by Nancy Mehl
“Could you repeat that?”
I slapped him lightly on the arm with my free hand. “Seriously, what are you suggesting?”
“That we simply tell people we’ve heard some interesting things about Glick and we’re curious about him.”
“And if someone asks what we’ve heard?”
He smiled angelically. “We say we can’t tell them. That’s the truth.”
I let go of his hand and pushed myself back against the truck door. “You know, that may actually be a rather brilliant idea. People who have nothing to hide will probably accept it as simple curiosity. But someone who had something to do with his death will see us as a ... as a...”
“I think the word you’re searching for is ‘threat.’” Sam rubbed his hand over his face. “Suddenly my brilliant idea doesn’t seem so brilliant.”
“Nonsense. We don’t have a lot of time, and we need to flush out the truth. This could do it.” I grinned at him. “Besides, no one is going to try to hurt us as long as we’re together. You’re a rather intimidating fellow, you know.”
He snorted. “Sure. I can lug around baskets of fruit with the best of them. If it comes down to that...”
“Listen. I think it’s evident that whoever killed Glick did it out of anger. We’re not hunting a serial killer. Sure, someone is trying to keep me quiet, but so far, all they’ve done is steal a letter and plant a stolen vase in Benjamin’s house. If they’d really wanted to harm me, wouldn’t they have done it by now?”
Sam stared at me glumly. “It’s not like I work for CSI or something. And yes, before you ask, I’ve seen CSI. Truth is, I’m a simple farmer. I have no idea what the person we’re looking for is capable of. I have every hope that whoever hit Glick on the head with that rock didn’t mean to kill him. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t determined to keep his involvement quiet—and that he’s not willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal.”
“I understand, but after finding out more about Glick, I’m convinced his death was a crime of passion—totally unplanned. I mean, who cooks up a scheme to murder someone out in the open where there could be witnesses? And no one chooses a rock as a weapon. It was used because it was handy.”
The curtains in the front window moved again. Sweetie was getting antsy.
“Well, I’m glad you’ve got this all figured out,” Sam said caustically. “But just in case your skills as a profiler are lacking in any way, I think I’ll keep an extra close watch on you.”
I stuck my hand out. “Agreed.”
He shook my hand but didn’t let it go right away. Finally, I pulled it back. “Sweetie’s been watching us ever since we got here. If we don’t get inside, she’ll probably come out and drag us in by our hair.”
As if she’d heard us, the front door flew open, and Sweetie stepped out on the porch. Buddy ran out from behind her. When he saw Sam’s truck, he raced toward us, barking happily.
“I think this is Sweetie’s way of telling us our time is up,” Sam said. “Let’s go. I want to show you something.”
We got out of the truck and headed for the porch where Sweetie stood glaring at us with her hands on her hips. Today’s overalls were cut off at the knee, and she wore a red T-shirt without stains or tears. I fought the urge to ask her if this was her special Sunday outfit.
“’Bout time,” she shouted. “I thought maybe you two was plannin’ to move in there permanently.”
“Well, we would,” Sam said, “but you’d have to bring our food out to the truck, and I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.”
“Wouldn’t inconvenience me none, ’cause I’d let you both starve to death.”
Sam quickly climbed the stairs and pulled his aunt into a big bear hug. “Now, Sweetie. You know you love me too much to let me waste away.”
She pushed him away laughing. “Boy, you are a mess. A really big mess.”
Sam leaned over to pet Buddy, whose joy at welcoming us home caused him to wag his stumpy tail so hard he could barely stay on his feet. “At least someone is glad to see us.” Sam was quickly rewarded with a sloppy kiss.
He clumped back down the stairs. “Grace and I are going down to the lake,” he told his aunt. “We’ll be back in a while.”
She nodded. “Supper at seven. I’m sure you stuffed yourself at Abel Mueller’s house. I’m just makin’ a fruit salad.”
He smiled at her. “Perfect choice, Sweetie. Thank you.”
“Shoot, I was gonna make fruit salad anyway,” she grumbled as she went inside the house.
“I’ve been wondering about the lake,” I said as I followed him around the side of the house. Buddy trotted after us, stopping once in a while to investigate a weed or a patch of dirt. We walked through the orchards. The apples and peaches were visible but still small.
“We’ll start harvesting next month,” Sam said. “It’s a big job. I hire some of the boys in town to help.” He stopped and pointed toward some land to the south of where we stood. “Those are our blackberry and strawberry fields.” He smiled widely. “We have some empty fields on the north. We’re thinking about planting pumpkins.”
“It’s wonderful, Sam.” I could tell he was proud of what he and his aunt had accomplished. The orchards were beautiful. The trees looked strong and healthy and the fields lush and green. I breathed in the scent of wet earth and growing things. It was intoxicating. The city had its smells, too. Unfortunately, they weren’t anything like this.
