by Amy Lillard
“What if the person driving the car was Englisch and didn’t want to stop because they were in a hurry?”
“What if they have something against Sally June?” Edie countered.
“She was one of the kindest people I know.”
“Maybe she got in their way?”
“Maybe she was simply driving,” Kappy returned.
“And this was all an accident?” Edie asked. “Then why did the person leave?”
“Because they were scared. Or mean-hearted.”
“Or maybe they were just trying to get rid of their competition.”
“The pickles?” Kappy guessed. “Are we back to that again?”
Edie shrugged as if to say, “Of course.” “It’s possible that someone wants to topple the Eshes’ monopoly on the church pickle market.”
“There’s only one person—”
Edie nodded.
The pickle lady. Bettie Hershberger.
* * *
“What do we do?” Kappy asked Edie an hour and a half later.
They had dropped Jimmy back at the Peachey household with instructions to not leave the house or open the door for anyone. They would return as soon as possible.
“We could have brought him with us, you know,” Kappy said.
Edie shook her head. “I don’t want him thinking that Blue Sky isn’t safe.”
“But yet, you’ll take him to live in the city.”
Edie’s expression turned contrite. “I never said that.”
She didn’t have to, but Kappy kept the observation to herself. “Do you really think he’s going to stay in the house the entire time we’re gone?”
“What am I supposed to do? It’s not like he has a phone where he can call if he needs me.”
“He has his alert necklace.”
Edie mumbled something incoherent and looked out at the passing landscape.
“What was that?”
“I don’t know why we had to bring the buggy again,” Edie said. This time Kappy was able to clearly hear her words, but she had a strong suspicion that it was not a repeat.
“When in Rome and all that,” Kappy said.
“When have you ever been in Rome?” Edie asked.
“It’s an expression.”
“I know that. What I don’t understand is why you know I’m worried about my brother being at home by himself and yet you want to take our slowest means of transportation.”
“If we’re going to visit with the Hershbergers about the pickles and maybe take a look around their place, don’t you think we should at least show up in the proper conveyance?”
“Conveyance?”
“It’s a word.”
“I know it’s a word. Just how did it get added to your vocabulary?”
Kappy felt heat rise into her cheeks. “I read, you know.”
“That’s right,” Edie said. “Sherlock Holmes.”
Kappy sniffed. “What’s wrong with Sherlock Holmes?”
“Well, it explains a lot.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
Kappy turned the buggy down the lane toward the Hershbergers’ house. It was somewhere between the cemetery and Mose Peachey’s bait shop.
A rusty-colored dog and a couple of his friends barked out a greeting as Kappy climbed down from the buggy. Edie followed suit, and a few moments later the back door opened. Silas stepped into view.
The dogs stopped their barking and approached them with wagging tails the moment Silas appeared. He scratched one behind the ear as he made his way toward Kappy and Edie.
“Kappy.” He greeted her with a smile. He gave Edie a cursory nod, then turned his attention back to Kappy. “What brings you out today?”
She couldn’t very well say pickles. She mentally scrambled around, trying to remember the exact reason they had come up with for this impromptu visit. Edie elbowed her in the ribs to jumpstart her memory. “I heard that your . . . mamm was making birdhouses. We thought we could come take a look at them.”
Silas’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “She’s been making them for a couple of years now.”
Kappy willed herself not to color at his words and gave a small shrug. “This is the first time I’ve been able to get by here.”
Whereas Minnie Peight made standard birdhouses with clean lines and new paint, Silas’s mother, Madeline, made decorative ones, odd-shaped birdhouses fashioned out of recycled wood scraps and rescued tin. And yes, she had been making them for a couple of years. Kappy had just never thought about coming to look at one until now. No, it wasn’t the primary reason for her visit, but it was the best excuse she could come up with. She couldn’t very well say, I came to see if your aunt is running a covert pickle sting operation, now could she?
“This way,” Silas said, stepping around them. “They’re in the barn.”
Kappy had to admit the birdhouses were about the cutest thing she had ever seen. Well, if she were into that sort of thing.
She walked around the couple of tables Madeline had set up. She started in one direction, Edie in the other. Kappy trailed her fingers lightly over the birdhouse roofs as she passed. They came in a variety of colors, and all of them looked as if one good wind would take the paint right off them. Kappy wasn’t sure if Madeline purposefully used peeling paint or if she had been lucky to be somewhere when they were tearing down an old house. Seeing as how the birdhouses were painted in a variety of colors, she had a feeling the old-looking paint was new. Strange. She had never seen anything like it. Well, nothing like it that was new. She saw peeling paint on her house every day.
“Does this one come in blue?” Edie asked. She held up a birdhouse of medium size, bigger than a shoe box, smaller than a bread box.
Silas stared at her for a moment.
Edie frowned. “Sorry.” She turned to Kappy. “Will you ask him if he has this one in blue?”
“Why can’t you ask me yourself?”
“I just did.”
He blew out a quick breath. “Sorry. You took me by surprise is all.”
“How’s that?” Edie asked.
