by Beth Wiseman
Mary Carol gasped. “Here?”
“Yes. Long before Mr. Porter lived here, three men lived in this house. They were involved in some shady transactions and more or less hiding out in your Amish community. This place is pretty secluded, and we found Amish clothes in the house. Apparently they tried to dress the part anytime they traveled away from the house. One of the guys had even grown a beard. After James witnessed the murder, he ran from the scene. It’s a miracle he got away from those men. It benefited him to know the woods and surrounding area so well. Somehow he lost them and made it to the station. He admitted that at least one of the men had gotten a good look at him, so we encouraged him to shave his beard and cut his hair, which he did.
“When I first met Paul—I mean James—I saw signs of a man who had obviously grown up in a peaceful environment, who witnessed something so horrific and upsetting, it changed him and he never was the same again.”
“What about his wife and child—my mammi and mei daed? Couldn’t this mob group have come after them?” Mary Carol asked in a shaky voice.
Mr. Bartosh lowered his head and was quiet. When he looked up, he grimaced and shifted his weight. “This is where we messed up. We wanted these thugs to get word that Paul Johnson was the man who witnessed the shooting—that he was an Amish man from Ohio visiting friends. We gave him a whole new identity so that he could never be traced back to Lancaster County, so that these men would never find James’s wife and son. It was all in an effort to get him back here when it was all over. We knew that the media would eventually find out that Paul Johnson was our key witness. We thought we could keep him safe through the trial until everyone was behind bars.” He paused. “That’s when the mob in Philadelphia got involved.”
Mary Carol had no idea what a mob actually was. She looked at her mother, but Mamm shook her head.
“It’s a criminal organization. These men would do anything to get to James before he testified and implicated their involvement, so we changed his name once more and relocated him. Again. To Michigan this time, where he lived as James Shelton in a small apartment.”
“When it was all over, why didn’t he come back?” Mary Carol asked.
“It wasn’t all over until a year ago. Remember I said one man was still on the loose? Well, that last man was found living in a nursing home in Colorado. He’d been using a different name all those years. That man was taken to jail like the others, also with a lifelong sentence, but he died soon afterward. James was bitter about that for a long time—that the last holdout got to live almost his entire life as a free man, enjoying his family, while James had been ripped from his wife and child at such a young age. But it was then that James felt it was finally safe to come home. He was making travel plans to surprise his son when Dr. Reynolds diagnosed him with a brain tumor.”
The doctor cleared his throat. “James gets very confused sometimes, and he often forgets to take his medication. On the days he remembers, he can be fairly coherent. But even with his pills, he has a hard time due to the pressure in his head.”
Mary Carol recalled the headaches James would get. “So he isn’t crazy? This tumor in his head makes him tell the tall tales about being a federal agent?”
Dr. Reynolds looked at Mr. Bartosh, and the older man took over. “James stays confused, hopping from one identity to the other. But it’s all true. He lived it.” He paused as he locked eyes with Mary Carol. “And I assure you . . . James was a federal agent. A very good one.”
Mary Carol couldn’t speak, and her mother just stared.
“It seemed a stretch since I know your people are pacifists,” Mr. Bartosh said. “But James knew he couldn’t go home and he had an inborn desire to let justice prevail at all costs. He was a young man, around twenty-five, when this all began. He worked hard and saved his money. Then he went on to college, got a degree in criminal justice, and landed a job in law enforcement. To hear him talk about it, he was able to completely separate from his Amish life and become this new man who used the law to right the wrongs of others.
“Six years later, he looked me up, and eventually he came to work for us. It was his mission in life to find the one man left who had been involved in the shootings. And he did. So he was now free to return home to his family.”
Dr. Reynolds spoke up again. “James insisted on staying at this farmhouse even though we wanted to put him up at the same bed-and-breakfast we’ve been staying at since we arrived. We keep an eye on him, even though he hates that we followed him here to Lancaster County.”
“We were friends for a long time,” Mr. Bartosh said before he looked at her mother. “I couldn’t stand the thought of him dying alone if you rejected him.”
Katherine thought about how differently things could have turned out for all of them if James hadn’t shown up. But she was having a hard time understanding why these men would spend months of their lives following James, no matter how strong their friendship.
Weldon chuckled. “He’s quite capable of giving us the slip when he really wants to. We lost track of him for eight days last month and were really worried about whether or not he was taking his medications. He did fairly well after his initial diagnosis, but he started getting more and more confused and needed someone to check on him daily, so that’s where Dr. Reynolds came in. The doctor had known James for years through other circles, and he offered to take over his case and monitor his care.” Weldon paused, the hint of a smile on his face. “You know, he was a handsome devil in his younger days, but he never remarried and always said there would never be anyone like his beloved wife, Sarah.”
