The Crow’s Call: Amish Greenhouse Mystery Book 1

by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Kristin Billerbeck, Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Birdie L. Etchison, Pamela Griffin, Joyce Livingston, Tamela Hancock Murray

  Belinda heard the patter of little feet and looked toward the doorway of the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Angela Mary enter the room holding the baby doll Belinda had given her yesterday. The child padded up to her wearing a tender smile.

  “Are you hungry, sweet girl?” Belinda asked in Pennsylvania Dutch.

  Angela Mary nodded and rubbed her tummy.

  “What would you like for breakfast?”

  “Pannekuche.”

  Belinda grinned. “Are you sure?”

  “Jah, Grossmudder.” Angela Mary gave a little hop.

  Belinda hadn’t planned on making pancakes today, but she didn’t want to disappoint her granddaughter. “All right, Angela Mary—pannekuche it is.” She set the eggs on the counter, picked the little girl up, and gave her a kiss. Spending time with her grandchildren and doing things to make them smile—that’s what would keep Belinda going and looking to the future with hope.

  Strasburg

  The sunlight pouring into his room caused Jared to wake up with a start. When he checked his alarm clock, he realized it had never gone off.

  “Maybe I forgot to set it last night.” He picked it up. Sure enough, the button on top had not been pulled out. He’d been forgetting a lot of things lately—phone calls he hadn’t returned; notes he’d made about jobs; and errands he should have run. Jared’s only excuse was that his mind seemed to be elsewhere most of the time. No matter how hard he tried, Jared couldn’t get Amy out of his thoughts. Common sense told him to move on with his life and find someone else, because it didn’t look like she would change her mind. When he’d talked to Lydia the other day, she had commented that Amy kept really busy with her responsibilities at home and in the greenhouse. Lydia also stated that her friend didn’t have time anymore to go out to lunch or take a few minutes to talk.

  Jared grunted as he rolled out of bed. He wanted so badly to drop by the greenhouse to check on her but figured Amy would be too busy. More than likely she’d think he only came over to pressure her into letting him court her again. He saw Amy every other Sunday, but her body language remained the same. Amy kept her distance, but at least he could see that she was okay. The only news Jared had about Amy and her family these days was through the Amish grapevine. His mom had talked to someone who’d stopped at the greenhouse for something the other day, and whoever it was (Mom wouldn’t say) had informed her that Amy’s demeanor was always so serious, and the dark circles beneath her eyes revealed extreme fatigue.

  Jared pinched the skin at his throat. Even though she doesn’t want to see me, I think I’ll come up with an excuse to visit the greenhouse sometime this week.

  When Amy approached the greenhouse early the following morning, she was surprised to see the front door standing open; although the screen door was shut. She poked her tongue against the inside of her cheek and inhaled a long breath. Henry King, didn’t you close and lock the door like I told you to yesterday evening?

  After she’d closed the greenhouse for the day, Amy remembered later that she’d left some money in the till and had asked Henry to fetch it. He’d returned to the house with the cash, so she assumed he would have locked both the front and back doors, since that was the standing rule.

  Cautiously, she stepped inside. All was quiet, and there was no sign of anyone, but when Amy walked down one of the aisles, she was stunned to see several of the potted plants had been dumped onto the floor. Oh, no—the flowers! She looked around again in desperation.

  “How in the world did this happen?” Amy drew a shaky breath, walking backward toward the entrance to the building. Whoever had done this might still be inside, hiding somewhere. She wasn’t about to turn her back on them.

  “How did what happen?”

  Amy gasped and whirled around. “Henry, you about scared me to death. I thought you were still in the barn feeding the livestock.”

  “I’m done with that.” He tipped his head to one side. “You never answered my question? What happened in here?”

  She explained about the plants and led the way so he could see the evidence.

  “Oh, great.” He thumped the side of his head.

  “When you came out to get the money last night, did you make sure to shut and lock both doors?”

  He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I remember shutting them, all right, and I—I think I locked the doors too.”

  “Do you actually remember doing it, Henry?”

  “Umm … let me think.” Henry rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  “Well, did you or not?”

  “I don’t actually remember doing it, but I’m pretty sure I did.” He glanced at the ruined plants then back at Amy. “Are you gonna let Mom know about this?”

  “No, I am not.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “And I don’t want you to mention it either.”

  “How come? Don’t ya think she has a right to know about the vandalism that’s struck us again?”

  Amy was on the verge of offering a response when Henry spoke once more.

  “And don’t try to put the blame on me for what happened either.” Henry’s eyes narrowed as he pointed at the plants. “What reason would I have for ruining all these?”

  “Well, umm …”

  He held up his hand. “You think I did it, don’t ya?”

  Amy shrugged her shoulders. “Truthfully, the thought had crossed my mind.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ve made it more than clear that you don’t like working here. And last night, when you didn’t know I was within earshot, I heard you mumble that you were sick and tired of the greenhouse as well as caring for the bees.”

  “Jah, well, I don’t like either of those jobs, but I wouldn’t be dumb enough to wreck plants or do anything else destructive in the greenhouse. After all, the money we earn here is what pays the bills and keeps food in our bellies.” Henry thumped his stomach.

