chapter 30
SATURDAY MORNING Melinda stood in the October afternoon sunshine, looking up at the frame of the new barn. It was literally crawling with men, all of whom had been there since sunrise.
“This is my third barn raising, and I’m still not used to the sight.” Callie placed her casserole on the table, pushing it in between the other dishes.
“I can’t count how many I’ve seen.” Melinda turned and smiled at Callie. “I suppose it will always surprise me how quickly they can work to build what is needed.”
“How are the boys?” Callie asked.
“Gut. Noah and the bishop are meeting with them once a week. Though we are glad they were there to help catch Thomas, we want them to understand the seriousness of their actions. We are a peaceful people, and what they did was not in accordance with our teachings.”
Melinda reached out and touched the small row of stitches above Callie’s right eyebrow. Her fingers brushed lightly over the bump. When Callie winced, she pulled her hand away. “Sorry. It still hurts?”
“Not much. Mainly my pride was bruised. To survive Thomas’
threats, rifle-waving, and his knife, only to hit my head on the side of the dock …” She shook her head. “I’ve always been a klutz.”
“Careful, Callie. That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about.” Shane slipped an arm around Callie’s waist, and Melinda watched her blush a deeper red than the bandana she’d tied around Max’s neck.
It seemed to Melinda they made a lovely couple. She also thought Callie could use someone to look after her. Shane Black might be the perfect man for the job, and it was plain from the look in his eyes that he was more than willing to dedicate himself to the responsibility.
“Sorry I couldn’t be here sooner. I wanted to ride along when Thomas was transferred.”
“He’s in Fort Wayne now?” Callie pushed her hair behind her ears.
“Yeah. Adalyn was making sure he was situated well.”
Deborah, Esther, Trent, and Gavin joined them as Shane caught everyone up. “Since Thomas accepted the plea bargain, his case will be heard more quickly, but it’s still going to be six months to a year before we know exactly what the terms of his incarceration are.”
“Why so long?” Melinda asked.
“Two separate cases — one for Mrs. Knepp, the other for Jolene Dowden.”
“Why did he kill Jolene, Shane? Do you know anything more about their relationship?” A frown creased Deborah’s forehead.
“They’d been sharing an apartment for some time. Neighbors we’ve interviewed say they fought often, but as to why he chose to kill her that day during the festival … we may never know. He hasn’t said so far. He is now under a physician’s care in the prison system, which includes a complete psychiatric evaluation. Perhaps we’ll know eventually.”
“And Jolene’s parents?” Callie reached down for Max.
“We were able to contact them. Jolene ran away years ago. Her parents weren’t even aware she was in Indiana.”
They were all silent as they considered the two women who had lost their lives. Finally Trent raised his camera and clicked a photo of the barn raising. When everyone gave him a critical look, he said, “What? Oh, the camera.”
Melinda stared down at the table, but Callie socked him in the shoulder.
“Ouch! Why did you do that?”
“Amish. No pictures. You know the drill.”
“Oh. That. I’m doing a follow-up story on Thomas, and the destruction of Levi’s barn is another charge Thomas will have to answer for.”
“Nope. Levi isn’t pressing charges.” Shane pulled down on his Cubs cap.
“I’m not surprised,” Deborah said. “He always held out hope for his bruder — hope that he would return to the plain ways, that he would come home.”
She returned Joshua’s hug as he ran up and threw himself around her legs. Then he was off again, running after the older children. “Is Levi still in Fort Wayne?”
“He is. After all Thomas did — the murders, blowing up his barn, trying to take all the money … Well, Levi said we all have regrets. He wouldn’t leave until Adalyn did.” Shane shrugged. “He should be here any minute. Visiting hours end early on Saturdays.”
The image of Levi ministering to his brother sank in around them as the sound of hammers nailing boards filled the air.
Finally Trent asked the question that had occurred to Melinda more than once. “What about the money?”
Everyone turned to stare at him.
“I know, it’s a crazy thing to ask, but what about the money Thomas was after? Or was that something he made up? Was there a treasure?”
Esther, Melinda, and Deborah shared a look — a look that Callie pounced on.
“What is it? Did you figure out the last piece of the puzzle?”
“Why would you say that?” Melinda murmured, moving to the tables and straightening the long line of dishes.
“Oh, I’ve seen that unspoken language thing between you before. Shane, interrogate them. Make them tell us.”
Shane laughed and pulled her closer. “Can’t we eat dinner first? I’m starved.”
They did eat dinner first. Levi arrived and sat with his wife, Sadie, at the middle of the table. After the meal, men gathered up their tools and promised Levi they would return on Monday to finish the barn. Women picked up their dishes and pulled Sadie into a hug. The words danki and gern gschehne were passed back and forth dozens of times, like a blanket of blessings wrapped around a family of friends.
By then evening had fallen.
And all who remained were Sadie, Levi, and a few of their grandchildren, who were upstairs preparing for bed. Melinda had heard the children ask their parents for permission to spend the night with their grandparents. It was a conversation repeated in many Amish homes on Saturday evenings.
Downstairs, Melinda, Esther, and Deborah sat on one side of the table — their own children taken home by their husbands. Gavin and Shane sat on the other with Callie between them. Max waited outside on the porch, curled contentedly near the door.
Sadie and Levi sat beside each other at the end of the table, looking tired and confused.
