Danger in Plain Sight (33 page)

A shade twitched on the front window. A few seconds later, the door opened a careful two inches, and a woman’s face appeared.

Scared, that was his first thought. Her faded blue eyes were round with shock.

“Mrs. Bredbenner?”

“Ja, I am Mary Bredbenner. Was ist letz?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” he said. No point in escalating the situation any sooner than he had to. “I’m Adam Byler, from over in Springville. I’d like to speak to your husband.”

“Eli’s not here.” She looked as if she’d like to close the door on him but didn’t quite dare.

“It’s important that we speak to him. Do you know where he is?” To say nothing of where he’d been earlier in the day.

She shook her head, and the hand on the door trembled. “He did not say.”

“When did he leave?” Adam could sense the restlessness of the men behind him, but he wasn’t about to rush this.

“Early,” she said. Worry furrowed her forehead. “He went early. I do not know when he will be back.”

Donato moved a step closer. “We’re wasting time. Explain about the search warrant.”

The woman’s gaze swiveled to Donato and back to Adam, and he wasn’t sure how much of that she’d understood.

“This paper is a search warrant.” Adam showed it to her. “It gives us the right to look through your husband’s papers. We have to come in.”

She clung to the door a moment longer, and then she stepped back, holding it wide so that they could enter. Donato beckoned to the state troopers.

Five big men made a crowd in the small, neat living room of the house. “I’m sorry for the disturbance, Mrs. Bredbenner.” Adam nodded to the sofa. “Suppose you just sit there while we have a look around.”

She nodded, eyes downcast. Then she darted a quick glance at his face. “Is Eli in trouble, then?”

“What makes you say that, Mrs. Bredbenner?” Quinton Foster seemed to find his voice. “Has Eli been doing something wrong?”

She shook her head slowly. “I do not know anything about Eli’s business.”

Adam gave Foster a warning glance. The woman’s words might or might not be true, but antagonizing the Amish community by pressing the woman wouldn’t do either of them any good.

“Looks as if Bredbenner does most of his work in here,” Donato said. He’d walked into the adjoining room—probably intended for a dining room, it contained a gray metal desk and filing cabinets, along with a folding table littered with papers. “We’ll start here.”

The troopers carried cardboard file boxes into the room and set them on the floor. One of them reached for the papers on the card table.

“Don’t touch anything,” Donato snapped. “Not until I tell you to.”

Face expressionless, the trooper stepped back.

Donato obviously knew what he was looking for. Adam had no objection to leaving him to it. He moved to a rocking chair near the couch.

“May I sit down, Mrs. Bredbenner?”

At her nod, he drew the rocker a little closer and sat.

“Eli will be upset.” Her hands twisted together. “He never lets me touch his papers.”

“He’ll understand that you couldn’t stop us,” Adam said. “You have to obey the law.”

She nodded, her tension easing a little.

“You said that Eli has been gone all day. Is that usual for him, to go away and not tell you where he’s going?”

“Sometimes,” she said, her voice soft. “When he has business to tend to.” She glanced at the clock. “But he’s usually home by now. I have supper almost ready.”

“Does Eli use a car when he’s off on business?” If Eli had been today’s shooter, he must have had transportation to Maryland.

She frowned, considering. “Sometimes he hires an Englisch driver.”

He’d hardly have hired a driver for the trip to Maryland with a loaded rifle. “Does Eli know how to drive?”

“No.” She looked shocked. “We follow the church rules. No cars.”

“He might have learned to drive when he was a teenager,” Adam suggested. “Plenty of kids do.”

“Well, ja, I suppose. But he wouldn’t drive now, not after joining the church.”

He wouldn’t cheat his neighbors, either, but he was obviously doing that.

The two troopers were moving through the rest of the house now, searching. Mrs. Bredbenner clenched her hands together. The thought of strange men looking through her belongings was obviously painful. Whether or not she knew anything about her husband’s activities, there were more painful times ahead of her.

“Will you come here for a moment, Chief?” Donato’s voice held a note of satisfaction.

Adam hurried into the other room, to find Foster peering over Donato’s shoulder at the sheaf of papers.

“He didn’t cover his tracks very well,” Donato said. “I’d say everything we’ll need to make a case is right here. And look at the sums of money involved. This was no nickel-and-dime operation.”

“Any indication of where the money is?” Somehow Adam didn’t think Eli would have put it in a bank.

Donato shook his head. “We’ll have to go through the property inch by inch.”

“He probably has it with him,” Foster said. He ran a hand over thinning fair hair and rubbed the back of his neck. “Too bad we didn’t get onto him a couple of days earlier.” He glanced at Adam, as if considering where to fix the blame. “After assaulting an officer of the law, he’ll be on the run. Better get the machinery in motion to apprehend him.”

Adam nodded, mind ticking over the possibilities. The sooner they caught up with Eli Bredbenner, the better. At least, with him on the run, Esther was safe.

So why did he have this niggling feeling at the back of his mind that it wasn’t going to be as easy as that?

* * *

LIBBY TURNED FROM the window overlooking the Zook farmyard, forcing a smile for Esther.

“The children have found an icy spot perfect for sliding,” she said. “Would you like to see?”

Esther nodded. Then she frowned, as if impatient with herself. “Ja.” She articulated carefully. “I would.”

