by Beth Wiseman
Following a restless night, Annie met her mother in the kitchen the next morning. “Mamm, let me clean the kitchen while you rest.” She’d noticed the bags under her mother’s eyes and how much she’d slowed down since she found out she was pregnant. The doctor said Mamm was four months along and that everything was going well.
“Nee, nee. It will go faster with two of us.” Her mother filled the sink with soapy water while Annie cleared the table. “Did you talk to Jacob yesterday? Did he arrive in Pittsburgh all right? I’m glad he decided not to go very far.” Mamm shook her head. “I don’t understand that lad.”
Me either. “Ya, he got there in the evening, and an Englisch stranger helped him get a hotel room, a really fancy room.”
“I don’t agree with Jacob’s choices.” Mamm turned the water off and took a stack of plates from Annie, submerging them in the bubbles. “Hopefully he will get all this silliness out of his head and come back here. But”—she turned to Annie—“there are other fish in the sea, as the Englisch folks say.”
“I don’t want another fish.” Annie pulled a dish towel from the drawer. “I want Jacob to get back to normal. He’s been so depressed.” Until last night.
“I’ve wondered about Jacob over the years. Even when he was a little boy, he always had a book in his hand, and he talked about things that seemed well beyond his years. I know his mudder always worried that he might leave here someday.”
“I think it’s just something he needs to get out of his system. I hope so, anyway.” Annie pictured Jacob in his fancy hotel room, probably watching television, enjoying the electricity, and eating free food. “Where did Daniel go? He said he didn’t have any work for today, but I saw him leave in his buggy after breakfast.”
“He went to check on Charlotte’s little house. He said someone has been going in and out.”
“Oh no. Breaking in? Is anything damaged?”
Annie dried a plate and set it on the counter, taking another dish from her mother.
“Daniel said there’s no vandalism. He thinks someone is staying there at night, though.”
Annie frowned. “Who would do that?”
Her mother shrugged. “I don’t know. He doesn’t know either.” She paused, holding a spatula in her hand. “He talks to Charlotte a lot. I can’t decide how I feel about that.”
“I think it’s wonderful.” Annie smiled. “I wish they’d start dating.”
Mamm huffed. “What? She’s not Amish. How can you say that? You do remember she was only pretending to be Amish while she was here last year. That girl told a lot of lies. I know she was very gut to Lena during her chemo treatments, and she was also gut to you and Jacob, but I’m not sure I’d choose her for Daniel. I wish her the best.” Mamm glanced at Annie. “But you should get that notion out of your head.”
Annie carried a stack of plates to the other end of the counter and opened the cabinet. “Charlotte is wonderful, Mamm. I’d love to have her as my sister-in-law. She understands our ways, respects them, and she’s really smart. And pretty.”
“Please don’t encourage your bruder in that direction. I need at least one of mei kinner to choose wisely.” Mamm grinned.
“Jacob will come around. I know he will.” And that’s what Annie planned to keep telling herself.
Sixteen
Daniel was glad to find the door locked at Charlotte’s house. He pulled the key from his pocket and opened it. He scanned the living room and then walked to the kitchen. Everything was in place. But when he went into the bedroom, he saw a can of Dr Pepper, some gum wrappers, and a couple of needles on the floor. Definitely not insulin needles.
Their people avoided calling the law unless absolutely necessary, but he suspected that whoever was coming in and out might be an unsavory character. Maybe the intruder was a runaway whose frantic parents were somewhere worrying. Whoever it was, they were entering private property without permission.
He rechecked the windows. All locked. He looked out back but saw no trash or anything out of the ordinary. After walking back into the house, he went to the bedroom again and took another look around. He decided to leave everything where it was on the floor. Maybe instead of calling the police, he should come back at night. He wasn’t sure how he’d be able to sneak up to the place without whoever was inside seeing him. He hesitated, not wanting the real estate company to show the house with needles on the floor. He decided to carefully get rid of the needles but leave the gum wrappers and soda can. Maybe whoever was coming in and out wouldn’t notice what was or wasn’t left behind.
