A Sister's Test (17 page)

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I figured you’d probably say it was done by some pranksters. And I was sure you wouldn’t bother the sheriff.”

Ruth and Martha exchanged glances. When she and Grace had returned home from town, they’d told Martha they’d gone to see the sheriff. Then Martha had told them about her visit with the Larsons. If Dad found out about either incident, he wouldn’t approve.

“No point in bothering Sheriff Osborn,” Dad said with a look of disdain. “He knows about the other attacks, and what good has that done?” He made an arc with his arm. “Came around asking a bunch of nosy questions and saying he’d keep an eye on the place, yet here we go again with another attack.”

Mom shuffled across the room. “I’m going to bed. Are you coming, Roman?”

He shook his head. “I’m not tired. Guess I’ll go out to the barn awhile and think things through.” He turned toward the table, where Ruth and Martha still sat. “If anything else happens, I want to be the first to know. Do you understand?”

They both nodded.

“Good.” He tromped across the room and went out the back door.

Martin felt a sense of excitement as he pulled into the Hostettlers’ and tied his horse to the hitching rail. He was anxious to see Ruth and tell her that he’d put a deposit on the house they would be living in after they were married.

Taking the steps two at a time, he knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Martha answered.
“Gut-n-owed,”
she said. “Won’t you come in?”

“Good evening,” Martin replied as he entered the house. “I came to see Ruth.”

“I figured as much. She’s in the kitchen.” Martha stepped onto the porch. “Tell my sister I’ve gone out to the kennels to check on my dogs,” she called over her shoulder.

Martin found Ruth sitting at the kitchen table with a cup in her hands. “Are you busy?” he asked.

She looked up and smiled. “Just having some tea. Would you like to join me?”

“Sounds good, if you’ve got some cookies to go with it.”

“I think that can be arranged.” Ruth set the cup down and scurried across the room. A few seconds later she was back with a plate of cookies and a cup for him. “These are ginger cookies from the bakeshop, and they’re really good, so help yourself.”

“Danki.”

“So what brings you by this evening?” she asked after taking a seat.

“Came to see you, of course.” He grabbed a cookie and bit into it. “Mmm. . .this is good.”

She nodded. “Most everything from the bakeshop is pretty tasty.”

“I’ll bet the Clemonses are going to miss your help when you quit work after we’re married. Speaking of which, I stopped over at the Larsons’ this morning and gave them our first month’s rent.”

“So we’re definitely taking the place?”

“Jah, if you’re still okay with the idea of living there until I’m able to build our own house.”

“I’d be willing to live anywhere with you.” Ruth’s tone was sincere, and the tender look she gave Martin made him wish he could marry her right then.

He took her hand. “Just a few more weeks, and we’ll be husband and wife for the rest of our lives.”

“If I can get my wedding dress done in time,” she said, dropping her gaze to the table.

“I thought you were going to make it today.”

“I was until the material got shredded.”

“Huh?”

“Someone shredded all the clothes Mom and I hung on the line this morning—including the material for my wedding dress.”

The rhythm of his heartbeat picked up. “Someone deliberately shredded your clothes?”

She nodded. “We found footprints leading from the clothesline into the field that separates our place from the Larsons’. We think whoever did it ran over there.”

Martin’s jaw clenched as he mulled things over. “If I’d known about this sooner, I would have mentioned it to the Larsons when I went by their place.”

Ruth leaned forward with her elbows on the table. “Martha thought it might be Drew, the Larsons’ grandson who’s been visiting for the past couple of weeks. After we discovered the footprints, she headed over there to ask about it.”

“What’d they say?”

“They assured her that Drew hadn’t left their property all morning.”

“Did Martha believe them?”

Ruth shrugged. “I guess so. She had no reason not to.”

“Was Sheriff Osborn notified?”

“Grace and I went to town while Martha was at the Larsons’, and we stopped to see the sheriff.”

“What’d he say?”

“Just that he’d be keeping a closer eye on things and that we should let him know if anything else happens. Oh, and also that he’s questioned Gary Walker and doesn’t think he’s had anything to do with the attacks.”

“That’s it? He didn’t come out to look at the footprints or check around the place for evidence?”

She shook her head. “If you want my opinion, he hasn’t taken anything that’s been done to us seriously enough. But don’t tell Dad I said so, because as you know, he doesn’t want the sheriff involved any more than he already is.”

Martin nodded. “So if it wasn’t the Larsons’ grandson who shredded the clothes, do you have any idea who might have done it?”

“Grace thinks Gary Walker, that reporter, did it. According to Sadie, Gary has left town now, so hopefully things will settle down again.”

