by Amy Lillard
“Because he’s right. Jimmy’s going to need good representation to clear his name. And lawyers like that cost a lot of money. Do you have money?”
Edie deflated like a balloon that had been pricked with a pin. “No, I don’t have any money at all.”
Kappy nodded. “Just keep your options open. That’s all I’m saying. You don’t have to sell to him. But don’t burn the bridge.”
Edie glared after Jay’s departing back, her look so fiery, Kappy was surprised he didn’t burst into flames on the spot. “If you say so,” she said. “There’s something about that man I don’t like. Not one bit.”
* * *
Kappy walked into Sundries and Sweets the next day and her heart gave a little flip in her chest. Hiram stood behind the counter looking so handsome, as usual. It was a shame, really, that she loved him so much and yet she knew his heart still belonged to Laverna. It was even more heartbreaking that she and Laverna had been such good friends. Kappy would love nothing more than to marry Hiram as she had promised, but she couldn’t bring herself to share him with Laverna’s memory. Maybe one day . . .
As if sensing her stare, he looked up. A light of recognition sparked in his eyes. He smiled. “Kappy.”
“Hi,” she breathed. She had to get herself together. If she was going to talk to him about something so important, she needed to make sure she had her mind on business and not on how beautiful his green eyes looked today. She cleared her throat and tugged on her sleeves. She could do this. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Jah. Of course.” He traded places with the young girl standing behind the counter. It was Emma, his youngest sister. She was fifteen and finished with school, but this was the first year she had helped out in the store. “Let’s go into my office.”
He stood to one side, and Kappy preceded him through the door into the small area he’d claimed for office space. Like everything about Hiram, it was neat, clean, and organized. Not one scrap of wayward paper littered his desk. All files were put up neatly in the filing cabinets, all the books shelved, spines even. Not even dust dared settle in Hiram’s domain.
“Have a seat. What do you want to talk about?” His expression grew hopeful.
A pang of regret shot through Kappy. She hadn’t thought that her coming here might give him false hopes. “Do you know a man named John David Peight?”
Hiram gave a brief nod. Of course he knew him. As a store owner, Hiram knew everybody around these parts. “He’s new to the area. Been here about six months.”
Kappy’s brows shot toward her hairline. “That long?”
Hiram graced her with an indulgent smile. “If you would get out more, I think you would be surprised at what goes on in our little community.”
It was perhaps their second oldest argument. But Kappy had a tendency to keep to herself. It’d always been that way and she couldn’t see changing now. “Jah, well, he came by Ruth’s house yesterday.”
“Really? I would think he and Ruth would be in competition with each other. As much as would be allowed.”
“That’s what I thought, too. And it made me wonder.”
Hiram shook his head. “Please tell me you’re not still digging around.”
Kappy sat back, surprised. “I have to help Edie get Jimmy out of jail.”
“No, you don’t.” Hiram’s eyes grew guarded. “It’s not your business.”
But somehow it was. Maybe because the bishop had asked her to look after Jimmy. Maybe because Edie was in such need of a friend. Or maybe because Kappy herself needed Edie almost as much. Whatever it was, it had somehow gotten intertwined with her business, and she couldn’t let it go now. “I think John David Peight might have killed Ruth.”
“What?” Hiram jerked back, an incredulous smile on his face as if he couldn’t tell if her words were a joke and he should laugh, or if they were true and he should be aghast. “Why in the world would you say such a thing?”
“You said it yourself. They were in competition with each other, right? And Ruth’s dogs are fantastic. I’ve read her ledgers. I’ve seen what she charges for pups and how she breeds them and raises them and how much care she gives them. She’s got the best dogs around, hands-down. What if he wants part of her business and he can’t get it any other way?”
Hiram shook his head. “I understand that Ruth’s dogs are superior, but John David Peight would never harm her.”
“How do you know that? You said he’s only been in the area for six months. That’s not long enough to get to know somebody like if you had known them your entire life.”
He reluctantly nodded. “That’s true, but John David Peight is not that kind of man.”
“He has the greatest motive.”
“Have you been reading those mysteries again?”
Anger rose up inside Kappy. She jumped to her feet. “What I read is none of your concern.”
Hiram stood as well. “It is when you come in my office and accuse people that you don’t know of crimes they didn’t commit.”
“I didn’t accuse him of anything. I said he might have. I said he had motive.”
“That’s as good as saying he did it, Kappy. And I wouldn’t suggest you go around saying that in this town. Not if you want to uphold your reputation.”
Her reputation? It was this he was worried about. She didn’t have a reputation for anything but being odd. He was the upstanding one. He was the one with something to lose.
“All of this started when Edie Peachey came back to town. Ever since then you’ve been acting strange.”
“This is not Edie’s fault.”
“I don’t think she’s a good influence on you.”
She started to protest and he held up both hands to stay her response.
“I’m just saying, Kappy. She’s under the Bann and should be shunned. Yet you’re running around with her trying to solve the mystery that’s better left to the police. Maybe you should give that more thought instead of whether or not John David Peight is guilty.”
