Page 36 of A Gathering of Secrets

Again, Viola and Ina look to Neva. “If he knew about it,” she says, “I don’t think it was a big deal for either of them. Daniel never really entered the picture.”

“Is Elam the jealous type?” I ask.

“He’s pretty laid-back, actually,” Neva tells me.

“Were any other boys interested in Emma?”

“All the boys liked her,” Viola responds.

“She was sweet and pretty.” Ina sighs. “It’s like you just fell in love with her the instant you met her. That’s what kind of person she was.”

Grief flashes in Neva’s eyes, followed by a wistful smile. “She had way too much common sense to go out with most boys.”

I didn’t know Emma Miller, but I find myself liking her. “That’s not such a bad thing.”

Ina folds her arms across her chest. “Especially when most of them her age were on Rumspringa and had the sense of a cow.”

“Did Emma ever have any problems with any of the guys that liked her?” I pose the question to Neva. “Were any of them too forward? Anything like that?”

“If they were, she never said. But then she wasn’t a complainer, either. To tell you the truth, I can’t imagine her giving any of them anything to be jealous of. Emma was a good girl. She had no interest in running around. She wasn’t boy crazy. Didn’t go out. Never drank beer or anything like that.”

Ina has been watching the exchange with interest. When we fall silent, she narrows her eyes on mine. “Chief Burkholder, do you think what happened to Daniel Gingerich has something to do with Emma?”

“I’m not sure,” I say honestly. “I was just surprised to hear Daniel and Emma knew each other and now both of them are gone.”

“The Amish community is a small one.” Neva shrugs. “Everyone knows everyone. You know how it is.”

I nod because I do. Still, I’m no fan of coincidence, and I don’t think it’s happenstance that these two innocent teenagers’ paths crossed—they knew each other, spent time together—and now both of them are dead.

I look from girl to girl. “Was Emma upset about anything in particular in the days leading up to her passing? Some life event? Was there something going on in her life that led up to what happened to her?”

A heavy silence ensues, ticks on for a too-long span of time. Finally, Neva heaves a sigh that’s fraught with emotion. “Her mamm said Emma always had a sad heart. Even when she was a little girl she had days when she was blue. You know, depression. Emma was…” Her voice trails and for the first time, tears well. “She was innocent and yet she had an old soul, if that makes sense. She felt things deeply. Too deeply, probably. She was thoughtful and incredibly kind. She couldn’t bear the thought of hurting others, even if it was inadvertent.”

“She was a worrywart, too,” Viola says.

“The silly thing.” Wiping at the tears, Ina chokes out a laugh. “She worried about everything and everyone.”

The girls chuckle quietly, remembering, but they’re edging closer to being overcome with emotion. For them to be experiencing this level of grief after six months is profound.

“Was she worried about anyone or anything in particular?” I ask.

Neva shakes her head. “I don’t think it was any one thing. She was just … sad. And too quiet. I mean, when most people get upset about something, they talk and complain.”

“Piss and moan,” Ina inserts.

Viola chuckles.

Halfheartedly, Neva smacks her on the arm. “Not Emma. When things got bad or she was trying to work through some problem, she just sort of clammed up. She held things inside.”

“Her mamm says that’s what killed her,” Ina whispers. “Her heart couldn’t contain all the sadness,” Neva says. “The only comfort she could find was with God.”

CHAPTER 9

Before leaving The Mercantile, I purchase three individually wrapped rosemary and lemon soaps, a hand-dipped candle, and a tin of cinnamon tea for my sister. I call the station as I stow everything in the back of the Explorer.

“Hey, Chief, what can I do you for?” asks Lois.

“I need an address for Elam Schlabach.” I spell the last name and glance down at the time. “Get me a work address, too, will you? Check for warrants. See if he’s got a sheet.”