by Mary Barbee
Beth gasped loudly, slapping her hands across her mouth. Anna grabbed her hand again without taking her eyes off of the deputy sitting across from her. “But Moses isn’t a robber. He would never do that,” Anna said.
Jude shook his head sadly and sat back. “I know... but it’s very hard to prove that in court when there is so much evidence pointing to him. Unless you can prove that Moses isn’t the killer and thief, he is gonna be charged with both crimes. And believe me,” Jude continued, “you do not want this mess to spiral into a trial. They’re usually messy and may go against the tenets of your faith. I’m so sorry, ladies, but that is all I know. I wish I could help you but there isn’t anything I can do,” Jude said, rising from his seat and reaching for his wallet. He dropped two ten-dollar bills on the table.
“I wish I had better news, I really do. Take care of yourselves,” Jude said as he turned to leave.
Anna thanked him for his time, wished him the same, and watched him walk away.
Jessica walked up to their table bearing a kettle and some coffee mugs.
“You two look like you could use some of my homemade hot chocolate. It’s so good to see you here! How are you holding up? I heard the terrible news and I have been thinking about y’all. I hope you’re doing okay.” Jessica said, thoughtfully. She flashed them a warm smile. She had pale milky skin, rosy cheeks, and long lashes that seemed to curl upwards- thick with mascara. Her eyes were a beautiful deep green, and they had the prettiest shape to them.
“Thank you, Jessica,” Beth said, accepting her own mug. Jessica slipped into the space that Jude had just vacated from and poured the fragrant hot chocolate for the sisters.
“I was so sorry to hear about your son-in-law. Moses is a kind man. He would never hurt someone. Besides, Derek was a horrible man. I’m sorry to say this but most people didn't like him at all. He crossed a lot of people. Just the other day, he was in here nearly fighting with Samuel Graber. Apparently, they had a bet of some sort or something, and Sammy won but Derek refused to pay up. It went from zero to sixty super fast. I had to ask them to leave... and basically take it outside. I swear they were acting like children,” Jessica spoke, getting frustrated just remembering it.
The twins had their full attention on her, sitting forward and listening for every little detail in her story. Anna was thrilled with the new information. Suddenly, she had a potential lead. Ideas were starting to form in her mind. Jessica was right. Derek had not been a good person. For most people in town, he was a despicable man. She was reminded that several people had reason to harm him. All she had to do was figure out the people that wanted to harm him and start eliminating people, one by one.
“Please tell me more about this fight with Mr. Graber,” Anna said. She knew about Samuel - he was an Englisher who was well-known around town for his drinking and gambling. He even opened up a gambling house in town, much to her community’s dismay. At first, the men of Little Valley didn’t think it would grow to much, but as more Amish men were shunned from their community after becoming gamblers, that changed. The men of the community became anxious to end the business. Samuel was very uncooperative. He boasted that he had lived in Little Valley for a very long time and had the right to conduct business as much as everyone else. Anna couldn’t remember where things had ended with that...
“Oh, you know how short-tempered those two men were. I think Derek owed a couple hundred bucks and wasn’t willing to pay up. He actually tried to use his position as the sheriff to intimidate Samuel, but it didn’t work. They literally threw hands... erm, I mean, they fought on the street right outside the diner. It was late, so thankfully there weren’t many people dining here, but they all gathered at the doors and windows to watch and listen to them brawl outside. Now, ladies, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Samuel knows a thing or two about what happened to Derek. I can’t believe that they think it was Moses,” Jessica said, shaking her head.
Anna squeezed Beth’s hand under the table, trying to hide her excitement. This felt like it could be something significant. But she couldn’t help but wonder why the detective hadn’t pursued Samuel?
“Thank you, Jessica. You have no idea how much this means to us,” she said, rising. She touched Jessica’s hand lightly, noticing for the first time that she had a small heart tattooed on her right ring finger, just above the middle knuckle. “And thank you for the delicious hot chocolate, too,” Beth chimed in, her nerves settled since Jude had left.
