A Perfect Square

Chapter 37




CALLIE HELPED RACHEL LAPP struggle to a sitting position again.

“I think you should probably stay seated awhile longer, Mrs. Lapp. Deborah and Shane will see to any problem that’s outside. And your husband. Don’t forget he’s out there as well — surely he will know what to do. You need to take care of yourself.”

“I’ve had these dizzy spells for a year now. I suppose I know when they’ve passed. And you can call me Rachel. When people stumble through the valley of death together, they’re on a firstname basis.” Rachel adjusted her kapp as Callie tucked the blanket around her, then the older woman pulled her legs up under her dress in a more comfortable position.

Though she had to be in her late forties, she looked younger when she crossed her legs, as if she might be ready to plop a storybook or a child in her lap.

“How serious is the dizziness?”

“Not too serious. It always passes after a few moments.” Her gaze slipped toward the folder still waiting on the table, the Bible holding it firmly in place. Rachel’s eyes shimmered with tears, and her right hand went to her lips.

“Are you okay? Are you feeling light-headed again?”

“No, no. I’m all right. It’s my soul that’s grieving … grieving over the loss of my dochder.” Rachel closed her eyes and began to rock gently.

“So you’re sure it was her?” Callie clasped Rachel’s other hand. It felt icy cold and she worried anew about the woman’s medical condition. Where was Shane with that phone? Where were the emergency medical personnel?

“Ya. There’s no mistaking your own flesh and blood. It’s Katie, though I can’t imagine what could have happened.” Opening her eyes, Rachel peered at Callie through the tears that slipped past her lashes and down her weathered cheeks. “What town did you say you were from?”

“Shipshewana.”

Rachel shook her head. “Can’t say as I know anyone in particular from that area. ‘Course Timothy might. He does business with folks from all over, but I don’t know what Katie would have been doing there. I can’t — “

She put her hands down on the floor, pushed, and made an awkward attempt to stand.

“You probably shouldn’t be up and about yet.”

“But I need to know, and I don’t understand.” Rachel rocked herself forward onto her hands and knees, managed to grab hold of the table and pull herself up.

“Patients who’ve fainted should rest for at least one hour.” Callie searched her mind to remember what she’d been taught in the CPR class. “Especially if the patient lost consciousness for more than one minute, which you did.”

Rachel turned on her with the fury of the rain beating against the barn. “I’m not a patient. I’m a mamm, and I’ll be finding out what happened to my Katie.”

Her voice gained strength as she straightened her dress and wagged a finger in Callie’s direction. “I believe the person who knows what happened is out in that storm. Now you can help me go out there, or you can stay in here spouting nonsense.”

Callie blinked once, then hurried through the office door to catch up with Rachel before she stepped out into the storm.

She’d begun praying again since moving to Shipshewana, though she couldn’t have pinpointed the exact moment it had happened. Perhaps it had been when she’d found herself alone with only Max for company. Or maybe it’d been when she’d discovered the editor’s dead body in the newspaper’s office. Definitely she was well into the habit by the time she, Deborah, Trent, and Andrew had faced death at the hands of a mafia thug.

Regardless of when she had first turned back toward God, Callie found herself calling on him now.

That he would calm the storm raging outside, that he would ease the pain in this family’s hearts, and that he would find a way to bring Reuben home.

Shane pushed Deborah flat against the feeding trough when the boy turned and stared at them. “He saw us. Don’t move.”

“He has a rifle, ya? That’s what we heard?” Deborah peeked over the top of the trough, but Shane pushed her head back down before she could see anything through the rain.

“Yes, he’s carrying a rifle, and he could have taken out either one of us if he’d had a mind to. Are you happy? What is it about a woman that loves to be right?”

“I don’t love to be right, Shane. It’s more the pieces of a puzzle coming together, exactly like the pattern of a — “

“Stay here. Don’t move unless I manage to draw him to the other side of the silo. If that happens I want you to run to the house and stay inside with Faith and the children until I tell you to come out. Do you understand?”

“Yes, but — “

“Deborah, look at me.” Shane put his hand to her shoulder, his face close, and she saw more than the usual intensity in his eyes, she saw the concern and something that approached fear. “You give me a man with a gun and nine times out of ten I can tell you what he’s going to do, but a teenager is a different thing altogether. Teens don’t know their own minds or emotions yet. They’re volatile. You do what I say.”

Without waiting for an answer, he began to run along the side of the barn, his pistol held tight to his chest.

Deborah watched him until he turned the corner, until he was out of sight. Timothy still stood in the middle of the yard, calling out to Samuel, though the severity of the storm had increased and it was hard for her to make out what he was saying. But that wasn’t what made her completely disregard Shane’s instructions.

Looking toward the front of the barn, she saw the door open and saw Callie and Mrs. Lapp step outside.

She watched as Katie’s mom hesitated, then ran through the rain to her husband, nearly collapsing in his arms.

Callie followed, standing beside them and glancing occasionally around, as if aware that they were perfect targets for an angry young man with a rifle in his hands.

So Deborah stood and ran toward them as well, but her foot slipped in the mud, and she fell hard against the rain barrel, tearing the corner of her sleeve and opening a small gash in her arm. The bleeding wasn’t bad that she could see. She stood again and moved quickly toward the group, using more caution this time.

By the time Deborah reached them, it felt as if the wind had turned and was blowing from the north. She thought she’d been wet up to that point, but now she was soaked and shivering. She fought to stop the tremors as she leaned in and spoke to the little group, telling them what Shane had said — all the while holding her sleeve together with her other hand.

Timothy broke away from his wife. “I’m going after him. Rachel, go inside with the kinner.”

“I won’t. If Samuel had anything to do with this, I’ll see it for myself.”

Turning, Timothy put both hands on his wife’s arms. “I will bring him to you, Rachel. I’ll bring him back and he’ll explain what happened. You know that Samuel wouldn’t have hurt our Katie. He loved her. It’s only that he’s afraid now. He’ll come back inside and explain what happened. I’ll bring him to you.”

“Do you promise?”

“Ya.” The one word and Timothy was gone.

Rachel turned toward the house and stumbled. Deborah and Callie both reached out to stop her from falling.

Deborah’s eyes locked with Callie’s.

“You take her inside and I’ll follow Mr. Lapp,” Callie said. “The dress would slow you down.”

“But — “

“My gosh, Deborah. When did this happen?” Callie moved Deborah’s hand, inspecting the gash in her arm.

“It isn’t bad. I fell and hit it against — “

“Go inside, Deborah. Faith will clean this and bandage it. Go inside and stay with Faith and Rachel.”

Realizing she would slow everyone down trying to hold the sleeve of her dress on, Deborah relented. “All right, but be careful. Samuel headed toward the east silos, and Shane went after him.”

Callie paused for a quick hug, and then she rushed to catch up with Shane.

Deborah put her arm around Rachel and helped her toward the porch steps of her home.