Murder, Served Simply (22 page)

I
nside Anna's house, the living room furniture had been moved against the wall or removed from the room entirely, and the dining room table with all the leaves in it sat in the middle of the room, stretching from end to end. Pine boughs, cranberries, and holly made up the low and simple centerpiece. Five white candles, all unlit, ran the length of the table.

A dark navy cloth covered the table. I counted twenty chairs around the table. A smaller table was in the kitchen for the children. I smiled to see that a “kids table” at big holiday meals was also an Amish tradition. Emma and her twin brother sat at that table along with Aaron and Rachel's three boys. Rachel kept the baby with her.

The men were already seated at the main table. I skirted around the table to the kitchen, I felt both Ryan and Mitchell watching me as I made my way.

While the living room–turned–dining room was the pinnacle of serene Amish simplicity, the kitchen was bedlam as the women put the final touches on the meal. Even my mother was in the middle of it, slicing the freshly baked friendship bread.

“What can I do?” I asked Rachel as she whizzed by with a bowl of green beans.

She spun around and handed me the bowl. “You can start taking things to the table. That would be a tremendous help.”

I swallowed, So I would have to walk in front of Mitchell and Ryan a dozen times. “There's nothing else I can do?”

Rachel wrinkled her brow. “
Nee
, Angie is something wrong?”

“I'll tell you later. It's complicated.” I took the green beans from her hand and headed into the dining room.

“Jessica will help you,” Rachel called after me.

Great.

“Angie, those smell heavenly,” my father said as I placed the bowl near his place.

I smiled, taking care not to make eye contact with Mitchell or Ryan. “It's just the start. The ladies have made so many wonderful things. I hope you brought your appetite.”

He patted his round belly. “I always do.”

I laughed and disappeared into the kitchen just long enough to be given a basket of bread and a tray of pickles. There was so much going back and forth, I knew I wouldn't have a chance to grab Jessica and talk to her. I hoped my friend would let me explain when I got the chance.

I placed them on the table. This was ridiculous. I wasn't a teenager. I looked up and met Mitchell's gaze.
He was studying me, but his expression was unreadable. I gave him a small smile.

“Did you cook any of this, Angie?” Ryan asked in a too-loud voice. “I remember how much you loved to cook. Angie made dinner for me countless times.”

Mitchell's eyes flicked in Ryan's direction, and there was no interpretation needed to read that expression.

I swallowed. “No, I didn't make anything today. Anna wouldn't hear of it.”

“Angie will be making a turkey for us tomorrow at her house,” my oblivious father said. “You should come, Sheriff. She is a very good cook, even if it's not Amish cooking.”

“I have my son tomorrow,” Mitchell said.

Dad twirled the water in his glass. “Bring him too. He can play with Oliver and Dodger.”

“Only if Angie wants me to come,” the sheriff said.

I glanced from Ryan to Mitchell. “I want you to come. Of course I do. Be sure to bring Tux, or Oliver will be depressed if you and Zander are there without him.”

The sheriff's face broke into a smile, and the tension disappeared. “Okay. We may not be able to stay the entire time. I'm taking Zander to see my parents too. But we'll drop in.”

“I'll be there the entire time,” Ryan said. “Maybe I can even help you with the meal, Angie? I remember we made a good team in the kitchen before.”

I felt my face grow hot. Anger returned to the sheriff's face. I took that as my cue to flee.

Finally, all of the food was on the table, and the ladies working in the kitchen joined us. I sat between my
mother and Ryan, directly across from Mitchell, who was between Mattie and Jessica. Jessica wouldn't meet my gaze.

“Please, everyone, hold hands, so that we can say grace,” Jonah said from the head of the table.

I inwardly groaned. That would mean I had to hold hands with Ryan. Ryan placed his hand palm up into the open space in the table between us. I put my hand in his and he closed his around mine. Across from me, Mitchell held hands with Mattie and Jessica. That was where I should have sat. It was a safe zone.

