once again, then took one look in those sad brown eyes and scooped Elmer into her arms.
* * *
Kappy was just finishing up the breakfast dishes when a car horn sounded outside. Elmer started barking, pushing himself backward across the wood floor with his efforts.
“What in the world?” she muttered as she dried her hands. She only knew one person who would show up this early and honk the horn outside.
“Edie Peachey, what are you doing?” she called once she had stepped out onto the front porch.
“Let’s go, Kappy. We have clues to find.”
Kappy looked back to her front door and to the car where Edie waited. She should make some kapps to replenish her stock. Or she could go with Edie to help her clear Jimmy’s name. And as quiet as the house was last night after Edie left . . .
The choice was clear.
“Give me a minute to get my purse.” Kappy ran back into the house and grabbed her bag, did a quick check of the stove to make sure everything was off, let Elmer into the backyard, then slipped on her shoes and headed out to the car.
“Where are we going?” she asked once she had slid into the passenger seat.
“To talk to your neighbors.” Edie’s mood had greatly improved from the day before, and Kappy was grateful. She had been worried about her friend.
“Do you want to walk?” Kappy asked.
“In this heat?” Edie shook her head.
“So where are we going first?”
“I thought we would head over to Ephraim’s. He still lives there, right? He hasn’t—”
“He’s still there.”
Ephraim Jess lived on the other side of Kappy, nearer to the mountain. He was maybe the oldest man in the district. The exception possibly being Nathaniel Ebersol, who lived on the other side of Kappy.
Edie’s car engine must have alerted him that he had visitors. Edie had no sooner pulled to a stop than Ephraim hobbled out onto the porch. Shading his eyes, he peered at them.
“I never noticed it before, but he looks like Ichabod Crane,” Edie said in a near whisper.
“Who?” Kappy asked.
Edie shook her head. “Never mind.” She turned to Kappy. “Are you going to go talk to him?”
“Me?”
“He’s certainly not going to talk to me.”
Kappy gave a quick nod. “Right.” She got out of the car and waved to Ephraim.
“Kappy King? Is that you?” His squint grew more pronounced.
“It is.” Kappy drew to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.
“What are you doing out and about at this time of the day? I always thought you were something of a hermit.”
She gave a quick cough. She didn’t need him telling her how she kept to herself most days.
“Did you hear about Ruth Peachey?” she asked.
He cocked his head to one side and smacked his lips thoughtfully. “I was at the funeral. You sure you’re feeling all right today?”
“I’m fine. I was talking about the murder.”
He drew back. “Murder?”
“The police took Jimmy away for killing his mother.”
Ephraim tsked. “That boy couldn’t hurt a flea.”
“I know that and you know that, but the police think they’ve found their killer.”
He thought about it a moment. “Why are you here telling me all this?”
“I thought maybe you saw something the day Ruth was killed. Any strange cars on the road, anything weird? Maybe a woman in red?” She was reaching, but she had to have something more to take to Jack Jones.
“Have you been over to talk to your other neighbor?”
Kappy hoped her expression remained impassive. That was what she was going for, anyway. “Not yet. Why?”
“Just watch him. He may be acting suspicious. Be careful, you hear?”
She started to ask him if he really believed Nathaniel could be guilty of Ruth’s death but decided against it.
“I understand, but did you hear anything? Did you see anything that day?”
Ephraim propped his hands on his hips and studied the porch ceiling. “Well, now, let’s see . . . Strange cars? No. Most cars are strange though, jah?”
“What about people?”
He smacked his lips again. “None that I can recall.” He lowered his chin and met Kappy’s gaze.
“Danki,” she said. “If you happen to think of something, feel free to stop by and let me know.”
“I will.”
Kappy turned to go back down the porch steps and to the waiting car.
“Are you headed over to the other neighbor’s now?”
Kappy wanted to shake her head. The men had been arguing for more years than anybody could count and wouldn’t even say the other’s name. “That’s the plan.” She said the words without even bothering to turn and face him.
“Just be careful with that one. He’s not trustworthy.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She made her way down the stairs and across the yard.
Chapter 9
“Well?” Edie asked as Kappy buckled her seat belt. Edie half turned in her seat, her gaze searching Kappy’s face as if for some clue to what was said.
Kappy shook her head. “He doesn’t know anything. And he also told me that he thought Nathaniel was guilty.”
Edie’s mouth dropped open. “Of Mamm’s death?”
“You have been away a long time.”
Edie put the car into reverse and backed out of the drive. “I guess so. I don’t remember them being quite so . . . hostile to each other.”
“It gets worse every year.”
They continued toward Nathaniel’s house in silence.
“So I guess if he was trying to blame Nathaniel that he didn’t see anything himself?” Edie asked.
“That’s about the way of it,” Kappy said.
Disappointment flickered across Edie’s face. She pulled into Nathaniel’s drive and put the car in park. Hands still braced on the steering wheel, she let out a great sigh.
Kappy didn’t need her to say what was on her mind; she already knew. Nathaniel was the last hope they had. If he hadn’t seen anything, then chances were no one else had. They would never find out who the woman in red was, or if she even existed. The red button would forever remain a potential clue to an unsolved mystery.
