Simple Choices (13 page)

He stared at my wrist with a dubious expression. He even reached over and pulled at the bracelet to see just how tight it fit. After a brief silence, he let out a deep breath. “Okay. I see your point. So how did it come off?”

I snapped the clasp open and took the bracelet off, putting it on the table in front of us. “Hannah purposely removed it and dropped it on the ground.” My voice quivered with emotion. “She left it behind so we’d know she needed help, Sam. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

I watched his expression as he turned this information over in his mind. “What if she just didn’t want to wear it for some reason? Maybe it was uncomfortable. Or maybe she decided she didn’t like it.”

“No,” I said emphatically. “She loved that bracelet because Robin gave it to her. And I saw it on her wrist. It fit perfectly.”

“Maybe she had it in her pocket, and it fell out accidentally.”

I shook my head. “Those jeans are tight, and the pockets are more for looks than for function.
If
she could have gotten the bracelet inside one of them, there’s no way it could have just fallen out.”

His frown only deepened as he considered the possibilities. “Are you certain this is Hannah’s bracelet? Maybe it belongs to someone else in Harmony.”

“Oh sure,” I said with a snort. “Lots of conservative Mennonite girls wear bracelets like this. The odds are astronomical that anyone else in Harmony would have a bracelet sold at an upscale shop in Wichita. Give me a break.”

“Okay,” he said finally, “I see what you mean. It’s probably Hannah’s bracelet. She wouldn’t have just tossed it away because she didn’t want it anymore; it couldn’t have fallen off her wrist or out of her pocket. She probably took it off on purpose. But why close the clasp again? Why not just drop the open bracelet on the ground?”

“Because then it would look like it actually had slipped off,” I said, trying to keep the impatience I felt out of my voice. “She was trying to leave a clue behind that would let us know she needs help.”

“You think she’d have the presence of mind to think that through?”

“Yes, I do,” I responded quickly. “Hannah is extremely intelligent. With the time she had available, this was the only thing she could come up with.”

“But who would know about this bracelet?” he asked. “You’re the only one. How could she know you’d find it?”

“This is Harmony. People don’t steal from each other here. Whoever found it would take it to town and show it around, hoping to find the owner. Of course it would eventually get around to me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And you think Hannah thought all that out in what was probably a matter of seconds?”

I shook my head. “No. I think she only had a short amount of time, and the bracelet was the only thing at her disposal. Hannah played a Hail Mary—and it worked. That’s all that matters.”

“I guess …”

“Look, Sam. You have to admit this bears looking into.”

His gray eyes peered into mine. “Okay. Yeah, I guess so. But if you start insisting that Hannah really has been abducted, and she shows up at her boyfriend’s, you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do. This is a very serious conclusion to reach—that Hannah really was taken against her will.”

I scowled at him. “You think? I’ve been trying to get someone to listen to me since she first went missing.”

“Yeah, but that’s because you thought some guy had been abducting young women from around here. Now we know that at least two of those women weren’t kidnapped.”

I rubbed my temples to try to relieve the beginnings of a tension headache. “Oh, do we? We actually only know that one wasn’t abducted. The police
think
the other girl in Topeka was taken by her ex-boyfriend. But until they find her with him, they don’t actually know for sure, do they?”

“I guess that’s true.” He was quiet for a moment while he pondered my argument. “Oh by the way,” he said finally, “I decided not to bug Jonathan Vogler or his family. Sounds like Pat’s already checked out his story. I don’t want to scare the Voglers or make them feel responsible for what’s happened.”

I shrugged. “That’s fine. I doubt there’s much more he can tell us at this point. I’d rather have you help me convince Pat that he needs to take finding Hannah’s bracelet seriously.”

He grunted. “We’d better leave that to you. When it comes to getting Pat to do something, you seem to have more influence than I do.” His gaze swung to the clock on the kitchen wall. “We’re supposed to meet at Mary’s at eleven thirty, right?”

I nodded and looked at my watch. “Shoot. It’s already a few minutes after eleven. I’ve got to get home and round everyone up. I also need to call Ida and tell her Abigail’s okay.” I started toward the kitchen doorway but stopped and turned back. “I know you think I have some kind of magic influence over Pat, but it’s not true. He listens to you. Will you please call him one more time? Explain to him that the bracelet is important new evidence.”