After disposing of the needles, he locked the door, then walked across the yard toward his buggy. He noticed the flower beds void of any spring growth, weeds sprouting instead. He should ask Annie to come plant some flowers here to spruce things up a bit. Annie cared for Charlotte, and it might help to sell the house. But he tossed the thought, not really wanting Annie coming here if someone was sneaking in at night. It was best that Annie not take any chances.
Jacob was sure he’d just had the best sleep of his life, despite his circumstances. Maybe it was the squishy mattress, satin sheets, and Jacuzzi. He smiled as he dove into a huge breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and biscuits.
He needed to start looking for a job, but surely no one could fault him for taking a day to settle in. Clicking on the television with the remote control, he thought about Annie. She would likely say this room was way too fancy, that the food wasn’t nearly as good as at home, and that this was all luxury that they didn’t need. But he was pretty sure that Annie would watch the TV.
He jumped when there was a knock at the door and quickly set the tray of food aside. He slipped into his black slacks and threw on his shirt, buttoning it on the way to the door as his bare feet hurried across the plush beige carpet. The same man from the night before was on the other side of the threshold, the man responsible for all of Daniel’s good fortune. “Hello, Big Rabbit,” he said. “Danki for all you’ve done for me.” He stepped aside so the man could come in. “Excuse my untidiness,” he added, nodding to the tray of food on the bed, socks and shoes on the floor, and newspaper spread out at the foot of the bed.
The man smiled. “No worries.” Then he chuckled. “And Big Rabbit is not my name, merely a code for my guests to use when they check in.” He extended his hand to Daniel. “My name is Liam Stone.”
Jacob shook the man’s hand. “I’m Jacob King.”
“Did you sleep well, Jacob? Is there anything you need?” The man was shorter than Jacob, and he wasn’t dressed in black today. Instead, he wore gray slacks and a pink short-sleeved shirt with fancy gray loafers. In the light of day, he was able to see him better, and his short dark hair was sprinkled with more gray than Jacob had noticed the night before. More wrinkles too. But he had a friendly face when he smiled and bright white teeth.
“I slept real gut,” Jacob said, wondering if he’d have enough money to buy clothes like Liam was wearing. He needed to work harder to sound like an Englisch person too.
“Are you running away from home, Jacob King?” The man smiled a little as he raised one eyebrow.
“Nee, nee. No, sir. I’m not running away. My family knows that I’m in Pittsburgh. This is my time as a teenager to try out the Englisch world, I guess you could say.”
“And might I ask how old you are?”
“I’ll be eighteen in three months.”
The man walked to the end of the bed and picked up a section of the newspaper. “You are searching for work?” The man held up the classifieds.
“Ya. I mean yes. Yes, I’m looking for a job.”
“And what is an almost-eighteen-year-old Amish lad qualified to do?”
Jacob detected a tiny bit of sarcasm, but this man had been mighty good to him so far. “Not much of anything, I’m afraid. I’ve spent my life farming. I’m pretty good at building furniture. And I know how to operate a cash register. I’m real gut at math. And I read a lot.”
Jacob avoided the man’s eyes as he felt his face get warm. “Ya . . . I mean yes. But I kept up with my studies after that. I’ve read hundreds of books, and I know how to do calculus.”
“Well, well,” the man said, smiling again. “Impressive.” He rubbed his clean-shaven chin. “Perhaps we can talk job opportunities.”
Thank You, God, for these abundant blessings. “That would be great.”
Friday night, Daniel held his cell phone in his hand with Charlotte’s number in view. He was trying to decide whether or not to call her—knowing it would only stir up trouble—when someone knocked on his bedroom door.
“It’s me. Can I come in?” Annie said before she opened the door a little bit, then waited.
“Looks like you’re coming in anyway,” Daniel said, putting the phone on the nightstand.
Annie walked in dressed in her nightgown and robe. “Sorry. I know it’s late, but I figured you’d be up.” She grinned. “Talking to Charlotte on the phone.”