“My pleasure, ladies. Anything I can do to help, please let me know. And don’t be strangers! I love visiting with you!” she said, once again showing her perfectly straight white teeth. Anna made promises of returning as she and Beth headed out of the diner.
The twins didn’t have to utter a word or even make eye contact to know exactly where their next stop would be. Beth’s emotions were torn between dread and excitement.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MOSES HEARD THE JANGLE of the jail keys and the heavy footprints of feet approaching. His stomach tightened into twisted knots. The sound of the old heavy door terrified Moses. He definitely appreciated the idea of the doors opening, but whenever the door banged, Moses feared that it would be a sound he would be forced to hear the rest of his life. He was due to appear in court for his initial hearing on Monday, and his fear intensified with each passing hour.
A young, uniformed officer he didn’t know appeared, swinging the keys as he approached the door leading to the jail room. Moses had heard his voice earlier that day as he was greeted by the detective. Detective Stewart had shown the young officer around while Moses was lying on the bottom bunk, eyes closed in rest, so this was the first time Moses was actually seeing the kid’s pimply face.
“Howdy,” said the kid with an accent as thick as molasses. The young officer was assigned as temporary help to watch over Moses during the weekend. It was a cushy job - he basically got to sit in the office with his feet propped up and look at his phone. Moses hardly even made a noise. The officer was told that Moses was arrested for murder, and he would admit that even he was shocked to hear it.
Moses was grateful for the solitude, but the quiet forced him to think about his own life. He wondered what would happen to his family if he was found guilty of murder. Sarah was still very pregnant and fragile. How would she survive without him? How would his children survive without him? The community would probably take care of them, but it would not be the same. And the community would forever have the stigma of once living with a murderer in their midst. Shame – unbridled, pure and fiery – descended on Moses as he thought about it, even though he was completely innocent.
“You’re awake. You have a visitor - approved by the detective,” he said. Moses rose from the cot he had been sitting on and stretched. Without responding and eyes cast down, Moses waited for the door to slide open. Untended, Moses’ clothes were starting to look dingy and dirty.
The officer handcuffed Moses. He ran through a few quick instructions - laying out consequences for disobeying any rules - and asked Moses if he understood. When Moses nodded, he took his arm to lead him to the front office where he had set up two chairs facing each other a few feet apart.
Sarah sat in one of the chairs, waiting for him. She was sitting straight, with her hands resting on her rotund stomach. Moses’ heart ached painfully at the sight of his wife in such an environment. The beige dress she wore flowed downwards and covered the ground near it. Her kapp was secured tightly on her head. Moses took a deep breath before sitting across from her.
Sarah wanted to jump up and hug him and never let go, but she was instructed that they would not be allowed to touch... just talk... and only for a few minutes. The detective prided himself on allowing Moses to meet Sarah outside of the cell... after all, he could have insisted that Sarah see Moses sitting behind the bars instead, but Sarah’s father, Eli, was able to convince the detective otherwise with a few folded bills pressed into his hand.
“Are you okay? Are they treating yo
u right? Do you need anything?” Sarah asked, with a throat full of choked tears. She was saddened at seeing Moses like this. The strong, confident and joyful man she married looked older and lacking spirit or hope. She remembered the day he proposed to her. Most girls would have been absolutely thrilled by the prospect of marrying the love of her life. Not Sarah. She started panicking. She asked questions about how they would survive. Moses took her in his arms, rubbing her back and reassuring her that they would make a perfect couple and that everything would be alright. Her heart ached to have that man back home with her right now.
