A cowbell on the glass door rang when I entered Amish Bread Bakery early the next morning. It was a little after seven o’clock, and the bakery shelves were fully stocked with fresh breads and pies for the day. All of the shelving was blond wood and glass, the only decoration a bouquet of wildflowers on the counter next to the cash register.
Two young Amish women stood behind the counter filling the glass-domed display case beneath with cookies and treats. The girl with dark brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses gave me a shy smile. I floated around the room, trying to decide what to buy, hoping the boys in the office would be surprised and pleased if I showed up with treats. I settled on sugar cookies and a strawberry pie. A short line of shoppers purchased pies and bread as the girls behind the counter chatted with them.
Finally, it was my turn. I placed my purchases on the counter. “Is Esther here?”
The girl wearing glasses glanced at the other young Amish woman further down the counter. “That’s Esther.” Esther wore a white prayer cap over her dark blonde hair. Her hair was the same shade as the maple tables and shelves in her shop.
I paid for my purchases and moved down the counter to where Esther was helping an English woman wearing flip-flops, large hoop earrings, and a maxi dress select a tray of cookies.
“I’ll have the raisin cookies—wait—no the oatmeal. Wait no.” She tapped her nose with her index finger. “They all look so good. It’s impossible to decide.”
Esther smiled. “We have oatmeal raisin baking in the back. They may be done by now.”
“You do? Those would be perfect.”
“I will check for you.” Esther slipped through a swinging door that led to the back of the bakery.
I checked my cell phone for the time. A minute later Esther returned with a white bakery box. “Here you are, ma’am. I put two dozen in there for you.”
“Thank you.” The woman gushed, her maxi dress swishing around her feet as she moved down the counter to pay for her purchases.
Esther’s smile faded when she spotted me. “Do you need something else?” She scowled at my shopping bag.
“Are you Esther Yoder?”
“Yes.” She folded her arms across her chest.
“I’m—”
“I know who you are.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t hide my surprise.
“I will sell you anything in the shop, but I won’t talk to you about the Glick family or that girl.”
“That girl? You mean Becky?”
She ignored my question. “If you don’t need anything else, I would like to help my next customer, please.”
I glanced behind me. I was the only customer left in the store. “I don’t mean to upset you.”
The dark-haired girl at the cash register adjusted her glasses. She opened the counter display case and rotated the trays of cookies. With each tray turned she got closer to Esther and me.
“Becky and her family may think it is all right to talk about our ways with you, but I don’t.” She wiped the counter. “Please leave.”
The dark-haired girl walked over and said something in Pennsylvania Dutch to Esther. Esther shook her head. Abruptly, she turned and went through the swinging door that led to the kitchen.
I held up my shopping bag. “Thank you for these. I’m sure they will be a big hit at the office.” I stepped outside and the cowbell clanged after me. Hmm, that went well. I sighed and headed in the direction of the college.
The cowbell on Amish Bread Bakery rang behind me. “Miss!” A voice called. I turned to find the girl with the brown hair and glasses running down the sidewalk after me.
“Did I forget something?” Mentally, I checked for my purse, the cookies, and the pie.
“No.” She tried to catch her breath. “You wanted to talk to Esther about Becky Troyer?”
“Yes.”
“This is about the accident?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Good! I’ve been waiting to talk to someone. Esther may not speak to you, but I will.”
I blinked at her. “Why?”
She adjusted her glasses. “Not now. I have to get back to the bakery. I can talk to you when I’m finished with work.”
“When is that?”
“Two o’clock. You work at the college, right?”
I nodded.
“I’ll meet you by the campus entrance at two thirty.”
Before I could answer, she bolted back for the store. My heart lifted as I continued my way down the sidewalk, until Chief Rose sidled up next to me. I jerked a look over one shoulder. “Where did you come from?”
She smirked. “You don’t look too happy to see me.”
“I don’t like how you appear out of thin air.”
She shrugged. “It’s a special talent of mine. Now, tell me more about the attempted rescue last night of Buckley and Fanning.”
“Are they okay?”
“Sure. Their truck wasn’t too bad off. They’ll be back on the road by the end of the day.” She folded her arms across her chest.
I wasn’t so sure that was good news.
She cocked her head. “So what did they say to you?”
“Nothing important. Just like I told you last night. They cracked a few jokes.” I didn’t mention that Curt had reached into the car.
“Good. It was nice of you to stop, but in the future, you will be better off if you stay away from those two.”
I picked up the pace. “I plan to. I can’t help wondering what they were doing out that way, since they’re all Amish homes there.”
“You think they are the ones harassing the Amish?”
I nodded.
“I agree, but I need concrete proof.”
I frowned. “Did the tornado do much damage?”
“It destroyed some outbuildings around the county, but no homes. No one was seriously hurt.”
“Thank God for that.” The college came into view.
The chief kept up my pace. “I heard you got caught on the road in the tornado last night.”
I stopped. “How’d you hear that?”
She laughed. “I don’t think you understand how life in a small town works.” Chief Rose removed her mirrored sunglasses. I wondered, for the second time, if she chose those to wear while in uniform because they were so popular on cop shows. Maybe she thought the sunglasses would make her more attractive to the sheriff’s department as a deputy.
I shook my head and started walking again.
“And Timothy Troyer was with you.”
I froze. How could she know that?
The police chief put her sunglasses back on. “I would be careful about how close I got to the Troyer family, Chloe. You may think they’ve let you into their world, but you will never completely fit. Trust me. I have lived around the Amish my entire life. What makes you think you can break into their family in such a short time?”
That is none of your business. I gritted my teeth. “Is that all?”
She tipped her hat at me, that smirk still squarely on her face. “For now.”