Off the Grid (Amish Safe House, Book 1)

by Ruth Hartzler

  The man answered quickly. “Kate?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “You aren’t supposed to be using this,” David said in his gruff voice. “Only in an emergency.”

  “I know; it’s just that there’s been an incident.”

  “What?” David said, and she could tell he was afraid to hear the answer.

  “Someone was killed, and I found the body.”

  “Of course you did. Why does it have to be you? What does laying low mean to you?”

  Kate was exasperated. She wanted sympathy, not a lecture. “No, you don’t understand. I found the body, and then the killer attacked me.”

  “Are you okay?” David asked after a slight pause.

  “Yes.”

  “Where is the killer?”

  “He got away,” Kate said with a sigh. “I fought with him.”

  “And you’re all right?” David asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Kate, what are you thinking?” her boss snapped.

  Kate was surprised that her boss was reacting the way he was. He seemed angry. “I was attacked!” she said.

  “By someone else’s killer. You no doubt walked in and spooked them.”

  “You don’t think it has anything to do with someone trying to kill me?”

  There was another pause. Finally, David spoke. “No, it couldn’t. No one knows you’re there.”

  “Someone does. Maybe. I was almost killed today.”

  “No,” David insisted. “It can’t be. It’s a coincidence.”

  Kate sat on her bed, and she felt like she wanted to scream. She wanted to reach through the phone and shake her boss by his shoulders. “Who kills Amish people?”

  “Who knows, but it has nothing to do with you, and you need to stay out of it. That’s it. Do you understand? It’s none of your business, and you can’t blow your cover. Now keep away from the media. At all costs, avoid being photographed or filmed. That shouldn’t be too hard, as the Amish don’t like their photos being taken.”

  Kate rolled her eyes. I’m not stupid, she thought.

  “I’ll call you soon, just to check in,” David said, and then he hung up, and Kate was left to stew in her anger.

  She hadn’t expected the call to go like that. She had expected David to be concerned, and to worry along with her that someone knew where she was, the same someone who had attacked her back in her real home. But she hadn’t gotten that. Instead, David had seemed annoyed that she had been attacked, annoyed that she had discovered a murder.

  It was just after noon, although it felt like the morning had taken fifteen hours to pass. Kate went to find Beth, so that she could unharness the horse.

  Ephesians 6: 10 -13.

  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

  Chapter 10.

  Beth, Isaac, and Rose were shocked by the death of Mr. Byler, and even more shocked that Kate had been the one to find him.

  From what Kate could gather, there was no reason in the world for someone from the outside to attack him. He was hard working. He kept up his farm and helped out his neighbors whenever he could. He'd been there many times over the years for his community. From what it sounded like, he didn't have an enemy in the world. He hadn't even gone out into town in years, since his wife passed away.

  There were no clues as to why anyone would want to kill him.

  Beth was concerned that Kate had already had another shock after her supposed buggy accident, and also upset that Kate had to be interviewed by detectives who had come to the Kauffman farm to interview her.

  Kate, of course, was not intimidated by detectives, but she had been worried that they wouldn’t swallow her story and would find it suspicious that an Amish girl could so easily fight off an armed attacker. However, it had all gone more smoothly than she could have imagined. The detectives seemed more interested in her description of the perpetrator than in what Kate had done to get rid of him.

  This morning, Rose was driving into town to deliver her sewing to an Amish store. Rose took in all kinds of sewing, and was paid well. The women chatted happily on the way, although Kate had to keep up her guard. It was hard to be friends with someone when you couldn’t tell them anything about yourself.

  Rose drove the buggy into an Amish parking lot, and the two girls got out of the buggy. Rose tied up her horse, and then turned to Kate. “I could be a while; is there somewhere you want to go?

  Kate knew where she wanted to go; she just didn’t know how to get there.

  “Yes,” she said. “Where’s the police station?”

  Rose raised her eyebrows and looked as if she were about to say something, but didn’t. She simply shrugged and drew Kate a little map on a sliver of paper, and Kate consulted it as she walked through the closely packed streets of the tiny, unfamiliar town. The police station was a two story building which took up half a block. The other half of the block gave way to a parking lot, ringed by a chain link fence, and with quite a few black and white squad cars sitting in it.

  The front door was all glass, and Kate pushed through it and found herself in a small waiting room, with a long desk before her. A man in a police uniform was sitting behind the desk. She made her way up to him, waited for him to stop typing on his computer before she spoke.

  “I was wondering if you could help me.”

  “Well, I sure can try, Miss,” the man said with a smile. He was forty or so.

  “I need to speak with someone about the murder of Joseph Byler.”

  “Do you have some information?” the man said.

  “Not exactly,” Kate said, shaking her head softly. “I need some information.”

  “What do you mean?” the cop asked, his head tilting to the side.

  “I just needed to know a little bit about the deceased. I was just wondering if there were any leads.”