Jonah said the first prayer in Pennsylvania Dutch and then said another of thanksgiving in English.

Ryan squeezed my hand at the end of the prayer. I dropped my hand to my lap when he let it go.

There was so much food on the table, I was amazed that it didn't buckle under the weight of all the heavy dishes. A roast turkey sat on either end. Jonah carved one and Aaron carved the other. There were also three kinds of potatoes, stuffing, four vegetables, the deli tray from the sheriff, rolls, fruit salad, Amish casserole, and I didn't know what else. Plates were passed to the ends as the men served. Soon chatter and the clack of dishes filled the room. Occasionally an exclamation came from the kitchen where the children ate. Rachel took plates back and forth for the kids. I wondered how quiet Emma was faring with all of those boys. I bet she wished she was back in the barn reading. I kind of wished I were there with her instead of having to juggle Ryan and Mitchell, both of whom seemed to want to talk to me at the exact same time.

“Angie, I was wondering if you and I could go for a walk later today,” Ryan whispered so that I was the only one who heard.

I dished yams onto my plate. “I don't think that is a very good idea, Ryan,” I whispered.

“Please,” he hissed.

“Maybe you should take Jessica for a walk. She came here to spend time with you. You must know that,” I whispered.

“She is a nice girl, but we're just friends.” He was nonchalant.

I frowned as I handed him the dish. “Ryan, I already gave you my answer.”

“But I think you are considering changing your mind. I am ready to marry you now. Would you rather stay here, until the sheriff gets around to it? He has a child. It will be a long time before he will commit to you.”

“You don't know that,” I hissed back. “And I never said that I was in a rush to get married.”

“You were in a rush.”

“Oh, really, waiting seven years with no complaints is a rush.” My voice jumped an octave.

The table grew quiet.

“Angie, is something wrong?” my father asked.

“No, no, everything's fine.” I dropped my gaze to the table.

“Angie,” Mitchell asked, “how did the quilt show go for you?”

I looked up. “Well, I think.” I grimaced. “Martha is still as prickly as ever. I wish she and I could make up.”

“Maybe she feels betrayed,” Jessica said.

“She has no reason to,” I said pointedly.

My friend's eyes narrowed. “Maybe she doesn't agree.”

My mother laughed. “Oh, let's talk about something much more pleasant than that woman. It is Christmas Eve after all.”

I couldn't agree more. The sheriff's cell phone rang. I was never so glad to hear a phone ring in my life.

Mitchell examined the screen. “I'm sorry to disturb our meal, Anna, but I'm on call today. I have to take this. It's from one of my deputies.”

Anna nodded. “I understand, Sheriff. Surely, it has to do with police business.”

The sheriff went out the front door without his coat. In my gut, I knew the call was about Eve's case. I chewed on my lip. I hoped it wasn't bad news.

The sheriff returned less than a minute later. “I'm so sorry, Anna, everyone, but I have to go. There has been an accident, and I need to go to the scene.”

Anna stood. “But you haven't even had a chance to finish eating.”

He flashed a smile. “I know and it's all been delicious, but I really must go.”

“We'll send some leftovers home with Angie. Since you two live near each other, she can drop off the food.”

“I'd be happy to do that,” I said. It would give me the perfect opportunity to see the sheriff alone and explain that what he saw in the Grabers' yard had meant nothing. Because it hadn't meant anything.

Mitchell nodded and went out the door. I waited half
a second and jumped up from my seat. “I'll be right back. I just need to speak to the sheriff for a moment.”

I didn't wait to gauge their reactions. I flew out the door.

The screen door slammed closed after me. Mitchell was halfway to his departmental SUV. He fobbed the car unlocked. “Angie, what are you doing out here? You don't even have a coat on. You are going to freeze to death.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to conserve as much warmth as I could. “Is the accident related to Eve's case?”

He opened the door. “Angie,” Mitchell warned.

“Mitchell, come on. Just tell me if Junie is okay,” I pleaded.

