A Dark Amish Night Read Free Page B

“Hey, Jess, I’m going out to the Hershberger farm. I’ll have my cell on me ’case you need something,” he yelled out to his deputy and walked out to his patrol car.
       It took about twenty minutes to reach Hannah’s little farm by car, but Quinn was struck by how remote the place was. It bothered him that Hannah was out here all alone with two small children and no neighbors nearby. He figured she was at least an hour from any other human contact with only a horse and a buggy to get there. It was a good thing she had a phone. He still had a few of the old Amish families even more isolated than Hannah under his jurisdiction that refused any modern amenities like phones. He shook his head. While he respected the Amish way of life he sure didn’t understand it.
       Hannah was in the side yard hanging out wet laundry when Quinn pulled up. Her long blonde hair had come loose from her prayer cap and whipped around her slender form in the strong spring winds and Quinn was struck by what a lovely woman Hannah was. The fact that she was an awesome cook as well made for a deadly combination for Quinn. He had to remind himself that not only was Hannah a grieving widow, she was Amish, and clearly not for him.  Even if that weren’t enough, Quinn had sworn off any complications of the female kind many months ago, so if Hannah was safe with any man, it was him as far as Quinn was concerned.
       Hannah turned and waved at Quinn as he exited the car. She was glad to see someone for change. Quinn brought no social pressures with him and she hoped he would have some answers as to how Eric could have come to such an end. Everyone kept calling Eric’s death an accident but Hannah had a gut feeling there was more to it. It was unbearable to think of anything more sinister happening, but still there was that nagging thought in the back of her head. Hopefully Quinn could put her fears to rest and she could move on as best she could for the sake of Ruth Anne and Timothy.
       “Sheriff Ramsey, I’m happy to see you. Won’t you come inside and I’ll fix you a cup of coffee, and I have some apple strudel fresh out of the oven.”
       “I’d like that very much, Hannah. I need to ask you a few questions anyway.”
       “Of course, come on in.” Hannah left her clothes to finish drying on the line and led Quinn into the house.
       Timothy watched his mother and the sheriff from the inside of the barn. He quietly closed the barn door and looked for a place to hide. He did not want to talk to the Sheriff again. He’d told the man all he was going to tell. Timothy was the man of the house now and he would do everything he could to protect his mother and sister. He owed his father that much. And protecting them from the prying questions of the Sheriff was a priority.  It was the Amish way.
     
     
     
       Quinn sat across the finely crafted oak table from Hannah. The old farmhouse was neat as a pin and filled with handsome handmade furniture. “Eric must have been quite good with wood. I must say your furniture is beautiful.”
       “Yes, Eric learned the craft from his father. Some of the older pieces we have were made by Eric and his father.”
       Finishing off his strudel Quinn thought again of what an awesome cook Hannah was. “You can add a batch of that strudel to my order for this week.”
       “Great, I’ll do that. I need to get out this week anyway. I have plans to sell the farm and move into town as soon as possible. I’d like to start my own bakery. Of course I need to talk to my Bishop and the church deacons first. If Eric or I had any family nearby I would be expected to turn to them, but as it is I’ve only a few distant cousins living up north.”
       “I must say that I’m relieved to hear that you’ll be moving closer to town. It must feel like you’re completely isolated out here.”
       “No, I’ll miss the solitude, but I can’t run a farm and raise two children by myself.