  The cop laughed, and then looked at Kate, and then he laughed again. “You aren’t serious, are you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I know there’s, uh, some things you may not know, about how, well, our world works, but I can’t just give you information about a crime we’re working, you know?”

  Kate felt her face flush, and she quickly swallowed down her anger. She had to remind herself that she was a nice Amish woman. Still, the man had gone from kind and helpful to mocking in no time at all, and Kate found herself wondering if all Amish people were treated this way. If they were, it was maddening, and she didn’t know how they put up with it.

  “I found the body,” Kate said, trying one last time.

  “Oh, that was you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

  “What about the officers who came? They know me; can I speak with them?”

  The man behind the desk sighed, and he leaned forward. “Listen, lady, I’m sorry for what you saw, I really am. Not everyone is made out for that type of thing. But let us handle it, okay? We’ll take it from here, and we’ll find who killed your friend. We don’t need your help, and honestly, I doubt you’d be much help to us anyway. So just go home, sit tight, and I promise, I’ll make sure we get news to you.”

  Kate was steaming, and she turned quickly and marched out of the police station. The man was so dismissive of her. And he had promised to get back to her? He hadn’t even taken down her name. Kate felt helpless.

  Kate decided to walk back to the buggy and wait for Rose to return, but Rose was already there, standing next
to the buggy and talking to a young man. When Kate approached, the two stopped talking, and both looked awkward.

  “Hiya, Katie, this is Samuel Esch. Samuel, this is Katie Lambright.”

  Kate smiled to herself. Of course, he was Samuel, the young man Rose had a crush on. “Hello, Samuel.” Kate turned to Rose. “Rose, do you mind waiting for me, please? I have something else to do. It’ll be at least thirty minutes.”

  Rose smiled. “Jah, that will be fine.”

  Kate nodded to Samuel and then walked away. Now what to do? Her plan to give the two time together had left her at a loose end. She stole a glance over her shoulder and saw the two chatting happily away. Well, it would be worth it. Samuel seemed just as shy as Rose, and it was obvious he was interested in her. They’re both just too shy for their own good, Kate thought.

  Kate had no idea how to kill time, so decided to go for a brisk walk. After all, she was certain that, despite the hard farm work, she was putting on some weight with eating so much good, Amish food. As she was pretending to be Amish, she could hardly go for a morning five mile run as had been her habit. Kate figured the walk would do her good.

  After walking around aimlessly for some time, Kate returned to the buggy parking lot. If Samuel had still been talking to Rose, she would have headed back the other way to give them more time, but as it was, there was no sign of Samuel at all.

  “Denki for that, Katie,” Rose said as soon as she approached.

  Kate noted that Rosie’s cheeks were flushed. “I wanted to give you some time alone. How did it go?”

  Rose blushed furiously. “Sorry you had to go for a walk,” she said, ignoring the other part of Kate’s question. She got into the buggy, and Kate followed her. Rose clicked along the horse, and soon they were trotting down the road.

  “That’s fine,” Kate said, patting her stomach. “I’ve put on some weight, so I needed to work it off.”

  Rose chuckled. “Nee, you’re fine, Katie. It’s the outside of a person that Gott looks at.”

  “I wasn’t thinking about Gott,” Kate said without thinking.

  “Oh, you were thinking about menner!” Rose replied as quick as a flash. “A mann should only care about your inside person too. What if you were very pretty on the outside, and uncaring on the inside; then what would happen?”

  “I’ve actually never thought about it that way,” Kate said truthfully. “Anyway, you haven’t told me what happened with Samuel. He really seems to like you.”

  Rose shook her head. “Nee, I don’t think he does. He’s never asked me on a buggy ride, and if he liked me, he would. Why, there was even a Singing the other week, and he didn’t even offer to drive me home from that.”

  Kate thought it over. It was obvious to her that Samuel was attracted to Rose. “Perhaps he’s very shy; could that be it?”

  “I suppose,” Rose said. “I just don’t know.”

  “Why don’t you ask him on a buggy ride?”

  Rose looked at Kate, shocked, and then she burst into peals of laughter. “Oh, Katie, you are just too funny.”

  I wouldn’t ask Officer Weaver out on a date, either, Kate thought, even though I’m an Englischer, and it’s a perfectly acceptable thing to do. Kate suddenly frowned. Why I am thinking about him in that way?

  Proverbs 11: 14.

  Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

  Chapter 11.

  Kate was well aware that criminals often went to the funerals of their victims. Sometimes it was out of guilt. Sometimes it was to reassure themselves that the deed was done. Oftentimes however, they would go just to examine their handiwork.

  Kate had seen her fair share of funerals, both while on the case and to honor the fallen. Very few in her line of work ever avoided going to at least one in the course of their career. She'd seen everything from simple ceremonies to elaborate ones with two mile processions and giant cathedrals. These particular ones lasted most of a day, with a great deal of singing and speeches and other events. People meandering around and making scenes at the gilded caskets to show their devotion to the deceased, others dipping their heads checking their phones when they thought no one was paying attention.

