Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper

by Amy Lillard

  Jimmy nodded bravely. “Jah. They are treating me good.”

  Edie gave him a trembling smile. “I’ll have you out of here in no time,” she said, but Kappy had to wonder if she was trying to convince him or herself.

  * * *

  “What about this Johnny person?” Kappy asked as they headed for Ruth’s.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t see anything about a Johnny in her appointment book. Or her schedule.” From time to time Ruth had contracted others to help her with various chores and projects. “Now I can’t check further since Jack has the books.”

  “It’s so frustrating,” Kappy said.

  “Maybe we should stop by and talk to Carlton Brewer again,” Edie suggested.

  “Why? So he has reason to call the sheriff on us, and we can get locked up like Jimmy?”

  Edie pounded one fist against the steering wheel. “I just don’t get it. We found all these wonderful clues, and yet we still can’t figure out who killed Mamm.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  Edie cast her a sideways glance. “If we can’t solve it, we can’t solve it.”

  “No, about the clues.” The clues they had found were pitiful at best. Pitiful and impossible to track down.

  “I just can’t help but think we’re overlooking something.”

  “Like what?” Kappy asked.

  Edie blew her bangs out of her face. “If I knew I wouldn’t be overlooking it.”

  Kappy gave a quick nod. “Right.”

  They drove in silence for a moment, and as she had when she was a child, Kappy withdrew into herself. Who was this mysterious Johnny, and why was he arguing with Ruth? And about what?

  “Maybe his real name isn’t Johnny,” Edie said.

  “Why would his name not be Johnny?”

  “Just hear me out.” Edie turned the car onto School Yard Road. Almost home. “Maybe we didn’t see his name anywhere because Johnny is a nickname. You know how the Amish like their nicknames.”

  That was true. There were a few names the Amish seemed to use a lot more than others. It was common for more than one person in a church district to be named the same thing, even more so for a community. Eventually, nicknames popped up to help distinguish one Ben Miller from the next.

  “Just never heard of Johnny for just a nickname. Isn’t that a name-name?”

  “It’s a nickname,” Edie said, “if his name is Jonathan and he only allows his close friends to call him Johnny.”

  “What if his name is Johnny?” Kappy countered.

  “Work with me here,” Edie groused under her breath. “There has to be something we’re missing.”

  “Maybe,” Kappy murmured in return. “The only John is John David Peight, right?”

  “That’s the only one I remember.” She drove past the lane that led to Ruth’s and around the bend to Jay Glick’s house.

  Edie put the car in park and cut the engine. She sat there for a moment, hands still curved around the steering wheel, eyes straight ahead.

  Kappy stopped with one hand on the door, reluctant to get out if Edie was going to remain inside.

  “I can’t imagine John David Peight allowing anyone to call him Johnny,” Edie said.

  Kappy had to agree. There was something inherently elegant about the man. As if he had been a high-born Englischer who converted to Anabaptist on a calculated whim. Though with a name like Peight, she knew that not to be the case. Still . . .

  “No,” Kappy said. “I can’t imagine anybody calling him anything other than John David.”

  “Which leads us right back to another dead end.” Edie got out of the car and Kappy followed suit.

  The Glicks were nowhere around as they crossed the yard and headed through the cornfield. And for that Kappy was grateful. She had too much on her mind today to have to deal with Jay Glick on top of it all.

  Edie fell quiet as they crossed into Ruth’s backyard.

  The protesters were still out, though if Kappy wasn’t mistaken, it looked as if their number had been cut in half. Those with milk crates and lawn chairs to sit on had perched on the side of the road, their signs braced against the ground. Some were still walking and chanting, but for the most part it seemed as if the largest portion of the protest was over.

  “Something’s gotta give,” Edie said. “But what?”

  “Where have you been?” Jack Jones hustled down the back porch steps and over to them. “I’ve been waiting for you for over an hour.”

  “Really?” Edie asked. “Why?”

