Matchmaking Can Be Murder

by Amanda Flower

  “Even if that is the case, I couldn’t take your money. I couldn’t do that.” She took a breath. “Just when I was about to throw my drill against the wall in frustration, Zeke was there.”

  “He showed up in the kitchen?” Lois asked.

  Darcy nodded. “He said he was passing by and wanted to see how I was coming along. The front door was unlocked—it must have been unlocked—otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to get in. In any case, he found me in a terrible state. Took the drill from my hand and took over the job. Within a half hour, those shelves were up and the wall where I had made my mistakes was patched. When he asked to come back the next day to help again, I didn’t turn his offer down.

  “Over the next several weeks he came anytime he wasn’t working, and before I knew it, the café was ready to open. We worked nonstop together and talked about everything. He told me how hard it had been for him to grow up Amish.” She shot a look in my direction.

  I nodded for her to continue.

  “Over those few weeks while we worked side by side almost every night, we fell in love. I had never been so comfortable with anyone in all my life. It was like we were meant to be together. I wasn’t just his girlfriend. I loved him. We even talked about getting married.”

  Lois held up her hand. “Wait. Back up. You were going to become Amish?”

  Darcy blinked at her grandmother. “No, I would never do that, and Zeke didn’t want me to. He wanted to be English. He was going to leave his church to marry me. I didn’t ask him to do it. It was his idea. He loved me enough to walk away from everything he knew. By the second week, Zeke was already talking about leaving the Amish so that he could be with me. He saw the potential in the café, he said, and he wanted to be part of the business with me. It wasn’t something he could do while remaining Amish. His family would shun him. He was already baptized in the church. If he decided to leave at this point, he would have to leave everything and never go back. I told him that I would never ask him to do that, but there was no doubt in my mind we were meant to be together.”

  Lois shook her head. “This is my fault. You learned to be a hopeless romantic from me. How many dead-end marriages have I jumped into? Rocksino-guy doesn’t even count when compared to the others. They all were horrible, except for my third husband, God rest his soul. With him, I finally had the real thing.”

  I sat at the table with my mouth hanging open, feeling as if I wanted to both hug the girl to comfort her and smack her on the side of the head. I knew hopeless romantics. I’d met many of them in my life as a matchmaker. However, most love starts, in my experience and observation, under much more mundane circumstances.

  Lois pushed what remained of her mocha over to Darcy. “You need this much more than I do, my dear.”

  Wasn’t that the truth? Darcy was too pale. A hot drink was just what she needed. I wasn’t sure about all the sugar and caffeine in the mocha though. I thought a calming herbal tea would have been a better choice. That was what my mother always gave me when I was upset as a youngster, and she made it with the herbs and edible flowers from her very own garden.

  “How did you end up going to the greenhouse?” I asked.

  She didn’t sip the mocha but wrapped her hands around the warm ceramic mug. The warmth seemed to steady her, and the lines on her forehead smoothed some. “It was the note.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Note?” Lois asked.

  Darcy nodded. “About a week ago when I came in to the café—this would be about five in the morning because we open at seven for the breakfast crowd—there was a note that had been tucked under the front door. I always come through the back door, so I didn’t see it until I was unlocking the front door for the day. I read it and tucked it in my pocket. I couldn’t let myself think about it just then. I had customers to serve.” She let out a breath.

  “What did the note say?” Lois asked.

  I was so glad that she asked because I desperately wanted to know the answer to that question too.

  “It said that Zeke was engaged to be married to an Amish woman in two weeks, and it would serve me well to stay away from him and the rest of the Amish community.” She looked as if she might start to cry again.

  “Do you still have the note? Can we see it?” This time I was the one to ask.

  Darcy’s eyes flitted back and forth. “I burned it.”

  I knew she was lying, but I didn’t want to press her any more because I was afraid that she wouldn’t tell me the rest of the story.

  “I had to know if it was true. The only clue the note gave me was that the other woman was Amish and had a greenhouse. I thought there couldn’t be too many Amish women in Harvest like that. I asked some of the Amish women who supply the produce for my café. I asked them about a greenhouse in the village. Right away they told me about Edith Hochstetler. As soon as I heard her name, I knew she was the one, but it didn’t take long to confirm because the women spoke to each other about Edith’s upcoming wedding. I asked who the lucky groom was and much to my disappointment, they gave Zeke’s name. The next day, I left Grandma at the café alone—”

  “I remember,” Lois said. “I was surprised that you left me in the café even at a quiet time. We both know I can’t cook. What if someone wanted to come in and order something more than a prebaked dessert?”

  Darcy looked at her grandmother. “Did anyone come in?”

  “No,” Lois said. “But it could have happened.”

  Darcy shook her head. “I just had to know if what I had learned about Zeke was right, and I knew the only way it would sink in for me was if I saw Edith with my own eyes. I left the café and drove to the greenhouse.” She looked me in the eye for the first time since she’d recognized me. “That’s when I saw you standing with Edith outside the greenhouse. I knew it was Edith the moment I saw her. I could see why Zeke wanted to marry her. She’s beautiful, and I could tell by her mannerisms that she’s kind and gentle. She’s everything that I am not.”