“Junie is fine. There was an altercation at the hotel. Wade pushed Jasper down the grand staircase.”

“What?” I dropped my arms. “Is Jasper okay?”

“He's battered and bruised. He's lucky, really, but he wants to file charges against Wade. Deputy Anderson was the first on the scene to arrest Wade because of his past.”

“What's that?”

“He was arrested twenty years ago for assault against an actress in his play. The charges were dropped and any monetary settlement happened out of court. By the way, I got your phone message yesterday about the fight you witnessed between the two of them. I wish that you would stay out of all this.”

I hopped from foot to foot. “Then Wade might be the one who killed Eve.”

“It's possible, and at least he's on ice for the time being.”

“What does this mean for the play and the dinner the day after Christmas?”

“You will have to talk to Mimi about that,” he said.

The trustees would be so upset if the dinner was canceled. They were counting on that money for the new park, but it was better if everyone was safe. And it sounded like everyone was a whole lot safer with Wade behind bars.

“Now, go back inside and enjoy the rest of your Christmas Eve with Ryan.” He closed his car door.

“Mitchell—,” I started.

He held up a hand. “We can talk about Ryan later.”

“Okay,” I said, and stepped back from his car as he pulled away.

Okay, so he was mad and, dare I say, jealous. Ugh. Wasn't murder enough of a challenge to deal with around Christmas?

I
t was dusk when my parents, Ryan, and I said good-bye to the Grabers. We bundled up in our winter coats, hats, and gloves. Jessica pulled on her own coat just a few steps from me but wouldn't meet my gaze. “Jessica,” I whispered, “can we talk?”

She chewed on her lip. “Okay.”

While my parents and Ryan were distracted by all of the food that Anna was trying to make them take home, I led Jessica and Oliver outside. “I don't know what you saw earlier today between Ryan and me or what you thought that you saw, but I want you to know that nothing is going on between us.”

Oliver caught a snowflake on his pink tongue.

She nodded. “I know that.”

“Then what's wrong?”

She kicked at a pile of snow. “I'm such an idiot. The first time an attractive man smiles at me, I lose my head. I was willing to throw our friendship out the window because of it.” Tears gathered in her eyes. “I'm so sorry.”

I hugged her. “There's nothing to be sorry for.”

“There is. I was envious of you. It's just . . .” She paused, and then continued, “Christmas always reminds me how alone I am. I don't have any siblings, my parents are gone, and I never married.”

“Jessica,” I began.

She rubbed her arms. “And here you are, with parents willing to cross the country to spend Christmas with you, and you have two men fighting over you.” She swallowed. “I'm so embarrassed by how I behaved. I practically threw myself at Ryan. Now I know the only reason he showed any interest in me was to make you jealous.”

“Jessica, I—”

She held up her hand. “Don't worry about me. I'm off to my cousin's now for another huge Christmas Eve dinner. I'll be fine.”

I gave her another hug. “How about we plan to do something on New Year's Eve, just the two of us? It will be a girls' night out.”

“What about the sheriff?” she asked.

“He won't mind.”

Her face brightened. “If you're sure . . .”

“Of course I am.”

She grinned. “I'll start making a list of possible exciting activities for New Year's Eve in Holmes County.” She laughed. “It might not be a long list.” She gave me a final hug and hurried to her car.

Anna's front door opened, and my parents and Ryan came outside. As she stepped into the snow, Mom clung to my father's arm, doing her best not to fall over in those ridiculous boots. “Angie, I'm feeling tired. Can
you take your father and me back to your house before you take Ryan to the hotel? It will be nice for the two of you to have some alone time to talk.”

“You're not very subtle, Mom,” I said, but I didn't argue with her. Through the rest of dinner, I had been itching to return to the hotel and find out more about Wade's arrest. This was my chance, even if it meant spending time alone with Ryan. Was Eve's murder solved? Had Wade confessed in prison? What made Wade push Jasper down the stairs?