Kappy shot her a sympathetic look, then got out of the car.
Nathaniel Ebersol had something of a green thumb. He grew plants and flowers of all kinds and sold them to Englischers and Amish alike. Kappy started up the walkway surrounded on both sides by bubble-gum pink petunias and sweet potato ivy. The amount of plants he had in his yard and on his porch made the house look more like it belonged to a Mennonite, but apparently the bishop turned a blind eye to Nathaniel’s fancy yard.
Unlike Ephraim, Nathaniel was nowhere to be seen. Kappy climbed the porch steps and knocked on the front door. No sounds from inside the house greeted her. She listened for rustling sounds or shuffling footsteps, but only silence met her ears. She knocked again.
“Nathaniel?” she called. No answer. “Nathaniel?” Louder this time. “Nathaniel!”
“Quiet down there, girl. You’re apt to wake the dead with all that carrying on.”
Kappy whirled around as Nathaniel came around the side of the house.
Like Ephraim, Nathaniel was as old as Methuselah. He walked with a slight limp, hobbling from side to side as he drew nearer.
“I thought you weren’t home,” Kappy said.
Nathaniel stopped. “You thought I wasn’t here so you yelled louder? Did you think I’d hear you all the way to where I was?”
“Uh, no?”
“Then why were you yelling?”
She opened her mouth to answer but had no words. She shut it again, scrambling for the exact reason for her visit. “I came to talk to you about Ruth Peachey.”
Nathaniel scratched his forehead near his hairline,
knocking his hat askew in the process. “Ruth passed.”
Kappy gave a small nod. “I know that. But have you also heard that she was murdered?”
Nathaniel took a step back.
Apparently not. Kappy didn’t remember seeing him at the funeral. He might’ve been there, just keeping his distance from Ephraim.
“I had not heard that.”
“The police think Jimmy killed her.”
Nathaniel took yet another step back. “Jimmy Peachey is the kindest boy I know. A little odd, jah. But he’s got a good heart. He would never hurt anyone, much less his own mamm.”
Kappy readily nodded. “Jah, that’s true. But he’s been arrested and is in jail.”
Nathaniel’s gaze wandered away from Kappy to the car parked in his drive. “Who’s that? They with you?” His blue eyes snapped back to hers.
“That’s his sister, Edie.”
She could almost see the thoughts tumbling, one on top of another, mixed in with the questions that most people wanted to know. Was Edie back for good? Was she going to stay Englisch? And how could they get Jimmy out of jail?
“I haven’t seen Edie in a long time,” Nathaniel mused.
“She’s trying to help Jimmy.”
Nathaniel gave a quick nod.
“I was wondering,” Kappy started, trying to get the conversation back on track, “if perhaps you saw something the day Ruth died.”
“Something?”
“Anything strange,” Kappy clarified. “A car you’ve never seen before? A man you’ve never seen before? A woman dressed in red?”
“I didn’t see any woman, but I did see a man running across the fields.”
Kappy perked up. This might be the break they needed. “A man in a blue shirt?”
“No.”
“A red shirt?”
“No.”
“Amish man?”
“If you give me a minute I can tell you,” Nathaniel groused.
“Jah, okay then.” Kappy tamped down her excitement, doing her best to hold it in check as Nathaniel gathered his words. “It was an Amish man in black trousers and a green shirt. He was running across the fields. I would have never noticed it but I was coming home from the store. The grocery ad had just come out and, well, that’s the day I usually like to go shopping.”
Kappy nodded politely. “A green shirt, you say?”
“Like a spring apple.”
“And that’s all you saw?” Kappy asked.
“Jah. That’s it.”
It wasn’t a lot, but at least it was something. “Danki, Nathaniel.”
He tipped his hat, and Kappy made her way back to the car.
“Well?” Edie asked.
“He gave us a clue.”
Edie’s face lit up with excitement. “Yeah? What is it?”
“He says he saw a man running across the fields the day that Ruth was murdered. A man in a green shirt.”
Edie’s expression fell. “He saw a man in a green shirt. Anna Mae Glick saw a man in a blue shirt. That’s not a very good clue.”
“I never said it was a good clue.”
In fact, there had to be hundreds of men wearing green shirts in the valley. Most men preferred some shade of blue above all else, but that didn’t mean it was part of the Ordnung.
“That really doesn’t help us at all,” Edie said.
Kappy hated the disappointment in her voice. They had done everything they could. Some things were better left to God.
“Do you want to come over and see the puppies?” Edie asked.
Kappy shook her head. “I really need to get some coverings made. I haven’t worked in days.”
The second layer of disappointment descended on Edie’s features. “Maybe later then.”
“Maybe later,” Kappy repeated. But they both knew their impromptu investigation was at a dead stop. And without another clue to take to the police, life in Blue Sky would go back to normal. For everyone except Jimmy.
“You have company,” Edie said as she pulled her car to a stop in front of Kappy’s house.
A black buggy sat in the middle of her drive. The horse was still hitched and the shiny roan gelding unmistakable.
“Hiram,” Kappy whispered.
“I thought you said you two broke up,” Edie said.
