Simple Choices (11 page)

“Why doesn’t everyone get healed, Dad?”

He sighed. “I don’t know, honey. It could be for a variety of reasons. We aren’t going to understand everything in this life, but I do know one thing.”

“What’s that?” I sniffed, blowing my nose into his hankie.

“That whether we’re delivered from our circumstances or we have to walk them out, God is with us every step of the way. His love never changes, and it never fails. He’ll always find a way to bring us through every trial of life if we trust Him.”

“Seeing Papa Joe like this makes me feel so sad.” I leaned against my father’s shoulder.

“It makes me sad, too.” He put his arm around me. “But you know what? Most of the time, Papa’s very happy. When he’s with us and when he’s not. The times he drifts away he almost always goes to happy places where my mother is still alive and where his life was good.”

“What about the other times?”

“Well, when he quit talking we thought he’d left us forever. When we’d go to visit he’d just stare at us—as if he had no idea who we were. He’s verbal now, and we’re grateful. But there have been a few times when he’s gotten terribly upset. It’s as if he’s trapped between reality and the disease. I’m sure it’s horribly confusing to him, and he lashes out.”

“He’s not violent, is he?”

My father was quiet for a moment, and then he hugged me tight. “A couple of times he’s been rather physical.”

“That’s not Papa at all.”

He kissed the top of my head. “No, it’s not. I think the darkness begins to come over him, and he simply tries to fight his way out. It has nothing to do with anyone around him. The first time it happened, I took it personally. But I’ve learned to let him get it out of his system. When he calms down he’s fine.”

“So what will happen to Papa now?”

“I don’t know. When he stopped talking we assumed the end was near. But now that he’s communicating again, we’re not sure what to expect next. My guess is that at some point he’ll fall silent once more.”

“W–will Papa die here?”

My dad sat up straight and gazed directly into my eyes. “No, Gracie. If he gets too bad before we leave for home, Mom and I will get him transferred to a hospital or nursing home nearby. After the wedding, we’ll take him back to Nebraska.”

“Okay.” I wiped my face once again and handed the handkerchief to my dad.

He smiled. “You keep it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay. I’ll wash it and then give it back to you.”

“I would appreciate that very much. Now let’s get back in there before Papa sends me to my room. I didn’t like it when I was a kid, and I doubt I’d like it any better now.”

I giggled. “I think I’d enjoy seeing that. Payback for all the times you did it to me.”

He grunted. “Yes, I’m sure you would. Hopefully I can spare myself the humiliation.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me up. “Now get going, young lady. And no more tears in front of Papa, okay?”

“I’ll try.”

My dad and I went back to the dining room together. Mom grabbed my hand as I walked past. “You okay?” she whispered.

I nodded. Papa Joe was busy eating his soup, smacking his lips with delight. I sat down next to Sam who reached over and gave me a quick hug. It seemed that my grandfather hadn’t noticed my unexplained exit. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Sweetie was telling us about the girl who’s missing, Gracie,” my mother said. “Isn’t Hannah the one you took to Wichita?”

I nodded. “Yes. We’re not sure if she just ran away or if something else happened.”

“Oh honey. I’m sorry. You must be very worried. I know you care a great deal about her.”

“She’s very special to me. Everyone’s concerned.” I launched into the story of Hannah’s reaction to Wichita and how she seemed to change.

“I hope you’re not blaming yourself,” my dad said. “It’s certainly not your fault. Take it from two people who know what it’s like to want a different kind of life.”

I glanced over at Ida who smiled at me. “I did at first. But a dear friend straightened me out.” I pointed my soup spoon at my father. “This situation isn’t the same as yours, Dad. You and Mom wanted to get married, and Bishop Angstadt wouldn’t allow it—ever. But Hannah knows she can go to art school in a year. I can’t believe she’d leave her parents and her home just because she’s impatient.”

“You could be right,” he said. “But when Mom and I lived here, there were other people our age who left for the same reasons you said Hannah gave. It happens.”

“Well maybe.” I turned his comment over in my mind. Was I wrong? Had Hannah really run away because she saw a future beyond Harmony? As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t believe it. I started to say that when the doorbell rang.