Once again Sam’s eyebrows disappeared under his long bangs. “New evidence? Can I put it another way? You know how he hates it when you act all Nancy Drew.”

“Put it however you want. Please, just convince him to talk to me, okay?”

Sam smirked and gave me a snappy salute. “Yes, Miss Marple. I am ever your loyal Mr. Stringer.”

“I shouldn’t have introduced you to those Miss Marple movies,” I retorted. “You’ve been throwing Miss Marple in my face ever since.”

“You do remind me of her in many ways,” he said with a grin. “But I am grateful you don’t actually look like Margaret Rutherford.”

“That would make two of us.” I waved good-bye, hurried out of his house, and headed back to my own. When I got there I called Ida to let her know Abigail had broken her leg but that her son was staying with her. She was upset to find out about her friend’s accident. Probably feeling guilty that she hadn’t checked on her sooner. Although last night I’d asked her to go with us, today she’d turned me down because of all the walking we planned to do. I checked with her once more.

“Ach, thank you, Gracie, but this leg of mine would only slow you down. I believe I will stay in today and rest. All the excitement from last night wore me out. But thank you for wanting me.”

After the phone call, I cleaned up a bit. Then we all piled into my dad’s Crown Vic since my Bug would have been a tight fit, and we drove into town. We ran a little late because my parents had an argument about Dad’s cane. At first he refused to take it even though my mother insisted. Probably a pride thing. Eventually he gave in and tossed it in the car under protest.

On the way to town I told my parents about finding Hannah’s bracelet. They agreed with me that the discovery was troubling. “We’ll keep Hannah in our prayers,” my mother said. “God is an expert at leading the lost home.”

When we pulled up in front of the restaurant, Sam’s truck was already there. As we got out of the car, I noticed my mother’s tears.

“Mom, are you okay? Is something wrong?”

She closed the car door and reached into her purse, pulling out a tissue. “Oh Gracie,” she said, dabbing at her eyes, “it’s been thirty years since I’ve been in this town. In all that time, I never allowed myself to miss Harmony. But now that I’m here …” She stood next to the car and gazed around at the shops and the people, a good number of them wearing the simple clothing worn by many of the Mennonite townspeople. Next to us sat a buggy and a horse, tied up to a post. “I can hardly believe it, but it looks almost the same. I mean, the names of some of the shops are different, and there wasn’t any restaurant back then, but the buildings all look just like they used to. And the wooden sidewalks …” She blew her nose into her tissue. “And the people. I’d almost forgotten the beauty of long skirts and prayer coverings. It’s been so long …”

“Oh for crying out loud, Beverly,” my father grumbled. “It’s just a town.” But I noticed that as he helped Papa Joe from the car, his eyes swept the scene around him. Although he refused to meet my gaze, the emotion on his face was obvious.

We finally made it inside the restaurant, although it took some time due to my dad’s leg and Papa’s slow gait. Sweetie and Sam already had a table and waved us over. As we sat down and greeted each other, Sweetie watched Papa Joe carefully, probably concerned after the scene last night. Thankfully, Papa seemed to be fine this morning, although he was rather quiet.

I spotted Jessie heading our way. She smiled when she saw me. “Hey, I heard you were back,” she said as she came up to the table. I introduced her to everyone. She put her hand on my shoulder. “Everyone’s heard about Hannah. Anything new?”

“Not that I know of. Sheriff Taylor put out an APB, but so far she hasn’t been found.”

“Well, kids run away. It happens all the time.” She shook her head. “I did it once myself, but when I found out there was no place to go, I came home. Hannah will show up before long. I’m sure she’s okay.”

Knowing about Jessie’s abusive father, I would have been surprised if she hadn’t tried to leave home. “I hope you’re right,” I said. “We’re praying for a good outcome.”

“Everyone is, Gracie,” she said seriously. “I’ve seen this town pray together before. Incredible things happen.” She turned her attention to the other people at the table. “If you folks will tell me what you want to drink, I’ll get it while you look over the menu.”

