Plain Truth Read Online Free PDF Page B

and stared. “It's mine,” Jacob said softly. “Katie, what did you expect?”
    The truth is, she hadn't expected anything. Except that the brother she had loved, the one who had turned his back on his religion so that he could study at college, might be living the same life he'd left … only somewhere other than East Paradise. This —the strange clothing, the tiny vehicle — made her wonder if her father had not been right all along to believe that Jacob could not continue his schooling and still be Plain in his heart .
    Jacob opened the door for her and then got into the car himself. “Where does Dat think you are today?”
    The day that Jacob had been excommunicated by the Amish church was the same day he'd died, in his father's unforgiving eyes. Aaron Fisher would not countenance Katie visiting Jacob any more than he would approve of the letters her mother wrote Jacob and had Katie secretly post. “Aunt Leda's.”
    â€œVery smart. There's no way he'll stomach talking to her long enough to find out it's a lie. “Jacob smiled wryly. “We shunned have to stick together, I guess.”
    Katie folded her hands in her lap. “Is it worth it?” she asked quietly. “Is college everything you wanted?”
    Jacob studied her for a long moment. “It's not everything, because you all aren't here.”
    â€œYou could come back, you know. You could come back anytime and make a confession.”
    â€œI could, but I won't.” At Katie's frown, Jacob reached across the console and tugged at the long strings of her kapp. “Hey. I'm still the guy who pushed you into the pond when we went fishing. Who put a frog in your bed.”
    Katie smiled. “I guess I wouldn't mind if you changed, come to think of it.”
    â€œThat's my girl,” Jacob laughed. “I have something for you.” He reached into the backseat and withdrew a bundle wrapped in butcher paper and tied with red ribbon. “I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but when you come here, I want it to be a holiday for you. An escape. So that maybe you don't have to make the same all-or-nothing choice that I did.” He watched her fingers pick at the bow and open the package to reveal a pair of soft leggings, a bright yellow T-shirt, and a cotton cardigan embroidered with a festival of flowers .
    â€œOh,” Katie said, drawn in spite of herself. Her fingers traced the fine needlework on the collar of the sweater. “But I —”
    â€œFor while you're here. Walking around in your regular clothes is only going to make it harder on you. Wearing these —well, no one's ever gonna know, Katie. I thought maybe you could pretend for a while, when you visit. Be like me. Here.” He flipped down the visor in front of Katie to reveal a small mirror, then held the cardigan up so that she could see the reflection .
    She blushed. “Jacob, it's beautiful.”
    Even Jacob was astounded at how that one awed admission seemed to make his sister look like someone else, like the kind of person he had grown up keeping at a distance. “Yes,” he said. “You are.”
    Lizzie called the county attorney's office on her car phone, en route to the hospital. “George Callahan,” the voice on the other end announced brusquely.
    â€œImagine that. I got the head honcho himself. Where's your secretary?”
    George laughed, recognizing her voice. “I don't know, Lizzie. Taking a powder, I guess. You want to come take over her job?”
    â€œCan't. I'm too busy busting people for the DA to prosecute.”
    â€œAh, I have you to thank for that. My own little feeder source for job security.”
    â€œWell, consider yourself secure: we found a dead baby in an Amish barn here, and things aren't adding up. I'm on my way to the hospital to check out a possible suspect—but I wanted to let you know there may be an arraignment in your near