“Now who in tarnation can that be?” Sweetie murmured. “Botherin’ people when they’re tryin’ to eat.” She got up and went to the door, mumbling all the way. Most people in Harmony knew better than to bother Sweetie at suppertime. I felt sorry for whoever was waiting on the other side of her front door. We heard voices and then footsteps in the hallway. Pat Taylor came in, his hat in his hands.

“Pat needs to talk to you, Gracie,” Sweetie said. Her sour expression made it clear she wasn’t happy about her impromptu visitor.

I started to stand up, but Sam grabbed me and pulled me back into my seat. “Is this about Hannah?” he asked.

Pat nodded, and I gasped.

“Why don’t you tell all of us, Pat,” Sam said. “If something has happened …”

“It’s not bad news,” he said quickly. “We still haven’t found her.” He gazed around the table. “I don’t want to interrupt your dinner.”

“A little late for that,” Sweetie grumbled.

Pat nervously rotated his hat with his fingers. “Maybe I should come back some other time.”

“Nonsense,” my dad said. He stood up and pointed to an empty chair at the end of the table. “We’ve all heard about Hannah’s disappearance. Why don’t you have a seat and tell us what’s going on? I know we’re all very interested.”

“Yes, Pat. Please sit down,” I said. “Are you hungry?”

He looked at Sam who didn’t offer any kind of encouragement, but he slid into the chair next to my dad anyway. “Uh, no. That’s okay. I just wanted to bring you up to date. I should have called first, but I was in the area. I tried your place first, but when I found out you weren’t home, I thought I’d check to see if you were over here.”

“I’m glad you did, Pat,” I said.

My father stuck out his hand. “I’m Daniel Temple, Sheriff. I’m Gracie’s father. And this is my wife, Beverly, and my father, Joe.”

“I’m happy to meet you,” Mom said.

My grandfather didn’t say anything, but he nodded at Pat.

“Daniel Temple,” Pat said. “Your brother was Benjamin?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Dad said. “Did you know him?”

Pat shook his head. “No, not really. I only met him a couple of times. I hadn’t been sheriff for that long before he died. He seemed like a very nice man.”

I glanced over at Papa. A few minutes ago he’d thought Benjamin was still alive. How would he react to Pat’s statement? Thankfully, he didn’t appear to have heard it. Instead he seemed to be focused on buttering his roll.

“Thank you,” my father said. “So what is this news you’ve brought about Hannah?”

Pat scooted up closer to the table. “The girl who disappeared from Emporia has been found. She ran off with her boyfriend. And although neither one of the girls from Topeka have been located yet, the police are pretty sure they know who abducted one of them. An ex-boyfriend threatened her the day before she went missing, and he hasn’t shown up for work since the day she disappeared. The police are confident he’s got her. They just don’t know if they’ll find her alive.”

“How awful,” my mother said. “I can’t imagine what her parents are going through.”

“About the same thing Abel and Emily are, I imagine,” I said. “So only one girl is left who could have been abducted by a stranger?”

“Yes. The girl who got into the red truck is the only remaining mystery.” He shrugged. We’ll probably find out it’s another case of someone running off with a boy her family doesn’t approve of.” He looked at me. “I wanted you to know about this so you’d quit worrying about Hannah being abducted.”

“I appreciate that, but I still have a hard time believing she took off because she’s mad at her parents,” I said.

Pat grunted. “Maybe this will change your mind. Some snooping around uncovered a little more going on between this Vogler boy and the Mueller girl.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Seems that before Hannah left for Wichita, they’d been meeting pretty regularly behind their parents’ backs.”

“That doesn’t sound like Hannah,” Sam said. Hannah was special to him. He’d encouraged her in her art and even made frames for her pictures.

“Well, Jonathan Vogler came clean when I questioned him. They think they’re in love but didn’t want their parents to know. Afraid they wouldn’t approve. One more reason for her to be unhappy at home.”

“Hannah couldn’t have loved him very much if she wanted to stay in Wichita,” I said.

Pat shrugged. “I have no idea. Maybe he planned to meet her there.”

“So you’re absolutely convinced she ran away?” I was starting to wonder if he was right.

He nodded slowly, but an odd look flickered across his face.

“What?” I asked. “Is there something else?”

“It’s probably nothing, but …”

“Tell me,” I said, pressing him.

