Thick as Thieves (Amish Lantern Mystery Series Book 1)

by Mary Barbee

  A large heavy-duty door next to the refrigerator led to the room that held the unit’s one cell. The makeshift jail was previously the house’s bedroom, but it had been fashioned to work as the only holding cell, with an installed rolling steel door that had remained unused, at least since Jude had started. Inside the cell was a metal bunk bed with two uncovered mattresses that looked like they were maybe a hundred years old. To the right when you entered what was referred to as the “jail room” was a large broom closet, holding the few cleaning supplies that went mostly unused. It was easy to see that this was a luxurious walk-in closet, considering the size, used previously for hanging clothes and storing shoes when the house was a home.

  Jude’s mind turned to his colleague and the town’s sheriff of just under ten years, Derek McCall. His desk had sat empty for the past few days, and Jude was mentally preparing for the arrival of the bigshot detective, Sean Stewart, from Nashville. He was set to show up at any time.

  Thinking through the questions that the detective might ask him about Derek, Jude couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable. Even though they were the only lawmen in town, they weren't exactly close. They worked well together, executing their plans and duties seamlessly but other than that, Derek avoided contact with Jude. Derek had always been a recluse; keeping to himself most of the time. The few things Jude knew about him were not exactly something Derek would want just anyone to know.

  Jude knew that Derek suffered from gambling and drinking addictions. He was the type of addict that could still function from day to day, but his life was spiraling out of control. Jude offered to help in conversation a few times, but Derek wasn't the kind of man who would accept help, especially from people he thought were lesser than him. His pride kept him a prisoner to himself.

  Jude and Derek had been working on solving the robbery case before he disappeared. Jude sank back into his hard wooden chair and flipped through the robbery report. He was due to submit that to the detective, too.

  The sound of the old sports car could be heard coming from at least half a mile down the highway. Jude stood up, robbery report in hand, and quickly decided to change seats. Detective Stewart swung the door open and entered, instantly noticing Deputy Tymon sitting comfortably in the cushioned office chair behind the larger desk in the room.

  “Deputy? Detective Sean Stewart from Nashville PD. I assume you’re expecting me,” the detective reached out to shake Jude’s hand.

  “Welcome to Little Valley,” Jude responded, hand outreached. Jude was surprised to see that the detective stood at least one and a half inches shorter than him, on a good day. He slowly let out the breath that he had been holding since he heard the car door slam. ‘Let the games begin,” he thought.

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE BUGGY PULLED TO a stop near the carefully tended rose bushes. Amos jumped down from the buggy and hurried around the corner to Anna's side. He pulled the door open and helped her out. Anna thanked him and gave him a warm hug. Amos was Beth's second son and her favorite nephew. The boy was capable of doing anything he set his mind to, and he was so dedicated to his family. It was admirable. Anna had always felt so close to him and thought they shared commonalities and a special bond.

  "Do you want me to wait for you or do you think you are going to be here quite a while?" Amos asked politely. Anna was holding a basket filled with fruits for her grandchildren. The basket was slung across her left wrist.

  "I think I'll probably be staying awhile, Amos. I will just have Sarah drop me off when I'm ready to go. Thank you so much for your help," she said, touching Amos's forehead tenderly. Amos nodded and hopped back into the buggy with a youthful exuberance that Anna noticed and immediately envied.

  Two young women walked down the street swinging their shopping baskets and waved to Anna. Anna recognized them from the church. They were sisters who recently moved to the community. One of them was recently married to the Amish owner of a diner downtown. She brought along her younger sister. They seemed enthusiastic to get to know everyone in their new community. Their faces were sun-soaked and lit up even more with the warm smiles they gave Anna.

  "Good morning, Anna," they greeted chirpily. Anna returned the greeting with a slow wave.

