Seeds of Deception: A Kate Burkholder Short Story Read Online Free PDF Page A

laughed despite herself. Raising her cup, she proclaimed, “Great minds!”
    “I was beginning to wonder if Bishop Troyer would ever run out of breath,” Mattie said between mouthfuls.
    “The Gottes-deensht gets longer every time,” Katie said, referring to the worship service. She set her empty cup on the ground. “Have the police or fire marshal people been to see you?”
    “What?” Mattie stopped chewing. “The police? Fire marshal ?”
    Katie recapped the conversation she’d had with Jacob earlier. “Billy Marquart is trying to blame the fire on you. Jacob told me the police or fire marshal people are going to talk to you next.”
    Mattie tossed the rest of her pudding into the bushes. “What else did Billy say?”
    “He told the police you’re trying to get back at him for getting you fired from your job.”
    “Stupid liar.” Looking worried, Mattie bit at a thumbnail. “This is all my fault. I should have known better than to go in the barn with him.”
    Katie shrugged. “You never know what some people are going to do.”
    “Especially people like Billy.” Mattie sighed. “All this over an old barn no one cares about.” She tried to slip into her usual cavalier persona, but Katie could tell she was concerned about this new bit of information.
    Katie offered a kind smile. “Like my mamm always says: The truth will prevail. All you have to do is tell the truth, and you have nothing to worry about.”
    “What if the police believe Billy over me?”
    “They won’t. Come on. You’re Amisch . They’ll know you don’t lie.”
    Mattie didn’t look convinced. “I’ll get into trouble for going into the barn.”
    “Which is a harmless thing.” Katie paused. “Billy turned it into something dangerous and destroyed all that hay and equipment. Not you.”
    Tears shimmered in Mattie’s eyes. “Thank you for believing in me. Not everyone does.”
    “That’s because they don’t know you the way I do.” Reaching out, Katie laid her hand over Mattie’s. “I have your back. Okay?”
    A gust of wind rustled the branches of the cottonwood and Katie shivered. “I’m so going to miss summer.”
    “No more swimming.”
    “No more sunshine.”
    “Datt says we’re going to have an early fall this year.” Mattie removed her sweater and handed it to Katie. “Here. It’ll keep you warm.”
    “I’m okay—”
    But Mattie insisted. “You can give it back to me later.”
    Katie slipped the sweater on, smiling when she realized it smelled like Mattie, a mix of strawberry shampoo and her mamm ’s hand lotion. “Hard to believe we won’t be going back to school this year,” Katie said.
    “I’m not going to miss it.”
    The girls fell silent, thoughtful, listening to the metallic chirp of a nearby cardinal.
    After a moment, Mattie rose from the swing. “Let’s go get more date pudding.”
    Katie scooped her empty cup off the ground. “You talked me into it,” she said and they started for the barn.
    *   *   *
    It was dark by the time Katie finished her chores and went to the bedroom she shared with her sister, Sarah, to get ready for bed. By the light of a single lantern on the night table, she unlaced her sneakers and was in the process of taking off Mattie’s sweater when something clattered to the floor. Puzzled, she picked it up and held it to the dim light of the lantern. A chill scraped up her spine when she realized it was a lighter. Not just any lighter, but a pink one.
    She stared at it, her thoughts scattering.
    All the while Jacob’s words about Billy Marquart rang hard in her ears. He told the police she had a lighter. A pink one.
    Her brain refused to acknowledge the thoughts prying into it. The lighter didn’t mean anything, she assured herself. Lots of people carried lighters. When you were Amish, there were always lanterns or candles or stoves to light.
    Katie held up the sweater for a closer look. It was the same sweater Mattie had been wearing the day of the fire.