Read Online Shunned and Dangerous (An Amish Mystery) by Laura Bradford - Free Book Online
Authors: Laura Bradford
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anytime, Jakob.”
“Thank you, Diane.” Turning to Claire, he hooked his thumb toward the front hallway. “Walk me out?”
She fell into step beside him, an unending lineup of unasked questions filtering through her thoughts as she did. “I was kind of hoping we’d have a little time alone this evening.”
Jakob stopped halfway across the entryway and turned, his brow cocked upward in restrained surprise. “Oh?”
“I . . . I’ve been worried about you. How are you holding up?”
He raked a hand through his crop of blond hair and stepped closer to Claire. “Aww, man, I never called you back this morning, did I?” At her half head shake, half shrug, he reached for her hand and held it gingerly inside his own. “I got the message from the dispatcher but I was out at the crime scene most of the morning . . . hoping to find something, anything, that will keep me from having to question my father.”
“It’ll be okay, Jakob.”
“Last night, in my bed, I tried to tell myself that same thing. Even managed to do a fairly decent job convincing myself, too. But then, out at the scene this morning, I realized I was being naïve when Amish men—men who have known my father for years—are whispering my father’s name in conjunction with news of Harley’s murder.”
“Benjamin said something to that effect this morning.” As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted them. Jakob was a fair man and a good detective, but when it came to the mere mention of Eli’s older brother, he reverted back to memories of a childhood where he’d never measured up to Isaiah Miller’s boy. The fact that it was Jakob’s own father holding the yardstick only made it all the more painful.
“You spoke to Ben this morning?”
“He’d heard what happened at the maze and he wanted to make sure I was okay.”
Rolling his eyes, Jakob released her hand and stepped back. “Anything else?”
“Not really. He’s convinced your father had nothing to do with what happened to Harley Zook, though.”
“From what I gathered this morning, he might be one of the only Amish in Heavenly to believe that.” Like a balloon that had suddenly met its fate against a needle, Jakob’s shoulders sunk in defeat. “I don’t know how to do this, Claire. I don’t know how to find the answers I need without confronting a man who wants nothing to do with me.”
This time it was Claire who reached for Jakob’s hand and held it tightly. “I’m here to help in any way I can. I could talk to Mose, I could ask Esther and Eli some more questions if you’d like, or I could simply listen when you need to vent. Just let me know what you need and I’ll be happy to do whatever I can to help.”
She glanced up only to look away at the intensity she saw in his eyes. Had she said too much? Tipped her hand—whatever hand that was—too far?
“How are you with patching fences?” he finally asked.
“Excuse me?”
“When I left the Amish, Harley Zook was the only member of the community who refused to turn his back on me. The least I can do—aside from finding his killer—is look in on his cows until a new owner is found.”
Chapter 7
T he sun was just rising into its mid-morning position when Jakob turned onto the long dirt driveway belonging to the late Harley Zook. Claire pressed her forehead to the passenger side window and peered out at the line of trees separating the Amish farm from the outside world.
“You don’t think Esther and Eli will end up moving north or west, do you?” she asked, taking in the occasional rusting metal box visible through breaks in the foliage. “Eli is a go-getter for sure, but he’s also a farmer at heart.”
The car slowed as they approached a bend in the path, Jakob’s attention flitting between the deceased’s property and Claire’s question. “I don’t know. I really don’t. I sure hope they stick around for Martha and Abram. But when there’s no farmland to be had, it certainly makes
“Thank you, Diane.” Turning to Claire, he hooked his thumb toward the front hallway. “Walk me out?”
She fell into step beside him, an unending lineup of unasked questions filtering through her thoughts as she did. “I was kind of hoping we’d have a little time alone this evening.”
Jakob stopped halfway across the entryway and turned, his brow cocked upward in restrained surprise. “Oh?”
“I . . . I’ve been worried about you. How are you holding up?”
He raked a hand through his crop of blond hair and stepped closer to Claire. “Aww, man, I never called you back this morning, did I?” At her half head shake, half shrug, he reached for her hand and held it gingerly inside his own. “I got the message from the dispatcher but I was out at the crime scene most of the morning . . . hoping to find something, anything, that will keep me from having to question my father.”
“It’ll be okay, Jakob.”
“Last night, in my bed, I tried to tell myself that same thing. Even managed to do a fairly decent job convincing myself, too. But then, out at the scene this morning, I realized I was being naïve when Amish men—men who have known my father for years—are whispering my father’s name in conjunction with news of Harley’s murder.”
“Benjamin said something to that effect this morning.” As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted them. Jakob was a fair man and a good detective, but when it came to the mere mention of Eli’s older brother, he reverted back to memories of a childhood where he’d never measured up to Isaiah Miller’s boy. The fact that it was Jakob’s own father holding the yardstick only made it all the more painful.
“You spoke to Ben this morning?”
“He’d heard what happened at the maze and he wanted to make sure I was okay.”
Rolling his eyes, Jakob released her hand and stepped back. “Anything else?”
“Not really. He’s convinced your father had nothing to do with what happened to Harley Zook, though.”
“From what I gathered this morning, he might be one of the only Amish in Heavenly to believe that.” Like a balloon that had suddenly met its fate against a needle, Jakob’s shoulders sunk in defeat. “I don’t know how to do this, Claire. I don’t know how to find the answers I need without confronting a man who wants nothing to do with me.”
This time it was Claire who reached for Jakob’s hand and held it tightly. “I’m here to help in any way I can. I could talk to Mose, I could ask Esther and Eli some more questions if you’d like, or I could simply listen when you need to vent. Just let me know what you need and I’ll be happy to do whatever I can to help.”
She glanced up only to look away at the intensity she saw in his eyes. Had she said too much? Tipped her hand—whatever hand that was—too far?
“How are you with patching fences?” he finally asked.
“Excuse me?”
“When I left the Amish, Harley Zook was the only member of the community who refused to turn his back on me. The least I can do—aside from finding his killer—is look in on his cows until a new owner is found.”
Chapter 7
T he sun was just rising into its mid-morning position when Jakob turned onto the long dirt driveway belonging to the late Harley Zook. Claire pressed her forehead to the passenger side window and peered out at the line of trees separating the Amish farm from the outside world.
“You don’t think Esther and Eli will end up moving north or west, do you?” she asked, taking in the occasional rusting metal box visible through breaks in the foliage. “Eli is a go-getter for sure, but he’s also a farmer at heart.”
The car slowed as they approached a bend in the path, Jakob’s attention flitting between the deceased’s property and Claire’s question. “I don’t know. I really don’t. I sure hope they stick around for Martha and Abram. But when there’s no farmland to be had, it certainly makes
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