“Great.” Libby’s pleasure in the improvement of Esther’s speech momentarily eclipsed her grief over Adam. “Let’s have a look.” She wheeled Esther’s chair to the window, pulling a straight chair next to it for herself.

Esther leaned forward, smiling at the sight of the children in the yard below. The younger ones had discovered a spot where a strip of ice had formed, and they were taking turns getting a running start and seeing how far they could slide.

Esther actually laughed out loud as one of her nephews ended up facedown in the snow. She turned to Libby, eyes alert, looking like the old Esther. “Remember?” she said.

Libby nodded, her thoughts slipping back to a snowstorm so heavy that school had been closed for several days. The boys had created a snow fort—no girls allowed. So she and Esther had found a patch of black ice on the driveway and were busily enlarging it by pouring kettles of water on it when Dad found them, nearly falling in the process.

“I still say that would have made a perfect skating rink,” she said. “But I understand why the grown-ups didn’t agree.”

Esther pointed to her and then down to the children. “Try it,” she said.

“No, thanks.” Libby’s answering smile was a bit forced. Adam had been at the Morgan house that cold day, too. He’d helped to spread ice melt on the driveway.

Esther leaned forward, taking her hand. “What?”

“Nothing.” Libby tried to smile, but how convincing could she be when her heart felt as if someone had been using it for a punching bag?

Esther’s fingers gripped harder. “What?” she demanded.

“I’m being stupid about Adam.” She blinked, determined not to shed any more tears over the situation. “This…the accident, the investigation…it brought us close together. A second chance, I thought.” Her lips twisted despite her efforts to control them. “But Adam can’t get past this ridiculous idea that he’s not good enough for me. Stupid.”

“Ja, stupid,” Esther echoed. Her sympathy was so strong Libby could feel it—as if arms wrapped around her, holding her tight. “I am sorry. My fault.”

“Not your fault.” How could she think that? “The wedding would have thrown us together, even if not for the accident.”

“Accident.” Esther’s forehead puckered, as if she struggled to remember. “Not accident?” She made it a question, her look questioning.

“No, I don’t think so. It looks as if someone hit your buggy on purpose.” They still didn’t have proof that Eli Bredbenner was behind the attacks on Esther, but… “Did you find out something about Bredbenner’s investment scheme?” She held her breath, hoping she wasn’t doing the wrong thing by asking the question.

Esther’s frown deepened. “Eli…” She hesitated, and Libby had the sense that Esther was pressing her way through the clouds that surrounded the crash. “Not gut,” she managed. “Isaac wouldn’t listen.”

“He wasn’t the only one. A lot of people apparently invested their money with Eli.” Surely it couldn’t do any harm to push a little. “Did you find out? Were you coming to tell me that night?” She clasped Esther’s hands in hers, blocking out the peaceful room and the children’s squeals, intent on her friend.

“Cold,” Esther murmured, and Libby knew she wasn’t talking about the present. “Couldn’t… Buggy couldn’t outrun them.” She leaned back in the chair, eyes closed, looking drained.

“Them?” Libby seized on the word. “Esther, who was after you that night? Was someone with Eli?”

Esther opened her eyes. Shook her head. “I…I don’t know. Why can’t I remember?” Her voice rose on the question.

Libby patted her. She shouldn’t have pressed. “It’s all right, Esther. You’ll remember when it’s time. Don’t be upset, or your mamm will scold me.”

The anxiety faded slowly from Esther’s face. “I’ll remember,” she repeated.

So close. Esther had definitely used the word
them
when she thought of that night. Did she really know who had been in the vehicle that hit her?

A tap sounded on the door frame. Libby turned to find Leah hovering there, as if afraid she was interrupting something.

“Hi, Leah. We were watching the little ones sliding.” She gestured toward the window. It probably wasn’t a good idea to let Leah or anyone else know that Esther had started to remember the night of the accident.

Leah’s mind was clearly on something else. “Bishop Amos is here, and Chief Byler. Daadi says will you komm, please, Libby?”

Libby nodded, rising. Adam. She wasn’t ready to see him again, but obviously she didn’t have a choice.

Leaving Leah with Esther, Libby went downstairs. As she passed through the enclosed porch between the daadi haus and the main house, she could hear the rumble of voices. The visitors were obviously in the kitchen.

She paused at the door, taking a deep breath. No more crumbling in front of Adam. He didn’t need to see any further evidence of her feelings.

At least no one would expect smiles and good cheer, as serious as the situation was. Steeling herself, she walked into the kitchen.

Bishop Amos, Isaac and Adam sat at the table, while Mary Ann filled mugs from the ever-present coffeepot. At the sight of her, Isaac gestured to an empty chair.

“Komm, sit. We must hear what is happening.”

Isaac’s face showed the strain he was under. What would it mean to the family if the money he’d invested was gone for good?

She sat down, nodding to Bishop Amos and letting her eyes skim past Adam. She wasn’t quite ready to meet his gaze full on yet. Bishop Amos looked fully as distressed as Isaac, the lines deep around his eyes.

“Denke, Mary Ann.” Bishop Amos nodded his thanks as Mary Ann put the mug of coffee in front of him and then focused on Adam. “We are ready to hear whatever you can tell us about this sad situation.”