On the ride back to my house, my parents chattered about the Grabers and the meal. Ryan said nothing.

In my driveway, Dad opened his car door. “Do you want us to take Oliver in?”

I shook my head. “He can ride along with us.”

Mom wiggled her fingers at us. “Have a good time. Angie, don't hurry back.”

I ground my teeth, and Ryan moved into the front seat.

“I'm surprised that you didn't put up more of a fight to not spend time alone with me. You've been avoiding me all afternoon,” Ryan said as he buckled his seat belt.

I backed out the drive. “I want to go to the hotel before going home. The accident that made Mitchell leave dinner happened there. I want to find out what is going on.”

“Does it involve Eve?” he asked.

“Maybe. Mitchell wasn't that forthcoming. He's a little mad at me right now.”

“Why's that?”

“You know why. Don't pretend that you don't.” I narrowed my eyes. “It's not the least bit attractive.”

Ryan chuckled. “I guess Mitchell isn't used to competition. He would never make it in the big city.”

“Good. I don't want someone who can make it in the big city. I gave that up months ago.”

“You still love me. I saw it in your face today. You wanted to kiss me, and you would have done it if the sheriff hadn't barged in.”

I gripped the steering wheel. “I don't want to talk about it.”

“Why? Because you are afraid of the truth. Am I so awful that you won't even entertain the idea?”

“I don't want to talk about this.” If the conversation kept up like this, it would be torture because we still had twenty minutes to go.

“What was the accident that made the sheriff leave?” Ryan asked.

I watched the landscape as we passed a snow-covered Amish farm. “The play director pushed the stage manager down the grand staircase in the hotel. The stage manager is pressing charges.”

“Is the manager okay?” Ryan held on to his seat belt. “He could have broken his neck.”

“Mitchell said he was banged up, but you're right. It was a dumb move by the director. He was arrested right away and is sitting in the Holmes County jail right now. I'm sure he is regretting it.”

Ryan shook his head.

Finally, we came up to the hotel. I parked in the lot and started to take off my seat belt.

“Are you coming in?” His voice was hopeful.

“I want to see if Mitchell is still here, so I can talk to him about Wade—that's the director who pushed the other man down the stairs—and I also want to be sure Junie is okay. I worry about her.”

“You always were one for taking care of other people.”

I clipped on Oliver's leash, and we went inside the hotel. Instrumental piano music played softly in the lobby. Instead of Bethanne or Junie at the desk, it was Mimi herself.

“Angie, what a nice surprise to see you here,” Mimi said.

I smiled. “I heard you had a rough day.”

She flushed. “Yes, it's been difficult. This play has been good for business. Reservations for the hotel are up seventy percent compared to this time last year, but I don't know if I'll ever do this again. It's been a disaster from start to finish.”

“Did you see Wade push Jasper down the stairs?” I asked.

“I did. I was right here when it happened. I had given Bethanne the day off.”

“What happened?” Ryan asked.

“I heard some men shouting from the second floor, so I was walking around the desk. Then next thing I knew, I heard a terrible yell and saw Jasper come rolling down the stairs. I ran right over. I was sure he was seriously hurt because he didn't move right away. Luckily, he was just stunned. He has a terrible bruise on his cheek, but the EMTs said nothing was broken. It was a miracle.”

“So you didn't actually see Wade push him?” I asked.

“No, but when I looked up the staircase, there he was, white as a sheet. The sheriff's department arrived here so quickly. One of the guests must have called nine-one-one when he heard the screams.”

“What does this mean for the performance tomorrow? Will it still be on?” I asked.

She nodded. “All the actors want to carry on with it. If you ask me, they want to make it worthwhile that they gave up their Christmases with their families.” She started to shake.

“Are you all right, Mimi?” I patted her hand that was on the desk.

A tear slid down her cheek. She brushed it away. “It's been a challenging week, and I miss Eve terribly.”

I squeezed her hand. “Are the police still here?”

