Katie's Forever Promise (38 page)

Katie pushed thoughts of Enos and teaching from her mind as she approached the white-pillared porch of the Kent County Courthouse. There were more important things on her mind this morning. Ahead of her someone had scraped the wide steps free of snow from the last snowstorm and salted them. There hadn't been a thaw since Christmas, with winter dragging on.
Like my life
,
Katie thought. She shouldn't even be here really. But how could things get much worse? So here she was, coming in to see how Ben's appearance in court went. Not seeing Ben in so long had torn at her heart. So when she ran into Ben's
mamm
, Lavina, at Byler's last week, the words had just come out. “When will the trial start that Ben's supposed to testify at?”

“Next week,” Lavina had said. “And Ben's testimony is scheduled for the second day.”

“Are you going?”

Lavina shook her head. “Ben asked us not to come.”

It made her feel better in a way that Ben was also keeping his parents at a distance. It meant she wasn't the only loved one who was being kept from his life. Ben must wish to spare all of them the shame of former actions and his current ordeal.

And fresh shame would come indeed, if Ben returned to prison. Enos would see to it that people were reminded that Ben was only suffering for the sins he'd committed in the past. And no honor was in order for willingly accepting ill that came from one's wrongs.

Katie had decided she wanted to be here to share in Ben's shame if necessary. Weren't
Mamm
and Jesse standing with her in the shame she'd brought on the family? The first Sunday after the Christmas break when school began again hadn't been a pleasant experience. Whispers among the women stopped when she walked up and began again when she walked past.

All that had stopped last Sunday, though, when Norman gave his confession in front of everyone after the church service. Bishop Miller asked all the church members to stay behind, and then stood to announce that one of the members had been found in grievous sin for abusing his wife. “One is to love one's wife, even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her,” Bishop Miller had said. “While women are to give in to their
husband's leadership, just as the church gives in to Christ, the husband is also instructed to cherish and love his wife. We will not have husbands abusing their wives in this community. I will not tolerate such sin and will deal harshly with any such cases. So this morning brother Norman will give us his heartfelt confession, asking forgiveness from both
Da Hah
and his church. My
frau
, Laura, will be keeping in touch with Mabel on a weekly basis, and I will be speaking with Norman and praying with him at those times also. If this does not stop the sinful actions, further measures will be taken.”

The room had been silent when Bishop Miller finished. No one doubted the bishop's word, but this was a shock indeed. One of the Kuntz family was abusing his
frau
? She shouldn't have taken such delight in Enos's humiliation, Katie reminded herself. The poor man had sat there, so red in the face she'd thought he might burst out in tears. The Christian attitude was for her to pray for him, but she was quite weak in faith apparently. As Norman got down on his knees to beg forgiveness, she felt a shiver of delight run up and down her back. This was quite an evil and sinful thing, no doubt, but she felt it anyway. She would surely have to pray for mercy herself before long.

Katie pushed the thoughts of Enos and Norman Kuntz aside and slipped through the huge double-door entryway of the courtroom. Ben was sitting near the front row. Katie stayed out of sight, using the back of a huge, overweight man as a shield. Ben turned and looked around. Maybe he sensed her presence, Katie thought, another thrill running through her. More than likely though, Ben was longing for a familiar face but finding none. Perhaps she should show herself. But
nee
, she'd better not. It might rattle Ben, and he didn't need distractions right now.

Two rows of seats full of men and women sat off to the side. In front of the huge judge's bench were two long tables on the left
and right. Men and women sat at both of them, all of the people older looking except for one young man. He must be the defendant, Katie figured. The man accused of shooting Ben. While Katie was studying the back of his head, a uniformed officer—the bailiff—stood up in the front and called out, “This court of Kent County is now is session. All rise…the Honorable Judge Newton presiding.”

A black-robed judge appeared from the side door. The people in the courtroom were already halfway to their feet by the time it dawned on Katie what the man had meant. Katie leaped up. She was clearly out of familiar waters in this
Englisha
courtroom.

Katie sat down again when everyone else did. People began moving around in front of the courtroom, and a man stood up to speak. Katie strained to hear what he had to say.

“Your honor,” the man said, “if it please the court, the prosecution has two final witnesses to present.”

“Proceed, counselor,” the judge ordered from his lofty perch.

“I call Mr. Bennett Slocomb to the witness stand, Your Honor.”

A man seated beside Ben rose and headed for the witness stand. When he was seated, the bailiff approached him. “Please raise your right hand, Mr. Slocomb.”

When he did, the officer continued, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth…”

The officer's voice eventually came to an end, and Mr. Slocomb said, “I do.”

“You may proceed with your questions, counselor,” the judge ordered.

Katie leaned forward to listen to the answers.

“I'm a neighbor to the Stoll family. I live close enough to see across the fields. On the night of August twenty-eight, I heard a gunshot and went outside to look around. The gunshot came clearly from the direction of the Stoll residence. I was sitting in
the living room, which is on the same side as the Stoll's farm. I ran back in to get my own gun out of the cabinet, telling my wife to call 911. I then ran across the field toward the Stoll's farm. I stayed along the road the whole time. When I came up to the small piece of woods that lies along the side of the road, a car started up and roared out of the woods past me. I saw the make and model and color clearly.”

The counselor asked Mr. Slocomb, “Can you state the make and model?”

“Yes,” the answer came. “A Chevy Malibu, dark blue. And no, I didn't see who was inside.”

“Are you sure, Mr. Slocomb?”