“What are you getting at, Annie?” Daniel crossed his ankles. Annie sat down in the chair against the far wall. Daniel yawned, knowing if he was going to call Charlotte, it would have to be soon.
Annie batted her eyelashes, shrugging. “I’m not getting at anything. I think it’s great that the two of you are friends.” She pushed her long hair over her shoulders. “Do you think you’ll become more than friends?”
“I don’t think this is a conversation you and I should be having.”
“Why not? I’m your sister. I’m grown up. I’m seventeen.”
Daniel twisted his mouth into a half smile. “Whatever you say. How’s Jacob?” Best to get this conversation going in another direction. Daniel figured that’s why Annie was still up this late anyway.
Annie sat taller and lifted her chin. “Jacob is in a fancy hotel living the lavish lifestyle of the Englisch, filled with waste and extravagance, and I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“Where’d you learn a word like extravagance?” Daniel held up a hand. “Never mind. Jacob, I’m sure. And I doubt Jacob has enough money to be spending it on a fancy hotel. He’ll be back before you know it, when he runs out of money.”
Annie shook her head. “Nee, he is staying in this hotel for free. And he’s eating for free too.” She filled him in on the recent events. “Jacob thinks the man is an angel or something. As of earlier today, the man had even offered Jacob a job. He didn’t share details with me, but . . .” She sighed. “Jacob is embracing that lifestyle.”
“That’s what he did in Houston, too, but it didn’t take him long to tire of it, and he’ll tire of it again.” Daniel yawned. “Maybe he’ll grow up now.”
“You used to love Jacob.” Annie’s bottom lip turned under, and Daniel reminded himself of how much Annie had been through lately.
“I still love Jacob. But he needs to grow up, and until he does, I’m not sure he’s the best man for you, Annie. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I was really worried about him, Daniel. When we met and talked at the coffee shop the night before last, he was a mess. He’d been crying most of the day. And he broke down with me at the creek before that. It scared me. It made me think about . . .” She lowered her head, then lifted her eyes to his. “It made me think about Ethan.”
“Do you think Jacob is suicidal?” Daniel wished he didn’t even have to ask the question, but after Ethan’s death, they all became concerned when someone was overly depressed.
“I never would have, until I saw how upset he was that night. Jacob gets really, really happy, but then he can get really, really sad. His moods go back and forth.”
“I know you’re worried about him,” Daniel said softly. “Try to get some sleep. God is watching over him.”
“That’s what Jacob keeps saying, but I have a weird feeling. Something just isn’t right.”
Annie hugged him good night and kissed him on the cheek before she headed to her bedroom. Daniel lay in bed for a few minutes before he called Charlotte. Thankfully, he had a purpose for the call.
“How’s Jacob?” she asked after she answered. “Has Annie talked to him?”
“Annie was just in my room. She’s worried about him.” Daniel told Charlotte about Jacob’s adventures since his arrival in Pittsburgh two days ago.
“Daniel, that doesn’t sound good,” she said. “I agree with Annie. Something isn’t right.”
“Sometimes people just do nice things for other people. The man sounds very wealthy, and he saw an Amish kid getting ready to check into a run-down motel. He did a gut deed.”
“Maybe.”
“What worries me, though, is that Annie told me how depressed Jacob has been, how it made her think about Ethan.”
Charlotte didn’t say anything.
Daniel leaned his head back against his pillow, closed his eyes, and sighed. “Listen, I found some other things at the house. I didn’t mention them before because I didn’t want you to worry more than you already are.”
“Like what?” Charlotte sounded like she’d come to attention.
“When I told you about the chicken box and toilet paper, I found some other things in the trash outside, the stuff that got scattered by some critter.”
“What did you find?” More urgency in her voice. “Tell me.”
“Some needles, not the kind diabetics use. I briefly thought about Jacob. There was this day he looked a little drunk. I’d mentioned it to Hannah. But I don’t see Jacob doing anything like that. I think a better explanation is that a homeless person is sleeping there, a young person, I think. There were a bunch of gum wrappers and soda cans—Dr Pepper. And someone likes to doodle. I found scraps of paper with stars drawn all over them. The first time, I packed it all up and took it out. But today when I checked on the place, there was more of the same stuff. And that’s odd. You’d think whoever was going in and out would realize they’d been caught when the things they’d left there were gone.”