“You know, I thought you were different. But it seems I was wrong.” He was just like everyone else in the town, judgmental and only concerned with himself. Oh, they might go around talking all about community and working together. But when it came down to helping out a poor orphan boy, everyone was willing to leave it to the police whether they had his best interest at heart or not.
She turned on her heel and marched from his office. “Kappy,” he called after her. But she refused to stop. And he didn’t come after her.
* * *
Kappy stewed all the way home. Her conversation with Hiram just drove home their differences. And the realization made her want to pray and eat ice cream, not necessarily in that order. One thing was certain, praying would be beneficial, but eating ice cream not so much. Perhaps the only way to keep that in check was to stop by and see about Edie.
She pulled her buggy into the opposite drive, taking her to Edie’s house instead of her own. Two other cars were parked in front aside from Edie’s maroon-colored sedan. Edie herself was standing just outside the barn, one arm folded protectively across herself as she chewed on her thumbnail. Stressed was not quite a strong enough word for her harried appearance. Fearful seemed more on target.
Kappy set the brake and hurried over to her friend. “What’s going on?”
Edie startled as if she’d been poked with a cattle prod. She’d evidently been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn’t heard Kappy come up at all. “What are you doing here?”
“I came by to check on you.”
“Thank goodness, Kappy. I don’t know what to do.”
“Who are these people?”
“Some kind of inspectors. You won’t believe it. They came because they think Ruth was running a puppy mill.”
Kappy couldn’t help herself: She let out a bark of laughter. “A puppy mill?” Ruth’s puppy farm was a far cry from a puppy mill. The dogs had plenty of room to run and play, a clean pen, fresh food and wa
ter, anything that a dog could desire as they waited on their new owner. “And they just showed up? Like a random inspection?”
Edie continued to chew on her nail as she shook her head. “Somebody complained.”
“I don’t understand. They’re here because someone turned you in for having a puppy mill?”
Kappy knew. She had seen newspaper articles about not-so-on-the-level Amish dog breeders. For some reason lots of Englischers believed that if an Amish person raised puppies that it had to be in substandard conditions. Saying that would be like saying that all Englisch people treated their dogs like royalty. Neither statement was accurate. But who would tell animal control that Ruth had a puppy mill?
She looked up and caught Edie’s gaze. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“John David Peight?” Edie said.
“Jah.”
“But he was just here yesterday. He saw what kind of operation we have.”
Kappy nodded. “He sure did and he’s jealous. This is his way of getting back at you and Ruth.”
“But having an inspection isn’t going to do anything but show that we raise our puppies correctly. Humanely and cleanly.”
Kappy nodded. “That’s true. But if you have to stop every week or so and do an inspection . . .”
“You think he’s trying to make me tired so I’ll go out of business?”
“Right. If he can make things hard on you, maybe you’ll just quit.”
“But I can’t quit. I owe Jimmy this.”
It was as if a lightbulb went off in Kappy’s brain. “You don’t think?”
“I don’t think what?”
Kappy cleared her throat, then nodded toward the group of four inspectors who approached. They wore tan-colored battle pants like soldiers and T-shirts with MIFFLIN COUNTY ANIMAL WELFARE printed across the back. On the front was some sort of badge stitched over the pocket to make sure everyone knew they meant business.
“Miss Peachey?” The woman of the group took a step forward and tucked her clipboard in the crook of her arm. “Everything seems to be in order.”
Edie wilted with relief. Kappy had no worries on the matter, but she could see how Edie would be a little unnerved having strangers come in and poke around while she was working so hard to take care of her mother’s business.
“You’ll receive a copy of the inspection in the mail. Nothing needs to be changed at this time.”
“Thank you,” Edie said, reaching out a hand to shake.
Kappy took a step forward. “What happens the next time someone calls and makes a complaint?”
The woman flashed her a hesitant smile. “We’ll hope that doesn’t happen.”
“But what if it does?” Kappy pressed. “Are you going to come back out and do another inspection?”
The woman gave a quick nod. “That is our job.”
“So essentially, if somebody called every day, you would have to come out here every day.”
“I suppose. We’ve never had anything like that happen.”
First time for everything.
“Take care.” The woman nodded to them both, and together with her three counterparts, they walked back to their cars.
Kappy and Edie stood side by side as they started the engines and backed down the drive. Once they were out of sight, Edie turned to her. “You don’t really think they will come again tomorrow, do you?”
She remembered the hooded look in John David Peight’s eyes. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
* * *
“I can’t believe you ate that whole pie in less than a day.” Kappy shook her head.
They were standing in Edie’s kitchen, still mulling over a way to get Jimmy out of jail. As much as she hated to admit it, it was looking bleaker by the moment. It seemed that John David Peight had everybody fooled into believing that he was a completely innocent, upstanding citizen in the community.
Well, maybe he was. But right now he was Kappy’s number-one suspect.
“What can I say?” Edie responded. “I like pie.”
“And you’re a stress eater.”
Edie gave a shrug. “Maybe.”
“Maybe my foot,” Kappy said.
“You want to run over with me and give Anna Mae her pie plate back?” Edie asked.
