Read Online Three Can Keep a Secret by Judy Clemens - Free Book Online Page B

apparently, as to whether or not she killed him.”
    “What?” Abe sounded even more frantic.
    “Nothing concrete. Just some vagueness on her part, and an anonymous call I received yesterday.”
    “What happened?”
    I explained what I knew about Brad Lapp’s accident and death, which wasn’t much.
    “Sounds like you need to do some checking,” Abe said.
    “But I hate—”
    “Of course you do. But, as you said, it’s your farm.”
    “Anywhere you think I should start?”
    He pointed at someone across the room. “Right there.”
    I followed his finger to a couple sitting at a table with Abe’s brother Jacob and his wife, Nina. “Who’re they?”
    “Jacob’s roommate from the year he went to college, and his wife. Dan and Zelda Souder.”
    I looked at them. “And?”
    “They’re from Lancaster. They came up for the weekend, going back tonight.”
    “I get it. Want to introduce me?”
    “Sure.”
    The two couples made room for us at their table, and Abe did the honors while unwrapping a plate of his cookies and passing it around.
    “So how are you doing, Stella?” Nina asked. “Abe says your doctor wants you to take it a little easier.”
    I kicked Abe under the table, and he winced.
    “I’m fine. Especially now I’ve hired a new farmhand.”
    “Which is the main reason we came over here,” Abe said. “I thought Stella could ask the Souders what they know.”
    “About what?” Zelda looked surprised.
    I explained who Lucy was and the questions that had come up, and our entire group turned to look at her, which of course she noticed. I smiled and waved, hoping she would assume I was simply talking about my new farmhand. I felt like a jerk.
    “Well, sure, I remember that story,” Zelda said. “It was the talk of the town—and of the Lancaster Conference. Remember Yoder Mennonite about having a collective coronary, Dan? Everyone was convinced Lucy had done it.”
    “But why?” I still was at a loss.
    “No reason,” Dan said hotly. “People just wanted something to talk about. You know, Christmas spirit and all.”
    Zelda grimaced. “He’s right. No one ever gave any good reasons. The most popular story was that she wanted his life insurance money to start her own dairy operation.”
    “Bunch of crap,” Dan said. “Who in their right mind would want to run a dairy farm alone?”
    Abe looked at me.
    “But what happened?” I asked. “She obviously was never convicted of it.”
    “Or even arrested,” Zelda said. “The police couldn’t find anything strong enough to hold her, even though she and her husband had taken out new life insurance policies within the past year. Anyway, a fat lot of good that money would’ve done her, seeing how he survived the fall and she had to quit her farm job to stay home with him.”
    Dan grunted. “Bunch of gossipy biddies.”
    “Any other people involved?” I asked, remembering Noah, the guy who had come by the farm. “Men? Women?”
    Zelda and her husband looked at each other. “I can’t remember anything about that,” Zelda said. “You, Dan?”
    He shook his head.
    “Not much help, are we?” Zelda asked. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t be. I feel like an ass even asking about it.”
    “Check the Lancaster newspapers,” Dan said. “The Intelligencer Journal and the Lancaster New Era . It was the biggest story they’d had in years, and they ate it up. If I remember right, it all came back again when he died. When was that?”
    “Year and a half ago,” I said.
    Zelda nodded. “That’s right. It was at Christmas-time again, wasn’t it? A year after the accident? I remember feeling so sorry for that little girl.”
    Our group took another look over toward Tess, which luckily escaped Lucy’s eye. I was feeling guilty enough without her assuming the worst.
    A wave of exhaustion swept through me, and I glanced at the clock. “Well, it’s past my bedtime. Thanks for the info. I’m sure it will turn out to be nothing. At least nothing for me