  "What a fine morning, isn't it?" she said. The two women stopped near the rose bushes to chat with her. That was another thing Anna was noticing lately about growing older. Younger people tended to treat people of her age with a bridled carefulness that bored Anna. A few weeks ago at the market, she met a young seller who spoke with an intense slowness. Anna wondered if the girl thought Anna was hard of hearing. She was just in her late fifties, and her feelings were easily hurt when she was treated as if she were much older. It’s true that lately Beth would have to reassure Anna more than before that she was imagining things and remind her that they certainly still had many years left ahead of them.

  The most important thing to Anna was to live long enough to see her great-grandchildren. Already, her first grandchild had turned fifteen this year. The Lord's plan was always the best, but Anna had frequently tailored and presented her own plan to the Lord, hoping that he would adjust his plans to accommodate hers. She felt like the Lord had almost always listened to her pleas. Wasn't she still living so close to her twin sister? It was a lifelong prayer of hers to never be separated from her sister. As little girls, they made what seemed like silly promises never to leave each other, but as they grew, they realized those promises weren't so silly. Anna couldn't imagine living without Beth. Beth wasn't just her best friend - she was her other half. She wasn’t sure she would be able to breathe without Beth in her life.

  "It is a lovely morning," the new bride said. Her blue eyes sparkled under the morning sun.

  "Off to the store, I see. Make sure to grab some of those fresh raspberries. They are just delicious. I bought some the other day, and they go beautifully with your cottage cheese," Anna suggested. The woman smiled at her gratefully.

  "Thank you, Anna - I love this time of year! The weather is gorgeous, the raspberries are in full bloom...," the bride’s sister responded. Anna excused herself and wished the women safe travel and then climbed the short flight of stairs leading to the front door of her oldest daughter’s modest home. A long rope sagged with freshly washed children’s clothes, tied from one end of a tree to the other in the side yard.

  The house was quiet since her grandchildren were in school for the morning. The curtains were tied back so she assumed her daughter was home. She knocked twice before the door was pulled open.

  "Maem, I didn't know you were coming today," Sarah said in that familiar sing-song voice of hers. Her pregnant belly practically protruded through the light beige cotton fabric of her skirt and matching apron. You could tell by the handprints and traces of smeared flour on the skirt that it was another hectic morning getting the children fed and out the door for school.

  "Do I need to seek permission before showing up to my own daughter's house?" Anna asked rhetorically, stepping into the humid house. She glanced around. Moses and Sarah had certainly made something for themselves with the life they created. The house was nicely kept and had everything they needed. Anna was proud of her daughter. She had certainly learned from the best and was willing to put everything she learned about housekeeping into work. She ran her household without a flaw. Sarah was her least problematic daughter, the one she was secretly most proud of and definitely the closest to.

  "No, Maem. I was just concerned for your safety. You should know that the community isn't safe. Not with the insane robberies going on right now," Sarah said. The living room floor sparkled. The walls were bare. Couches and settees were arranged circularly with a beautiful oak center table. A flower vase with fresh flowers sat prettily atop the table.

  "And what will the robbers steal from an old lady like me? The fruits I brought for my grandchildren?" Anna asked sarcastically, pointing down at the basket of fruits she held. Sarah responded with a grin that quickly disappeared. />
  "Unfortunately, they don’t just rob the younger folks these days. Maem, I'm serious," she said. Anna patted her daughter assuredly.

  "I'm fine, Sarah. Besides, Amos drove me here," said Anna. Gratefully, Sarah dropped the topic.

  "Where’s your husband this morning?" Anna asked, knowing that the hardware shop didn’t open for another couple hours. Sarah picked up the laundry basket that over-spilled with the clothes ready for folding.

  "He's out in the back, working on the buggy," she replied. Two weeks ago, someone had stolen their buggy. When the police recovered it, it was in terrible condition. Knowing Moses, he would probably work tirelessly to make the repairs himself. Anna would have preferred that they just let the buggy go. It seemed tainted with the same ugly cloud that recently descended on their town. Plus, who knew what the thief used the buggy for? She had mentioned these concerns, but as usual, her daughter waved them aside.