“The lake is this way.” He pointed toward a row of cottonwood trees that stood about fifty or sixty yards away from the last row of fruit trees.
“Man, if your house is closer to the lake than Benjamin’s, it must be quite a hike from his back door.”
“It is. Ben’s property is bigger than you think.”
We trudged on until we reached the cottonwoods. A worn dirt path wound between them. The tall trees reached toward the sky, their thick gray trunks furrowed with age and nature. Puffs of cottony seeds sailed gently on the air like small dancers in an impromptu spring ballet. The white fibrous masses reminded me of large feathery snowflakes. I stopped in my tracks to watch the magical performance. Sam paused beside me as if he understood my captivation. However, Buddy ran ahead, oblivious to my sudden enchantment. When we finally exited the trees, Sam grabbed my hand and pulled me up next to him. A large azure blue lake lay before us, lined with cottonwoods and wildflowers. The flowers grew unchecked and added splashes of color against the green grasses, creating a soft patchwork blanket that surrounded the clear blue lake. A long dock stretched out before us, the wood aged and ripened by years of sun, rain, and snow. Sam guided me toward it.
“It’s absolutely beautiful here,” I said, awestruck. “I–I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Buddy ran to the end of the dock and sat down, gazing out at the water as if he also found it captivating.
“I love it out here,” Sam said softly. “It’s so peaceful. I come here a lot just to think.”
“If I was going to be in Harmony longer, I’d paint it.”
“Let’s sit here.” He pointed toward the edge of the dock where Buddy waited for us. “I like to take my boots off and dangle my feet in the water.”
I settled down next to Buddy who leaned up against me. We were becoming fast friends. I reached down to untie my shoe, and he quickly kissed me on the cheek. I found the gesture endearing and kissed the top of his head. “Thanks, Buddy. I love you, too,” I whispered.
Sam put his boots and socks behind him, rolled up his jeans, and let his feet dip into the still water of the lake. “Brrr. It’s a little chilly this early in the spring.”
I swished my toe around, creating a small ripple. “You promise fish aren’t going to nibble at my toes?”
His laugh was deep and warm. “I’m not promising anything. But if you catch one, make sure he hangs on until we can pull him out. Sweetie fries a mean catfish.”
“Oh great. I didn’t get a pedicure just to become fish
food.”
Sam frowned at me. “A pedicure, huh? You really are a city girl.”
I giggled. “Oh, sorry. How do you country folks do it? File your nails down with a rock?”
He snorted. “Ha, ha. No, we use clippers. Believe it or not, they work just fine.” He held his feet up to show me. “See? My toes don’t look like they should belong to the Wolfman or anything, do they?”
Actually, he had fine feet. Large, well-formed, with light golden hair that snaked up toward his ankles. I noticed an odd spot on the side of his right foot. “You’ve got a nice scar there. What happened? Did you step on a rake?”
He shook his head. “No. Unfortunately, once in a while we get hunters who like to set traps around the lake. Hunting isn’t allowed in this area, but it doesn’t keep everyone out. I check the shoreline as often as I can for traps.” He wiggled his foot. “I found one the hard way.”
“You and I have more in common than I thought.” I told him about living in Fairbury and the fox I’d released from a trap.
“Wow, Grace.” His forehead furrowed with concern. “You took a real chance there. Most wild animals don’t understand that you’re trying to help them. They can be very dangerous, especially when they’re in pain.”
I reached over and ran my hand down Buddy’s back. “I couldn’t leave him there, Sam. I just couldn’t. I took the risk knowing what could happen. Fortunately, it turned out okay.”
“Well, I won’t be taking you with me to check for traps, that’s for sure.”
A family of Canada geese swam past us, the little goslings struggling to keep up. Their soft gray feathers ruffled in the gentle breeze that moved across the deep blue water. A group of ducks squawked loudly from the other side of the lake. From their frantic bobbing, I could tell they’d found a school of small fish. As my eyes drifted a little to their right, I couldn’t help but gasp. “Oh my goodness. I don’t believe it!”
Sam turned his head my way. “What is it you don’t believe?”
“That—that looks like a whooping crane!”
“It is a whooping crane. We’ve got all kinds of wildlife out here. Several kinds of owls, eagles, hawks, raccoons, skunks, possums, foxes, deer—almost anything you can think of.”
“Wow. It’s just incredible. I could sit out here forever.”
“I understand, but unfortunately you need to call your father and we both need to talk to Sweetie.”
“Maybe you should do that by yourself. She might feel uncomfortable with me there.”
He sighed and swirled his right foot in a circle. The water rippled around it. “I don’t know. It might seem strange if I approach her alone. Why don’t we start a conversation tonight about the town and its history? We’ll slide Glick’s name in and see what happens. Hopefully, she’ll open up and tell us something helpful.” He stopped moving his toes and fixed his gaze on the duck family that had eaten its fill and was now gliding across the lake. “Maybe we should just tell her the truth. I mean, about your uncle and all. She might be a great help to us.”
