The first salad I made, which had disappeared from the bar by time that I had gotten back there, was much healthier than the one Thomas helped me create. I believe he dumped the entire container of croutons onto my plate when I wasn’t looking. We reached the table just as the waitress placed the rest of the group’s meals in front of them.
Tanisha was gap-mouthed when she saw the pieces of chicken, roast beef, and ham along with the green beans and mashed potatoes on her plate. She pulled her camera out of her bag. “I need a picture of this to show my friends in Italy.”
Thomas pointed at his drum leg. “Take a photograph of mine. They will want to see it too.”
Naomi, too, pointed at her plate.
In the end, Tanisha took photographs of everyone’s plate for her friends back in Milan to enjoy. “They will love seeing real Amish home cooking. Most of them have never heard of the Amish before.”
Thomas’s fork stopped halfway to his month. “They don’t know the Amish?”
Tanisha cut into her roast beef. “There aren’t any Amish living in Europe.”
Thomas seemed to consider this. “But most of the people I know are Amish.”
Tanisha laughed. “That’s because you live here.”
Grandfather Zook chuckled. “Let’s bow our heads and thank Gott for this, His beautiful meal.”
Thomas sat between Tanisha and Grandfather Zook. He folded one hand into Tanisha’s slim brown one and the other into his grandfather’s white wrinkled one. I took Tanisha and Naomi’s hands and bowed my head too.
Grandfather Zook said the prayer in English. “Gott, please bless this food we are about to receive to our bodies, and let us remember Your birthday every day, not just during Christmas. We pray for continued comfort for Katie Lambright’s family and friends. Amen.” He picked up a knife and fork and began cutting Naomi’s ham slice into tiny pieces. Thomas advised him where to make the cuts.
Tanisha leaned toward me. “What took you so long over there? Couldn’t you decide between the crumbled blue cheese and the shredded cheddar?” She examined my plate. “I see you went for both.”
“I saw one of the boys who courted Katie Lambright,” I whispered. “I wanted to talk to him.”
Her eyes widened. “What did he say?”
I placed my napkin on my lap. “He knows who killed her.”
Tanisha jumped up in her seat, her hip hitting the underside of the table. I saved her water glass before it tipped over. Grandfather Zook and Naomi stared at Tanisha, while Thomas held the drumstick in his teeth, about to bite down.
“Oops,” Tee said with a laugh.
Thomas lowered the drumstick. “Did you get stung by a bee? I jumped like that when I was stung.” He leaned across the table. “It stung me in the behind when I was going down the slide.”
Grandfather Zook chuckled. “There are no bees this time of year. Maybe it was a spider.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t tell Ellie I said that. She’d chase me with a wooden spoon if she thought I told folks there were pests in her place.”
“No bees or spiders. I’m fine.” Tanisha insisted.
Thomas squinted at her as if he wasn’t quite buying her story.
Tanisha gave me a desperate glance.
Thankfully, Becky approached the table. “Is everyone having a good meal?”
Thomas nodded. “Tanisha got bitten by a spider.”
Becky took a step back from the table. “Did you kill it?”
“There wasn’t a spider,” I said.
Thomas shook his head and mouthed “spider” at his older sister. Then he held out his hands as if to say the spider was roughly the size of a Chihuahua.
Becky backed farther away from the table. “I’ll just return to the kitchen, then. I’ll see you later tonight, Tanisha.”
Grandfather Zook pointed his fork at his grandson. “Thomas, you know your sister does not like spiders.”
“She doesn’t?” Thomas asked in an innocent voice.
Naomi pulled on my sleeve, and I bent my head toward her. “What is it?”
“He stares,” she whispered.
I straightened up and noticed Curt two tables away, watching us. A chicken dinner sat in front of him, but it didn’t look like he had taken a single bite.
I dropped my gaze. I hadn’t been imagining Curt’s presence. He was here. Did Becky know? How could I convince him to leave without making a scene in Ellie’s restaurant?
A waitress, thankfully not Becky, stopped at Curt’s table. He said something to her and she nodded. Their exchange seemed pleasant enough. Maybe he didn’t plan to make trouble, but his presence made trouble for me, no matter his intention.
The waitress returned a minute later with a to-go box and his check. Curt packed up his uneaten meal, placed a stack of bills on the table, and left.
Tanisha pulled on my sleeve. “Tell me again what this guy said.”
Guy? Curt? I blinked at her. No. She referred to Nathan. “Later,” I whispered.
Tanisha nodded and turned her attention back to Grandfather Zook and the children.
When we finished eating, I looked across the room, but the Garner table stood empty. Two young Amish women removed the dirty glasses and dishes from its surface. When had they left?
“Now, can you tell me?” Tanisha whispered as we followed Grandfather Zook, Thomas, and Naomi across the dining room.
I leaned toward her, my voice low. “He said his rival for Katie murdered her, but considering the source, it could just be his jealousy talking.”
Tanisha’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s go talk to him.” She was really getting into this sleuthing thing. “We can decide whether or not he’s lying. You ask the questions, and I will put on my liar glare.”