  I frowned. Wherever did this girl develop such a low opinion of herself? Not that I was overcome by too much sympathy. But then, she hadn’t known Zeke was engaged, had she? In many ways, she was another victim. Or another suspect . . .

  “Did you talk to Zeke about what you learned?” I asked.

  “Yes, of course. He was so upset when I told him I’d gone to the greenhouse. He was angry. It was the first time I had ever seen him act that way, and by this time we had been talking about our future together for months. I thought I knew him. I felt so betrayed. What a fool I was.”

  “Oh, honey,” Lois said. “We all think that when we make the mistake of trying to rescue a man.”

  Darcy shook her head. “I knew he was too good to be true. He was too perfect, and he said all the right things. I can’t believe I was so stupid. I have always prided myself on being self-sufficient, and the first time a nice-looking man comes along and offers his help, I snap it up. I’m pathetic.”

  Lois patted her hand. “The most important thing is you realize that now, and you can move on. Next time, you will make a wiser choice.” She paused. “Don’t look to me for guidance though. Not after I almost threw my life away on Rocksinoman.”

  Darcy laughed under her breath, but her eyes were still sad. “I can’t believe I was so stupid.” She shook her head again.

  “You said that Zeke was angry at you when you confronted him. What did he say?” I asked.

  I thought she was going to ignore my question, but then she spoke. “He said that I’d endangered his position in the community by going to the greenhouse. I could have ruined everything for him.” She squeezed her hands together so tightly, the knuckles turned white.

  Lois and I shared a look.

  It took everything in me not to point out that a man who vowed to leave everything for a woman would not have said such things. But then, we all knew that Zeke had lied about many things, and Darcy, well, she was discovering the extent of his lies firsthand.

  “He
said he had no choice in the marriage,” she went on. “He had to marry her because it was an arranged marriage his parents had agreed to when he was a baby. There was no way out without being shunned by the community. He said that everything changed for him when he met me on the side of the road. That’s when he knew his life could be something more than being trapped in the Amish community. Even so, it was a hard decision to leave because he would be leaving his way of life and his family forever. It wasn’t something that I could ask him to do. It’s not something I could ask anyone to do.”

  I frowned. An arranged marriage? That was a lie. Not only were arranged marriages not part of Amish culture, I would have known if my niece had been promised to a man when she was an infant. Not to mention Edith’s first marriage to Moses. Nee, that wasn’t what happened. It went against the Amish belief in choice. That’s why we Amish believed in rumspringa: It was a young person’s time to experience the world. And, after experiencing everything, that individual had to choose to follow the Amish faith.

  The last thing any Amish parent wanted for his or her children was a divorce, which was a sin in our community. They would much rather their children never marry than pick the wrong person. That’s where I came in as a matchmaker. I could spot when a man and a woman had potential to be a happy match and when they didn’t, but ultimately those two people had to decide if it was the right fit for them.

  “That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. The Amish don’t have arranged marriages,” Lois said with a frown on her face. “If you had told me about Zeke, I would have told you that. I would also have told you to be wary of a man who wants to keep you a secret. That’s not healthy and never a good idea. There is a reason for his secrecy and many times it’s a flaw in his character. I’m sorry to say that I learned this from personal experience.” She hugged Darcy. “Tell her that I’m right, Millie, at least about the marriage part,” Lois said.

  “You are right about all of it.” I nodded. “We do not arrange marriages. Parents want their children to fall in love. It’s the best indicator that a marriage will pass the test of time.”

  Darcy let out a long sigh. “I know he lied to me. He lied to me about everything. I shouldn’t be the least bit surprised that he lied to me about how marriage works in his community.”

  “Darcy, when was the last time you saw Zeke?” I asked.

  Darcy blew her nose in the napkin and took another one to wipe her eyes. Makeup smeared across the pink paper. “Friday. Friday night. That’s when I told him I had learned about his Amish fiancée, and I broke up with him. I can’t believe I was so stupid. I was so naïve. He said all the right things and I believed him. I deserve the broken heart I got.”

  I shook my head. “I would say that Zeke is mostly to blame for your broken heart, and you learned a lesson, one I am certain you won’t repeat. It’s easy to fall in love with someone when he only shows his best self. It’s the hard times that prove love is true.”

  “I just thought . . . because he was Amish that he was different.”

  “He was still a man, a flawed human,” I said. “There are good men, both Amish and Englisch. Maybe they just take more work to find.” I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “But the wait is worth it.”

  “My Mr. Henry was good,” Lois said with a nod. “We were married only three years before he died. It seemed cruel that the man I loved most I would have for the least amount of time.” Lois shook head. “But we did have some time, and that’s what matters.”

  I wrapped my hands around my mug. Most of my mocha was still there. It tasted wonderful but seemed a little too decadent for such a serious conversation. A nice cup of black tea would have suited me much better right then because the conversation was about to get a lot more challenging. I couldn’t keep Zeke’s death a secret from Darcy any longer. I felt guilty that I hadn’t said anything earlier, but I had been afraid she wouldn’t tell me what she knew.

