Plain Truth. Debby Giusti

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      “Yes, ma’am.”

      The two officers entered the clinic. Ella turned to Zach. “You don’t have to babysit me.”

      He didn’t need to hear the frustration in her voice or see the firm set of her jaw to know the doc was upset. “This is all SOP—standard operating procedure—with law enforcement. It’s not personal, Ella.”

      “Remind me to tell you the same thing when your office is trashed.”

      Perhaps he needed to be more considerate. Getting her mind on something other than her clinic might help.

      Zach pointed to the small house on the property next door. “Tell me about your neighbor.”

      Ella followed his gaze. “Levi Miller and his wife, Sarah, are a nice young couple. They’re expecting their first child. Sarah is a patient.”

      “You deliver babies, too?”

      “I can. The Amish hesitate going to large medical facilities and prefer to have Amish midwives or other local medical personnel assist with their deliveries.”

      “You’ve been here five months, and it seems you have a good number of patients from the charts strewn about the office.”

      “I had trouble at first. After the first couple of families sought my help when their children were sick, word spread. Cash can be a problem for the Amish. Sometimes I’m paid in produce or baked goods, sometimes homemade sausage and milk and cheese.”

      “That hardly covers your mortgage.”

      “No, but I get by.”

      “What’d you do before this?” Zach asked.

      “You mean in Pennsylvania?”

      He nodded. “You talked about your husband, but you haven’t mentioned what you did.”

      “Quin worked for a research clinic that was headquartered in Harrisburg, as I probably told you last night.” She raked her hand through her hair. “I’m still fuzzy on a lot of things.”

      “I thought the Amish were in Lancaster County.”

      “That’s the largest community, but Amish live near Carlisle, as well. Besides, a well-known clinic handles the area around the towns of Intercourse and Bird-in-Hand. Quin’s group covered some of the other areas.”

      “And you?” Zach asked.

      “I had a pediatric clinic in Carlisle.”

      “Where the Army War College is located.”

      “You’ve been there?” she asked.

      “A few years back. Carlisle seemed like a nice place. Dickinson College is located there.”

      “That’s right.”

      “What made you move South?” he asked.

      She tilted her head and shrugged. “I needed a change. I would always be Quin Jacobsen’s widow if I stayed there. I wanted to make my own way.” She smiled weakly. “That sounds self-serving, but I don’t mean it in that way. Quin was a larger-than-life type of guy, speaking academically. Sometimes I felt dwarfed by his presence.”

      From the short time Zach had known Ella, she seemed down-to-earth and committed to her patients. Thinking of the picture he’d seen of her in the office, he could understand what she was saying.

      She rubbed her hands together and glanced at her clinic. “What’s taking so long?”

      “I’ll check.” Zach hurried inside and found Abrams. “The doc wants to assess the damage. Have you gotten all the photos you need?”

      “Almost. Taylor needs to take a couple of her desk and then we’ll be finished.”

      “What about fingerprints?”

      “We lifted a few from the file cabinet and the folders strewn over the floor. Two or three look promising. I’ll run them when I get back to headquarters.”

      “You’ll let me know?”

      “As soon as I hear anything.”

      As Taylor snapped shots of the desk, Zach stepped closer. He leaned over the engraved invitation he’d seen the night before.

      Abrams glanced over his shoulder. “From the looks of that, the event appears to be a snazzy gathering. The doc seems more like a country girl.”

      “I’m sure she would fit in no matter the environment.”

      “You’re probably right.” The older officer looked around the clinic. “Looks like we’ve got what we need for now. Tell the doc she can come inside.”

      When Zach opened the door, he was surprised to see a young man standing on the porch with her.

      Ella introduced him as he neared. “Special Agent Swain, this is my neighbor, Levi Miller.”

      The neighbor was dressed in the typical dark slacks held up with suspenders. A wide-brimmed hat sat atop his blond hair, and he wore a cotton shirt probably sewn by his wife.

      “You live in the next house?” Zach pointed to the small one-story home.

      “Yah. My wife and I live there.”

      “Did you hear anything last night, Mr. Miller?”

      “I heard the storm.”

      “Did you hear sirens or see the police here?”

      The man’s face clouded. “My wife glanced from the window. She was worried about Dr. Jacobsen.”

      “But you didn’t check on her last night,” Zach pressed.

      “That’s why I came today.” The Amish man turned to Ella. “You are all right?”

      “Someone broke into the clinic. He shot Mary Kate Powers.”

      Levi’s face blanched. “She was hurt?”

      Ella touched the Amish man’s arm. “Quite seriously, I’m afraid. She’s at the hospital on post and is in critical condition.”

      “May Gott’s will be done.”

      Zach didn’t understand the comment. “You know Mary Kate?”

      “Her parents have a home not far from here. We knew each other as children.”

      Zach wondered if that friendship had continued into adulthood.

      “What about the twins?” Levi asked. The concern in his voice was clearly obvious.

      “They’re fine,” Ella assured him. “Thankfully, СКАЧАТЬ