The Amish Witness

“I am willing to leave, Bishop, if you think it would be best for everyone else,” Elizabeth said.

“I am sure Gott has waited patiently for you to return, to repent and be baptized.” The bishop smiled, sipped his tea and then placed the cup back down on the side table. “I know your mamm has waited many years for you to find your way home. Now you are here. That is a gut thing. Who am I to send you away?”

“But this man?”

“We will deal with him. I will speak with the elders and tell them what is going on. Meanwhile, you need to go home. Keep your eyes open. Don’t go anywhere alone. Don’t do anything foolish.”

“Should we tell the sheriff?” Thomas asked.

Elizabeth knew it was hard for him to ask that question of the bishop because the Amish do not like to involve the Englisch, especially law enforcement, in their lives.

“I don’t think that is necessary yet.” The bishop nodded toward Elizabeth’s pocket, which housed the note. “The man wants to meet with Elizabeth. Until he contacts her again, I do not believe she is in any immediate danger.” He stroked his beard again. “What do you have that he wants? What did Hannah give you?”

“She didn’t give me anything. I don’t know what this man wants.” Elizabeth tried to remember every conversation between them on the day of Hannah’s death.

“Wait!” She leaned forward. “I have a carton of Hannah’s belongings. I dropped the one I was carrying into the condo when I ran for my life, but I had another one still in my car.” She couldn’t keep the excitement and hope out of her voice. “That must be it! Whatever the man wants must be in that box.”

“Where is this box?” the bishop asked.

“On the floor of the backseat of my car.” She shot a hurried glance at each one of them. “I completely forgot about it. It has to be in the box. I don’t have anything else.”

“Gut.” The bishop’s lips twisted in a wry grin. “For now, we will play his game. We will let him think we are willing to return this elusive item. No sheriff. Not yet. Let me discuss it with the elders first. You go home and search through that box. Whatever was worth killing poor Hannah over should be easy to recognize. When we know what we are dealing with we will decide the proper way to proceed.”

The bishop stood, indicating the meeting was over. Thomas, Elizabeth and Mary stood, as well.

“Denki, Bishop Schwartz, for seeing us without notice. We appreciate it,” Thomas said. He placed a hand under Elizabeth’s elbow. “I will do my best to keep an eye on things at the farm the best I can and I will try to keep Elizabeth and Mary safe.”

“Gut.” The bishop nodded. “I will speak with the others and get back with you shortly. Elizabeth, if there are any problems, ring the porch triangle and we will all kumm running.”

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Bishop.”

“Meanwhile, stay safe. Go about your business. Prepare for your repentance and baptism. Let us pray about what the next move should be. And let me know immediately if there are any more letters.”

“Denki. I feel better already.”

Thomas helped both women into the buggy, then went around to the other side. After nodding goodbye to the bishop, he clicked the reins and guided the horse back toward the main road.

“See, Elizabeth,” Mary said. “The bishop will know what to do. Everything will be all right.”

They’d traveled about a quarter of a mile when Thomas spoke. “I thought the meeting went well. I told you the bishop would not ask you to leave.”

“It’s not that. I knew Bishop Schwartz would allow me to stay. He has known me and my family since I was born.”

“Then what is it?”

“The danger is real, Thomas. I am not afraid for myself, but what have I brought to the community?”

Thomas placed his hand over hers. A pleasant tingling sensation raced up her arms. Even now, she could still be affected by the mere touch of his hand.

“We will keep you safe, Elizabeth. The whole community will be watching for strangers and things that are out of place.”

“I know.” A pounding headache formed in the sinus area above her eyes. “But what if it isn’t enough? What if he hurts someone?”

“Maybe we will find what he wants in that box in your car. We will give it to him and he will go back to Philadelphia.”

“Do you really believe he will take the box and leave?”

“If he wanted you dead, he had the few extra minutes to do it in the barn before I could reach you.”

Elizabeth felt the blood drain from her face as she realized the truth of his words. He could have killed her in the barn. Almost did. But a sense of dread filled her. What if he was lying? What if he had no intention of letting her live once he’d gotten what he came for? She’d seen his face. She was a witness to his crime. She’d lived in the Englisch world long enough to know criminals didn’t leave witnesses behind.

“What you have is more important to him right now than you dead.”

The truth of his words gave her a little inner peace.

“What do you think Hannah put in the box?” he asked.

“That’s just it, Thomas, I don’t know. And I’m scared to death to find out.”

* * *

The steady clopping of the horse’s hooves was the only sound for several more miles as Thomas pondered the day’s events. He’d make sure Elizabeth and Mary were settled in and then he’d have to head home. His former in-laws would be bringing the kinner home soon.

A smile bowed his lips at the mental image of his two precious children. Gott had blessed him with two precious gifts—his smile widened—even if one of those gifts was perpetually drawn to dirt and mire.

His smile didn’t last. How was he going to keep Elizabeth and Mary safe when he was miles away on his own farm?

He couldn’t and that was unacceptable. He had to find a way to protect them daily. But how?

“You’re awfully quiet, Thomas. Is something wrong?” Elizabeth studied him closely.

Something wrong? Everything’s wrong.

When he woke this morning his only thought was getting his chores finished for Mary in time to get back home to take care of his own farm and his kinner. He’d never expected his world to be turned upside down. But the unexpected events in this life reminded him that he was not in control, Gott was.

“Nothing’s wrong, Elizabeth. Just thinking through the day’s events,” Thomas replied.

When Elizabeth smiled at him, his heart skipped a beat. After all these years she could still stir deep feelings in him and, for a moment, he hated himself for that weakness.

“It’s been a crazy day,” she admitted.

“Ja.”

“Denki, Thomas.”

He glanced her way and for an instant was lost in the sky-blue depths of her eyes.

“I know you weren’t expecting to see me,” she said. “And...well, I am grateful for all you have done. Helping my mother on the farm. Taking me to see the bishop. You didn’t have to do any of it and I want you to know I appreciate it.”