Everyone gave her their drink order, and she shared Hector’s daily specials, which were fried catfish nuggets and chicken and noodles. I watched as she walked away, still amazed by the difference in her since her father died. Jessie would be all right, as would her daughter, Trinity. I was sure of it.

“So what’s good here?” my dad asked.

“Everything is top-notch,” Sweetie said. “I consider myself pretty good in the kitchen, but Hector gives me a run for my money.” She glanced at the menu, although it wasn’t necessary. Everyone in Harmony had already memorized the available dishes. When you only have one restaurant, it’s not hard. “I like the steaks. Hector uses a steak rub that makes ‘em tender and delicious. And his fried chicken is somethin’ to write home about.”

“And Dad, he makes really good fried liver and onions,” I said.

Although my mom hates liver, my dad and I love it. Really good liver, fried, with crispy edges and tender in the middle, can’t be beat when surrounded by a pile of onions browned in the same grease. My mother just sighed, and Sam looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“I didn’t know you like liver. I don’t remember you ever ordering it.”

“I’ve got news for you, big boy. There
are
a few things I do without you sometimes. Eating liver and onions is one of them.”

“Well, it’s a fine time to learn that your fiancée likes liver a week and a half before the wedding. Seems the husband-to-be is always the last to know.”

“Very funny.”

“Okay you two,” Dad said, laughing. “Let’s knock it off about the liver. I want to concentrate on the menu.”

“And I want to concentrate on the wedding,” Mom said. “Sweetie, now that I’m here, I’m ready to help you.”

“That’s great, Bevie. Why don’t you come to the house for a while after we’re done in town, and we’ll go over everything. I could surely use the help.”

Now that was a surprise. Sweetie actually allowing someone else to be a part of her plans. Sweetie was a lone wolf who usually didn’t like anyone near her projects. Of course, planning a wedding takes more work than cooking a meal or decorating a room—both endeavors I’d been shooed away from in the past. But Mom was the bride’s mother, and she had every right to be involved in the wedding plans. Apparently even Sweetie recognized this.

We chatted until Jessie came back with our drinks. I kept an eye on the entrance, hoping Pat would show up. A few minutes later, we ordered. Dad and I went for the liver. Mom ordered the catfish nuggets and Sweetie asked for fried chicken. Sam’s order was no surprise. He ordered a rib-eye steak. Sam’s nuts about steak. It’s his very favorite food. Papa Joe settled on the chicken and noodles. Mama used to make great chicken and noodles. I hoped Hector’s recipe would hold up next to Mama’s.

Sweetie and my father started a conversation about people and events from years ago—before I was born. As they talked, my attention was divided between watching for Pat and listening to Dad talk about his childhood in Harmony. I figured he could tell I wasn’t giving him my full attention, but he seemed to have his own distraction to deal with. I caught him frowning at Sam more than once. His reaction to Sam when they first met troubled me. Something wasn’t right, but I had no idea what it was. Certainly, it would have been better if they’d met before now, but the reasons were pretty clear. I couldn’t believe Dad would hold something against Sam that wasn’t his fault. My father had always been a fair man. In dealing with him, it was always best to confront the situation head-on. Next chance I got, I’d ask him directly to explain his odd response toward Sam. With Hannah’s situation, Papa Joe, and the wedding looming, I didn’t need one more weird situation to deal with.

In a small town where everyone knows each other, my parents and Papa Joe drew attention. Several people came up and spoke to them. Ruth was taking a break from her store, and I was happy to introduce her and tell my parents that she donated flowers every month to put on Benjamin’s grave. Joe Loudermilk from the hardware store stopped by the table. Although Joe moved to Harmony after my grandparents left, his dad had known Papa. I couldn’t tell if Papa really remembered Joe’s father, but he acted like he did, and they had a nice but short visit. The Scheidler brothers from the local farm implements store came over, too, and I introduced them.

By the time our food arrived, my parents had met almost every single person in the restaurant. Even Hector came out to greet them and Papa. Before he left, he told them their lunch was on him—a kind of welcome back to Harmony gift. Once our plates had been delivered, we were left alone to eat. Harmony folk were nothing if not well mannered. Dad said a quick prayer over our food, and we all dug in.

“Oh Daniel,” my mother said softly, “this catfish is wonderful. I’ve forgotten what fresh catfish tastes like.”