Melinda wondered if they should have waited, but the three women had agreed this was best. They had agreed the quilts’ story would be revealed this evening.
“We know you’re all tired,” Melinda began. “But the three of us —”
She looked to her right, to Deborah, who smiled encouragement, then to her left, to Esther, who reached for her hand and squeezed it tight.
“We felt it was best if we shared what we know tonight. We have all prayed about it, and we agreed that another evening shouldn’t pass with this secret in our possession, since rightfully it is yours. If you would like other members of your family to be present —”
“No. They’ve been through enough.” Levi looked tired, ready to be done with whatever they had to say. “I spoke to them again today, and they all agreed it would be best if I handled this matter for the family.”
Melinda caressed the quilt she was holding, the quilt that had been lovingly stitched so many years ago and had eventually led to such tragedy.
Sensing the direction of her thoughts, Deborah spoke up. “We asked Shane, Gavin, and Callie to be here because they have sacrificed much in the past few weeks to keep us all safe. Of course, if you’d rather this be a private matter, I’m sure they would understand.”
Levi shook his head. “We owe everyone in this room, Deborah.” He clutched his hands around the coffee mug. “I’ve spoken with Shane about this, but the way I see it, he could easily have killed Thomas a week ago by the pond.”
Putting his hand into his pants pocket, he jingled his change, then continued. “The night you two came here and showed me Thomas’ picture, asked me if I knew him, I told you I did not. You might think I lied to you, but I didn’t. The man in that picture — he wasn’t my bruder. He’s nothing like the boy I grew up with. I saw the resemblance, but I couldn’t believe — didn’t want to believe it was him.”
Clearing his throat, he pushed on. “Because you didn’t kill him when he was threatening Callie, because of that, I will have time to try to win my bruder’s heart. Time to pray for him and time to minister. We owe you a tremendous debt, Shane. Andrew and Callie as well. Whatever you have to say, I welcome hearing it.”
“Gavin was injured by Thomas, as was Callie.” Sadie was not one given to emotion, but she accepted the handkerchief her husband handed her. “It is as it should be, with everyone here welcome.”
Melinda looked at Esther. They had agreed Esther should begin with the telling of what they’d stayed this evening to share. “When I first noticed the unusual stitching of your mamm’s quilt, I took it to Melinda. Together we were able to figure out that the borders were German script and Amish proverbs.”
“Ya, it’s very unusual.” Sadie shook her head. “Levi’s mamm was known to be eccentric.”
“We believe it was more than that.” Melinda picked up the story. “The design of these quilts is also unusual. Elizabeth sewed many quilts in her life — beautiful quilts for her children and grandchildren. Quilts for charity auctions and for weddings. They were all done in the traditional Amish patterns.”
“But these aren’t,” Sadie said.
“Correct. These three, which were left to us in the will, were done differently,” Melinda said.
“They resemble storybook quilts,” Callie said softly. It was the first time she had spoken. “I’ve had time to research them more thoroughly since the afternoon at the pond, since Thomas’ arrest. Traditionally they were used to convey a secret, something the quilter wanted passed on to others but didn’t want known openly …”
Silence settled around the room as Sadie and Levi considered the idea. Melinda could see them struggle with the concept their mother would hide something from them. “Perhaps she had a good reason for not wanting to write it on a piece of paper. Maybe it could have fallen into the wrong hands.”
“Like Thomas’.” Levi’s frown was growing more pronounced, his forehead wrinkling as he tried to follow their reasoning.
“Like Thomas, but not Thomas.” Melinda adjusted the strings of her prayer kapp. “Remember these quilts were probably stitched before Thomas was born. Perhaps there was someone else she didn’t trust in the family, or it could have been that she was paranoid about robbers or banks —”
“You’re talking about a hidden treasure.” Gavin sat forward, placed his palms against the table.
“Yes.” Deborah looked across at the young man who had become a friend to so many within their community. “The quilts tell the story of a treasure that is hidden, kept for safekeeping here on the homestead.”
“You can’t be serious.” Levi stood, walked to the coffeepot, and refilled his mug.
“Actually we’re very serious.” Esther spoke quietly, firmly. “No doubt Thomas knew about it. I don’t know how. Perhaps he heard your mother mention it at some point. Maybe he overheard a conversation, but these quilts definitely tell about a treasure that is hidden, and they describe an exact location.”
“I don’t believe it.” Levi set his mug on the counter a bit harder than necessary, its contents sloshing over the side. “Mamm left plenty in the bank to run the farm. And she wasn’t greedy with what she left in the will. What more could there have been? Why would she do such a thing? How would she do such a thing all those years ago?”
Shane stretched his arm across the back of Callie’s chair. “While we were staying at Reuben’s the girls shared with me what they thought they knew, and I can’t say whether it’s valid or not. Obviously they’ve made more progress since then. What do you know about your grandparents? Or your great-grandparents?”
Levi ran his fingers through his beard. “Not much. My folks came from Pennsylvania to start over. Their parents didn’t come west, but planned on joining them once they were settled. Never had the chance. They died from influenza.”
Gavin scratched at the day’s growth of beard on his jaw. “You say there’s a map on those quilts?”
“Yes.” Deborah glanced down at the quilt she held. “There’s a key of sorts. Once you learn the key, it’s quite easy to read.”
Gavin shrugged. “So read it to us.”