“Ne,” he muttered under his breath. “When I got there, Daniel already had his dander up about something. I saw him slap Lemuel on the back of the head. Said the boy was disrespectful, something of that sort. No big deal; I’ve got sons of my own. They can say things they shouldn’t. But the way I see it, you don’t train up a child like that. Horses, dogs, or boys, there’s a right way. It doesn’t take the weight of a man’s hand to teach right from wrong.”
“So, you said something to Daniel? About hitting Lemuel?”
Joe nodded. “I understand that the Bible tells us not to spare the child. Bend a tree and all that. But Daniel was young and new to being a father and that to a baby girl. He didn’t know much about dealing with growing boys. He took on a lot when he married Mary Rose and accepted responsibility for the family and the farm. Lemuel and Moses were Daniel’s brothers-in-law, not his children. I have a habit of speaking my mind, and Daniel didn’t care for the advice. Things were getting a little heated when Moses broke up the fight. Not physical, you understand. I didn’t raise a hand to Daniel, nor him to me. But we both probably said more than we should have. And not all of it what a godly man should utter.”
“So,” she said, “Moses actually was a peacemaker. He ended the argument?”
“In a manner of speaking. We all went our separate ways, and that was that.”
“Did you hunt with Moses and Lemuel? Did the three of you stay together all day?”
Joe removed his hat and placed it on his knee. She saw that he had a growing bald spot on the crown of his head with thick brown hair springing all around it. “I’ve thought about that a lot since I heard that Daniel had been killed. I went over and over it in my head, and I’ve prayed about it. I expected those Englisher policemen to come ask me about it, but they haven’t so far.”
She waited.
“I want to say ya, we were together all day, but I can’t. You’re not a hunter, but the men in your family are. They can tell you, hunters often separate. Not a big deal. I can’t tell you that Moses and I stayed close all day. What I can tell you is that Moses didn’t kill Daniel.”
Chapter 8
“You’re not the first person to say that,” Rachel said. “But there’s no getting around the fact that Moses confessed to shooting Daniel.”
“I don’t know what to say to that. I’m just giving you my honest thoughts.” Joe rose to his feet.
“Can you tell me who else was hunting that day? Anyone else you saw?”
“Lot of people hunting. First day of the season.” He glanced away, then back at her. “But nobody hunting on Blue Mountain. Folks tend to stay away from there.”
“Why’s that?”
“That narrish Englisher. The Studers’ neighbor. He’s always running people off.” He rose from the bench. “I need to go. Got a buyer down at the sawmill I need to talk to. You’re welcome to come back another time, but I really don’t have anything else to tell you.”
He walked her back to her car. An Australian shepherd appeared and fell in beside her. When Joe stopped, the dog sat at his side. He leaned down and patted the dog’s head, and the animal wagged its tail.
Rachel opened the driver’s door and stood there for a few seconds. “I appreciate your help,” she said. “Just one more question, if you don’t mind.”
Joe’s weathered face creased in a smile. “You’re as bad as my wife. There’s always one more thing.”
She smiled, then narrowed her gaze, looking up at him. “You know Moses pretty well. Why do you think he would say he killed Daniel if he was innocent?”
The Amish man shook his head. “Can’t say. But I’ll repeat my belief that he isn’t a killer. I’ve gotten to know him pretty well. Seen the boy around animals and seen him around children. Moses might not always know what to say, or how to act with people, but he’s got a kind heart. I hope you can help him.” He paused, then went on. “And if you get a chance to talk to him, you tell him that he’s got a job here on my place whenever he wants it.”
“I will.” Rachel nodded. “If you don’t think that Moses shot Daniel, who do you think did?”
Joe shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to say. Not right to say, me not knowing for sure.”
“Please? Just between us? I can see you’re a canny man. You must have some suspicion.”
Joe stroked his beard. Gray strands were beginning to pepper the deep russet, and both of his thick eyebrows were sprinkled with white. “I was you, I’d talk to that neighbor of Daniel’s with the high fences and the cameras. He and Daniel have been eyeball-to-eyeball ever since Daniel married Mary Rose and took over the farm.”
* * *
Rachel picked up Mary Aaron at her parents’ farm and the two of them spent several hours catching up on the chores at Stone Mill House. Once the maids finished the general housekeeping and Rachel had consulted with Ada about the number of guests who would be in residence over the weekend, Rachel and Mary Aaron set off in the Jeep to talk with Daniel’s widow again and let her and Alma know that it looked like they might have an attorney for Moses.
“I spoke at length with Alma and Lemuel yesterday, but Mary Rose didn’t have much to say,” Rachel explained to Mary Aaron as they bumped along the country road. She’d already filled her cousin in on her visit to Joe Troyer’s place and the phone call with the attorney, Irene Glidden. Rachel was waiting to hear from her once she spoke with Moses, hopefully with good news.
“Cover your hair.” Mary Aaron handed Rachel a green
