Anna wrapped herself in one of Mammi’s quilts and slipped outside into the cold night. She sunk down into the hickory rocker on their small front porch. The sky was clear and the air crisp. It seemed she could see every star visible to the naked eye. Each one sparkled with a majesty all their own, manifesting their Creator’s magnificent glory.
A tear slipped down Anna’s cheek.
Recounting the things she’d seen and read to the police had been so difficult. And then when the officers slapped the handcuffs on Joseph. It had been terrible. She felt like she was betraying a friend. And, in essence, she was.
As she’d watched the officers walk out with Joe, then put him into their patrol car, it was all she could do to not break down in tears. As the patrol car drove away, she felt a piece of her heart leave too. It had been the most miserable thing she’d ever experienced.
So many times she’d reminded herself that Joseph Bender was a thief. But every time the words formed in her mind, she’d prayed that somehow they weren’t true. But they were.
What now?
She wished Mamm or Dat were here to talk to. It was times like this she missed her parents most. What would they have said at a time like this? When she’d been younger, she’d never thought she might have to face life – and marriage – without them. She’d always taken for granted that they’d be there for her. Never had their absence, and the consequent void, been so evident, as it was now.
Anna turned when she heard the door creak open.
Rachel walked out carrying two mugs of hot cocoa. She handed one to Anna.
“You couldn’t sleep either?” Anna offered a faint smile.
“It’s been crazy, jah?”
“Jah.”
“Jacob thinks that Joseph is innocent,” Rachel blurted out.
Anna raised a brow. “He does?”
“He said they had some good conversations when they traveled to Paradise for Samuel’s funeral. He asked Joseph point blank if he was a thief, and he said no. So either he’s innocent, or he’s a thief and a liar.”
Anna chuckled wryly. “And the reason I liked him in the first place is because I’d thought he was honest.”
“May I offer some advice?”
Anna nodded.
“Just give it to God. He’ll work it all out in His own way and in His own time,” Rachel encouraged. “This is a burden you don’t need to carry. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you,” she quoted.
“Thank you. I think I will.”
Rachel stood up from the rocker beside Anna. “Anna, anytime you need to talk, I’m here. And I don’t know if Jacob told you, but we found a place. It’s just down the road, three farms away.”
“Really? That’s wonderful.” Anna’s face brightened. “When will you and Jacob be moving?”
“Hopefully, by February. So you’ll have to put up with us a bit longer.”
“Oh no, we love having you here,” Anna replied.
Rachel smiled before stepping into the house.
Anna bowed her head and whispered a silent prayer. In spite of all she’d been through, God was still good. He’d been her strength when her folks died. He’d been there through all the trials she’d gone through lately. And she knew he’d be there guiding her future. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. It was that steady Rock that kept her going, and that kept her strong.
<><><>
Anna stood to go back into the house. Bright lights shined in the distance, most likely a passing car. She paused when she realized the vehicle had turned into their lane and was approaching rapidly. Who would be visiting this time of night?
She looked closer and recognized the car. It was Linda’s.
“Anna!” Linda called from the car.
She watched as Linda, her husband, and Harv all exited the vehicle with haste.
“What’s going on?” Anna stared wide-eyed.
Linda held up a laptop computer. “I need to show you something.”
Anna led the way into the house, offering her guests a seat at the kitchen table. Rachel was already seated at the table with her Bible open in front of her. She rose and walked to the cook stove, placing a large pot on top. She opened the water reservoir and ladled out some hot water for cocoa and coffee.
“You better get your grandma and Jacob. They’ll be wantin’ to see this too!” Harv bellowed.
“Shh…the kinner are sleeping,” Anna cautioned.
She returned a moment later with Mammi and Jacob. Rachel handed everyone a mug and brought out some instant coffee and cocoa mix. While the others prepared their drinks, Linda powered on her computer. When the screensaver appeared, she reached into her purse and pulled out a small plastic rectangular object.
“What is that?” Anna asked.
“It’s an SD card. It can hold a lot of information,” Linda informed her.
“And video!” Harv added.
“Just watch,” Linda advised. She pressed a few keys on her laptop and a video began playing.
“That’s the store!” Anna said, surprised.
Linda nodded. “Joe began installing a surveillance system for me before he went to Paradise for the funeral. He ran into some difficulties, so he wasn’t able to finish it before he left. I didn’t know this, but Harv had begun working on it and actually got it to work. Everything that happened in the store today is on this video.”
Harvey pointed to the screen and Anna squinted to see the image. “That’s Aaron,” she said.
“Yep, that’s Aaron all right,” Harv agreed.
Anna’s jaw dropped when she saw Aaron sneakily open the cash register and hide the money in Joseph’s Bible. She stood speechless.
“Anna, there’s more,” Linda said. “Joe didn’t want me to say anything, but I’m going to anyway. The Christmas bonus I gave you last week – it came from Joseph’s paycheck.”
Anna’s eyes filled with tears.
“That’s not all,” Linda continued. She typed ‘Threads of Beauty’ into the search engine and a colorful page opened up. “Do those quilts look familiar?”
Mammi spoke up. “Those are my quilts – the ones that were hidden under the bed!”
“That’s right,” Linda said. “Joe volunteered to set up a website for the store. For free. He knew you’d been struggling financially and he wanted to see if he could help by promoting the store online. That’s why we’ve been getting so much business lately. He took the quilts so he could take photographs and post them online.”
Tears streamed down Anna’s face and she sobbed into her hands. Harvey pulled her close and patted her back. Anna finally found her voice. “So he’s been innocent this whole time?”
“That Aaron boy should be the one sitting in that jail cell right now. Not Joe,” Harvey uttered with a scowl.
“Have you shown this to the police?” Jacob asked.
“No,” Linda said. “I wanted Anna to see it first. But I plan to take it to them tonight.”
“May I go with you?” Anna asked through her tears.
“Of course,” Linda answered.