I took a deep breath to steady myself. My imagination was probably just running away from me, I tried to convince myself. But then I remembered what Toby had said about trusting my instincts and my gut twisted.
I really hoped I was wrong this time.
19
I rapped harder on the door. The curtains were drawn up tight and I couldn’t see into the house. When no one answered, I jogged down the steps and around the side of the small brick house. I stumbled over a soccer ball in the yard, but caught myself before I fell completely. Tonya had told us she’d taken the kids and moved out. She was living in the next county over with her mother, but it was apparent she hadn’t had the time to move all of her things from the modest suburban home she’d shared with Brent before she’d left. Boxes were stacked high in the carport beside several children’s bikes.
Having his family move out, combined with Miriam’s wedding could be just the thing to set off a man with suppressed violent tendencies. I picked up my pace until I reached the side door. I pounded on it for a moment.
“Dammit,” I muttered as I ran back to my car.
When I backed out of the driveway, I deliberated where I should go first, holding my cell phone in my hand. Should I call John and Toby and tell them my fears? I groaned and tossed the phone down on the passenger seat. I needed some kind of proof before I called them in, and that’s what decided it for me.
A few minutes later, I pulled into Samantha Prowes’ driveway. The sun was high in the sky and I was already beginning to sweat when I stepped out of the car. The grass was thick and green, birds chirped and the pink petunias in the hanging baskets swayed in the breeze. Other than the heat, it was the perfect day for a wedding.
Before I reached the house, Samantha’s son came out of the garage. An elderly woman walked with him in direction of a blue four-door sedan parked in the driveway.
“Excuse me,” I called out. “Is Samantha home? I need to talk to her.”
The boy continued on to the car, but the woman stopped to look at me. “You just missed her.” She brought her hand to her chest. “I’m her mother. She asked me to babysit today so she could go to an Amish wedding.” She shook her head. “They hold ‘em on Thursday mornings—can you believe such a thing?”
My heart beat painfully. “Why would she go to the wedding?” I asked dumbly.
“Miriam Coblenz is a friend of hers. They’ve known each other for years. Of course she’d be there for it.” She pressed her lips together and scrunched up the side of her face. “Don’t tell her I said so, but I think she wanted the opportunity to show off the new man in her life. She got herself all gussied up and I must admit, they’re a handsome couple.”
I turned and ran back to the car, not bothering to respond to the woman or even say goodbye. There wasn’t any time. If Brent didn’t have enough reasons to go off the deep end before, he certainly did now.
I counted more than three dozen buggies lining the Coblenz’s driveway. There were also a fair number of white vans parked and a dozen more cars in the yard. As I drove past the barns, I saw horses’ heads sticking out from the tie stalls. The sounds of their nickering followed me up the gravel drive. A few boys in suspenders and wearing straw hats ran from the large metal building across the yard towards the house. On the front porch where I’d talked to Miriam, several women stood holding babies.
I parked with the other cars, lowered the windows and listened. The sound of a baby crying drifted on the breeze, along with the garbled sound of a man speaking in Pennsylvania Dutch. His voice was coming from the metal barnlike structure. The front half of the building was slightly shorter than the back half, giving me the impression that it was separated on the inside by a wall. The side facing the car had a line of garage doors that were all open. I could see the beards and black attire of dozens of men sitting on benches. When I lifted my sunglasses and squinted, I spotted colorful dresses beyond the men. It seemed as though the entire Amish community had squeezed onto benches in the building.
I inhaled and blew out slowly, carefully surveying the scene. Cows grazed on the other side of the fence and chickens pecked the ground between the cars. Every so often a small child would leave the building, breaking into a run when they neared the house. I relaxed a little and breathed easier. Most children would need a bathroom break during a three-hour church service.
When the sound of singing floated into the car, I sat perfectly still, listening. It was a loud, somber tune. No musical instruments accompanied the voices of the men and women, but I was impressed with the rhythmic changes of harmony between the sexes. It was a chorus that could rival any English church, but the song sounded more suitable for a funeral than a wedding.
When I clutched the door handle and stepped out, I felt the prickling sensation of silliness. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was expecting before I arrived, but I now had little doubt now that I had gotten worked up over nothing. Miriam’s wedding was in full swing, and as far as I could tell, everything was as it was supposed to be.
I was glad I hadn’t called John and sounded a false alarm, potentially ruining the wedding for the bride and groom. But I didn’t completely let my guard down as I forced myself to approach the building, walking a wide berth away from the garage doorways so that I wasn’t as noticeable when I slipped in the furthest one. Just as I wanted, I was positioned at the back of the congregation.
I removed my sunglasses and let my eyes adjust to the dim interior of the room. The benches were set up on either side of an aisle. On the left, the men sat and on the right were the women. A couple of long benches were set up at the very back for the English guests. I followed the wall and sat on the first bench I came to. An older man smiled and pressed into his wife to make room for me. I smiled back, sitting down with a sense of relief that all eyes hadn’t turned my way when I’d entered the building. But several of the men had looked my way, and one ancient woman had been curious enough to even turn her head as I passed by.