  "Oh, good. I was hoping to talk to him. Noah wanted to confirm that he would bring over the tools they need for the construction going on at Simon's," she said. Sarah brought over the basket to the living room and dropped it on the center table, next to the flower vase.

  "Maem, would you like some tea?" Sarah asked, standing over the table, hands resting on top of her pregnant belly.

  "No thank you, dear. Why don't you sit down now and rest a bit? Let me fold these clothes for you." she said. Sarah exhaled gratefully and sank into the chair next to her mother. She sincerely appreciated her mother’s help, but she had also inherited her independent spirit. They worked on the clothes in companionable silence.

  Anna sighed inaudibly, sinking back into another round of reverie. Life had changed so much. She could recall when Sarah was only a child running around the kitchen with her sisters, giggling. Her little girl had grown up. Sometimes, she missed that little girl, but other times, she didn't. She was very pleased with the mother and woman Sarah had become, but not just Sarah. She was proud of the work she had put into all her children, and she realized once again just how blessed she was to have such a beautiful healthy family.

  "How's Dat?" Sarah asked, breaking the revered silence.

  "He's wonderful. You know his old backaches have resumed. I keep telling him after all these years of planting, it is time to retire and eat from the fruits of your labor, but does he ever listen to me? No. Instead, he keeps farming and complaining to me about his backaches. Sometimes, that man," Anna said, but with fond reflection. After being married for thirty-four years, Eli was still largely unchanged. He was still the same man she fell in love with. He was stubborn, hardworking, loving, kind, and generally pleasant to others. Anna was grateful for that consistency. Most women complained about the change in their spouses after marriage, Anna was glad she couldn't relate to that. Over the years, she had come to know her husband the way she knew the back of her hand, and she loved him deeply.

  "You know Dat. He'll never change. He loves farming. The business makes him happy and fulfilled. Maybe you should stop trying to get him to stop. Maintaining a physical lifestyle is actually good for his health," Sarah said. Anna stopped herself from rolling her eyes.

  "Good for his health huh? How is it good for his health if he keeps complaining about his back? You children.... you always think you are wiser. I have been married to the man for thirty-four years now. I think I know him better than you do. He needs to stop working at some point, it's that simple," Anna insisted. She would never admit it, but she enjoyed these little banters with her daughter.

  "Why tell me then? He complains to you, you complain to us. To be frank, you two deserve each other. You are like two peas in a pod. I don't know why I bother," Sarah mumbled in a low, respectful voice. Anna grinned, and reached out with a gentle touch on her daughter’s shoulder.

  This sort of play arguing was part of their relationship and reminded her of the times when her children were teenagers. Her sons had been more difficult than the daughters, however. Her first son even tried to leave the faith after his first Rumspringa. To this day, Anna has never been as worried as she was when that was happening. In the end, though, everything turned out just fine, and her children all lived together close by in the community inside Little Valley.

  Moses pushed the front door open, and the energy in the room instantly changed. He was the kind of man with a commanding presence - an extrovert, through and through. Whenever he came into a room, he brought with him an ever-bursting surge of energy that forced everyone to throw glances in his direction. It was the first thing Anna noticed about him when they met. It terrified her at the time, but it was accompanied by his kind smile and unpretentious goodness. She knew from the first day they met that he would be a good man and take care of her daughter. To this day, he had never proved her wrong.

  "Maem! Good to see you this fine morning!" Moses said, his voice was boisterous, deep, and quite masculine. His hands and clothes were smeared dirty or he would've hugged Anna.

  "Gute mariye, Moses," Anna warmly responded, smiling broadly at him. He was easily her favorite son-in-law. Not that she didn't love the rest of her family, but it was hard to compete with Sarah and Moses when it came to secretly picking favorites.

  "Did Amos bring you here?" Moses asked, already knowing the answer. Moses knew that Amos was practically Anna’s personal driver. Anna nodded.

  "How is he? And Dat? And Aunt Beth?" he continued asking. Anna replied to his questions enthusiastically, catching Moses up on the latest with everyone.

