Unforeseeable

by Nancy Mehl

  “I understand,” Noah said. “I’m perfectly content here too. But at the same time, not everyone is called to live in Kingdom.” He smiled at me. “I think the key is to find the place God wants you to be. He puts the people in your life He wants you to touch, and He leads you to your point of blessing.”

  “What if one day Charity feels called to leave?” I asked. “Then what?”

  “Then she’ll have to leave,” Noah said matter-of-factly. “What God wants must come first if we’re ever to fulfill our destiny. Anyway, that’s what I believe.”

  Lizzie grunted. “Since Charity’s only eight, I don’t think I’ll make plans to pack her up and send her out anytime soon, if you don’t mind.”

  “Well, we weren’t suggesting she was going to grab her bags and head out tomorrow,” Noah said, grinning. “She should wait until she’s at least ten.”

  Lizzie picked up a nearby dish towel and snapped him on the leg with it.

  “Ouch,” he yelled. “I’m being abused. Call the sheriff.”

  I laughed again, rather embarrassed to be having so much fun right after the sheriff’s serious announcement.

  “Brodie Timmons won’t help you,” Lizzie teased. “He’d be on my side.”

  “I think she’s got you there, Noah,” I said.

  “Changing the subject for a moment,” Lizzie said to her husband when he settled down, “can you tell us more about what the sheriff said in your private meeting? I felt like we weren’t getting the whole story. Were the women . . . defiled?”

  I felt myself blush. Sex wasn’t really talked about much in our community, although Lizzie had said more than once it should be. She’d gotten pregnant as a teenager, partially because she’d been unaware of the consequences of her actions. She’d had a long talk with me after Levi and I became engaged. My father had never spoken to me about such things, and since my mother was gone, I’d had no one to fill me in on what Lizzie referred to as “the facts of life.” Our conversation was a real eye-opener. Although I’d figured out a lot on my own, having spent many years around farm animals, there were a few details I wasn’t aware of. Thinking about it now made my ears burn. Even though it had been a rather embarrassing conversation, I was very grateful Lizzie cared enough to tell me what I needed to know before my wedding night.

  Noah shook his head. “No. They weren’t harmed in that way. When they were found, they’d been strangled, their hands folded on their chests, and their bodies wrapped in plastic. Except for the marks on their necks, there were no other injuries.” He sighed. “Brodie said the KBI is stumped.”

  I frowned at him. “But I thought Sheriff Timmons said they’d found D . . . DN . . .”

  “DNA,” Noah said. “Yes, they did. Most of it came from the victims’ necks when he strangled them. They also have some skin and hair samples that were probably left behind when the women fought for their lives.”

  I felt my stomach turn over. “Oh my.”

  “Are you okay?” Lizzie asked, looking at me with concern. “You just turned really pale.”

  I nodded, trying to compose myself. “Yes, but that’s so . . . so—”

  “Shocking?” Noah said. “Yes, it is. Here’s something really strange. Brodie said that wrapping the women in plastic shows the killer had some remorse for what he was doing. In some strange way he was trying to care for the women.” He stared at me. “I know. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s demonic, Callie. Demons seek to kill, steal, and destroy. They’re agents of destruction. You can’t figure them out.”

  “But the man must have some reason to kill. What is it?”

  “I asked Brodie that same question. He said many times they never find a motive. It could be a deep-seated hatred for all women. Or something happened to him when he was young. But understanding the motive isn’t always possible.” He shook his head. “Our new sheriff repeated the same thing I just told you—that the devil doesn’t make sense.”

  Lizzie’s eyebrows arched. “He said that? Wow, that’s a switch. A sheriff who knows God.”

  Noah nodded. “I think he’s going to be an asset to Kingdom. We could actually end up being friends.”

  “That would certainly be a change over the previous sheriff,” Lizzie said.

  “By the way,” Noah said, “don’t repeat that information about the plastic. The KBI is trying to keep some information quiet.”

  “Well, I won’t be telling anyone,” I said. “It’s not something I want to talk about anyway.”

  “Thanks,” Noah said. “I probably shouldn’t have told you and Lizzie, but I know you can keep a secret. And I’m fairly sure neither one of you is a serial killer.”