I hesitated a moment before answering him. I didn’t want to offend him or make him think I didn’t trust his aunt, but ever since our first meeting, I’d had the odd feeling she was hiding something. “Look, Sam. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I—I know you’re not going to like this, but...”
“You think she’s a suspect?”
I put my hand over my eyes to shield them from the sun and turned to look at him. “I don’t know. I just think we need to keep our...”
“Investigation?”
“It sounds silly when you actually say it, but yes. We are searching for the truth, so I guess it is kind of an investigation. Anyway, I think we need to keep it quiet for now.”
“I trust Sweetie with my life,” he said in a somber voice.
“And I trust my father with my life,” I responded gently. “But here I am, asking questions that could end up implicating him in a possible murder.”
Sam cleared his throat and stared at his bare feet. “Okay, okay,” he said finally. “But it would be nice if we could bring someone else into this who knew Glick. We’re shooting in the dark here.”
“Who would you suggest? Emily’s already told us what she knows. She can’t help us any further even though she suspects Glick is dead...”
“You didn’t tell me that,” he said sharply. “Why does she think that?”
“Well, think about it. If Glick was finally about to get himself a wife, why would he leave town? Emily told me she’s suspected he’s been dead all these years.”
“But then why...”
“That’s all I can say about that for now, Sam. Please don’t ask me any more about Emily.” I patted his arm. “I’ll tell you everything when I can. Just trust me when I tell you that Emily has helped us as much as she can.”
“Okay.” He stared at the water for a few moments before suddenly snapping his fingers. Buddy took it as an invitation and moved next to him.
“Fickle dog,” I said teasingly while I scratched him behind the ear.
“I know exactly where we can go,” Sam said. “Levi.”
“Will he keep what we tell him secret?”
“Absolutely. Levi was here when Glick lived in Harmony, and he knew Angstadt very well. He used to be one of his elders but got so disgusted with the way things were being handled he left the church. He was also really good friends with your uncle. In fact, I think Levi was one of the people Ben trusted the most.”
“Well, if you think it’s a good idea, it’s okay with me. He doesn’t appear to have any real connection to Glick. If we’re going to bring anyone else into this situation, it should be someone who has no motive to want Glick dead.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll set up a meeting.” That settled, he pointed at a spot to my right. “Look. You can see your dock from here.”
“I have a dock?”
“Just like this one, only not quite as long.”
I followed his finger. Sure enough, off in the distance, I could see another dock stretching out into the lake. It was almost hidden by the natural grasses that grew out of the water. I stared at it for several seconds, feeling unsettled for some reason. “I have the strangest feeling I’ve seen this lake before,” I said. “It started when we first came through the trees, and it’s even stronger now.”
“But didn’t you say you’ve never visited Harmony?”
“Yes. I’ve never been here. I have no idea why it seems so familiar.”
He smiled. “Déjà vu. You’ve been somewhere else that reminds you of this place. Have you spent much time at any other lake?”
“Yes. Near Fairbury where we used to live. My dad took us camping and fishing there.”
“That’s probably it.”
“Does this lake have a name?”
Sam laughed. “Well, the early Indians who settled here called it Trouble Lake.”
“What an odd name. Not very fitting for this beautiful, peaceful spot.”
“Actually, it is. The Indians believed that when they came here and bathed in the water, their troubles were washed away.”
I gazed out on the tranquil scene. “Wow. That’s inspiring. Maybe if I floated for a few hours...”
Sam grinned. “I’m afraid you’d only get waterlogged.”
“That’s probably true.” I glanced at my watch. “I’ve really got to call my dad. It wasn’t fair to drop Glick’s name and then hang up on him.” I reluctantly took my feet out of the water and began pulling on my socks. “When we talk to Levi, let’s start off asking him what he knows about Glick. If we don’t get what we want from that, then we’ll drop the bombshell. But only after he promises to keep what we tell him to himself.”
Sam slid his socks on. “Okay, but I really think we can trust him with the whole story, Grace. I just hope he can point us in the right direction. I sure think it’s worth a try.” He finished pulling on his boots and stood up, holding out his hand to help me to my feet. Buddy
ran halfway up the dock and turned around to look at us as if he was wondering why we were so slow.
“The idea of actually telling someone else is a little scary,” I said. “But we only have two weeks. I guess we have no choice.”
Sam nodded. “Let’s get you to a phone. And don’t forget our strategy at supper.”
I followed him and Buddy back to the house. Were we making a mistake telling Levi about Benjamin’s letter? I couldn’t see any other option. At the end of two weeks, I would have to do something. If I couldn’t discover some information that would help my father, the situation could head in a terrible direction. One that I didn’t want to face.