  Jack propped his hands on his hips and glared. With his swarthy appearance and dark eyes, Kappy had to admit he was more than just a little intimidating. “Because you asked me to pick you up and take you to see your brother this morning.”

  Edie shrugged. “You should’ve called first.”

  “I should have called—” The detective laughed, but the sound held no humor. None at all.

  “You have my number, right?” Edie slung the strap of her gigantic yellow bag over one shoulder as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

  “I have your number.” The words were somewhere between a statement and a question, though Kappy couldn’t figure out which one held more weight.

  “As part of the investigation. You do still have my number? At least I hope you do.”

  “I have your number.” This time the words sounded more confident. “I just didn’t expect you to be out gallivanting around.”

  Edie tossed her hair over one shoulder, then skipped up the steps. “Gallivanting? Who says that these days?”

  “I do.” He followed her up the stairs, leaving Kappy no choice but to tag along behind.

  “You never answered my question.”

  Edie beelined for the refrigerator, taking out a pitcher of water to pour herself a drink. “Not that it’s any of your concern, but we went to see Jimmy today.”

  Kappy propped one hip against the center kitchen island and watched the two of them. She wanted to keep a sharp watch in case other things became airborne.

  “Wasn’t I supposed to take you to see Jimmy?”

  Edie poured something to drink and gave a small shrug. “I thought this would save you the trouble.” She took a quick sip.

  “Well, it cost me more trouble than it should have. I’ve been sitting here for over an hour.”

  Edie rinsed her glass and set it in the dish drainer. “You’ve already said that.”

  “I’ve been waiting for over an hour. There. I said it again.”

  “Do you want to discuss that,” Edie asked, “or do you want to know what I found out this morning?”

  “That depends,” Jack said. “How good is it?”

  “Pretty good,” Edie responded. “It seems that Ruth was supposed to meet with somebody named Johnny right before she died.”

  “It seems?” he asked. “Or it really happened? None of that was in her appointment book.”

  “He’s right,” Kappy said. “Jimmy didn’t say who the someone important was.”

  Edie shook her head. “I think the someone important and Johnny are the same person.”

  “You have no proof of that.” Kappy could see the disappointment on Edie’s face.

  Perhaps Jack identified it as well. “Take it easy, Edie. I know you want your brother out of jail, but we are doing everything to make sure he’s well taken care of.”

  “My brother wouldn’t be in jail if it weren’t for you.” He held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Can you talk some sense into her?” he asked Kappy.

  “I’m not sure anyone can.”

  Jack shook his head. “I’m out. If you find any real clues give me a call.” Without even a glance in Edie’s direction, he stalked out the back door.

  Edie stared after him as if she expected him to turn cartwheels on his way out.

  “Do you still think he’s cute?” Kappy asked.

  Edie dropped her head into her hands. “Unfortunately, yes.”

  * * *

/>   A loud knock sounded sometime after lunch.

  “Now who could that be?” Edie tossed her magazine onto the coffee table and headed for the front door.

  Elmer jumped down from his resting place on the couch and followed behind Edie, barking all the way.

  “Maybe it’s Jack, come back for round two,” Kappy suggested.

  “Jack always goes to the back door.”

  “Good point.”

  The knock sounded again. Louder this time.

  Edie jerked it open without looking through the peephole to see who was on the other side. Elmer continued to bark.

  “Hiram. How nice to see you. What do you want?”

  “Is Kappy here?”

  She was on her feet in a second.

  “Watch out,” Edie warned. “You don’t want to get caught talking to me. That would be bad for a man in your position.”

  “I’m here.” Kappy went to stand next to Edie.

  “I would like to talk to you, Kappy.” He stepped over the threshold, reaching for her hand as he entered the house.

  Elmer continued to bark, but backed up with each step Hiram took forward. Some watchdog.

  “Come on in,” Edie said, moving to the side as Hiram nudged past her. Like she had any choice but to let him in.

