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was left to his six employees.
    “What’s this?” Ed shouted to Jim. “You usin’ some fancy paint rags these days?”
    Jim’s heart palpitated when he realized what Ed held in his hands. It was that baby quilt—the one he’d forgotten to disposeof. “Uh—it’s just an old baby blanket,” he stammered.
    Ed’s reddish-brown mustache twitched when he smiled. “You and Linda plannin’ to adopt another baby?”
    “This was something I picked up on our vacation to Ohio a few years ago.” Jim snatched the quilt from the man who had been working as his foreman for the last two years. “I’m planning to get rid of it.”
    “I’m thinkin’ my wife would like it,” Ed said. “She’s into quilts and that kind of thing. So if you’re just gonna pitch it, I’d be happy to take it off your hands.”
    If it had been anything other than the Amish baby quilt, Jim would have let Ed have it. But this was the one piece of tangible evidence that linked him to the kidnapping of an Amish baby. If he gave it to Ed, and Ed’s wife said something to Linda, Jim would have some serious explaining to do.
    “I’ve—uh—already promised it to someone else,” Jim lied. “In fact, I’ll be taking the quilt to them as soon as I get off work today.”
    Ed shrugged and turned away. “Guess I’d best go back to the van and get that mudding tape.”
    Jim glanced at his watch. It was only two o’clock. Too early to call it quits for the day. However, this was something he felt couldn’t wait, so he decided to take a drive to Tacoma, where he purchased most of his paint and supplies.
    “I’m going to Parker Paint,” he called to Ed as the man closed the van door and headed back with the box of mudding tape. “Make sure the guys stay on course while I’m gone.”
    “Sure thing, Boss,” Ed yelled over his shoulder.
    A short time later, Jim drove into downtown Tacoma. When he spotted a thrift store, he pulled into the parking lot, grabbed the quilt, and rushed inside.
    The middle-aged woman at the front desk was busy waiting on a customer, so Jim stood off to one side until they had finished with their business. When the elderly gentleman left, Jim stepped forward and plunked the quilt down for the clerk’s inspection. “Would you be interested in this?”
    She slipped on her reading glasses and studied the coveringintently. “Why, this looks like an Amish quilt.”
    “Yeah, it is.”
    “Since the items we take in here are on a consignment-only basis, why don’t you tell me how much you would like it to be sold for?”
    Jim frowned. “Can’t you just buy it from me outright?”
    “Sorry, but that’s not our policy.”
    This isn’t going so well. I thought it would be easy to get rid of my albatross. He deliberated a few more seconds and finally pushed the quilt toward the clerk. “I guess you can have it then.”
    Her dark eyebrows rose a notch, and she squinted at him. “What?”
    “I said, you can have the quilt, free and clear. I just need—I mean, I want to get rid of the silly thing.”
    The woman pursed her lips as she fingered one edge of the covering. “This is a very nice piece, sir. Are you sure you want to leave it with no payment in return?”
    “I’m positive.”
    “Very well then. Let me write you a receipt.”
    Jim transferred his weight from one foot to the other. “No, no. That won’t be necessary. Do whatever you want with the quilt, and I’ll be on my way.” He whirled around and rushed out of the store, feeling as though a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The only evidence linking him to a missing Amish baby was gone, and he never had to worry about it again.

    Linda lowered herself onto the park bench, anxious to read the romance novel she’d recently purchased. It helped to immerse herself in someone else’s complicated life, even if it was only fiction.
    She glanced up at Jimmy to be sure he was okay. There were no other children at the park right now, so she