  “Okay, okay, calm down, little brother.”

  He raised his eyebrows and gave Amy a glassy stare. “I ain’t little, so quit callin’ me that.”

  “Sorry, it was just a figure of speech. Don’t forget, you are my youngest bruder, Henry.”

  “Yeah, with Ezekiel living far from us now and God taking Abe away, I feel like I’ve become your only brother.”

  The look of hurt Amy saw in Henry’s eyes let her know that she’d said enough. She moved closer and hugged his shoulders. Relieved that he didn’t pull away, she said, “Let’s try to work together from now on, okay?”

  Henry gave a slow nod. “Sure. Whatever you say.” He moved away and set to work cleaning up the mess that had been made. “I have to wonder if some animal got into the greenhouse and pawed through these plants, which knocked ’em to the floor.”

  She shook her head. “It looks more intentional to me, but I could be wrong.”

  “This is a waste, though it won’t take long to clean up.” Henry picked up all the ruined plants and hauled them away.

  Amy watched as her brother grabbed a broom and swept up the remaining soil. Nearby sat a bucket he dumped all the dirt into. Then Henry carried off the emptied containers toward the storage room.

  Amy sighed. She’d helped Mom months ago get those plants started from seeds. I agree with Henry—it is a waste.

  She groaned inwardly. Their mother had only been gone two days, and already unpleasant things had happened. She hated to think of what else might occur during Mom’s two-week absence.

  Try not to borrow trouble, she told herself as the distinctive sound of the crow’s call filtered in through the open door. Caw … Caw … Caw …

  “I hear a steady clip-clop of horses’ hooves this morning. I bet that greenhouse across the road is getting business already this morning.” Virginia’s fingers tightened as she handed her husband a piece of toast.

  “Yep. You’re probably right.” Earl kept his focus on the sports section of the newspaper lying next to his plate.

  “I am still a bit irritated about getti
ng my lime green pants wet when I went to the greenhouse yesterday.”

  He chuckled. “You should be more careful where you’re leaning your backside.”

  She lifted her gaze to the ceiling. “You would say something like that.”

  “I have to say, that greenhouse of theirs was plenty warm inside. It made me sweat like a pig. If they had electricity at their place, they could have several fans running to circulate the air.”

  “Well, dear, they are Amish, and who knows what else they don’t do.” Earl pushed the paper aside and drank some coffee. “Did you get the tomato plants you bought put in the ground?”

  Virginia shook her head and buttered the toast on her plate. “Not yet.” She took a bite of it and tried to relax.

  “When ya do, don’t forget to add some of that horse manure into the soil.”

  “Earl, I’m eating. Can’t you see that?” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not about to touch any of that yucky stuff, and I sure don’t wanna talk about it at the breakfast table.”

  Earl set his coffee mug down and gave an impatient huff. “I’m not suggesting you handle the manure with your bare hands, Virginia. Dig a hole in the area where you want the tomato plants to go, and then shovel some of the manure in and spread it around. After that, put the plants in the hole and cover the rest of it with dirt. The last step will be to give the tomato plants plenty of water.”

  She flapped her hand. “That sounds like a lot of hard work. Anyway, is that how you think those Amish folks do their gardening—by mixing all their horse droppings into the soil?”

  “I suppose.” He finished his toast. “Why don’t you ask ’em?”

  “No way!”

  “I did notice at the Kings’ place that their plot of vegetables looked healthy, and all the flowers they grow to sell are gorgeous.”

  “What else would they use, Virginia? They’ve got an endless supply of horse manure.”

  “All I know is they run around barefoot a lot over there. Don’t they worry about stepping in some of it?”

  Earl laughed. “Good question. Why don’t you run on over there and ask that question too?”

  “Very cute, Earl. I was just pointing out what I’ve noticed is all.”

  “Have you been using my binoculars to spy on them?”

  “No, of course not. But I have good vision and can see details that are pretty far away.”

  Virginia drank the rest of her apple juice, pushed her chair aside, and stood. “As soon as I put our dishes in the dishwasher, I’ll get started on the garden plot. I can’t wait to see how well our plants grow.”

  “Sounds good.” He stood and kissed her cheek. “I’d better get to work. I hope you have a nice day.”

  “You too, dear.”

  After her husband went out the door, Virginia watched out the front window as he got into his truck. Since their place had only a one-car garage, Earl let Virginia park her car inside, and he left the truck in the driveway.

  She walked out onto the porch and waved to Earl as he backed his rig out of the driveway and headed down the road in the direction of Lancaster. When he was out of sight, she glanced across the road and noticed a lot of cars in the greenhouse parking lot. They’re sure busy over there again. No doubt there’ll be more noise for me to put up with today.

  Virginia moved away from the porch railing and went back inside the house. One good thing … At least Earl and I will have a nice crop of tomatoes to enjoy in the days ahead. Maybe country living won’t be so bad after all—at least in that regard.

  When Virginia returned to the kitchen, she cleared the table. After placing the dishes in the dishwasher, she found her gardening gloves and went out the back door. Even though it was my idea to grow some fresh produce, I hope this project isn’t more than I can handle.