  “How did you find me?” Kappy asked.

  “I went by your house and saw your sign. It wasn’t hard to figure out that you’d be here.” He cast a glaring look at Edie.

  “It’s sweet of you to stop by, but why are you here?” Kappy needed to remind him that they had broken up. It seemed he was still having trouble remembering that little fact.

  He looked to Edie, then turned his attention back to Kappy. “Can we talk alone?”

  “Don’t mind me.” Edie held her hands up. “I’m just furniture, remember?”

  “Sure . . .” Kappy dragged out the one word until it held nearly four syllables. “Let’s go out back.”

  “Please tell me there aren’t protesters there.”

  Kappy shook her head. “They’re all in the front.”

  “Yes, it’s good to see you, too. I know it has been forever.” Edie held the imaginary conversation with herself as Kappy scooped Elmer into her arms and walked Hiram to the back door.

  “Cute puppy. Is that one of Ruth’s?”

  “He was. He’s mine now.”

  Hiram nearly tripped on his way down the steps. “Why is your dog at Edie’s?”

  “It’s easier to care for him when he’s with me.”

  “Yo-yoou’re staying here?” Hiram sputtered.

  Kappy set Elmer in the grass. He immediately ran toward the pens, barking at his brothers and sisters and fellow beagles. “For a while.”

  “And your horse?”

  “Is at home.” She had been sneaking down to care for June Bug each day, Maybe it was time to put her in the barn with Ruth’s horses. “What do you want to talk about, Hiram?” Kappy fell into step beside him.

  “It wasn’t hard for me to find you, you know.”

  Kappy frowned. “I wasn’t hiding.”

  He led her toward the bench Ruth had placed under her large apple tree. “It’s all over town that you’re running around with Edie Peachey.”

  “Jah. I suppose it is.”

  “She’s under the Bann.” Hiram settled down on the bench and Kappy reluctantly joined him there.

  “I’m well aware of that,” she said. “And I believe we’ve had this conversation before.”

  “You shouldn’t be talking to her,” he said. “Much less riding around in a car with her and questioning upstanding members of our community.”

  Hadn’t they already covered this as well? Wait . . . What was he talking about? The only person they had truly questioned was . . . “Are you talking about Carlton Brewer?”

  “He is a well-respected businessman in the valley. I find it hard to believe that you would feel the need to question a man like that about Ruth’s murder.”

  Kappy jumped to her feet. “I have to do something. The police aren’t doing anything.”

  “They arrested Jimmy.”

  Kappy resisted the urge to growl in frustration. “You know as well as I do that Jimmy Peachey is not capable of murder.”

  Hiram shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately, everyone is capable of murder. The Bible is full of stories of people pushed too far.”

  “That’s not the case here.” This conversation was growing tiresome. “The police have all but abandoned this investigation.”

  “Sit down, Kappy. There’s no need to get this upset.”

  “There’s every need to get upset,” she said. “An innocent man is in jail. And if that’s not enough, he needs special care. He just lost his mamm, his sister has finally returned to Blue Sky, and he’s locked away without any support or love. That’s plenty enough for me to get upset about.”

  Hiram either recognized how passionate she was about the subject or decided that it wasn’t worth pursuing. “Jack Jones is investigating.”

  “If he thinks someone else is guilty, then they need to let Jimmy go.”

  “That may well be,” Hiram said. “But not having anyone in jail and a murderer on the loose is not good for the community.”

  Kappy turned and eyed him critically. “You sound like a sod.”

  Hurt flashed in his eyes. “That was a mean thing to say. Or maybe it was a compliment. I may be thinking like an Englischer, but it’s for the good of Blue Sky.”

  “I’m just looking after Jimmy.”

  “I talked to Samuel Miller.”

  “You talked to my bishop?”

  Hiram nodded. “He’s not happy with you running around all over with Edie Peachey. He said I should come talk some sense into you.”