“Is he—” As much as Katherine wanted to care for James, she had her children to think about. She’d been nervous on Second Christmas. “Is he a danger to himself or others?”
Weldon shook his head. “No. He just stays confused, and that will most likely get worse as the tumor grows.”
“We were worried that he wouldn’t get here in time to meet all of you, but he has surprised us.” Dr. Reynolds’s smile was genuine. Katherine believed the man truly cared for James. She silently thanked God for putting these two men in her father-in-law’s life.
Katherine recalled James telling her that he would be called home soon. “Can we take him home to live with us for however long he has left?”
Weldon glanced at Dr. Reynolds, then back at Katherine. “We were hoping you would.”
Katherine marveled at the wonderful way the Lord worked.
Mary Carol put her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I wish Daed would have known all of this.”
Katherine put her arm around her daughter and pulled her close. She thought about the dreams James had told her about, his conversations with Elias.
Smiling, she said, “Somehow I think your daed does know.”
Weldon cleared his throat. “There is one more thing. James has some classified information we need. Do you know anything about this? Has he mentioned anything to you? During one of his rants, he said that you were the keeper of this classified information, but it’s always difficult to know when James is creating his own version of the truth.”
Ah. Now things were making more sense. She didn’t doubt that these men cared about her father-in-law, but he also had something Weldon wanted, which explained why he had taken time out of his own life to follow James for months.
Katherine recalled the key James had given her. Her father-in-law had said it was the key to his heart, but had he entrusted her with something else? The more she thought about it, she realized that the key resembled the one to her own safety deposit box in town. She decided to keep her answer vague for now so as to avoid telling a lie. “James told me he was the keeper of top-secret information, but he never said what it was.”
&nbs
p; Weldon sighed.
Katherine thought about this great man who’d given so much of himself to keep his family safe. She planned to take care of him for the rest of his life, however long that might be. But first thing the next morning, she was going to her bank on the off chance that the key he’d given her was to a safety deposit box.
Weldon stood up and reached into his pocket. “Take this card so you’ll always know how to reach me. And can you please let me know if you come across anything that James might have stashed away for me?”
Katherine took the card and nodded.
“Do your people use . . . uh, regular doctors?” Weldon blushed a little.
“Ya. We do.”
Dr. Reynolds stood up and gave Katherine his business card. “You’ll want to have a doctor monitor his medications and probably check on him at least once a week. I can make sure his medical records are transferred here. And he really shouldn’t be driving.” He shrugged. “We didn’t have any luck getting him to give that up, but maybe you will.”
“We will help him pack his things and bring him to your house tomorrow if that’s okay,” Weldon said. “He keeps everything upstairs—the heater, the clothes we got him, and even his food. We eventually bought a small refrigerator for the upstairs bedroom.” He shook his head. “We hate him living here, but he insisted. We figured it was better than him sleeping in his car, which he’d done in the past. He doesn’t know it, but we’re actually paying Mr. Porter’s granddaughter rent on this dump.”
Katherine’s mind was still reeling, but she just kept nodding.
“I have some errands to run in the morning,” she said. “Can you bring James to our house in the afternoon?”
“Sure.” Weldon extended his hand. “I wish you all the best.” He smiled as he shook Katherine’s hand. “Gonna miss that man. Please keep us informed. If possible, we’d like to come back . . . uh, when the time comes.”
Katherine and Mary Carol walked to their buggy. The sun was shining off the freshly fallen snow, and Katherine thought it was brighter than she’d ever seen it.
The next morning, Katherine arrived at the bank in town just as they were opening the doors. Mary Carol was unhappy that she had to stay at home, but Stephen was working and Linda had stayed overnight at a friend’s house. Someone had to watch Gideon. He had a cold and didn’t need to be out in the weather.
It took less than a minute for the bank clerk to confirm that Katherine’s key was for safety deposit box number 2042, and Katherine was an authorized user. On shaky legs, Katherine followed the woman into a large vault. Even though Elias had kept a safety deposit box for property deeds and legal papers, Katherine had only been in the vault one time, and that had been when the bank called her after Elias died and asked her what she wanted to do about the box. She’d purchased a safe to keep at home.
After the woman left her alone in the vault, Katherine fought the urge to cry. So much had happened, and she wished she had her husband to lean on. She put the key in the lock and lifted the top. There were two envelopes inside. Katherine’s name was on one, although Elias’s name was scratched out. The other envelope had Weldon’s name written on it. She opened her envelope, knowing that it was originally for her husband. She started to sob when she saw the cash and savings bonds inside.
“Oh, James . . .,” she whispered. She wouldn’t have to worry about getting good medical care for James, and she was never going to have to worry about taking care of her family. Enclosed was a letter.
