A Sister's Hope

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Sheriff Osborn stepped onto the porch. “For how long?”

  “Several days, I believe,” Grace said. “He took Mom up to Geauga County to his brother’s place for a while.”

  “Hmm. . .I see. Well, I just wanted your dad to know that I’ve been doing more investigating lately, and I’ve ruled out several of his original suspects.” The sheriff leaned on the porch railing. “I think I might know who’s responsible for the attacks, but I won’t know for sure until I follow up on a couple more leads.”

  “What kind of leads?” Cleon asked.

  “I’d rather not say anything more until I know something definite and the criminal’s been caught.” The sheriff raked his fingers through the back of his hair. “With your folks being gone for several days, it might be an open invitation for another attack, so I’m planning to keep a close watch on their place—hopefully catch the attacker in the act.”

  Grace drew in a deep breath and released it slowly as a sense of hope filled her soul. Was it possible? Did the sheriff really know who had done the attacks? It would be such a relief for all of them if the person was caught. Maybe it would happen while Mom and Dad were gone. Maybe soon the family would find some peace.

  As Martha guided her horse and buggy down the road toward Anna’s school, she thought about her folks being gone and how this would be the perfect chance to do some investigating without anyone knowing what she was doing or asking a bunch of questions. She planned to keep a close watch on things. If the attacker struck again, she would hopefully see who it was.

  “Mama said she would take me over to Poppy’s new house soon, but probably not ’til Grandpa and Grandma Hostettler get back from Geauga County.”

  Martha reached across the seat and touched Anna’s hand. “I know you want to see your poppy again.”

  “Jah.” Anna fiddled with the strap on her backpack. “Is Grandma Hostettler gonna die?”

  Anna’s unexpected question took Martha by surprise. “Ach, no, Anna. What makes you ask such a thing?”

  Tiny wrinkles marred Anna’s forehead. “Mama says Grandma’s sick, and when my other grossmudder got sick, she died.”

  Feeling the need to reassure the child, Martha reached across the seat and took Anna’s hand. “Grandma Hostettler’s not going to die. She just needs to rest and calm her nerves. That’s why Grandpa and Aunt Rosemary took her up to Geauga County to see my uncle Walt and aunt Mary.”

  A look of relief flooded Anna’s face, and she smiled. “When they get back home, will Grandma be better?”

  “I hope so, Anna. I surely do.”

  Anna remained silent for the rest of the ride, and Martha hoped it was because the child’s mind was at ease.

  Now if someone could only put my mind at ease.

  As Luke headed down the road in his truck toward John’s shop, he glanced at the clock on the dash and grimaced. It was getting close to the time when he should be opening the shop, and if John showed up and Luke wasn’t there, he’d have some explaining to do. Since he was supposed to be sleeping in the back of the shop, John would expect him to be there and to open the place on time.

  Maybe I should tell John where I spent last night. Luke shook his head. No, John’s a gabber. He might say something to one of his customers.

  Luke had told John last night that Roman was planning to take Judith up to Geauga County and would be gone several days, but he didn’t want anyone but Martha knowing he’d spent last night in Roman’s barn and planned to continue doing so until Roman returned home. If the attacker heard that Roman and Judith were out of town, that could be a good thing, because he’d probably think he had free run of the place. But if the attacker thought anyone was hiding out with the intent of discovering who was responsible for the attacks, it could prove to be disastrous.

  Luke had just passed the Amish schoolhouse when he noticed Martha’s buggy pulling out of the parking lot. Figuring she must have driven Anna to school, he waited until her buggy was ahead of him; then he pulled up beside her and waved her off the road.

  “Wie geht’s?” Martha asked when he stepped up to her buggy.

  “I’m kind of sore and stiff after sleeping in your daed’s barn all night.” Luke reached around to rub a sore spot in his lower back.

  Her mouth fell open. “You stayed there last night?”