“The Muellers can’t figure out what Hannah was wearing when she left. All of her dresses seem to be in her closet. At first I doubted they could remember every article of clothing their daughter owns, but I guess Mrs. Mueller makes all her daughter’s clothes so …” His eyebrows knit together with concern. “Gracie, are you okay?”

I’d felt the blood drain from my face so it wasn’t hard to imagine how shocked I looked. “I—I—I mean …”

“Grace, what’s wrong?” Sam peered into my eyes.

I gulped and took a big breath. “Hannah’s clothes. She—she got some jeans and a T-shirt from a girl she met in Wichita. I don’t know why I didn’t realize … I mean, she must have taken them with her when we left town.”

“You mean she could have been wearing these new clothes when she left her house?” Pat sighed and pulled a notebook out of his pocket. “You should have told me this from the beginning. I put out an all-points bulletin based on my assumption she was wearing something more …”

“Mennonite?” my dad said.

Pat nodded at him. “Exactly. I figured she wouldn’t be hard to find dressed like that. But if she blends in …”

“She could have slipped right past anyone who was looking for her,” I said. “I’m so sorry, Pat. I just didn’t realize how important it would be. I thought about telling her parents about the clothes, but they’re already so upset with me …”

“Upset with you?” my dad said. “Why would they be upset with you? You’re not responsible for their daughter’s actions.”

I recognized the irritation in my father’s tone. Papa tiger defending his cub. Mix in a tendency to mistrust anyone with spiritual authority in Harmony. “Dad, the Muellers didn’t want Hannah to go with me to Wichita. I talked them into it. Everything they worried about happened. Hannah changed in Wichita.”

“I don’t care,” he said sharply. “It’s their job to raise their daughter the right way. If she goes off the deep end the first time she gets away from them, they only have themselves to blame.”

Oh dear. This wasn’t going well. I grabbed Sam’s hand under the table as a signal for help.

“They’re just worried about Hannah, sir,” he said, taking the hint. “They love Grace. I’m sure it’s just the pressure they’re under.”

Sam’s reassurance seemed to mollify my dad somewhat. “Well, I suppose that makes sense. I just don’t want anyone trying to make my little girl feel guilty about something that’s not her fault.”

“Thanks, Daddy. I’m fine.” Ida’s words of encouragement had really helped me, even though I still wished I’d listened to Abel and Emily when they’d originally expressed their concerns. At the time, I’d been more focused on Hannah’s art than on her heart. If only I could have that moment to do over. A quick look at Ida made me realize I was going in the wrong direction … again. I smiled at her and tried to push regret out of my thoughts. I needed to concentrate on Hannah—not myself.

“Describe these clothes,” Pat said. “I’ll correct the APB and get this information out as soon as possible.”

I gave him a detailed description of Hannah’s outfit. Good thing I’d looked at it so closely. “Oh, she probably had her hair down, and she might have been wearing makeup. Not a lot, but some.”

He wrote everything down and then closed his notebook. “Unfortunately, if she was hitchhiking, she would have blended in with anyone else out there on the highway.”

“Do children still hitchhike?” my mother asked. “I don’t see many girls asking for rides anymore. Too dangerous.”

Pat nodded. “You’re right, they don’t. But is Hannah aware of that? She’s lived such a sheltered life I have no idea if she knows how to protect herself from danger.”

“But that just proves my point,” I insisted. “That she could be in real trouble.”

“I understand that, Gracie,” Pat said. “But it doesn’t change the fact that she’s listed as a runaway, and as far as we know right now, that’s exactly what happened. Finding out that she put these clothes on of her own volition before leaving home makes it even clearer that she had a plan. And it wasn’t to stay in Harmony. I figure she’s on her way to Wichita. I’ve talked to your art teacher and your friend Allison. Neither one of them have seen her. Is there anyone else she might contact?”

I thought for a moment. “Her friend, Robin. The one who gave her the clothes. And you might check with Jim again. It’s possible she made friends with someone else in her class that I’m not aware of.”

He flipped his notebook open again. “Do you have Robin’s contact information?”

I shook my head. “But Jim would.”

“Okay, I’ll call this Monahan guy again.” He stopped writing and looked up at me. “Have you talked to him since you got back?”

“No, I tried to call them before we came over tonight but they were both out. I left messages to contact me if they hear from Hannah.”