“You have a liar glare?”
“I’m a schoolteacher. It’s an occupational requirement.”
“It’s too late. He’s already gone.”
She glanced around. “Well, then, let’s find out where he lives and stake out his house.”
“Tee . . .”
As we stepped into the restaurant lobby, Grandfather Zook turned. “Tanisha, have you ever been on a buggy ride before?”
Tanisha seemed to forget about Nathan Garner and the stakeout. “No.”
“I think the kinner and I are going to take a short one around town before we head back to the farm. Do you want to ride with us?”
My best friend stopped just short of jumping up and down. “Yes!”
Grandfather Zook pulled on his beard. “Gut. Chloe, do you want to come too?”
I shook my head. “I think I’ll go find Timothy.”
A knowing grin spread across the old man’s face.
Thomas took one of Tanisha’s hands and Naomi took the other. “Grossdaddi’s horse is named Sparky,” Thomas said.
“Really?” Tanisha followed Thomas and Naomi out the side door near the offices.
Grandfather Zook cocked his head. “You be careful around Nathan Garner.”
“I—”
“You’re surprised I overheard you, aren’t you?” He yanked on his right ear. “My legs might not work right, but my hearing is just fine. The Garner family has a lot of money and influence in the district. Even Deacon Sutter doesn’t pester them.”
“Why? I thought they owned a furniture store.”
He removed his black felt hat from the peg by the hostess stand and placed it on his head. “They do, and it’s one of the most successful businesses in the county.” I helped him in to his coat. “Just be careful. I don’t want my grandson’s heart broken because something happened to you.” He squeezed my hand. “I don’t want my heart broken either.”
“I’ll be careful.” I held the door as Grandfather Zook maneuvered outside with his braces. I was anxious about him navigating the icy ground, but thankfully, Sparky and the buggy were only a few steps away. Thomas ran over and held onto his grandfather’s elbow the rest of the way to the buggy.
Tanisha waved at me from the backseat. She had her camera out, ready to snap photographs. I hoped that if she caught any of the children in the shots, Mr. Troyer wouldn’t care.
When the buggy pulled away, I let the side door close and headed toward the offices in search of Timothy. I had to tell him everything that I learned since I saw him last. Thankfully, my search was short-lived because he walked toward me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as soon as he saw my expression.
“Is there somewhere we can talk?”
He put his arm around my shoulders and led me to the office in the back. It once belonged to the late Elijah Young, and his twin Uriah let Timothy use it as a home base for the pavilion project. The split-paned window looked out onto the jobsite. When the project was completed, I wondered if I could enter the pavilion again without remembering the sight of Elijah dead on the dusty floor with shears stuck in his back and his beard cut. His murderer was at Knox County jail awaiting trial.
Mabel lay under the desk. I arched my brow. “Does Ellie know she is in here?”
He grinned. “No, and I hope to keep it that way. It’s too cold to leave her in the pavilion.”
Mabel rolled on her back exposing her belly to us. I gave it a good scratch, and she wiggled back and forth with a happy dog expression on her face. If only Gigabyte were as easy to please.
There were no computers. Just paper ledgers and metal filing cabinets that held receipts. The only signs of English technology were the electric lights, which the bishop allowed for businesses, and a battery-operated calculator.
I sat on the armchair in front of Uri’s desk and told Timothy everything that had happened today, from finding the box, to Tanisha slide tackling Jason Catcher to the ground outside of the Gundy barn.
“I wished I had been there to see that.”
“I’m sure she will reenact it if you ask her to.”
He laughed.
I straightened the stack of papers on the desktop. “The only thing that would finish this day off would be an appearance by Deacon Sutter. I haven’t seen him since the Christmas pageant at the schoolhouse, but he does have a knack for popping up when you least expect him.”
“Don’t wish for that,” Timothy said. “What are you going to do next?”
“I’ll call Chief Rose and give her a heads-up, and then we need to find Billy. He is the missing piece that holds all of this together.”
“Good.” He pressed his lip into a thin line. “Because I think I know where Billy is.”
I dropped the stack of papers onto the desk. “Where?”
“I’ll tell you on the way.”
“Shouldn’t we call Chief Rose? She will want to be there when we find Billy.”
Timothy slipped into his winter coat. “We’ll call her if he’s there.”
I bit my lip. I knew Chief Rose would not be happy with that. Why wouldn’t Timothy call her?
As Timothy, Mabel, and I walked out the side door to his truck, I called Tanisha’s cell phone. “Can you ask Grandfather Zook to drop you at my house? I have to run an errand.”
“I’m glad you called. He just asked me if I wanted to see the family farm. I really do, so do you care if we go over there now? You can pick me up later.”
“That’s perfect.”
“Great! Chloe, I’m having the best time.” And then she hung up.
I couldn’t help but smile. Tanisha was someone who always had the best time. I could use a little of her enthusiasm.
“Ready to go?” Timothy asked.
I nodded. “You really think Billy is wherever we’re going?”
Timothy’s jaw twitched. “If he’s not, he left Knox County for good.”
That’s exactly what I feared.