Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper

by Amy Lillard

  She looked up and met Edie’s gaze and saw her own fears reflected there.

  “We have to get him out of jail, Kappy,” Edie said. “We just have to.”

  * * *

  “I have half a mind not to be ready when he comes,” Edie said somewhere around eleven thirty.

  Kappy didn’t need to ask who she was talking about. It was obvious. Jack Jones. “And what exactly would that prove?”

  Edie continued to apply mascara, leaning toward the mirror, eyes and mouth both wide open. “It’s just . . . that he . . . needs to know . . . that I’m not . . . at his beck and call,” she said between brushstrokes.

  “I see.” Well, not really.

  “I mean, what is the deal? That I’m sitting right here waiting on him to come and get me?”

  All this doublespeak was making Kappy’s head hurt. “Since he told you he was coming at twelve I would say yes, but I have a feeling that’s the wrong answer.”

  From downstairs a loud knock sounded at the front door. “That must be him,” Kappy said.

  Edie took one last look at herself in the mirror. She fluffed her hair, smooshed her lips together, then pranced from the bathroom.

  Kappy was left to follow behind. “Are you wearing that?” she asked as they walked down the stairs.

  Edie stopped at the bottom and looked down at herself. She had on the yellow pants again along with a purple-and-silver top that sparkled like jewels. Actually, it was made of tiny little disks that seemed to be sewn to the entire garment. Kappy wanted to touch one just to see what it felt like. But she kept her hands to herself.

  “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? Is that what you’re wearing?”

  Kappy glanced down at her blue dress and black apron. This was one of her favorite dresses. The blue was darker than most and mixed with a little green. It was the color of the ocean, or at least the ocean she had seen in pictures in books.

  “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

  “Nothing.” Edie’s voice was filled with innocence.

  Kappy rolled her eyes. “You’re saying that to make me feel like I’m dressed inappropriately. Everything I’m wearing goes right along with the Ordnung.”

  “I think you’re trying to make me feel like I’m dressed inappropriately.”

  Kappy frowned. “I don’t know what’s appropriate for Englisch dress. I thought you just might want to wear something a little more conservative.”

  “I ran away from conservative, remember?”

  “True d—”

  Edie whirled on her as a knock on the front door started again. “Don’t say it.”

  If Jack thought Edie’s outfit was unusual, he didn’t say so. He didn’t register the tiniest bit of shock in his expression as he caught sight of her. Kappy knew. She was watching.

  Jack filled the drive to the jail with constant chatter. Kappy had a feeling he was doing it just to keep Edie thinking that they were working on the case. He told them they had no suspects to check out and they were cross-referencing the fingerprints with some database. Kappy didn’t understand half of it, but it seemed to satisfy Edie.

  He opened Kappy’s door and she slid out as he did the same for Edie. But at that very moment, clouds moved in front of the sun and Kappy shivered. It wasn’t cold, just ominous. Like a bad omen of things to come. “I’ll be in my office when you two are done. Just come down the hall and get me. I’ll take you back to the house.”

  Surprisingly enough, Edie didn’t comment. She gave him a small nod and the three of them walked into the sheriff’s office.

  As during the previous visits, they took Edie and Kappy into a small room to wait on Jimmy. He came in a little bit later, but unlike the times before, his ankles were shackled together and his wrists were handcuffed at his front. He shuffled in, escorted by a large dark-skinned deputy. The man’s sheer size intimidated Kappy, but Edie had no such reservations. She was on her feet in a second. “Why is he trussed up like a Christmas turkey?”

  “You’ll have to talk to the evening shift. He was like this when I came in.” His voice was deep like the croak of a bullfrog.

  For a moment Kappy thought Edie was going to say more, but instead she turned her attention to Jimmy and the deputy left the room.

  “What happened?” she asked as she helped him to the chair.

  “I got upset.”

  That was when Kappy noticed it. A small cut in his hairline. It might’ve been short but it appeared deep. Whoever had doctored it had used one of those Steri-Strips to hold the two sides together.