  “Thanks, honey,” Lizzie said wryly. “That’s the nicest thing you ever said to me.”

  Noah laughed.

  I straightened my apron. “Well, I think I’m ready to concentrate on the dinner crowd. No more serial killers or demons for me for a while.”

  Lizzie grunted. “I agree. The chili’s simmering, and I’ve got to start getting the steaks ready. Why don’t you go out and see if we have any real customers or if everyone went home after the meeting?”

  I nodded and pushed open the kitchen door. The people who had remained in the restaurant were deep in conversation and didn’t seem the least bit interested in ordering food. After checking with everyone, I went back into the kitchen to help Lizzie prepare for supper. Noah offered to keep an eye on the dining room since we weren’t busy. Lizzie and I spent the next hour preparing that night’s menu items. Neither one of us brought up the murders again. After a while, I started to feel almost normal again. Serial killers and Kingdom didn’t go together, of that much I was certain.

  A little after four, I was bringing a carafe of coffee out to the dining room when Ruby, Elmer and Dorcas Wittenbauer’s niece, walked in the front door. Dorcas’s sister in Arkansas had passed away several months earlier, and Ruby’s father had abandoned her. Lizzie and I worried that Ruby would be mistreated like Sophie, the Wittenbauers’ daughter who had fled Kingdom last summer, had been. Fortunately, Leah, who leads our small Kingdom school, took Ruby under her wing, promising to keep a close eye on her. And Lizzie’s daughter, Charity, had befriended the girl as well. Even though Charity was much younger, the girls seemed to have bonded like sisters. As their pastor, Levi checked in regularly with the Wittenbauers, making certain they knew the church would not take kindly to any abuse. I especially felt drawn to the young girl, trying to reach out to her when I helped Leah at the school. But so far, Ruby wasn’t responding much to anyone except Charity.

  Ruby stood near the door, looking around the room, her expression full of anxiety. I put the carafe on a nearby table and went over to her.

  “If you’re looking for Charity, she’s not here,” I said gently. “She goes to her grandparents’ house after school on Wednesdays.”

  Ruby stared back at me. Her large green eyes held a shadow of fear that tore at my heart. No child should be so afraid. I felt protective of her, and my anger at the Wittenbauers began to bubble.

  “I know she’s not here,” Ruby said softly. “But Uncle Elmer was supposed to pick me up after school, and he never showed up. I tried to wait, but it got too cold.”

  “Ruby, where’s your coat?” I noticed for the first time that she was wearing just a thin dress and an apron. Both too large for her. Probably Sophie’s old clothes. I could see her tremble.

  “Aunt Dorcas said I didn’t need one today.”

  “Take my hand, Ruby,” I said, trying to control my rage. “Let’s get you warmed up. How about some hot chocolate and a piece of pie?” She was so thin I wondered if the Wittenbauers bothered to feed her at all. By the time we reached the kitchen, I was beyond furious.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Lizzie said when she saw me. “What’s wrong?”

  I took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm myself. The last thing I wanted to do was upset the child more than she was. “Elmer forgot to pick Ruby up from school. She’s
been waiting outside all this time—without a coat. I thought maybe a cup of hot chocolate and a piece of pie would help to warm her up.”

  Lizzie pulled out a chair from the small table. “Absolutely. You have a seat here, Ruby.”

  The child looked back and forth between us, as if unsure of our motives.

  “It’s okay, Ruby,” I said softly. “You like pie, don’t you?”

  She nodded and sat down at the table. I was trying desperately not to cry. It wouldn’t help her to see me upset, but at that moment, Mennonite or not, I wanted to thrash Elmer and Dorcas Wittenbauer to within an inch of their lives.

  Lizzie pulled out a large pan and started the hot chocolate. I opened the refrigerator door. “What kind of pie do you like?” I asked Ruby.

  At first I wasn’t sure she was going to answer, but finally she said, “Do you have chocolate?” Her voice was so soft, I almost didn’t hear her.