Moses suddenly became aware of what Sarah may be seeing and tried to fake some confidence and optimism for her sake. He was the man of the house after all and there was a need for him to be strong for his family. But Moses also knew that he had never been successful at pretending with Sarah. She saw right through him. She had seen right through him when the business struggled a few years ago – before the tourists started flooding into their town. He had tried to withhold the truth and reassure her that business was thriving, but there was no fooling her. Much to Moses' relief, though, Sarah didn’t judge him for struggling as a businessman. Instead, she rolled up her sleeves and helped him formulate plans to save their business. That is when Moses realized that it is true what they say, ‘behind every successful man is a strong woman.’ Sarah was the strong woman that he planned to spend the rest of his life with, provide for her, and love her dearly. This was not going to get in the way of that plan. Surely the truth would be exposed, and Moses would be set free.
“I am fine, Sarah. Gotte is with me. I have no doubt that this big mistake will be behind us in just a matter of time,” Moses said, convincingly.
Sarah blinked away her tears. “That’s why I’m here. I mean, of course, I needed to see you - I miss you so much. I’ve never even spent one night away from you since we married. ...I need to talk to you. I know you didn’t do this. But I have to ask you... do you know who killed Derek and left him in your tool shed? Do you have any ideas?” she asked, her warm chestnut eyes were pleading for answers.
The officer cleared his throat, and Moses wasn’t sure if it was on purpose. Moses looked over and saw that the young man was again lost in his phone. Moses wasn’t sure if he was listening or if it even mattered. He knew that Sarah needed to hear something, and he was searching for the right answer.
Moses looked back at Sarah and met her gaze. “I’m so sorry, Sarah, but I just don’t know. The sheriff and I weren’t exactly the best of friends but there wasn’t any bad blood between us either. I have thought about a million times, but I have no idea who could have killed him in such a brutal way. I don’t even know how or why they used my shed to do this fateful deed,” Moses replied.
Sarah listened, disappointed. She yearned to just reach out and hold her husband’s hand.
“Do you think we should hire a lawyer?” Sarah asked, not knowing the first thing about the legal process.
“I will be assigned a state defense attorney. I think I will meet him on Monday at my initial hearing in Lewisburg. Let’s just wait and see what happens next. Let’s just have faith that this will be over soon, the killer will be found, and my name will be cleared.”
“Whatever you say, I will agree with, dear. You are my husband. I love you deeply. I will organize a prayer group right away and send up prayers for your release. And I’ll assure the children that you will be back home with us soon. Thomas has offered to run the store for you while you are away” Sarah said, her voice breaking in the last words. She couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. She reached into her pockets to pull out a handkerchief just as the officer said loudly, “Ok, time’s up.”
Moses, searching for something inspirational to say before he was taken back to his temporary home, managed to utter Sarah’s name as she was leaving. She stopped and turned around. Moses said, “Remember...no winter lasts forever.” She replied, “...and no spring skips its turn.”
They exchanged smiles through their tears as hope was once again restored.
CHAPTER TWELVE
A COOLING WIND PUSHED in through the window, ruffling the dirty curtains. The room that doubled as a bar reeked of alcohol, smoke and body odor. Beth and Anna held their dresses tight just below the waist in an effort to keep any particle from this filth on the floor from clinging to them.
“Ach du lieva, the stench!” Beth muttered. Anna squeezed her hand reassuringly. Her eyes were focused and narrowed in on Samuel. She was there to determine if Samuel killed Derek. ‘He definitely could have killed him,’ Anna thought to herself, as she took in the scene in front of her.
Samuel was a large man, unkempt and rough looking. The button-down plaid shirt he wore looked worn thin, dirty and too small for his shape. He sat at a worn-out poker table with two English women, scantily dressed, makeup smeared, and three half-drunk obnoxious men. Playing cards were laid out in front of each player and in the center of the table among plastic poker chips. One man and one woman each held a few cards in their hands.
Anna pushed her fear aside and said a quiet quick prayer to summon courage to approach the table. When did her beloved Little Valley become the den of such a frivolous, disgusting collective? It was no wonder the men of the community were clamoring for the business to be shut down. This place was disgusting.