“We did.”
“Hmmm.”
Kappy chose to ignore that.
“Thanks for going with me,” Edie said. She didn’t even bother to put the car into park as she waited for Kappy to get out. “You know you’re welcome to come by anytime.”
Kappy nodded, her thoughts torn between Jimmy and Ruth’s murder and Hiram and whatever he wanted from her today.
“I guess I’ll be seeing you then,” Edie said.
“Jah.” Kappy shut the car door and turned toward Hiram. She was barely aware of Edie backing up the drive and heading home. All of her attention was captured by the handsome man sitting on the porch swing. She started up the steps, her heart pounding.
“I didn’t expect you to be out.” Hiram’s tone was almost accusing.
Kappy gave a small shrug. “Edie wanted me to go with her somewhere.”
Hiram frowned, the motion not dimming his handsomeness even one bit. “She’s under the Bann.” He stood as she unlocked the door. “Are you going to invite me in?”
Part of Kappy wanted to invite him in and never let him go home and another part wanted him to stay on the porch and as far away from her as possible. The conflict of emotions was almost more than she could take.
“Why don’t you come in?”
He followed her into the house. Kappy was relieved that she had straightened up the night before. Most times there was fabric and kapp strings, pencils, patterns, and yardsticks strewn about as she worked. Hiram had fussed about her untidy habits more times than she could count. And even though she was glad her house was more than presentable today, she knew it didn’t change anything. She would always be a little messy and Hiram would always be neat as a pin.
Kappy made her way through the house and let Elmer inside.
“What is that?” Hiram stared, mouth open, as Elmer skidded to a stop in front of him. Elmer’s tail wagged back and forth like it was caught in a strong wind. Then he stopped, sat, and raised his snout to howl.
“A dog.”
“I know it’s a dog. Why is it in your house?”
She gave a quick shrug. “Edie gave him to me.”
“And you let him run around in the house?” Hiram was nothing short of appalled.
Kappy bit back a sigh and whistled for Elmer as she made her way to the back door once again.
He stopped his cry and trotted happily to the door.
Maybe it was better this way. At least she and Hiram would have less distractions as they talked. Or maybe that was why she had let him in to begin with.
Kappy put Elmer out once again, then turned back to Hiram.
He shook his head and she could almost see the questions forming in his mind. Which one would he ask first? “You aren’t afraid he’ll run away?”
She didn’t have a fenced-in yard, but he seemed to want to stay close. That would work until she could make other arrangements. “I’m afraid he won’t stay gone,” she teased.
Hiram sucked in a breath. “So what are you doing running around with Edie Peachey?”
Kappy cleared her throat. “Would you like something to drink? I can make you some tea.” She started toward the kitchen.
“No, danki.”
“Oh.” She stopped and returned.
“I was hoping we could talk.”
Those were the words she had been dreading the most. “There’s nothing to talk about, Hiram.”
“I disagree. I think there’s a lot to talk about.”
She shook her head. Her throat clogged with emotions. Love, regret, longing, despair. “He’s just a dog.”
“You can’t keep hiding from this.”
She let out a small bark of laughter,
then covered her mouth to keep any more from escaping. “I’m not hiding from anything, Hiram. This is just the way it is.”
He shook his head and reached for her hands. She shoved them behind her back and out of his reach. “At least sit down and hear me out.”
Reluctantly, she gave a small nod and eased into the living room. She perched on the edge of the rocking chair, purposefully not taking a seat on the couch where he could sit next to her. Distance. That was what she needed right now.
He frowned as if he knew the motivation behind her actions and sat on the end of the sofa nearest her.
“You can’t keep running from this, Kappy.”
She sighed. They had been over this too many times to count. “We’re just too different.”
“I disagree.”
“I know.” She ran her hands down the front of her dress. “But disagreeing doesn’t change that.”
Hiram shook his head, then chuckled. “That’s what I mean. I know you’re different. I love that you’re different.”
But she knew the truth. He loved Laverna.
“Are you going to tell me why you’re out running around with Edie Peachey?”
She bristled a bit at his tone. It wasn’t like they were married. Or if they ever would be. He didn’t have the right to question her.
“Don’t get that look,” he said. “I’m just watching out for you. She is excommunicated and all.”
“I know,” she said. “But I see no reason not to talk to her.”
Hiram sat back in his chair. “She has sinned against the church.”
“Let he without sin cast the first stone,” Kappy retorted.
“That’s not exactly how it works.”
“Well, it should.” She had grown accustomed to Edie in the last few days and had discovered that she even liked her. Kappy hadn’t had a friend since Laverna died. She’d never thought she would have one again. Surely, the Lord had something to do with putting Edie in her path, offering them friendship and the cause to bind them together. He knew what He was doing.
“Why are you hanging out with Edie?”
“She’s my friend. She always was.”
Hiram shook his head. “Edie was never anyone’s friend. She hated us all. She hated everything about Blue Sky.”
It was true. No one was shocked when she left for the Englisch world. But she was back now. “Well, that may be. But she’s my friend now.” And that was the truth. Somehow she and Edie had become fast friends, bonding over a mutual desire to get Jimmy out of jail.