Just as I’d thought, the building was separated into two rooms. A regular-sized doorway was open on the far wall and I caught a glimpse of long tables covered with white clothes and adorned with baskets filled with white flowers. Other than the flowers, I didn’t see any other wedding decorations.
As my eyes searched the crowd, several thoughts flitted through my mind. The fact that the men and women were separated didn’t entirely shock me as I’d seen previously how the sexes divided into two groups, but it still unnerved me seeing it play out in such an obvious way. But it was the depressive heaviness in the air that unsettled me the most. Everyone seemed so solemn and serious.
When I craned my neck, I saw Miriam and the groom sitting in the front row with their backs to the congregation. There was a couple sitting on either side of them. I could just barely make out her navy blue dress and the white apron that looked the same as the clothes I saw Amish women wearing every other day. The women beside her, who I assumed were her attendants, were dressed identically to her. How sad it was that Miriam couldn’t look special on her wedding day.
I wasn’t one of those women who’d spent a lot of time dreaming about my own wedding. Even with Daniel’s proposal, I still hadn’t giving it much thought. But I can say that I envisioned a brightly lit church, wildflower bouquets and a lot of smiling faces.
Samantha’s blonde hair caught my eye at the end of the bench. She sat with a nice looking, middle-aged man. She wore a floral patterned dress and he had on suit pants and a button up shirt. I glanced down at my jeans and t-shirt and chewed on my bottom lip. The man who sat next to me passed me a program and I mouthed a thank you. The cover had a picture of a bundle of white roses on it with the caption, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, Ephesians 4:2-3.”
When I flipped it open, I was happy to see that it provided an Engli
sh translation. I skipped over the hymns and the sermon section, stopping at the marriage vows. Nothing too out of the ordinary—both the husband and wife agreed that the Lord had ordained the relationship, and to care for the other if they became sick. The last vow was promising each other that they would love and not separate from each other until God separated them through death.
The congregation began singing again with the same dull tempo of the first song I’d heard. I returned my gaze to the program and read along.
Now then, cheer up, you Church of God,
Holy and pure these later times,
You who are chosen unto a bridegroom
Called Jesus Christ,
Do prepare yourself for Him.
Lay your adornments, for He comes soon,
Therefore prepare the wedding garment,
For He will certainly have the wedding,
Now, allowing you to be parted from Him eternally.
When the song ended, a man with a long black beard peppered with gray began to speak. I guessed him to be this community’s bishop. He rambled on in their language, but I did catch an occasional English word thrown in. The sermon went on, and on, and on. I slumped on the bench and my mind wandered. I found myself thinking about the bones in my butt I never even knew existed until this moment. I also wondered about Daniel. I’d made excuses why I couldn’t return his phone calls and kept my text messages short. Having a conversation with him wouldn’t help me focus. I needed to keep my emotions out of the investigation, and if I communicated with my fiancé, I wouldn’t be able to do it.
The entire case was baffling. Brent Prowes appeared to be the most likely suspect. He had more than enough motive to kill his brother. He had the most to gain from Buddy’s death and he had a crush on his sister-in-law. He didn’t even try to hide his propensity to hold grudges, and he’d killed a dog, which is a marked trait for murderers. But all that wasn’t enough to arrest him, and definitely not enough for a conviction.
There were also several Amish men being their usual secretive selves. Seth Hershberger and Lester Lapp had managed to conceal their identities of being on Buddy Prowes’ work crew, and each of them had singled out Buddy’s ex-wife, Samantha Prowes, as their prime suspect. And both of them had basically said in a typically Amish passive way that they thought their boss had it coming. Joshua Miller was an intriguing character, and he didn’t bother to hide his dislike for Buddy, but I was willing to bet his greatest crime was arrogance. Then there was Danny Bach. His description and shortened name matched Daniel perfectly. And I’d caught him lying about his knowledge of Buddy and his time spent in Lancaster.
Could he really be involved in the murder?
The side of my temple throbbed, and I pressed my fingers to it and rubbed. I wished I’d never pursued the investigation with the marshals. Ignorance was bliss—Bobby was right. I was sworn to uphold the law and I was terrified that in doing so, I might destroy Daniel in the process. It had taken me a while to admit it, but I did love him—maybe even enough to shield him from the law if necessary. I’d listened to Bobby and my sister, Laura, but it would be up to me to make the impossible decision of what to do if I did discover that Daniel was guilty of something. Even though I’d taught him how to shoot a handgun, he’d hunted as a youth. It was plausible, since the murder weapon was a rifle, that he would have been able to shoot Buddy. And it wasn’t farfetched that he could commit murder. Many otherwise good people had been pushed into taking someone’s life for one reason or another. But I didn’t for a minute believe he was capable of bludgeoning a body afterwards. Daniel didn’t have that kind of anger inside of him. Whoever killed Buddy was a raging inferno of hatred.
When Miriam and Joseph Mast stood and faced each other, my eyes settled on the groom. The man who had stolen Miriam’s heart after all these years was even taller than Daniel. He had a ruddy complexion and a sparse beard, but he was smiling at her in a way that made me like him instantly. Anyone paying attention could see the love he had for his bride.