“Let’s hope so,” he said, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. “I can’t have my bride wearing shredded wedding clothes.”

She offered him a feeble smile. Martin had a hunch that Ruth was a lot more upset than she was letting on. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Everything will be all right once we’re married; you’ll see.”

“I’m worried about your mamm,” Roman said as he entered the section of the barn where Martha kenneled her dogs and found her kneeling on the floor, brushing the female sheltie.

“You mean because she went to bed early this evening?” she asked, looking up from her job.

He nodded and took a seat on the wooden stool sitting in the corner of the room.

“It’s been a trying day, and Mom said she had a headache. I’m sure she’ll feel better by morning.”

“Sure hope so.” He drew in a deep breath and released it with a groan. “I’d really hoped these attacks would end, but it doesn’t look like they will until someone is caught.”

Martha put Heidi back in her cage and set the brush on the table where she kept her grooming supplies. “How’s that ever going to happen, Dad?”

“I don’t know.” He gave his left earlobe a tug. “Were there any clues near the clothesline?”

She shook her head. “Nothing except for some footprints leading to the Larsons’ property.”

“The Larsons’?”

“Jah. I’d thought at first it could have been done by their grandson, Drew, but when I went over there to talk to them, I learned that Drew had been there all morning.”

“Hmm. . . Sure wish I knew for sure who’s been doing all these things.”

“I hope you don’t still suspect Luke.”

“Well, his sunglasses were found on the ground after your mamm’s clothesline was cut. And then his straw hat was found near the barn right after that brick was thrown through the kitchen window.”

“Those incidents happened last year,” she reminded him. “Besides, Luke admitted the items were his and said he had dropped them.”

Roman folded his arms. “I didn’t believe him then, and I’ve got my suspicions that the pack of cigarettes I found the day our place got toilet-papered might have belonged to Luke, too.”

“Maybe someone’s trying to make it look like Luke’s the one responsible. Have you thought of that possibility?”

He shrugged. “Guess anything’s possible, but Luke more than any of the other suspects on our list has reason to get even with me.”

“How do you know the one doing the attacks is trying to get even with you? Maybe it’s as Grace says, and the reporter’s trying to get even with her.”

“I suppose it’s possible, but—”

“I don’t believe Luke would boldly commit acts of vandalism against his own people, even if he is angry with you.”

“Bishop King thinks I’m being too harsh and judgmental where Luke’s concerned.”

Martha stared at the floor.

“Well,” Roman said as he stepped down from the stool, “we won’t solve anything by gabbing. I’ve got some horses that need to be fed.”

“And I still need to brush Fritz,” Martha said, reaching for the dog brush.

“Don’t stay out here working with those dogs too late, you hear?”

“I won’t, Dad.”

As Roman headed for the horse stalls, he offered up a silent prayer.
Father in heaven, please keep my family safe
.

Y
ou don’t look so well. Are you feeling all right?” Cleon asked Grace as they sat at the breakfast table the next morning.

She pushed her spoon around in her bowl. “I’m tired and not so hungry.”

“Can I have your piece of toast?” Anna asked. “I’m very hungry this morning.”

Grace handed her toast over to Anna. “Do you want more oatmeal, too?”

Anna shook her head. “I think I’ll be full after I eat the toast.”

Grace offered Anna a feeble smile as she reached for her cup of tea.

“Are you still upset about what happened yesterday?” Cleon asked.

“A little,” she replied with a shrug. “But I think everything’s going to be okay now that Gary has left town.”

“We don’t know if he’s the one who. . .” Cleon’s voice trailed off when he noticed Anna staring at him. “Let’s talk about this later, okay?”

Grace nodded and pushed away from the table. “Right now I need to get lunches fixed for you and Anna so you can be off to work and I can take her to school.”

“Would you like me to take her this morning?” he asked.

“I’d better to do it since you have to open the woodworking shop.”

“I’m sure your daed’s done that already.”

Grace shook her head. “While you were out checking on your bee boxes earlier, Dad stopped by the house and said he was taking Mom
to see the chiropractor this morning. She complained of a headache yesterday, so he thinks her neck might be out of adjustment.”

“Sorry to hear she’s hurting.” Cleon stood and moved over to the counter where Grace had begun making their lunches. “I could still drive Anna to school and then open the shop after I get back.”

“There’s no need for you to do that.”

Cleon reached for his lunch box. “Guess I’ll head to work, then. If you’re feeling up to it, stop down during my lunch hour and we can talk some more.”

She nodded. “I will.”

Cleon gave Grace a kiss on the cheek and started for the door. His fingers had just touched the doorknob when Anna called out to him.

“Have a good day, Papa.”

He turned and smiled at her. “You have a good day, too, Anna.”