  Edie’s fingers fluttered to the wound. “Who did this to you?” Her voice was soft but threaded with steel.

  “Nobody,” Jimmy said.

  Edie leaned forward and clasped his hands in her own. “Jimmy, you don’t have to lie for them. Tell me who did this so I can talk to Jack. They can’t treat you like this.”

  Jimmy glanced at their hands, then turned his attention to the wall. He seemed reluctant to meet her gaze. “Nobody,” he said again.

  “Jimmy?”

  He pulled his hands from hers. “I said nobody!” He raised his voice to a shout. It echoed off the walls of the tiny room.

  Edie drew back, obviously stunned.

  “Are you okay?” Kappy asked, her gaze trained on the young man.

  He didn’t look up but merely nodded. “I’m okay.”

  Edie caught her gaze, her eyes filled with hurt.

  They had talked about all the things they wanted to ask Jimmy today, but none of that seemed important now that he was hurt, most likely at the hands of those who held him captive. It was heartbreaking.

  “I did it myself.”

  Edie turned back to her brother. “What?”

  He cleared his throat and said a little louder, “I did it myself. I hit my head against the wall.”

  “It’s not necessary to protect them,” Kappy said gently. Maybe it would be different coming from her.

  But Jimmy shook his head. “No. I did it myself. I got mad and I hit my head against the wall. Nobody did anything except clean up the blood.”

  Kappy’s stomach fell. They needed to get him out of here as quickly as possible. Jail was a terrible enough place, but for somebody like Jimmy . . . He couldn’t understand what was going on. She could only imagine how overwhelmed he felt.

  “Can you tell me something, Jimmy?” Edie started. “Was Johnny there the day that Mamm died?”

  “No. I already told you somebody important was coming.”

  “And that somebody important was not Johnny?” Edie clarified.

  “She never said who it was.”

  “And you didn’t see them?” Edie asked.

  Jimmy shook his head. “I left. I went over to Kappy’s to paint her door. I thought it would be a good gesture.” Tears welled in his soft gray eyes. “If I hadn’t done that Mamm might still be alive, jah?”

  She might be. Or they could both be dead. The thought sent shivers down Kappy’s spine.

  “You can’t think like that, Jimmy. It’ll make you bonkers.”

  “I’m already bonkers.”

  Edie stiffened. “Who told you that?”

  His sadness deepened right before their eyes. “You did.”

  Edie reached for his hands once again, gently squeezing them to get his attention. “Look in my eyes,” she said.

  He did as she asked.

  “I was wrong.”

  Jimmy nodded. “If you say so.”

  “I do. I was very wrong about that and I was wrong to say that. Will you forgive me?”

  It was as though the sun came out to wash away the rain. His smile beamed, outshining his tears. “You were only fifteen.”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “Mamm sent us to the barn to milk the cow and gather the eggs. I dropped one and tried to put it back together so Mamm wouldn’t know. You said I was bonkers.”

  Edie had said it but couldn’t remember and Jimmy remembered every detail. Stra
nge how the things people say to one another can mean nothing to one and the world to another.

  “I was wrong,” Edie said again. “You’re perfect. Just the way you are.”

  Jimmy grinned. “Just the way God made me.”

  “Just the way.”

  After their visit, Kappy and Edie met Jack in his office.

  “Sit down,” he said, indicating the two chairs in front of his desk.

  Kappy did as he asked, then immediately shot to her feet when Edie shook her head. “No. You told us you would take us home when we’re ready. I’m ready.”

  “I need to talk to you about something. Sit.” His voice rang with authority.

  Kappy immediately perched on the edge of the chair, though Edie did so with great reluctance.

  “Did he tell you what happened last night?” Jack asked.

  “Jimmy?”

  “No, the Pope. Of course Jimmy.”

  “He said he got mad and hit his head. But I feel like he’s covering for someone.”

