him?”
The old man slowly rose and walked to the edge of the porch. He put his hands up to his mouth and called, “Daniel, come.”
The man Zach had noticed earlier peered from the barn.
“Come.” The father motioned him forward. Turning to Zach, he added, “It is my son, Daniel.”
The man walked slowly across the dirt drive and approached the house. He wore Amish trousers and a black hat pulled down on his head. He was clean shaven, which indicated he was single. But he also wore something that made Ella sit up and take note. Over his light blue shirt, he wore a navy blue hooded sweatshirt, which wasn’t typical Amish clothing. Ella touched Zach’s arm.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
Ella stared at the man. Surely Sarah would recognize her brother if he had been snooping around outside her house. Had he also broken into Ella’s clinic last night and then ransacked the office today and fired rounds from the woods?
She and Zach had come to the Fisher home hoping for information. But they may have found even more. They may have found the assailant.
NINE
Z ach questioned Daniel while his father sat on the porch scowling. Ella had retrieved her medical bag from the car and tried to take the old man’s pulse and blood pressure, but he refused to cooperate. Instead he stared at Zach and made a growling noise like an angry dog.
“Did you go near your sister’s home anytime this week?” Zach asked the younger man.
“Neh.”
“Did you look into Sarah’s home and try the front door to see if it was locked?”
“I would not and did not.”
“You went hunting today. Where were you, exactly?”
Daniel pointed to the woods. “I was in the forest. There is nothing for miles so no one stopped me, but I cannot tell you how far I went into the thicket.”
“Did you shoot any game?”
“There is a bobcat. I have seen him. I fired a shot to scare him away.”
“Did you wound him?”
“I did not. I shoot only that which I can eat. My father taught me well.”
“Tell me about your sweatshirt,” Zach said.
“I wear it when I work to keep my shirt clean.”
“Is it normal for the Amish to wear fleece?”
Daniel blinked. “I am not a normal Amish man.”
“Oh?” Zach hesitated before asking, “What does that mean?”
“I did not stay here, but moved back to Alabama.”
“Was there a reason you left the area?”
“I needed space. Land is cheaper there.”
“But you came back,” Zach said.
“My father is getting older.” Daniel glanced at the house. “As you can see with your own eyes, this place needs work. I came home to help him.”
An altruistic cause, although Zach wondered if Daniel was telling the truth. “You are not married?”
He shook his head. “I am not.”
“Isn’t that unusual?”
“Are you married?” he asked Zach.
“No, I’m not.”
“Do you think that’s unusual?” Daniel asked.
“I’m not Amish.” Zach stated the obvious.
The son sniffed. “And I’m not convinced I should remain Amish.”
“You do not believe in the Amish way of life?” Zach asked.
“Living alone is difficult. If I could find a wife, I would appreciate the plain life more.”
“The Freemont police will want to talk to you, Mr. Fisher.”
He frowned. “I have done nothing wrong.”
“Do you carry a grudge against your brother-in-law?”
“Why would I?”
“You tell me. Were you against your sister marrying Levi Miller?”
Daniel nodded. “I did not want her to marry a man who had been with a woman and conceived children out of wedlock.”
“But Levi had asked for forgiveness.”
“Sometimes forgiveness is difficult to give, even if the person is sorry for their wrongdoing.”
Zach narrowed his gaze. “Were you ever in love?”
“I was never in love with an English woman.”
From all appearances, Daniel seemed close to Levi’s age. “Did you know Mary Kate when you lived here?”
“I knew who she was.”
“You and Levi were friends?”
“The
The old man slowly rose and walked to the edge of the porch. He put his hands up to his mouth and called, “Daniel, come.”
The man Zach had noticed earlier peered from the barn.
“Come.” The father motioned him forward. Turning to Zach, he added, “It is my son, Daniel.”
The man walked slowly across the dirt drive and approached the house. He wore Amish trousers and a black hat pulled down on his head. He was clean shaven, which indicated he was single. But he also wore something that made Ella sit up and take note. Over his light blue shirt, he wore a navy blue hooded sweatshirt, which wasn’t typical Amish clothing. Ella touched Zach’s arm.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
Ella stared at the man. Surely Sarah would recognize her brother if he had been snooping around outside her house. Had he also broken into Ella’s clinic last night and then ransacked the office today and fired rounds from the woods?
She and Zach had come to the Fisher home hoping for information. But they may have found even more. They may have found the assailant.
NINE
Z ach questioned Daniel while his father sat on the porch scowling. Ella had retrieved her medical bag from the car and tried to take the old man’s pulse and blood pressure, but he refused to cooperate. Instead he stared at Zach and made a growling noise like an angry dog.
“Did you go near your sister’s home anytime this week?” Zach asked the younger man.
“Neh.”
“Did you look into Sarah’s home and try the front door to see if it was locked?”
“I would not and did not.”
“You went hunting today. Where were you, exactly?”
Daniel pointed to the woods. “I was in the forest. There is nothing for miles so no one stopped me, but I cannot tell you how far I went into the thicket.”
“Did you shoot any game?”
“There is a bobcat. I have seen him. I fired a shot to scare him away.”
“Did you wound him?”
“I did not. I shoot only that which I can eat. My father taught me well.”
“Tell me about your sweatshirt,” Zach said.
“I wear it when I work to keep my shirt clean.”
“Is it normal for the Amish to wear fleece?”
Daniel blinked. “I am not a normal Amish man.”
“Oh?” Zach hesitated before asking, “What does that mean?”
“I did not stay here, but moved back to Alabama.”
“Was there a reason you left the area?”
“I needed space. Land is cheaper there.”
“But you came back,” Zach said.
“My father is getting older.” Daniel glanced at the house. “As you can see with your own eyes, this place needs work. I came home to help him.”
An altruistic cause, although Zach wondered if Daniel was telling the truth. “You are not married?”
He shook his head. “I am not.”
“Isn’t that unusual?”
“Are you married?” he asked Zach.
“No, I’m not.”
“Do you think that’s unusual?” Daniel asked.
“I’m not Amish.” Zach stated the obvious.
The son sniffed. “And I’m not convinced I should remain Amish.”
“You do not believe in the Amish way of life?” Zach asked.
“Living alone is difficult. If I could find a wife, I would appreciate the plain life more.”
“The Freemont police will want to talk to you, Mr. Fisher.”
He frowned. “I have done nothing wrong.”
“Do you carry a grudge against your brother-in-law?”
“Why would I?”
“You tell me. Were you against your sister marrying Levi Miller?”
Daniel nodded. “I did not want her to marry a man who had been with a woman and conceived children out of wedlock.”
“But Levi had asked for forgiveness.”
“Sometimes forgiveness is difficult to give, even if the person is sorry for their wrongdoing.”
Zach narrowed his gaze. “Were you ever in love?”
“I was never in love with an English woman.”
From all appearances, Daniel seemed close to Levi’s age. “Did you know Mary Kate when you lived here?”
“I knew who she was.”
“You and Levi were friends?”
“The
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