Page 60 of Rage

He stares at me, knowing exactly what I’m asking and why. “Cut open a feed bag with my pocketknife. Got in a hurry.”

“Where were you Wednesday morning?”

His mouth curves into a smile. “I wasn’t at Sammy’s nursery if that’s what you’re asking.”

I don’t smile. “What about Wednesday evening?”

He frowns. “I had dinner with my fiancée and her parents,” he says. “You can check.”

“I will,” I tell him. “Thanks for your time.”

I’m in the Explorer and nearly to Painters Mill when Tomasetti calls.

“I thought you might want to know the bouncer from The Cheetah Lounge is cooling his heels in an interview room at the Tuscarawas sheriff’s office,” he tells me.

“There’s an image that brightens my day a little.”

His laugh is short-lived. “I have a last name on your mystery woman. Cassidy Robinette.”

“Thanks, but I think that may be an alias.” I recap my conversation with Joseph Stoltzfoos. “She’s Amish.”

“Didn’t have that one on my bingo card.”

“He said she was involved with Yutzy. That she was very young and having money problems, didn’t have a place to stay. My guess is she used a fake ID to get the job.”

“In the state of Ohio, a server has to be nineteen to serve spirits,” he tells me. “Twenty-one to be an exotic dancer.”

“Sounds like the manager might have some explaining to do.”

“He’s on his way here now for an interview.”

“Nice job, Tomasetti.”

“Every now and then I get it right.”

I’m still thinking about Cassidy. “I think I’m going to take a drive down to Coshocton County.”

“Do you know any of the Amish down there?”

“No, but I just happen to know that the Amish grapevine puts Google to shame.”

“As you tap into that particular resource, will you do me a favor?”

“Depends.”

“Don’t accept anything to drink from anyone.”

CHAPTER 15

There are advantages and disadvantages to just about everything in this life, and that includes living in a small town. In Painters Mill, almost everyone knows everyone. That makes it difficult to keep things as private as you’d like, especially if you’re part of the Amish community. Take it from me, if you’re Amish and looking to break the rules without getting caught, it’s not going to go well. When you’re a cop, on the other hand, that small-town intimacy can be a gift.

Edna Miller is to grapevine chatter the way the Wright brothers are to flight. She practically invented it. Back when she lived in Painters Mill, Edna was the unofficial gossip authority. Nothing got past her, and once she was in the know you could bet your ass your parents would be told within the hour. I lost track of Edna when she and her husband, Herman, moved away. It was only when Tomasetti and I purchased cabinets when we remodeled our bathroom that I discovered she and her husband moved to Canal Lewisville to open their own cabinetry shop. Lucky for me, Canal Lewisville is just four miles from Coshocton proper. If there’s anyone in the area who might be able to fill in the blanks on our mystery woman, Cassidy, it’s Edna Miller.

Miller’s Cabinet Works is located on the outskirts of a residential neighborhood not far from the Tuscarawas River. It’s a good-size place with a showroom in front and a workshop in the rear. A cowbell jingles merrily when I go through the front door.

“You here for some more of those nice maple cabinets?”

I glance right to see Edna sitting on a short stool, stocking a display of wood stain and brushes. She’s a large woman wearing a mauve-colored dress with a white halsduch and kapp.