  “Anytime an inmate gets hurt a report has to be written. There were several witnesses. And all their stories match.”

  “What happened exactly?” Kappy asked.

  “It seems he asked for a peanut butter sandwich after he had already been served dinner. Because he had a tray, he was refused and that sent him over the edge.”

  “What was for supper?” Edie asked.

  “Spaghetti.”

  “That’s a problem. He doesn’t like to eat red food.”

  “Red food?”

  “That’s right,” Edie said. “He won’t eat tomatoes, strawberries, or cherries. He doesn’t like red gummy bears or any red candy, for that matter. If it’s red, he won’t eat it.

  “What about strawberry jam?”

  “If the color is dark enough he doesn’t notice, especially if it’s inside a biscuit. If you’re going to serve him toast, I would go with grape.”

  “I see.” But his tone indicated anything but.

  As much as Kappy cared for Jimmy, it was a hard concept to understand.

  “Your best bet is brown food.”

  “Like chocolate pudding?”

  “Beige, really. Like graham crackers.”

  “Why beige?”

  “How would I know?”

  “The sheriff is asking that you write some of this down so we don’t have this problem in the future. We can’t have him hurting himself over spaghetti.”

  “You could let him out, and I could take him home. Then you won’t have to worry about it at all.”

  Jack pressed the clipboard and a pen toward her. “If it was up to me, he would’ve been out of here on day two.”

  * * *

  After Edie recorded all of Jimmy’s quirks that she could remember, Jack escorted them out to his car.

  “I guess it’s a miracle this hadn’t happened before now,” Edie said.

  “Definitely.” But Kappy knew Edie was thinking the same thing she was. They needed to get Jimmy out of jail. Not only that, he needed to be back home with someone who understood him, who loved him like his sister.

  And after that, then what?

  Edie still hadn’t made up her mind about staying in Blue Sky, and the longer she took to make her decision, the more Kappy became convinced that she was heading out as soon as possible.

  She would have to take Jimmy with her. There was no way he could run the farm by himself. He was able to do the chores and keep up with the work itself, but the business end of it was beyond him. And because of that, it wouldn’t be long before the whole thing collapsed around him.

  Kappy would have to say extra prayers tonight, not only that they would release Jimmy soon but also that he would be able to make it in the Englisch world. She could only hope that since he would be with Edie, he would be okay. She could only pray.

  Jack turned the car down School Yard Road and drove toward Ruth’s driveway. A utility truck was parked on the side of the road, but as they turned up the driveway one thing was abundantly clear. The protesters were gone!

  Edie raised her hands in the air. “Hallelujah. They found someone else to bother.”

  Kappy laughed. It was good to know that the protesters were gone, even though it didn’t take them one inch closer to finding out who killed Ruth.

  “Who’s that?” Jack pointed toward the back of the property.

  Two men wearing safety vests and carrying some type of equipment seemed to be setting up on the other side of the barn.

  “I don’t know.” Edie slid out of the car and started over to where the men worked.

  Kappy and Jack followed behind.

  “What?” Edie exclaimed.

  Kappy hadn’t heard the question, but whatever it was, Edie hadn’t liked the answer.

  “Here’s the paperwork.” One man handed her a thick document attached to a clipboard while the other continued to unload his equipment.

  He set up a tripod with what looked like a camera. Not that Kappy knew much about cameras, but she had seen a couple in town.

  Edie flipped through the documents, then handed them to Kappy. “Read this. I can’t see a thing without my glasses.”

  “Then why aren’t you wearing them?” Jack asked.

  Edie shot him a glaring look.

  Kappy scanned the first sheet and then the next. It took until page five for her to truly understand what was going on. “You’re land surveyors.”

  One man nodded. “That’s right.”

  “But why are you here?” Edie asked.

  “Let me see that,” Jack said.

  Kappy passed him the clipboard.