  Kappy wasn’t sure which part of that information to address first. “I’m running around all over with Edie, as you put it, to help get Jimmy—a fine member of my church district—out of jail. I don’t care if she’s under the Bann or not.”

  “Samuel Miller does.”

  “And furthermore, I do not need sense talked into me. I have all my faculties. I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m trying to find a murderer.”

  That brought Hiram to his feet. “That’s just it, Kappy. You can’t go around accusing upstanding members of the Englisch community of murder.”

  “So we’re back to Carlton Brewer again.”

  “It’s a serious matter, Kappy.”

  “I didn’t accuse him of anything.” She had merely asked him what he was doing at that time.

  “Carlton Brewer didn’t take it that way.”

  “Then maybe he is guilty.”

  Hiram threw his hands in the air, then slapped them against his pant legs. “See! That’s the kind of talk I mean. You can’t go around saying things like that.”

  “Noted,” Kappy said. “I will no longer go around saying things like that.” Why was everyone so touchy?

  “You don’t need to be going around with Edie Peachey at all. It’s not good for your standing in the community.”

  Kappy nodded, the truth suddenly so very clear. “Now I see what’s going on here.”

  Hiram frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “This has nothing to do with Edie and everything to do with you.”

  He scoffed. “Quit making excuses, Kappy.”

  “I don’t need to make excuses, Hiram. We don’t belong together. For a while I thought we did. I was mistaken. The quicker you realize that, the better off we’ll both be.”

  “Your reasons for breaking up with me are weak,” he said. “I understand that you’re having some doubts. It’s only natural. But you and I both know we are meant to be together. Why fight the inevitable?” He reached for her hands, and Kappy took a step back. It wasn’t fair. How he could touch her and send her mind into a tailspin. She needed her wits about her if she was going to hold her ground. “Don’t, Hiram.”

  She whistled for Elmer, but he was off chasing butterf
lies on the other side of the horse corral. He stopped, one paw in the air as he waited for the next command. “Come here, Elmer.” She whistled again and he took off running, his ears flapping as he sped through the grass. She and Hiram would never make it. That much was obvious. But she would have Elmer. At least for a time.

  “You can’t run from this, Kappy.”

  “I’m not running,” she said. Elmer arrived and she scooped him up into her arms. “I’m facing reality.” And that reality was that Hiram would never love her the way he had loved Laverna.

  “You and I are just too different. Good-bye, Hiram.” She turned without another word and walked back to the house.

  Chapter 15

  “I’ve been thinking about this Johnny character,” Edie said a couple of hours later.

  She hadn’t asked any questions of Kappy when she came back in the house, her eyes swimming with tears. She just shot her a sympathetic smile and went about her business. It was one of the things that Kappy liked about Edie. If she had tried to give her a hug and console her, Kappy would’ve fallen completely apart. As it was, just her friend’s presence was enough support for her to swallow back the tears and continue with the day.

  “What about him?”

  They were standing in the kitchen eating a mid-afternoon snack of carrot sticks and hummus. Kappy hadn’t been entirely sure about eating mashed chickpeas, but it wasn’t half bad.

  “Granted, I didn’t get to look through all of Mamm’s books. But the only person that this Johnny character could be is John David Peight.”

  “And if he is Johnny, and if what Jimmy told us is true and they argued a lot, then it could very well be that he’s the murderer.”

  Edie pointed a carrot stick in Kappy’s direction. “Exactly.”

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Kappy asked.

  “I am if you’re thinking we should go pay John David Peight a visit.”

  Of all the suspects they had, and there weren’t many, he seemed to be the one with the most motive. Plus, he owned a green shirt and he was in competition with Ruth.

  “That’s exactly what I’m thinking.”

  “Let me get my purse.”

  Kappy put the hummus away and stored the carrot sticks in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. By the time she was finished, Edie had returned, keys in hand.