She didn’t have anything better to do except sit around and mull over new ways to get Jimmy out of jail. And she would much rather do that with Edie than alone. “Sure.”
Edie grabbed the pie plate and together they started across the field. “I wonder why Anna Mae can make me a pie, but Jay won’t talk to me?”
“It is strange. Or maybe they made the pie for me.” Kappy laughed.
“He brought it to my house.”
“That’s true. Maybe he was just trying to get some information. You know? About finding out if you were selling.”
“He could’ve done that without pie,” Edie said. “Not that I’m complaining or anything. The pie was delicious.”
They walked between the field of hay and the field of corn. Both rustled in the wind as they made their way across.
“Do you think this is where the man in the green shirt was running?”
Kappy shook her head. “I’m not even sure there was a man in a green shirt. Or even a man in a blue shirt.”
“What about a woman in a red dress?”
“It could’ve been a wayward kite.”
They seemed to think about that a moment. All three neighbors were adamant they had seen something that day, yet the things they had seen were so incredibly different, who knew what was the truth?
Their trek across the fields landed them in Jay Glick’s backyard. A laundry line was bowed under the weight of more than one load. It slapped and snapped in the wind as they came up behind the chicken coop.
“Maybe we should have gone around front,” Edie said.
The place seemed almost deserted, then Anna Mae bustled out of the back door and down the porch steps, another basket piled high with wet clothes cradled in her arms.
“Hello,” Edie called, waving to the other woman. Anna Mae stopped and shaded her eyes to see who her visitors were.
“Kappy King, is that you?”
“Yes, Anna Mae. It is.”
“And I’m chopped liver,” Edie quipped. She was trying to be funny, but Kappy could hear the hurt in her voice.
“We’re just bringing back your pie plate,” Kappy explained.
Anna Mae smiled. She was as tiny as she could be, small in stature. Yet despite her diminutive size, she was bursting with energy, flitting about like a hummingbird. She set down the laundry basket and fluttered over, careful not to look in Edie’s general direction. “Oh, the pie. Did you enjoy it?”
Kappy looked to Edie, then back to Anna Mae. “Edie did.”
“Best I’ve ever eaten.”
Anna Mae’s chest puffed out with pride, but still she didn’t acknowledge Edie’s words. “Danki for bringing my pan back.”
Edie smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Anna Mae’s gaze stayed trained on Kappy as she waited expectantly.
“You’re welcome,” Kappy parroted.
From beside her Edie made a growling noise, then blew her bangs out of her face.
Anna Mae flitted back toward the house, then turned to Kappy once more. “I would invite you in, but—” Her words trailed off. Kappy knew what she was trying to say. She couldn’t find an excuse not to, but because of the rules she still couldn’t. Edie was under the Bann and most people preferred to pretend she was invisible. That was Blue Sky for you.
“That’s okay,” Kappy said. “We need to be getting home anyway.”
Anna Mae smiled with relief and fluttered back over to her laundry line.
“Let’s walk down the road instead,” Edie said. “I keep getting grass and straw inside my shoes.”
Kappy looked down at Edie’s green flip-flops. Most Amish women walked around barefoot, but she supposed after so many years away, Edie�
�s feet weren’t used to it.
“Whatever you want,” Kappy said.
They waved to Anna Mae once more and headed around the house.
“Is that Jack Jones’s car?” Edie asked.
In the driveway sat a four-door car that looked an awful lot like a police car without any markings on it. It was silver and understated and vaguely familiar.
“I don’t know,” Kappy said. “Maybe.” But it wasn’t the kind of car that stood out. It might only look like his and not be his at all.
“Why would Jack Jones be here?” Edie asked.
“I sort of told him I thought Jay Glick might be guilty of harming Ruth.”
“What?” Edie screeched. “Why would you do something like that?”
“I thought he needed to know so I called the station a couple of days ago.”
“But I don’t think Jay did it. Why would he hurt my mother?”
“I know. That was before John David Peight came up.”
“Maybe you should tell Jones about him.”
Kappy shook her head. “We can’t go around accusing everyone.”
Edie sighed. “I guess we can’t.”
They turned in front of the Glick house and walked down the lane toward School Yard Road. They had no sooner gotten out of sight of the house than a car came up behind them. Edie moved behind Kappy and they walked in single file down the side of the road. The car pulled even with them and slowed. It was the silver car from in front of Jay Glick’s house. The window rolled down and Jack Jones leaned toward the passenger side. “You girls need a ride?”
Kappy slid into the backseat while Edie got in the front passenger side. The inside of the car smelled like vinyl cleaner and stale coffee. Only occasionally Kappy would catch a whiff of what had to be Jack’s aftershave, proving that he did shave from time to time even though his face held constant stubble.
“Out for a walk today?” Jack asked.
“Something like that,” Edie replied. “What about you? What brings you to our neighborhood?”
He gave a nonchalant shrug, but Kappy could see the tension in his shoulders. “Just dotting i’s and crossing t’s.”
Whatever that meant.
“Investigating, Deputy?” Edie asked.
He shot her a quick smile. “Detective,” he corrected.