  He nodded. “Said I was going to, didn’t I?”

  “Well, jah, but I figured you wouldn’t start sleeping there until I could get you a key to open the padlock so you’d be able to get into the barn.” Her forehead wrinkled. “How did you get into the barn, anyhow?”

  “I brought my ladder along and went in through the small window that opens into the hayloft.”

  She slowly shook her head. “I might have known you’d pull something like that.”

  He offered her a sheepish grin. “I’m surprised you didn’t know I had slept there.”

  “How would I know? I stayed up at Grace and Cleon’s place last night, and there isn’t a good view of my daed’s barn from there. Just the rooftop can be seen from the second floor.”

  “I knew you were staying at Grace’s, but I figured you’d show up at the barn to feed your dogs this morning and that you’d find me sleeping in the hayloft.”

  She shook her head. “Grace asked me to take Anna to school this morning. She was running late, so I decided the dogs could wait to be fed until I got back from the schoolhouse.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “Did you see or hear anything unusual during the night?” she asked.

  “Nope, and it wasn’t because I was in a deep sleep, either.” He grunted and rubbed his back again. “What little sleep I did get was not restful. I think I’ll take the mattress off the cot I’ve been using in John’s back room and take that with me when I sleep in the barn tonight.”

  Martha reached into her handbag and handed him a key. “You’d better take this with you then, because it would be kind of hard to carry the mattress up the ladder and squeeze it through the window.”

  “Good thinking.” Luke took the key and shoved it in his pants pocket, but as he thought things through, his eyebrows drew together. “If I take your key, then how are you gonna get into the barn when you need to?”

  “Cleon has a key. I’ll ask to use his.”

  “Won’t he think it’s a bit strange that you’d need his key when you have one of your own?”

  “I’ll tell him it was in my purse but it’s not there now.”

  “You’d tell your brother-in-law a lie?”

  “I wouldn’t really be lying, because the key won’t be in my purse—it’ll be in your pocket.”

  Luke chuckled. “Good point. No wonder I fell in love with you—you’re a real schmaert woman.”

  Martha’s cheeks turned pink, and if a car hadn’t been passing just then, he would have kissed her.

  “I’d best be on my way,” Luke finally said. “I need to get to work before John gets there, or he’ll want to know why I didn’t sleep in his back room last night.”

  “John doesn’t know what you’re planning to do?”

  He shook his head. “Figured the fewer people who knew about my plan, the better. No point getting the word spread around that someone’s hiding out in your daed’s barn hoping to catch the attacker.”

  “You think John would blab if you asked him not to?”

  “Probably not intentionally, but he’s quite the gabber. Who knows what he might let slip to one of his customers?”

  Martha nodded. “Maybe it’s best that you don’t say anything then.”

  He smiled. “On that note, I’d better be off. Maybe I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “If I get out to the barn to feed my dogs before you leave.” She reached out and touched his arm. “Please be careful, Luke. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”

  Luke clasped her hand. “You be careful, too.”

  Are you sure it’s going to work out for you to stay here?” Rosemary asked a
s she pulled along the shoulder of the road several feet from Roman’s driveway.

  Roman nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Does Cleon know what you’re planning to do?” she asked.

  He nodded. “He’s agreed to keep quiet about it.”

  “What if something happens while you’re asleep?”

  “I’ll stay awake at night and try to sleep during the day. Cleon will be at the shop in the barn most of the day. I doubt anyone would be dumb enough to come around then, anyway.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Rosemary leaned across the seat and gave him a hug. “Please be careful, and if you need anything, I’m only a phone call away.”

  “I’ll remember that. Thanks for driving me and Judith up to Walt’s place. I feel a lot better knowing I’ve left her in good hands.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Roman opened the car door and stepped into the night. As Rosemary drove away, he sent up a silent prayer. Lord, please help Judith get better soon, and help me to find out who’s behind the attacks.