“Samuel?” Anna asked, when she approached the table. The man looked up from the cards he was holding. Samuel squinted his eyes as if he were trying to see them better. He did not know these ladies, but he knew they didn’t belong there.
“I’m sorry ladies but this house is off-limits to lady folks like you. I don’t want the drama of having to explain to the rest of your kinfolk how you lost all your money,” Samuel mumbled. Did he really think she would even for a second want to play one of these games? Or was he trying to insult them? Anna wasn’t sure, but she didn’t care. Either way, she had a mission to accomplish.
“We’re not here for a game or to gamble,” Beth said, with disgust. Samuel chuckled.
“Good because you wouldn’t have gotten any. Do your husbands know where you are right now?” Samuel continued. “I’m folding,” he said, as he lay his cards down in front of him. The woman with the cards left in her hand let out a loud bellow, stood up roughly, sending her chair backwards, and proceeded to lay forward on the table. Her cards were forgotten, and her arms surrounded the pile of chips as she proceeded to drag them toward her.
Samuel swiveled on his chair to face the women and stood. He was much taller than Anna had remembered. Of course, she had only seen him in passing on the streets and at the market, but standing right in front of him now, she suddenly felt very small.
Wanting to get right to the point, Anna said, “We are actually here to talk to you about Sheriff McCall,” Anna said.
Samuel’s face showed no emotion, as he looked down at her, waiting for her to go on.
“We know that you fought with him days before he disappeared...” Anna continued.
Samuel’s demeanor changed and he walked past the sisters, towards the bar. “Ah, so I see why you’re here. I should’ve known. One of your kind was accused of Derek’s murder and you’re trying to pin it on me now. Since when did the two of you become detectives? You’d better be careful; this could be a pretty dangerous game you’re playing.”
Beth began to wring her hands. She couldn’t bear to even look at Samuel. She was fighting the urge to grab Anna’s arm and run out the door. Samuel was right - they were way in over their heads. What were they thinking?
Anna, on the other hand, sounded unphased and continued as if Samuel didn’t scare her at all. “We’ve spoken to several other people that were present during the fight. You threatened to kill Derek if he didn’t pay back what he owed. Now, what exactly do you think the police will do with that kind of information?” Anna asked. Samuel stepped forward with a voracious force that made Anna back away.
“You really think the police will believe a mere thr
eat spoken out of anger over the mountain of evidence they have against the guy who owns the hardware store? You must be delusional. Yes, I fought with Derek a few days before he disappeared. Yes, it was all a coincidence. No, I did not kill him,” Samuel said angrily.
Like Beth, Anna wanted to run, but this was the only way to clear Moses’ name. “So, then I guess you won’t mind telling me where you were on the night of the murder?” she asked.
Samuel shrugged. “I’ll tell you what,” Samuel leaned in close to Anna’s face. She hid her overwhelming feeling of disgust when the smell of alcohol and smoke hit her like a ton of bricks. “I’ll tell you where I was that night when you show me your badge,” Samuel finished with a look of amusement.
Anna felt her hopes slipping. She bounced back on the soles of her feet. It was time to go.
Her mind was racing. Maybe Samuel was too drunk and distracted in life to carry out such precise killing and the framing of Moses in such a particular manner. Besides, killing the detective and framing Moses seemed intertwined. Even if Samuel had a reason to kill Derek, what was his reason for framing Moses? And how could he possibly get into the toolshed? Nothing made sense. Anna was becoming increasingly frustrated.
Samuel was still staring at her, so Anna dared to ask one more question, “Well, is there anything that you can tell us about the sheriff that could help clear my son-in-law’s name?” she asked desperately, hoping for some hint of sympathy from this horrible man.
Samuel stepped back and sat down on a bar stool. He shook his head. “All I can say is that man was not as clean as everyone thinks he was. He was as shady as they come. I don’t know details exactly, but I know shade when I see it. The guy would come in here and gamble without paying up what he lost. He was such a jerk, and I’m glad he is dead and out of my way,” Samuel said.