  “Darcy, I have some bad news to tell you,” I said. It pained me to have to tell her, but I could no longer keep it to myself.

  She grabbed my hand and squeezed it so tight, I thought she would break my bones, but I didn’t pull away. “Is it about Zeke? Please tell me that he’s okay. Is he all right?”

  My heart broke for her. Despite everything, she still loved him. She loved him, and seeing her reaction, I realized that Edith hadn’t, not in the same way. Edith had been planning to marry him for the security having a husband would bring her in our community. It wasn’t for love, and so it wasn’t right. Not that Darcy’s love for Zeke was right either. Her love was based on the person he’d pretended to be for her. The question was why had he chosen to lead Darcy on in such a way, and did that relate somehow to his untimely death?

  “Darcy,” I said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’m so sorry to tell you this, but Zeke is dead.”

  All the color drained from her delicate face.

  “He was found dead yesterday morning in the greenhouse.”

  She ripped her hand from mine. “How could you?” she screamed at me.

  “I—I—”

  “You sat there all this time asking me questions about Zeke, making me think that you cared about what I had gone through in my love for him, and all this time you knew he was dead. How could you do that?”

  “I—I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to upset you any more than you already were, but I had to hear whether you knew anything about his death.”

  “How would I know anything about it? It happened at the greenhouse. I’ve only been there the one time that you tricked me into telling you about.” She jumped out of her seat, knocking her chair to the floor.

  Bryan looked up from his computer, reminding me of a squirrel coming out of its winter nest for the first day of spring; everything was a blur and confusing. Bryan was halfway out of this seat.

  “I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “You’re right. I should have told you the truth right away. It was wrong of me to keep it a secret.”

  “You Amish think that you’re so much better than the rest of us, like you are God’s chosen people that can do no wrong, but both Zeke and now you have taught me that you’re not.” She turned to go. “You’re just as awful as everyone else.”

  “Darcy,” I said. “I know it might be hard, but I think you should tell the police about the note.”

  She spun around. “No, I’m not dealing with the police. I had nothing to do with all this.”

  “It proves Zeke was a liar to you and to Edith. It shows that he might have been up to other things, which may have gotten him killed.”

  She froze. “Killed? The police think someone killed him?”

  I nodded. “It looks like that’s what may have happened.”

  There was a tapping sound as Bryan settled back into work, but I could tell he was listening in on the conversation. Not that I could blame him; we weren’t being quiet about it. And how often do people talk about a local murder?

  I glanced at Lois, who had said nothing up to this point. “I think you should go to the police and tell them about your relationship with Zeke. If one member of the district knew about you, it is most likely that others did as well. They will tell the police.”

  Lois nodded. “She does have a point. I know that was the case with my first husband’s many run-ins with the law. The coppers don’t like it when they believe they have been lied to. They’re testy folks, and we can’t forget that terrible man Sheriff Jackson. He will want this to go away as soon as possible. If that means arresting you, he would be happy to do it. You also have to think about your business. Even though you are completely innocent, if you are arrested, it could impact the café.”

  I nodded. “Your grandmother is right. Now the police think that Edith might have something to do with the murder, and I’m trying to help her. If they think Edith is guilty, then they might think you could also be guilty. You were both wronged by Zeke. You have the same motive.”

  Darcy glared at me. �
��I’m not going to the police. Now I have to get back to work.” She went around the counter and through the door into the kitchen but not before I heard a muffled sob.

  I glanced at my old friend. “Lois, I’m so sorry. I completely muddled that. I never meant to hurt Darcy. I would never hurt your granddaughter or anyone.” I sat back down at the table where Lois had remained throughout my entire argument with Darcy.

  She nodded. “I know that. I may not have seen you for twenty years, Millie Fisher, but I know your heart. You would never intend to hurt someone on purpose. Me, on the other hand, would love to wring Zeke Miller’s neck if his sorry behind still had the good sense to be alive.”

  I tried not to think about the fact that my old friend Lois was very much a suspect in Zeke’s murder too. If she’d known about Darcy’s relationship with Zeke Miller, she would have a motive. Had she known? She’d looked shocked when Darcy told us the story, but I hadn’t seen Lois in twenty years. How could I really gauge her reaction as true or false?

  “What are you going to do about it?” Lois asked, leaning across the table between us.

  I blinked at her. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you said you were here because you wanted to help your niece Edith. How are you going to do that?”

  I thought about it for a moment, and then I said in a low voice, “I want to give the police other suspects. I know that Edith is innocent.” Even as I said this, I remembered thinking that she was holding back information from the police. I swallowed. “I know she couldn’t have done this, and I want to prove it.”

  “And I want to help Darcy too,” Lois said. “I want to prove she is innocent. It seems to me if we can put our heads together, we could do a better job of it. We were quite a team back in our younger days. There’s no reason we can’t be that again.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “I won’t take no for an answer. You aren’t going to be running around out there being the Amish Miss Marple without a proper sidekick. It’s just not how this is going to happen.”