  Luke pulled his truck off the road and parked it behind a clump of bushes about a quarter of a mile from the Hostettlers’ place. He didn’t dare drive it onto their property and give away the fact that he was there.

  He reached under the seat and grabbed a flashlight. “Oh no,” he groaned. “I forgot to bring that mattress with me.”

  Luke hesitated, wondering if he should go back to John’s shop and get the mattress. He decided it would take too much time. It was dark, and he needed to get to the barn and keep watch as soon as possible.

  “I guess one more night on a bed of straw won’t kill me,” he muttered as he started in the direction of the Hostettlers’, being careful to stay hidden behind the trees. Some time later, he came to their driveway, but rather than walking up it, he stayed off to one side where a hedge of bushes grew.

  He continued his walk up the driveway until he came to the barn; then he slipped his hand into his pants pocket and withdrew the key Martha had given him that morning. He’d just unlocked the padlock on the door, when he heard a noise. It sounded like a door had slammed up at Roman’s house. But how could that be? No one was supposed to be at home there.

  Swish! Luke jumped when an owl flew past his head, and he dropped the key.

  Thump. . .thump. . .thump. . . Another noise came from the house, and he whirled in that direction.

  I’d better check things out before I get settled in the barn.

  Using only the light of the moon, Luke crept along the edge of the lawn. He was almost to the house when he felt someone’s hand touch his shoulder.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Luke’s mouth went dry as he whirled around. Holding the flashlight in front of him, he directed the beam of light at the man who’d startled him. “Roman! What are you doing here? I thought you’d taken Judith to Geauga County.”

  “I did take her, but I came back so I could keep an eye on my place.” Roman’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Luke. “What I’d like to know is what you’re doing on my property in the middle of the night.” A muscle on the side of Roman’s neck quivered as he held his hand in front of his face. “For heaven’s sake, put that flashlight down! You’re gonna blind me with it!”

  “Sorry,” Luke mumbled as he lowered the flashlight.

  “You came here to do another act of vandalism, didn’t you?”

  “No, I—”

  “I’ll just bet you didn’t. What other reason would you have for sneaking around my place in the dark?”

  “I was heading for the barn so I could—”

  “What? Do something to one of the animals there?”

  Luke opened his mouth to reply, but Roman rushed on. “I’ve spent the last couple of years trying to deal with these attacks by choosing to look the other way, but I’ve come to the conclusion that there are times when God expects people to put feet to their prayers.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means, I left Judith in Geauga County and came back home so I could keep an eye on our place and hopefully catch whoever’s been doing the attacks to us.” Roman leaned so close that Luke could feel his hot breath blowing on his neck. “It looks like the Lord’s finally answered my prayers and has helped me learn who the culprit is.” He grabbed Luke’s arm before Luke could offer a word in his own defense. “You’re comin’ with me.”

  “To where?”

  “To the phone shed. I’m calling the sheriff to let him know I caught you trespassing on my property in the middle of the night. I’m going to tell him that I think you were about to commit another act of vandalism.”

  Luke shook his head. “No, that’s not why I’m here. I—” He glanced around nervously, hoping no one had seen the two of them out here. If the attacker had decided to strike again and had found them standing out here on the lawn, he’d be long gone.

  “Look,” Luke said in the calmest voice he could muster, “why don’t the two of us go into your house and talk things through? If you’d just give me a chance to explain things to you—”

  “You can explain it to the sheriff!”

  “I’ll tell you what. If you promise to hear me out, and then if you decide I’m still the guilty party, I’ll phone the sheriff myself.”

  “Fine then.” Holding onto Luke’s arm, Roman led the way to his house. Once they were in kitchen, he turned to Luke and said, “All right now, let’s hear your story.”

  Luke took a seat at the kitchen table and proceeded to tell Roman how for the last several months he and Martha had been trying to find out who was responsible for the attacks. He ended by saying that he’d spent last night in Roman’s barn and had planned to sleep there again tonight, hoping the attacker would show up so he could catch him in the act of committing another crime.