  She had never attended a funeral in a living room, however. It was definitely a new experience. She studied the plain wooden box that sat in front of the fireplace. In general the room was very plain. There were a couple wood carvings on the mantle of the fireplace, and a vase that likely belonged to his late wife. There were no giant wreaths or banners or other grand gestures typically seen back in the city – there weren’t even any flowers.

  Kate checked the grandfather clock in the corner, trying not to cringe at the slow passage of time. She had never realized how tedious a funeral could be. There was no singing, no distracted whispering. In fact the whole thing was being carried out with a great deal of quiet dignity. Everyone listened attentively to the second minister as he spoke at great length, his talk interjected with scriptures and lessons. There was no eulogy, no speaking about the deceased. There were no bored sighs, no gossiping whispers, no theatrics. It was both inspiring and surreal at the same time.

  The room did not look all that different from the cottage she was living in. A bit more lived in perhaps, but it was just as barren of modern technology. The same utilitarian homemade furniture and décor. There was nothing that struck her as odd, save for the plain pine box sitting open in front of course.

  So why did someone come out into Amish territory to attack an old widowed man who kept to himself? The attacker was hardly skilled, but he didn't strike her as a common punk. Why in the barn? She tried to think back to the scene. There were tools that might have been of value of course. The thug could easily have stolen what they liked after the man went to bed. There was no need to kill an elderly man in broad daylight. The man was too unskilled in combat to have been in it for the kicks either. If they were after prescriptions they would have targeted the house, or rather, Kate thought, they would have targeted a whole other neighborhood. Nothing about the attack added up. She could not fathom a single motive that made sense in this situation.

  Beth gave her hand a gentle pat, jarring her from her thoughts. She turned her head to give the woman a reassuring smile. The woman had fretted through the morning about her attending. She pointed out a couple times that no one would blame Kate for staying at home after the trauma. She had been sent to this community to rest and recover from her own ordeal in order to let her memories return gradually, rather than risk an overwhelming rush should she encounter the right trigger.

  The woman gave a gentle yet stern smile, and inclined her head toward the minister. Kate felt her face color as she realized that, as still and composed as the group was, that her distracted thoughts were apparent.

  It was amazing how well the people here could communicate without speaking a word at times. It was a bit refreshing, compared to the endless chatter and emails and text messages people used to get their points across back home. She gave an apologetic smile and turned her eyes back on the minister.

  It took an hour and a half for the ministers to give their talk. Once the ministers had finished speaking, the group as a whole made their way to the buggies.

  “Why don't you go and rest, dear?” Beth said in a gentle tone as they walked to the buggy. “We can take you home first. There's no need to push yourself.”

  “I'll be fine,” Kate assured her as she walked beside them. She had made an error in judgment in thinking a criminal would have been able to go to the service at the house. It had been too private and intimate an affair compared to a non Amish funeral. However, the grave site was an open area. Someone who wasn't Amish would stick out like a sore thumb. If the attacker was going to show up, that was where she would see him. Of course, she could not say as much to the Beth. “I feel like I need to see this through.”

  Beth gave her a worried but encouraging smile, yet did not try to push her further. Beth, R
ose, and Kate climbed aboard the buggy, and Isaac pulled the buggy into the solemn procession behind the black, horse drawn hearse.

  “It’s a real shame; it makes no sense at all. Still, the ways of Gott are not the ways of man,” Isaac mused as they made their slow path to the cemetery. His wife nodded in agreement, but she reached to give her husband's knee a sharp squeeze and a veiled look of reproach. Kate realized that it was Beth’s way of telling her husband to drop the subject. This was no doubt for Kate's benefit.

  Kate was itching to ask them if there was anyone who would have wanted the man dead. At the same time, she was sure that her questions and interest would be met with the same quiet avoidance. Don't concern yourself. Rest. Don't get involved. Kate had taken care of herself since she was a teenager. This coddling, like she was an invalid, was hard to bear. She was bound to blow her cover if they didn't find the mole in WITSEC soon.

  The cemetery was surrounded by a white picket fence. The little, white headstones were identical and stretched over a large field. There was a sort of peaceful beauty to it, Kate thought, upon seeing the plain and simple layout.

  As expected, Kate saw police wandering the perimeter. She could tell by the looks on people’s faces that their presence was neither typical nor appreciated. After a moment of searching, she spotted Officer Ryan Weaver. He was standing in composed authority at the edge, watching the group and the surrounding area.

  The final service started relatively quickly, forcing Kate to turn her attention to the grave. There were no machines to be seen; rather, just a few shovels, dirt still clinging to the edges of the blades. Like everything else in this place, the grave was made by hand. She had to commend these people for their amazing work ethic. They made no excuses to do anything halfway.