  “We had a complaint about your barn. One of your neighbors is complaining that it is actually on his property. We’ve come out to assess the situation and to let you know if the barn must be moved.”

  “Moved?” Edie repeated.

  “How does a person move a barn?” Kappy asked.

  “You don’t,” Jack said. “You tear it down.”

  “That’s right.”

  “And then build it someplace else?” Kappy asked.

  “Right again.” The man with the red hard hat snapped his fingers as if they should win a prize.

  “But . . .”

  “Don’t you Amish build barns for each other all the time?”

  “Do I look Amish?” Edie held her arms out to her sides as if to prove her point.

  “No, but she does.” He nodded his head toward Kappy.

  Edie looked helplessly at Jack. “If they tear down my barn, what am I going to do with my puppies?”

  “Don’t worry about that yet. Let’s see what happens first.”

  The three of them sat on the back porch steps and watched the surveyors work.

  “Who would do this?” Edie said. Tears thickened her voice.

  “Someone who wants you to leave,” Jack replied.

  “But why?” Edie asked. “What did I do to anyone? I’ve been gone for years.”

  It was true. Edie had been gone long enough that the world had turned without her. Blue Sky had moved on. Even her old boyfriend had married another. Kappy saw them at church every other week, and he seemed very happy with his new bride and baby girl. As far as she knew, he held no ill will against Edie.

  “So the question remains: Who wants you to leave and why?” Jack clarified.

  Kappy glanced up at the red letters scrawled across the back of the house. They would have to get some paint and cover it soon. May even have to paint the entire house to cover it up. It was a shame, such senseless hate. What would drive a person to such lengths?

  Greed? Money?

  Love?

  She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. The men were measuring off distances. They walked from the edge of Jay Glick’s cornfield to the far wall of the barn.

  Was Jay claiming some of that land as his own? He had been after Ruth’s farm from the start, but such a small strip wouldn’t matter all that much when it came down to farming.

&nbs
p; “Except that without a barn you would be out of business.”

  Edie roused out of her thoughts. “What?”

  “It’s not so much the land, but if you have to tear down your barn and rebuild—”

  “Who’s going to rebuild for me? No one in this town even talks to me except for you.”

  “Exactly.” It was all becoming very clear now. “You would have to rebuild, but you wouldn’t be able to rebuild, which would mean you would sell your farm.”

  “Is it crazy that I actually understand that?” Edie frowned. “I would either have to give the puppies away or sell them.”

  Jack studied her intently.

  “Do you think the protesters did this? And that’s why they left today?”

  “It’s possible,” Kappy said. “But . . .”

  “But what?” Edie asked.

  “The animal-rights activists don’t truly profit from putting you out of business. Unless you count their satisfaction that one more puppy breeder is off the map. But who would stand to gain if you were pushed out of business and forced to sell your farm?”

  She knew the exact moment when Edie understood. Her eyes grew wide, and she jumped to her feet.

  “Jay Glick.”

  * * *

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Jack chased behind them as Edie and Kappy started across the field. This was one time she wouldn’t mind running across the field. She had a couple of questions for Jay Glick.

  “We’re going to talk to the neighbor,” Edie called over her shoulder.

  “You can’t go talk to him alone. What if he’s dangerous? We need backup.”

  Edie turned around, still walking backward as she hollered across the field. “Then call for some.”

  Kappy could clearly see the exasperation on Jack’s face, then he turned and stalked toward the front of the house.

  She and Edie quickened their steps. They had some questions for Jay Glick. Starting with, Where were you when Ruth was murdered?

  “Have you got this?” Edie asked.

  “I’ve no idea what I’m doing,” Kappy said. Then she stopped, as surely as if someone had poured glue in the grass and stuck her feet to it. “What if he truly is the murderer?”

  Edie backtracked and grabbed her hand. “Then he needs to be behind bars, and Jimmy needs to be home.”

  Kappy shook her head, resisting Edie’s tugs. “Seriously, though. If he killed Ruth . . .”