  “That’s some story you told.”

  The room was dark so Luke couldn’t see Roman’s face clearly, but he knew from the tone of Roman’s voice that he didn’t believe him.”

  “It’s the truth; just ask Martha if you don’t believe me.”

  “I’m not asking my daughter anything that has to do with you.” Roman grunted. “Besides, I told her to stay away from you some time ago, and I don’t think she’d go against my wishes.”

  “She didn’t deliberately go against your wishes, but she wants these attacks to come to an end as much as I do.”

  “As much as you do? What reason would you have for wanting the attacks to end?”

  “Because I’m in love with Martha, and she loves me. I’d like your permission to court her.”

  “That will never happen!”

  Luke swallowed around the lump in his throat. This wasn’t going well, and if he couldn’t convince Roman that he and Martha had been working together and that he wasn’t the one responsible for the attacks, he’d probably be heading for jail before the night was over.

  “If Martha and I aren’t working together, then why’d she give me this?” Luke reached into his pocket to retrieve the key Martha had given him but found it empty. That’s when he remembered that he’d dropped the key by the barn.

  “What’s in your pocket?”

  “Nothing. I mean, I did have a key to your barn, but I dropped it.”

  “How’d you get a key to unlock my barn?”

  “Martha gave it to me so I could get inside to spend the night.”

  “I don’t think my daughter would be dumb enough to give anyone outside of our family a key to my barn.”

  “She did give me the key. Let’s go to the barn now, and I’ll look for it.”

  “I think you’re trying to pull a fast one; that’s what I think.”

  “No, I’m not. Please, let’s go to the barn.”

  “Give me a few minutes to think about this some more.”

  Martha woke up in a cold sweat. She’d been dreaming that someone had broken into the barn, taken the wrench and glove she’d hidden in the hayloft, and had set the ba
rn on fire. What if it was true? What if—

  She threw the covers aside, jumped out of bed, and raced to the window. From the second floor guest room at Grace’s house, she could only see the top of Dad’s barn. No smoke or flames shot out from it.

  Martha leaned against the window ledge. That dream had been so real. She drew in a deep breath and tried to relax. What she needed most was some assurance that she was doing the right thing in trying to solve the mystery of the attacks.

  Last night, before Martha had gone to bed, Grace had told her that the sheriff had stopped by that day and said he thought he might know who was responsible for the attacks and that he’d let them know more when he could.

  Martha shuddered as a new realization hit her. If the sheriff thought he was getting close to catching the one responsible, then he couldn’t be the culprit.

  She turned on the battery-operated lamp by her bed and picked up the Bible lying on the nightstand. How long had it been since she’d read God’s Word and sought guidance from Him?

  She opened the Bible to Proverbs, one of her favorite books. Her gaze went to the third chapter, verses 5 and 6. She read the passage out loud. “ ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ ”

  “I haven’t been doing that, Lord,” she murmured. “I’ve been trying to take matters into my own hands and haven’t trusted You to direct my paths. Maybe what I need to do is go out to the barn, get the evidence I have hidden in the hayloft, and take it to the sheriff in the morning.”

  Martha removed her nightgown, put on a dress, slipped into her sneakers, and tied a black scarf over her head. If Luke was in the barn, as he said he would be, she wanted to explain to him her decision to turn over the evidence to the sheriff.

  With that settled in her mind, she grabbed the flashlight from her nightstand and tiptoed out of the room so she wouldn’t wake Cleon, Grace, or the children.

  Downstairs, she slipped quietly out the back door and hurried into the night air.

  She found the barn unlocked and figured Luke must be inside, but when she stepped through the doorway, a sudden chill shot up her spine. She thought about that morning several months ago when she’d been doused with white paint because someone had rigged a bucket of paint above the door. Instinctively, she looked up. There was nothing.