Dear Katherine,
If you’re reading this letter, I’ve most likely passed on, or I’m well on my way. I’m told by my doctors that my mental capacity will continue to deteriorate. I thought it best to write to you while I am still somewhat in control of my faculties—and it’s hit or miss these days. But by now, you probably know my story, or at least I hope you do. I pray that the legacy I leave behind for my grandchildren will be one of honor and that I won’t go down in history as the guy who abandoned his wife and child.
Katherine sniffled as she turned the piece of paper over to continue reading.
There is another envelope for Weldon. You might meet him. If not, here’s the address for where to send his letter.
Katherine scanned the address.
Please do not open the envelope addressed to Weldon. It’s classified information, and I trust you to get it to him. BUT—AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT—if you are in possession of this envelope and I’m still alive, PLEASE do not give this to Weldon until I die. That’s all I can say about that.
And if it’s not too much to ask, could you please get word of my death to a woman named Bonnie? She wasn’t a love interest or anything. Only your mother, Sarah, held my heart. But Bonnie was a special person in my life at a time when I needed a friend. Here is her address, and on the outside of the envelope, you’ll need to write this code in the bottom left corner so that the letter will actually get to her. 3891055574-HHG46l.
Katherine brought a hand to her chest as she read the address.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
So, I think that’s it. I love you, EliasKatherine. So, as the song says . . . I’ll be seeing you.
DadJames
Katherine held the letter to her heart for a while before composing herself and then walking out of the bank.
Chapter Eleven
JAMES SURPRISED THEM ALL BY STAYING AROUND MUCH longer than predicted—long enough to see Mary Carol and Abe get married in the fall. He was in a wheelchair by then. Katherine couldn’t help but smile when she recalled the blessing James said aloud before the wedding feast. Over a hundred people were at Katherine’s house—as was tradition—for the ceremony and grand meal afterward. James whistled to get everyone’s attention. Katherine had told him that everyone would pray silently, but James had insisted on reciting his own version of thanks to the Lord.
“Thank You, God, for this glorious, wonderful, superb, outstanding day! Please bless this couple and encourage them to name their firstborn James. Now, over the lips and through the gums, look out, tummy, here it comes!”
Katherine smiled at the memory as she watched Gideon sitting on the edge of James’s bed. Her father-in-law spoke in a whisper, his eyes barely open.
“Not only is it beautiful where I am going, but there’s always chocolate cake to eat.” James paused and looked across the room. “Katherine, you should ask Mary Carol for her recipe, by the way. Hers are the best.” Katherine looked over to her daughter, who wore a sheepish expression and shrugged. “But the best part, Gideon, is that your father and grandmother are there waiting for me, and I can’t wait to see them.”
Gideon looked at his grandfather with an expression that seemed older than his years. “Sometimes I’m sad that my daed isn’t here anymore.”
James was quiet for a moment. “When I was gone all those years, I missed your dad something fierce. I thought about him every day. Prayed for him too. Even though he isn’t here with you, he still loves you very much.”
Gideon hugged James and then made his way over to Katherine’s lap. Stephen, Mary Carol, Linda, and Abe were gathered around James. Each of them had privately said good-bye to him earlier in the day. But even though they knew what was coming, it didn’t stop the flood of tears. Abe was sobbing even more than the rest of them. Their family doctor had been by that morning and said it wouldn’t be long now. Katherine was so thankful to God that James was cognizant of them all as he prepared to take his final breath.
But now, as Christmas approached, they would be saying good-bye to another loved one. A miracle of sorts who’d breezed into their world and changed the way they
all looked at life. And death.
Katherine was having a hard time holding back her tears, but she knew that this was a time for celebration. James would finally be reunited with the son and wife he’d left behind so many years ago.
“Tell Daed we all say hi,” Gideon said softly.
James closed his eyes and nodded. Katherine had turned her small sewing room into her bedroom. There was barely enough room for a twin bed, but she didn’t mind. She’d given James her bedroom so that they could all gather here with him for prayers each day. Katherine was sure James had seen and done things that would shock her and the children, but the man had stayed strong in his faith his entire life. She held his hand, hoping he could feel all the love they had for him.
As the clock neared eleven, she encouraged her children to go to bed. And she told Mary Carol and Abe that they should go home. “He is sleeping now. These things can drag on,” she whispered as James snored.
Reluctantly, they all did as she asked.
After the door closed behind them all, Katherine grinned. “I can tell when you are fake snoring.” It was something he did when he didn’t want to talk or be bothered. “But you are stuck with me right now.”
Her father-in-law opened one eye and gave her a weak smile, then he slowly opened the other eye. She had to lean close so she could hear him. “I didn’t figure you’d want them in here when I took my last breath. I might turn purple or have saliva dribbling down my chin.”