  "Noah asked me to remind you about the tools you were supposed to bring for them," she said. Moses groaned loudly, slapping the center of his forehead as he remembered that he had promised to bring them by days ago.

  "I am so sorry. I know it must seem as though I’m not interested in the work going on there, but I just don't have enough time to go around. With Sarah's pregnancy and the demands at work, I haven’t had any time to join the men at the end of the day," he said, apologetically.

  "Oh, I understand that, Moses. I just want the rest of the men to understand, too. I just don't want them to see you in a different light. I wish you could...I don't know...maybe you could stop by the project and drop off the tools and explain things. Just to show that you aren't entirely indifferent," Anna said. Moses respected Anna and knew she was right.

  "You’re absolutely right, Maem. I have so much to do, but I should also make the community a priority. I'll do as you said later today or this evening." he said.

  He excused himself and went into the back of the house. Anna could hear the water turn on in the bathroom sink as he prepared to go to work.

  "He is a good man," she said to Sarah, simply confirming what Sarah already knew.

  "He is. I am very proud of him and everything he does. He has really built quite a business from the ground up," said Sarah.

  "Yes, it is truly impressive how far he has come. But Sarah, don't you think that you should ask him to hire some help? Surely, he cannot possibly run that store by himself?" Anna said. Sarah stopped folding her clothes and turned her attention to Anna.

  "Thank you, Maem, but he actually has done just that. Do you remember Thomas? The man who owns the coffee shop next door to the Moses’ store...? He actually hired Thomas for part-time hours. They make a great team together, so far. So, don't worry about Moses - he knows what he is doing," Sarah said. Anna dusted invisible dust balls off the surface of the folded shirt she was holding.

  "I’m glad to hear that..." she said, reminded yet again that Sarah was in good hands. Sarah reached out and patted her mother’s hand lovingly.

  "I love you, Maem. Would you and Dat like to join us for dinner tonight and see the children?" she asked. Anna bobbed her head happily, adjusting her position on the chair to allow blood to flow through her whitened, tensed up ankles. She was dying to hug and kiss her wonderful grandchildren - she just couldn’t get enough of that. Her mind drifted off to what baked goods she would be bringing to dinner.

  CHAPTER FOUR

&n
bsp; MOSES LOVED LITTLE Valley. His family moved here when he was a boy, and he had always loved it. The quiet streets, plains, sprawling farms, and familial relationships amongst the residents settled his soul. Unlike some of his childhood friends who had moved out of the community, Moses had never dreamt of leaving. He honestly never even had a passing thought of looking for life somewhere else. The curiosity of wondering what his life would have been if he wasn't born Amish just didn’t exist with him. He couldn’t be more perfectly and gratefully content as an Amish citizen of Little Valley, Tennessee. This was his forever home, where he would stay and raise a family that he hoped would also never leave.

  His buggy rolled down the street pulled by a strong chestnut Standardbred, a gift from Moses’ great uncle. The family’s loyal horse stood tall at five years old with well-muscled shoulders and powerful legs. Moses stopped briefly to greet the pedestrians on their way to work and to the shops downtown. The Amish women always stood out in the crowd amongst the English in spite of their plain dresses and prayer kapps. Additionally, lovers in the streets could be pointed out swiftly. There was a certain skip to their steps. Some of them held each other's hands while others discreetly brushed against each other's bodies in a way that made Moses smile. He easily and fondly remembered when he was their age. How free and unstoppable he felt. When he met and fell in love with Sarah, his entire world shifted. He became a completely different person - a better person. He couldn't imagine his life without his wife. She was his sunshine, burning ever so brightly and shedding light on his path on their journey together.

  “Ah, to be young again,” Moses muttered to himself, switching his thoughts again to remembering how carefree life was then. Growing up in a large household, his parents instilled in him a deep love and appreciation for family, nature, and community. His father – who was a very resourceful craftsman – never missed a single day of community work. He took Moses and his brothers to show them the importance of a work ethic firsthand. Moses sighed inaudibly. He tried to live strictly in his father's footsteps but lately, he could feel himself slipping.