Daniel waited for Charlotte to respond. “You still there?”
“Yes. I’m just thinking.”
“You’re worried it’s a young person, a runaway or something?”
He waited, but she remained quiet.
“What are you thinking?”
“Daniel . . .” Her voice was meek and shaky. “What kind of gum?”
He felt lost. “What does it matter what kind of gum?”
“What kind of gum?” she asked a little louder, but still with a tremble in her voice.
“Uh . . .” He tried to remember. “Juicy Fruit or something to do with fruit.”
“Was it Fruit Stripe?” she asked, whimpering slightly.
Daniel tried to remember. “It might have been. The packaging had striped colors. Why? Please tell me what’s wrong.”
“I think I know who is going in my house, Ethan’s house.”
Daniel stopped breathing. “Who?”
Charlotte was already pulling her jeans on. “I’m going over there, to the house.”
“Tonight?”
If her suspicions were on target, she wouldn’t be able to sleep. “Yes.”
“Well, come pick me up. I’m not letting you go over there by yourself.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “Charlotte, did you hear me? You can’t over there by yourself.”
“Okay.” She was too nervous to argue with him and not thrilled about going by herself anyway. And touched that he was worried.
After she pulled her shirt over her head and found her flip-flops, she moved toward the door as quietly as she could, although not much woke up Hannah lately. Her friend had taken to wearing earplugs. Hannah said she’d worn them in the past when she had trouble sleeping, but Charlotte suspected it might be the clickety-click of the keyboard on Charlotte’s computer at night. Or maybe I snore?
For now, Charlotte’s challenge would be to get out of the house without Buddy barking. She still couldn’t bel
ieve the way Buddy and Amos had taken to each other.
She scribbled a note about where she was going and left it on the kitchen table, even though she hoped to be back way before everyone was up. Once she’d made a clean getaway, she cranked up the old truck. Please don’t wake up, Buddy.
By the time she pulled up to Daniel’s house, she’d bitten two of her nails down to the quick, something she hadn’t done since she was a kid.
He was outside when she pulled up and was in the truck within a few seconds. He put his hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”
Charlotte threw caution to the wind and leaned into his arms, sure she’d never needed a hug more than now. Maybe in the darkness he wouldn’t see the circles under her eyes or notice how pale she was. He held her tightly and smoothed her hair with his hand, the way a loving mother soothes a child.
Charlotte stayed in the comfort of his arms. “I’m scared,” was all she managed to choke out.
“Everything is going to be okay,” he whispered. “And I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Do you hear me?” He eased her away just as a tear slipped down her cheek. Brushing it away, he kissed her on the forehead. “You’re okay, ya?”
She definitely wasn’t okay, but she nodded, took a deep breath, and put the truck in reverse, then slammed right into the barn. “No, no, no.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m so sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t see it. I’m sorry!” She was yelling and crying at the same time.
Daniel’s mouth hung open for a few seconds, his eyes wide. Then he calmly spoke. “Charlotte, it’s just a barn. It’s okay.” Frowning, he said, “Do you want me to drive since you’re so upset?”
In spite of the circumstances, she chuckled. “You’ve asked me that before, and I’m pretty sure you said you don’t know how to drive.”
He smiled, and Charlotte wished she could stay with him in the truck forever. “How hard can it be?” he asked.
They needed the light moment. She laughed a little, swiped at her tears, and got out to check the damage. Daniel did too. The barn was fine, and another dent or scratch on the truck would have gone unnoticed. They got resituated, and Charlotte headed down the driveway. A few minutes later, she turned right, toward the place Ethan used to call home. They were almost there when Charlotte pulled to the side of the road, trembling. Two buggies passed them, unusual for this time of night, but not unheard of. All the buggies were required to have headlights to drive in the dark. “I just need a minute,” she said as she reminded herself to breathe, gulping in air as if there was a shortage.