“You’re Edith Peachey.”
“I am.” She tilted her head to one side. “Silas Hershberger! I remember you. How are you?”
He nodded. “Good. Good.”
“You two know each other? What am I saying? Everyone around here knows each other.” But Kappy hadn’t expected it. She had mentioned Silas to Edie before. Perhaps her friend just hadn’t made the connection.
Silas flashed her a quick smile. “Let me check upstairs for that house. Mamm keeps extra stock in the hayloft.” He moved farther into the barn, leaving Edie staring after him.
“Edith Peachey. I never would have thought . . .” he muttered as he left them.
“He likes you,” Edie said with a grin.
Kappy whirled toward her. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“I know what I think I heard, but he doesn’t like me. Seems more like he likes you.” Kappy tried to keep the grumble from her voice. She didn’t succeed. So she flashed Edie a quick smile to soften her words. What was wrong with her today?
“Oh, we go way back.”
“Jah?”
Edie nodded. “We were in the same youth group before I left. But we were only friends, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not thinking anything.”
“Yeah, you are, but don’t worry. He’s only interested in you, and you should use it to our advantage. That’s our ticket in.”
“Pee-shaw.”
“Shhh.” Edie turned away just as Silas came back carrying the requested item.
“Here ya go.”
Edie took it from him. “How much?”
He quoted the price as Edie fished into her wallet to count out the cash. She held it out toward him. He didn’t hesitate before accepting the money from her.
“Well, that’s refreshing,” Edie commented.
“What?” Silas looked from one of them to the other as if trying to get the thread of a conversation he had entered in the middle.
Kappy shook her head. “Don’t pay her any mind. She’s lamenting her Bann status.”
“You’re one of the few people in Blue Sky who will actually talk to me directly.”
Silas smiled and Kappy realized how that small action made her stomach feel light. Or maybe she was coming down with something.
“And thanks for getting me a blue one. Blue’s my favorite color. I always wanted a blue car.”
“You should get one, then.” Silas smiled in that friendly way he had. But otherwise he didn’t show one shred of emotion over the thought of a blue car.
“I heard your aunt moved up from Lancaster,” Edie continued.
Kappy gave a start at Edie’s words. Way to step in there. She certainly hadn’t been paying attention to their mission.
“Jah, it’s been interesting since she moved back.”
“Really?” Edie asked. “I would think your dat would be glad to have her so near.”
“That’s true.” He leaned in close, as if someone were listening in and he didn’t want them to hear. “It’s the rest of us who are suffering.” His dimples took the sting from his words, and Kappy’s stomach did that funny little flip again. Seriously. What was wrong with her?
“I’m sure it’ll settle down soon enough,” Edie added.
“I hope so. The entire house smells like vinegar.”
“Vinegar?”
Kappy had to hand it to Edie. Her performance was enough to win the most prestigious Englisch acting award.
“It’s the pickles,” he admitted. “She hates the white pickles and is determined to change everyone’s mind about them.”
Edie laughed prettily and twisted a strand of her hair around one finger. For some reason the action made Kappy want to stand in front of her until she stopped. What was she doing anyway?
“Change everyone’s mind, huh? How does she propose to do that?”
“Just between me and the two of you, she’s too intense about all this pickle stuff. I keep reminding myself that she was uprooted and needs a little time to settle in but . . .” He shook his head. “Anyway. What were you asking?”
“How is she planning to change everyone from white pickles to the green variety?” Kappy asked.
“I’m not exactly sure.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully, and Kappy tried to visualize what he would look like with a beard. As a widower, Hiram already had one, but Silas wouldn’t grow his until after he married. What a thrill it would be to know that he’d grown a beard all because of her.
“She has been going around talking about supply and demand, flooding the market, and things like that. She’s trying to talk the stores into selling her pickles.”
“You can lead a horse to water,” Edie quipped.
“Exactly.” Silas snapped his fingers. “But I guess it’s giving her life new purpose. And that’s important.”
“Amen,” Kappy said.
“I guess we should be going,” Edie said. “I have to take Jimmy to work.”
“I’m glad you stopped by today,” Silas said.
Edie smiled. “Me too.”
“Come back anytime.”
They made their way back to the buggy. Somehow Kappy was able to keep her emotions at bay until she had climbed into the carriage and turned it around.
Silas waved to them as they pulled down the drive.
“Can you believe that?” Kappy asked.
Edie shook her head and twisted around to look out the back window. “Nope. He’s way cuter than I remember.”
Chapter 10
Kappy pretended not to fume all the way back home. And Edie chatted incessantly the entire time. So hopefully, she didn’t notice Kappy’s silence. Kappy couldn’t say exactly what was wrong, but she knew part of it had to do with Edie’s indecision on whether to stay in Blue Sky or leave. Then she wanted to come flirt with an Amish man! What did she think? He was going to jump the fence for her?
“Kappy.” Edie bumped against her arm, bringing her back from her thoughts. She had a feeling this wasn’t the first time Edie had spoken her name.
“Jah?”
