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everyone in Paradise, or so it seemed, had now heard of Annie’s painting on that there magazine cover. “Downright bigheaded she is,” he muttered to himself, lifting the harness over Betsy’s small ears. “Comin’ back here to my house … each, without so much as an apology yet.”
    He was still mumbling and fretting when a police car turned into the lane. He’d heard from the smithy and others that oodles of Englischers were in the neighborhood, going from farm to farm, asking questions.
    His neck hairs prickled as the police officer opened the door and climbed out of his vehicle. “Not on this property,” Jesse whispered to himself, making a beeline toward the officer. I don’t want Barbara to have an encounter with him.
    “What can I do for you?” he called, recognizing the tall
    40 blond man as the same one he’d spoken to the day Zeke had been taken away.
    “I believe you’re the preacher I met last week. Preacher Zook, isn’t it?” The man smiled. “Lots of folk with that name around here.” He pulled out his ID and showed it quickly. “I’m Officer Kipling… and thanks for your time today, sir.”
    Jesse was once again intrigued by the gold badge on the navy blue uniform shirt and could scarcely stop staring at it. “What brings ya over here?”
    “I’d like to ask you and your wife a few questions regarding Ezekiel Hochstetler.”
    “Well, now, things will work better if you put your questions to me and leave my good wife out of it.”
    The policeman frowned, blinked his eyes, then continued, “How many children eighteen or older live in your house, Mr. Zook?”
    This man must be deaf! “As I said, no need to be talkin’ to anyone but me, Mr. Kipling.”
    The younger man seemed taken aback, but he pulled out a small pad and pen from his shirt pocket. “Thanks for your cooperation, Mr. Zook. I appreciate it.”
    Jesse squared his shoulders, inwardly preparing for what lay ahead. “Glad to be of help.”
    Annie and her mother peered out the kitchen window. “Ach, what’s this?” Annie whispered, her heart in her throat. She’d heard more than she cared to from Essie about her frightening day with the police, though on that day, Zeke had been the one to call them. Not a soul had invited this intrusion today, as far as Annie knew.
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    “Oh, what do you think they want?” Mamm said softly. “I’ve never seen the likes of this.”
    She wouldn’t frighten Mamm unduly by describing the alarming scene at the cemetery. “Come, let’s head over to the Dawdi Haus and stay put with Dawdi and Mammi Zook lest they become frightened, too.”
    “Jah, gut.”
    They headed to the front room and opened the connecting door. Annie wondered, all the while, if Essie might be sending a prayer toward heaven were she here witnessing all this.
    Thank goodness she’s notI. Annie thought. Esther had been through enough trauma for a lifetime.
    “What’re ya doin’ with that swing I saw ya bring in?” Dawdi Zook asked, lifting his chin toward the adjoining door.
    “It’s the one Isaac and I used to play on at the locust grove,” Annie explained. “I want to have it put up again. It’s been down too long.”
    Mammi smiled, as did Mamm. “You and Isaac were quite the youngsters,” Mammi said.
    To this, Dawdi agreed with a nod. “Never saw anything like it the way the two of yous took to each other. You’d-a thought you were twins or some such thing.”
    Annie hadn’t heard that before. “Isaac’s surely in heaven, jah? Little ones go there, even before judgment day?”
    “That’s up to the Good Lord,” Dawdi was quick to say.
    Annie sighed. Everything’s up to Him, she thought.
    The birds suddenly quieted when the police car pulled into the lane. Esther ran from the barn into the house,
    42 closing the back door securely behind her.
    In the kitchen, she found Laura standing on a chair at the sink, wiping the counter clean. “Bless your heart.” Esther hurried to her daughter’s