  Jared had quit working a little early today so he could go home and take a shower before heading to the greenhouse. He didn’t want to show up at the Kings’ smelling like a hog or with clothes covered in dirt and sweat.

  Jared snapped the reins to get Dandy moving along. “If Amy saw me like that, she might never change her mind about us.”

  The gelding’s ears twitched, and he bobbed his head. It seemed as if Dandy agreed with Jared. He couldn’t control the nervousness he felt as he drew closer to the Kings’ place. But, oh, how he looked forward to seeing Amy, even if the reception awaiting him would be less friendly than he’d like.

  When Jared guided Reckless up the Kings’ driveway, he was pleased to see four cars in the graveled parking lot as well as two horse and buggies at the hitching rail. Their business must be doing well, and that’s a good thing. I wonder how Amy and her family are doing emotionally though.

  Jared directed Dandy to the rail and set the brake. Then he climbed down and secured the horse. Jared paused to brush away a few smudges on his trousers from the carriage wheel he’d come in contact with, although he was sure his efforts in looking nice wouldn’t do anything to help him win Amy at this point. Jared still loved her, and his heartbeat quickened, thinking about being close to her.

  As he walked toward the entrance of the building, an English man he’d done business with came out carrying a hanging basket in one hand. He smiled at Jared as he approached. “It’s nice to see you.”

  “Nice to see you too, Mr. Chandler.”

  “You and your crew sure did a good job on my roof. In fact, I’ve handed out several of your business cards to others who have complimented the job you did.” The man shook Jared’s hand. “Would you have any more of those cards on you? I’ll give some of them out to the fellows I work with in case they might be thinking of having a new roof put on their home, shop, or garage.”

  “Sure. That’d be great.” Jared pulled his wallet from the pocket in his trousers and withdrew ten of his cards. “Is that enough?”

  “I believe so. At least for now.” Mr. Chandler clasped Jared’s shoulder. “I’ve had other work done by Amish men and have always been satisfied, so keep up the good work.”

  “Thanks, I will. And I appreciate you spreading the word about my business.”

  “Not a problem. When I know a good thing, I always like to tell others.” He tapped Jared’s arm. “Have a good evening.”

  “Same to you, sir.”

  When Jared entered the greenhouse, he saw Amy standing behind the checkout counter with three people lined up on the other side, waiting to check out.

  Jared didn’t want to interrupt, so he headed down one of the aisles in search of the right birthday gift for his mother. About halfway down, he spotted Henry moving some plants from one wooden shelf to another. “How’s it going?” Jared asked when he approached the boy.

  With tight lips, Henry merely gave a shrug.

  “It looks like you’re keeping busy.”

  “Yeah, too busy,” the boy mumbled. “Amy’s always tellin’ me what to do, especially now that Mom’s not here.”

  Jared glanced over his shoulder and saw Amy still waiting on customers, then he turned back to face her brother. “How long till your mamm returns?”

  “She’ll be gone at least two weeks. I’m guessin’ maybe longer if they need more help.”

  Jared didn’t want to appear nosey, but he was curious as to where Belinda had gone and who needed her help. Under the circumstances, it seemed unlikely that she’d leave her home, greenhouse, and family that long. “If you don’t mind my asking … where’d your mother go?”

  “Up to Clymer, New York, where Michelle and Ezekiel live. Michelle had a baby boy recently, and Mom went there to help out.”

  “I see. Makes sense that she’d want to be there.”

  When Henry gave no response, Jared posed another question. “So, is it just you and Amy working in the greenhouse while your mamm is gone?”

  Henry shook his head. “Sylvia’s helpin’ out too, and Mary Ruth is taking care of her kinner while she’s out here.” He pulled his suspenders out with his thumbs and gave them a snap. “I don’t like w
orking here and having someone always tellin’ me what to do. You’re lucky to be your own boss.”

  “Running my own business has its good points, but there are some negative things about it too.”

  Henry folded his arms. “Like what?”

  “Well, being my own boss means I have to be responsible for hiring a good crew of roofers. There is also lots paperwork to do when you run a business.”

  “I’m well aware. Amy does that kind of stuff for the greenhouse. She’s always busy with something or other, even when the greenhouse is closed.” Henry’s brows furrowed. “Whenever she’s not workin’, she’s reminding me about chores and saying something I’ve done is wrong.”

  “Anything specific?” Jared asked.

  Henry’s voice lowered. “Well, someone got into the greenhouse last night and dumped over some of our potted plants. Amy accused me of not locking the doors.” His face colored as he reached up to rub the back of his neck. “I’m sure she thinks I’m responsible for all the vandalism that’s happened here since my daed, brother, and brother-in-law died.”

  Jared’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about, Henry? What kind of vandalism?”

  He listened with concern as Henry told him about the mailbox, greenhouse sign, and a few other things that could have been done on purpose. “Does Amy believe those things were done intentionally?”

  “Jah, and as I said before, she thinks they were done by me.”

  “Did you do any of them, Henry?” Jared felt led to ask.

  He shook his head vigorously. “Wanna know what I think?”

  “Of course.”

  “I think some of my friends might have done all those things.”