“Yes. My wife once drove a Chevy Malibu, so I'm quite familiar with the car.”

“Did you see any other identification on the car?”

“Yes, I caught part of the license plate—UYI 2. But that's all.”

The counselor now produced a record of a car in the defendant's name, matching the partial license plate number given by Mr. Slocomb, he said, entering the items into evidence. The attorney turned on his heels. “That's all, Your Honor.”

Katie watched as another man, another lawyer from the other side presumably, approached Mr. Slocomb. More questions came fast and furious.

“How is your eyesight, Mr. Slocomb?”

“How could you be sure of what you saw if it was dark?”

“Doesn't dark-blue blend in with the night?”

“When did Mrs. Slocomb own this Chevy Malibu?”

“Doesn't that make one see the familiar in the unfamiliar? Are there not, after all, several models of cars quite similar to the Chevy Malibu?”

“How could you see the license plate number in the dark, Mr. Slocomb?”

The neighbor was standing up well under the barrage, Katie thought. And answering the questions in a confident voice. If she were on the juror panel, she certainly would believe the man.

The questions eventually wrapped up without Mr. Slocomb being found in any inconsistency. He looked a little rumpled though as he returned to his seat.

Ben was called next.

Katie's heart pounded as she watched Ben walk up and take his seat in the witness stand. How was this going to go? Ben said he wasn't going to testify? Had he changed his mind?

The bailiff approached him, and when Ben was asked to promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, he simply replied, “I affirm,” and the judge nodded.

Stepping up the first counselor began his questions.

Ben answered the most basic ones, such as stating his name and address and even answered some other general questions about the night he was shot. But when he was asked specific questions that he couldn't in good conscience answer, he replied, “I can't answer that question, sir.”

“Is it because you cannot remember, Mr. Stoll?”

“No sir. I cannot answer for reasons of my Amish faith.”

Neither the judge or the lawyer looked that surprised. A flurry of activity continued in which Ben was ordered by the judge to answer the counselor's questions. Ben continued to refuse, citing his religious convictions.

Finally the judge said, “I've had enough of this. You have been served a subpoena, Mr. Stoll, and you will either answer the questions or I will hold you in contempt of court. If cited for contempt, you'll be held in the county jail until you choose to cooperate. What will it be?”

“I cannot answer the questions because of my Amish faith, Your Honor,” Ben repeated.

The judge pondered for a moment before asking. “Does the prosecution wish to continue without this witness?”

“We do,” the answer came.

The judge looked to the other table. “Does the defense wish to question the witness on what he has testified to so far?”

The lawyer stood. “We do not, Your Honor.”

“Then I sentence you to contempt of court. Bailiff, take him away.” The judge motioned with his hand.

Ben stood and was led out by a court officer.

Katie sensed that maybe he'd caught sight of her before she could duck behind the huge man again. When she looked again, Ben had disappeared through the side door, and the two lawyers were huddled in front with the judge and speaking in hushed tones.

When they finished, another witness was called, but Katie had seen what she'd come to see. She left the courtroom and returned to her buggy.

She pulled off Sparky's blanket, stored it in the back of the buggy, untied the horse, and climbed into the buggy. Nothing had been accomplished, she told herself. Ben had been marched off to jail again—for how long was anyone's guess. Though Ben was in more trouble with the
Englisha
authorities, at least he had kept his promise to Bishop Miller. That was a
gut
sign, surely.

Though the thought of not seeing Ben for a long time depressed her, she had at least seen him today for a few brief moments. Coming had been the right thing to do.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Two evenings following the court trial, Katie was seated on the couch in the living room. The supper dishes still sat on the kitchen table needing attention, but
Mamm
and Carolyn weren't moving either. A hushed silence hung over the house, each of them lost in their thoughts. Jesse had completed the reading of the evening Scripture—a portion in Ephesians, chapter 2, beginning with “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us…”

Katie wondered what the love of God had in store for her next, now that Ben was in jail. Somehow God's love would make something
gut
out of all this.
Mamm
gave her a weak smile from across the room, so she must be thinking similar thoughts. They were all troubled again tonight knowing they were helpless to do anything about Ben.

Katie's head jerked up at the sound of buggy wheels turning into the driveway.
Mamm
jumped up to look out the window and gave a little gasp. “It's Enos Kuntz!”

“I wonder what he wants.” Jesse said, laying the Bible aside.

“I don't know.”
Mamm
glanced toward Katie.

“Neither do I, but it can't be anything
gut
,” Katie said, throwing up her hands in puzzlement.

“It's surely not about Mabel?” Jesse said as he stood.

Mamm
's face went white. “No, it couldn't be. I hope not!”

“I think we'd better scatter,” Leroy said to Willis from his chair by the stove.

Jesse nodded to the two and asked them to take Joel with them. Leroy led the way upstairs.

Katie looked at Carolyn and whispered, “Come to my room. We can stay together until he leaves.” Carolyn looked quite grateful, and the two crept up the stairs. They stood by the bedroom window that looked out over the yard. Enos was now out of his buggy, nodding and speaking with Jesse.

“I don't think it's about Mabel,” Katie offered. “That doesn't seem right. Bishop Miller would come over if there had been another incident. Plus, I think Norman has learned his lesson.”

“Mabel has been looking a little happier on Sundays,” Carolyn allowed. “But she still won't come home for a visit.” Carolyn gave Katie a wise look. “I know because I heard
Mamm
ask her.”