She shook her head. “I was happy to see them go. The sheriff said he and his deputies will be here for the progressive dinner and play on the evening after Christmas.”

“I think that is a good idea. Hopefully there will be no need for it, but I think a police presence will be a good thing,” Ryan said.

“I hope we don't need it either. Do you think Wade was the one who killed Eve?”

I shrugged. “I'm sure the sheriff is doing everything he can to find out right now.” I decided to keep Wade's former assault charge to myself. “Is Junie here?”

She nodded. “She's in the dining room. I told her she could have taken today and tomorrow off if she liked,
but she insisted that she wanted to work. I didn't argue with her. I need the help since most of my Amish workers are observing the holiday. Unfortunately, hotels can't close like most businesses for Christmas. You can go in and speak with her if you like. Maybe you can talk her into taking a break. She has been working like a dog since her sister died.”

“Maybe it's how she deals with her grief?”

“Maybe,” the older woman said.

I handed Ryan Oliver's leash. “Can you stay in the lobby with Oliver? I don't want him begging all of Mimi's guests for food.”

Ryan nodded. “We'll be in the sitting room.”

The chatter of the dining room was deafening. Laughing families and couples made trip after trip to the abundant buffet of Amish food. My own stomach rumbled, even though I had eaten my weight in Amish food at the Grabers' just an hour before.

Junie switched trays out at the buffet. She blinked when she saw me. “What are you doing here?”

I removed my winter hat. “I wanted to make sure you were okay after what happened between Jasper and Wade.”

She swallowed. “I'm fine. I'm happy that Jasper wasn't seriously hurt.”

“Take a break. Mimi just told me that you need one.”

She slid the vat of potato salad into its spot on the buffet. “I have too much to do.”

“The salad bar will be fine for ten minutes.”

She wiped her hands on her apron. “You're not going to go away until I talk to you, are you?”

I shook my head.

“Fine. Follow me.”

I followed Junie through the kitchen door. Several cooks were frying chicken and dicing vegetables. They were all English, as Mimi had told me, since all of the Amish except for Junie had taken the holiday off.

“I'm taking a break,” Junie told a middle-aged woman.

The woman pointed her knife at the young girl. “Finally. I was beginning to think you weren't Amish, but a machine.”

Junie frowned, grabbed her cloak off a peg on the wall, and led me through another door on the other side of the kitchen.

We were outside. The back door to the barn was easily in view and closed. Did the actors hold practice today?

She wrapped her cloak tightly around her body. “Do the police think the director killed my sister?”

I was surprised by her directness. “I don't know. I haven't spoken to the sheriff since it happened. Mimi said that you were there.”

She nodded. “I was dusting the upstairs hallway. The two men stomped into the upper sitting room. Jasper was the one following Wade. He was accusing him of hitting a girl.” She licked her lips. “I—I thought they were talking about Eve, so I slid behind a potted plant to listen. I know that it's the wrong thing to do, but if they were talking about my sister, I wanted to know about it.”

“Were they?” I shivered.

“I don't know. Whenever it happened, they said it was in New York, and I know Eve didn't start working with either man until she came to Holmes County. I wish Mimi would cancel the rest of the performances. The sooner these play people are gone, the better it will be. Now, I must go back to work.” Junie went back inside the kitchen.

I went back inside the hotel too and found Ryan and Oliver in the sitting room as promised.

Ryan held out Oliver's leash to me, and I took it. “Thanks for watching him. You can come over to the house anytime you are ready tomorrow. Dad will be up with the roosters. He's like a little kid when it comes to Christmas. We don't have any big plans. We will probably just hang out. Dad will watch—”

Without hesitation Ryan took my face in his hands and kissed me, and I found myself kissing him back.

He was the one who pulled away. “Merry Christmas, Angie.” He smiled. “I didn't want you to make a choice without doing that. You need to make an informed decision.” He walked away.

Oliver scratched at my pant leg, and I swore under my breath.