The entire exchange of vows only lasted a few minutes and then another song began. The deep voices of the men filled the room and I gazed out one of the open doorways at the cows grazing in the pasture. Their tails flicked back and forth at flies. Occasionally a rooster crowed or a horse whinnied. I didn’t bother to sing the song, instead using the program to fan myself. The air was becoming thick and warm with so many bodies squeezed into the room, and beads of sweat formed on the back of my neck.
When the women’s sweet, high-pitched voices took over, I looked up. I couldn’t see Miriam’s face, but I imagined she was smiling. The rest of the crowd was reserved and seemed distant. When the song finally ended, the wedding party filed out of the room and into the adjoining room. Everyone was orderly and quiet. It was nothing like the joyful weddings I’d attended in the past. For my part, I usually found the occasions unpleasant. There was always an expectation of perfection that never became a reality, and then I had to talk to all those distant relatives or so-called friends and pretend to be interested in their lives. Most of the weddings I’d been to in the past, the couple were divorced within five years anyway. The statistics made me even more cynical.
I rose and stretched my back. I felt foolish for rushing over to the wedding as though something terrible was about to happen. Now I just wanted to get back to my car and be on my way. During the long sermon I’d had a lot of time to think. As much as a part of me wanted to know who killed Buddy Prowes, I would let the investigation go. But I did plan to talk to Daniel about everything when I got home. There could be no secrets between us—especially not a secret like this. If we were meant to be together, then he would say the right thing, and alleviate my fears. If not, then it was better I addressed it before we said our own wedding vows.
I squeezed through the crowd until sunshine hit my face. The sounds of quiet conversation and shuffling of feet fell away behind me as I put my sunglasses on and headed for the car. A hand on my shoulder stopped me and I spun around.
“You’re staying for the dinner aren’t you? It’s the best part.” Louise Schwartz stood there in a mint green dress with a beaming face.
I suddenly felt like the imposter I was. My stomach tightened and I took a breath. I just wanted to get out, but I didn’t want to be rude to the poor girl. “I’m just going to the car to get the present,” I lied.
She smiled back. “Oh, there’s a tent—” she pointed to the side of the building “—set up for the gifts over there.” She leaned in closer. “There’s a table at the back of the reception room for the English guests. There will be a seat for you. You’re going to love the roasted chicken.” She glanced back at the building. “I’d better go. I’m one of Miriam’s servers.” Louise flashed another smile and turned on her heels, jogging away.
She was a nice girl, and even from here, the cooking smells reached me. I sniffed the air with longing as I watched Louise slip back into the crowd. A loud shriek drew my attention to a group of little girls running into the building. I recognized the smallest girl who’d waved at me at breakfast. She was at the front of the pack of girls. Their colorful dresses made the girls look like a moving bouquet of flowers.
The crowd was loosening up. Small groups of men and women stood around the metal building, the volume of their laughs and conversation rising. I grunted, but couldn’t keep the grin from my mouth. This was as rowdy as the Amish seemed to get. Shaking my head, I turned away. I’d grab a greasy burger on the way out of town that I’d later regret. But I wanted to get home to have that conversation with Daniel. I’d waited long enough.
I heard the vibration in my purse and pulled out my cell phone. It was Daniel.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I tried to sound upbeat, silently cursing my pounding heart.
“I’m just taking a leisurely drive. Where are you?” he asked.
“I’m still in Lancaster.”
He snorted into the phone. “Todd already told me that.”
“You called Todd?”
“What am I supposed to do when my fiancé won’t return my calls?”
I glanced at the phone and saw five missed calls. “Sorry about that. I’ve been kind of busy here. You won’t believe where I’ve just been.”
“At the Coblenz wedding?” Daniel said innocently and the tone of his voice warmed my cheeks.
“How did you know that?”
He grunted. “A lady at the gas station told me all about the big wedding today. I figured since almost all of the Amish in the neighborhood would be there, so would you.”
“You should have been a detective,” I said dryly, but I was smiling. “Why are you here?”
“I missed you, and I figured if I didn’t make the drive, I probably wouldn’t see you for another day.”
“It’s just a day.”
“I didn’t want to wait.”
My neck tingled at his words and I dipped my chin, smiling down at my booted feet. “How far out are you? I can give you directions.”
“I know where the Coblenz farm is. I’m just pulling in now.”
My head snapped towards the road and sure enough, Daniel’s Jeep was making its way slowly up the gravel drive.
Another vehicle caught my eye. It was parked alongside the road. I took a few steps and stopped, frozen in place. A gray pickup truck with dents. My heart hammered so hard that it hurt. I shoved the phone back into my purse and started running towards the building.
A succession of gunshot blasts rang out. I counted ten and ran faster. The sounds jarred the peacefulness of the farm like mini explosions. I ran even faster. Women left their groups to rush to their husbands’ sides with hands over their mouths, and several horses tied to a hitching rail bolted backwards until their ropes stretched tight.
I pulled my gun from its holster and waved people out of my way. “Police—clear a path!” I shouted.