  I smiled. “There just happens to be an entire chocolate cream pie in here. How about—”

  Before I could finish, the door to the kitchen swung open and a red-faced Elmer Wittenbauer stomped inside, trailing melting snow behind him.

  “What are you doin’ hidin’ in here, girl?” he said loudly when he spotted Ruby. “I been lookin’ all over for you. You get outta here and in the buggy. Now.”

  Lizzie put down the spoon she was stirring the chocolate with and started to say something. But before she had a chance, the anger inside me boiled over. I slammed the door to the refrigerator and went over to Elmer, grabbing his arm.

  “I’d like to speak to you, Brother Wittenbauer,” I said between clenched teeth. “Will you please step outside a moment?” Before he had a chance to argue, I pulled him out the door and into the small hall that led to the dining room. No small feat, since he was huge, and I didn’t even tip the scales at one hundred pounds.

  “How dare you manhandle me,” he sputtered. “I will make sure your ungodly behavior is reported to the elders. If you think—”

  “Now you listen to me, Elmer Wittenbauer,” I said, trying to keep my voice low enough so as not to garner attention from our customers, “you are not going to haul that girl out of here right now. She’s having pie and hot chocolate. What you will do is sit down out here until she’s ready to go.”

  Elmer pulled his fat arm out of my grasp. “Look here, little girl, you ain’t gonna tell me nothin’. I’ll take what’s mine now and ain’t no one gonna stop me. ’Specially you. Yes sir, the elders is gonna get an earful.” His greasy smile sent a shiver running through me. “Your boyfriend won’t be marryin’ you if he wants to stay pastor.”

  He started to move toward the kitchen door, but I stepped in front of him. My body shook so hard I felt as if I might fall down.

  “You’re not going to say anything to anybody,” I choked out. “Because if you do, I’ll make sure the elders know about the way you’ve been treating that child.” I stuck my small face up as close to his round one as I could. His expression told me I’d hit my mark. “I’m not stupid, Elmer. This is your last chance. If I see even one sign that you’ve been mistreating Ruby, I’m going to make sure you lose any help the church is giving you and Dorcas. And one more thing”—I stuck my finger just inches from his nose—“I’m going to be watching you. Closely. If that child isn’t picked up on time from school, if I see her out in cold weather without a coat, or if I see one thing that concerns me, you will be hauled before Levi and the elders for discipline. And don’t think for one moment I can’t make that happen. They’re going to believe me a lot sooner than they’ll trust a word that comes out of your mouth.” I glared at him. Whatever he saw in my face made the blood drain from his. “Do you totally and completely understand me?”

  Elmer didn’t say anything, just nodded.

  “You go sit down at a table and be quiet. Ruby will come out when she’s good and ready. Then you’ll take her home, and things will be different. Or else.”

  I whirled around and ran right into Lizzie, who stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. She stared at Elmer, who seemed transfixed by what had just happened. She quickly pulled the door closed behind her.

  “You heard Callie,” Lizzie said firmly. “Now get going.”

  Elmer scampered off like his britches were on fire. Lizzie grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me a couple of times. “Callie!” The expression on her face frightened me.

  I twisted away from her. “I’m okay. Let me go.” My voice trembled like an old woman’s, and I felt faint. Lizzie put her arm around my shoulders. This time I didn’t pull away.

  “Are you okay?” she asked quietly. “I-I’ve never seen you act like that before.” She gazed into my eyes. “You don’t look well. I think you need to sit down.”

  “Wait a minute,” I said. “I can’t go in there right now. I’m too upset.” I was surprised to feel tears running down my cheeks. “I . . . I don’t know what came over me.”

  Lizzie hugged me. “I think I do, but we’ll talk about it later. When you’re not so upset.” She took my chin in her hand. “You put the fear of God into old Elmer. He’ll think twice about how he treats Ruby from now on.”

  I wasn’t proud of how I’d acted, but I felt confident my tirade would help the child. Abusing Ruby could cause the Wittenbauers serious trouble with the church. They were dependent on the congregation’s assistance. Financial help had increased since Ruby had come to live with them. If the church decided to discipline them, all that free food and monetary aid would disappear. For Elmer and Dorcas anyway. They might actually have to work, and that was something they dreaded more than anything else. I hoped Lizzie was right, that they would change their ways, but I wasn’t confident that would happen. More than anything, I wanted to see Ruby in a home where she would be loved and cherished.