“Do you want to go with me to take Jimmy to work? Maybe we can stop by a few of those houses around the site of the accident.”
“Jah, sure. Whatever you want.” She turned her attention to the front and pretended to study the road.
“Why do I feel something’s not right with you?”
“Why would something be wrong?”
Edie shook her head. “Not really wrong, but off . . .”
“Everything’s fine.”
“Sin to lie,” Edie reminded her in a singsong voice.
“I’m not lying.”
“You’re jealous,” Edie said in awe.
“I am not.”
“Then what is it?”
Kappy shook her head and pulled the buggy onto School Yard Road. “It’s dumb.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t want to say.”
“Tell me or . . . well, I don’t know an ‘or,’ but when I think of one you won’t like it.”
“Ever since you got back you’ve had a problem getting people to talk to you, then Silas practically falls at your feet.”
“You are jealous.”
Kappy pulled into her driveway and stopped the mare. “No. Really. It’s not that at all. It’s just . . .” How did she say it? “You’ve been gone for years and now you’re back. You keep talking about leaving, and yet Silas accepts you for who you are. How can you flirt with him like that if you’re still thinking about leaving?”
“Flirt? You think I was flirting with him?”
“Jah.”
Edie threw back her head and laughed. “I wasn’t flirting with him.”
Kappy felt like a balloon that had been deflated with a pin. “You weren’t? Okay. Good.”
“Didn’t I say that I thought he liked you?” Edie asked.
Kappy shook her head. “He doesn’t like me.”
Edie bumped shoulders with her, the grin on her face stretching clear across. “You keep telling yourself that. But remember this conversation when he comes courting.”
He wasn’t coming courting. She had been lucky that Hiram had been interested in her and it was more than obvious when she broke it off with him that her chances of ever marrying were down to zero to nil. To even imagine Silas would want to spend time with her was more than she could handle.
“Are you going with me to take Jimmy?”
“Can we take the buggy?”
“No.”
Kappy sighed. “Okay. I’ll come anyway.”
* * *
They dropped Jimmy off at the bait shop and headed back down the road. “Do you want to stop by Silas’s again?” Edie asked.
“You want to run by the police station and talk to Jack Jones?”
“Touché.”
“What?”
“Never mind.” She cast a quick look at Kappy. “Where to first?”
“Lorna Betz’s.” Kappy braced one hand against the roof of the car and they were off.
“You really think Lorna saw something?” Edie asked.
“We won’t know unless we ask her.”
“True dat.”
Kappy rolled her eyes and held on for the duration of the trip.
Lorna’s house was halfway between Minnie’s house and the road. The spot where it sat was flat and had a practically unobstructed view of the scene of the accident. Whether anyone there knew anything useful remained to be seen.
Edie parked in the driveway of the mid-sized brick house and they got out. There was a truck in the drive, a bicycle under the carport, and the sound of singing coming from the backyard.
“Should we go back?” Edie asked.
“Of course.” Together they made their way around the cute little house.
Lorna Betz stood
at the clothesline, the items she had already hung flapping in the light breeze.
“Lorna?” Kappy called.
The woman peeked her round face between the sheets, her cheeks going rosy in recognition. “Kappy King, is that you?”
Kappy nodded.
“My goodness.” Lorna dropped her bag of clothespins on top of the basket of clean laundry and made her way through the hanging wash to greet Kappy.
From a distance, Lorna Betz appeared no more than forty, but when she got closer a person could tell from the wisdom in her eyes that she had more years on her than that. “What brings you out today?”
Kappy gave a half-shrug. “Did you hear what happened to Sally June Esh?”
Lorna pressed her lips together and shook her head sadly. “Such a terrible tragedy. Are they having a benefit for her family?”
Kappy nodded and pulled a flyer from the hidden pocket of her apron. She unfolded it and handed it to Lorna.
“Where did you get that?” Edie asked.
“I picked it up when we were at Sundries and Sweets.”
Lorna scanned the page, then lifted her gaze to stare at Edie. “Edith Peachey? Is that you?”
Edie smiled, but Kappy could tell that it was a bit strained. “In the flesh.”
“I thought I heard somewhere that you were back. So sorry to hear about your mamm.”
“Thank you,” Edie murmured.
“Speaking of Sally June,” Kappy said, trying her best to steer the conversation back to the topic they needed to discuss. “I can’t believe that happened so close to your house.”
The three of them stared out over the field toward the road. Thankfully, the Betzes’ corn was planted behind the house, and they had a clear view of the place where the buggy had been forced off the road.
A chill shivered down Kappy’s spine. She could still see the gouges in the grassy roadside, an ominous reminder of what had taken place. But why? Why had someone hurt young Sally June Esh?
“It was close, all right. I guess it would have been really scary if I had been home.” Even on a still day the sound could have been easily heard at the Betzes’ place.
“You weren’t home?”
“I had gone over to my sister’s house to help her get ready for market day.”
Every Wednesday there was a huge outdoor market in neighboring Belleview. Lorna’s sister, Liz, was well known for her organic vegetables.