  I wiped my face with my apron. “I’m all right now, Lizzie. Thank you.” I smiled at her. “I have an extra cloak upstairs in my closet that I think would fit Ruby. Will you watch her while I fetch it?”

  Lizzie nodded. “Go get it. But for pity’s sake, please don’t say anything else to Elmer for a while. I thought he was going to have a heart attack right here in the restaurant.”

  Even though I was appalled by my loss of control, the look on Lizzie’s face made me giggle. Lizzie joined in and we cackled like two old hens.

  “I have no idea what I’m laughing about,” I said, once I regained my composure. “That was hardly ladylike behavior. My father would have been horrified by that ungracious display of temper.”

  Lizzie looked at me oddly. “Well, maybe he would have been, Callie, but I’m not. I’m proud of you. You stood up to Elmer, and you did it for a child who couldn’t defend herself.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I’m very, very proud of you,” she said again.

  My face grew warm with embarrassment, but down deep inside, I was tickled by Lizzie’s praise.

  “I-I’d better get going.”

  “Okay. I’ll get some food inside Ruby before we send her out in the cold again. I think a nice bowl of chili would help. Looking at Elmer and Dorcas, I can see where most of the food the church gives them is going. Ruby certainly isn’t getting enough.” Lizzie got a look on her face I’d seen before. “I know she’s being fed at school because I take food over there every day. Maybe I can come up with a way to do a little more.”

  I turned to go, a smile on my face. Ruby wouldn’t need to worry about food from this day forward. Lizzie would see to that.

  As I made my way into the dining room, I noticed Elmer sitting at a table, talking to John Lapp. When Elmer saw me, his face went slack and he clamped his mouth shut. John looked my way, a scowl on his thin face. I ignored them both and hurried up the stairs. Going through my closet, I found both my cloaks. I took out the nicest one and grabbed a couple of warm dresses as well. For once, being small was helpful, although realizing I was the same size as a fourteen-year-old girl didn’t make me feel very mature. I’d also noticed
that Ruby’s shoes were coming apart and not appropriate for winter. I took a pair of black lace-up boots from my closet and added them to the other clothes.

  The entire time, my body continued to tremble, as if it had a mind of its own. I’d never lost my temper before the way I’d just done with Elmer. I had concerns about Ruby, but so did Lizzie, and she hadn’t seen fit to verbally assault anyone.

  After praying for God’s forgiveness and asking for His help, I tried to compose myself by breathing deeply and repeating the Scripture verse about the peace of God that passes understanding. Little by little, I felt the calming influence of God’s Spirit wash through me.

  Once I was ready, I headed downstairs. I could only hope that news of my insolence wouldn’t get back to Levi. What would he think? How could I possibly be the wife of a pastor if I acted so unpleasantly toward a member of our church?

  When I reached the dining room, I refused to look at Elmer and Brother Lapp, keeping my eyes trained straight ahead. In the kitchen I found Noah, Lizzie, and Ruby all together. Lizzie stood at the stove, and Noah sat at the table with Ruby, who welcomed me with a big smile on her face.

  “This is the best chili I ever tasted,” she said. “Mama used to make chili, but it wasn’t nearly this good.”

  “Lizzie’s a great cook,” I said. “She makes lots of wonderful things.”

  Ruby gazed around the kitchen as if it were the most wonderful place she’d ever seen. “I wish I could cook. Good food makes people so . . . happy.”

  Lizzie cleared her throat, obviously moved by Ruby’s statement. “We’ve been talking,” she said, looking over at me, “and Ruby will be coming here after school from now on. Elmer will pick her up after supper. She and Charity can work on their homework together until it’s time to eat.”

  “Except on Wednesdays,” Ruby said, “’cause Charity goes to her grandparents’ house. Then I get to study with you.”

  “I didn’t think you’d mind if I volunteered you,” Lizzie said with a smile. “Noah and I will take care of the dining room until five. It’s not very busy in the afternoons anyway.”