"Ma'am, this man set fire to your brother's barn, which injured one of his workers; poisoned the horse belonging to the elderly woman you live with; and shot you, seriously injuring you."
"Yes, I know that," Hannah said calmly. "But I don't want to press charges. I understand I have that right."
"You do, but I can also prosecute a crime that others witnessed, even without your permission."
Chris. He'd witnessed her getting shot. Hannah sighed inwardly. She didn't think she had a chance of convincing him not to prosecute Kraft after all he'd been through with him.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the man continued. "But I'm not willing to let someone like that waltz out of jail and do more harm to our community. It's been my experience that the Amish have been reluctant to prosecute for religious reasons. Attempted murder's a much bigger deal than vandalism or petty theft."
"But I don't want to press charges," she said again.
"It's one thing for your brother to refuse to prosecute Kraft for setting fire to the barn, but I don't understand why you and Eli Yoder won't go after him for injuring both of you— especially you."
He got up and walked to the coffeemaker on a side table."Can I get you some?"
"No, thank you."
He seated himself again, took a sip of the coffee, and made a face that indicated it tasted bitter.
"Is this man intimidating you? Has he contacted you to talk you out of pressing charges?"
"No."
She watched the man rub his temples as if he had a headache. It wasn't her intention to stress him, but this was important. She didn't intend on changing her mind. She wasn't about to see Kraft get locked away again when there might be a chance for him to salvage his life.
He tapped his pen against the file that sat on the desk before him and tried to look stern. It didn't work, in Hannah's opinion.
"I have a report in here from the doctor who operated on you. He said your injuries were life-threatening, that your blood loss led to shock and heart arrhythmia."
"I know all that. The doctor told me."
"Then how can you think Kraft shouldn't pay for doing what he did to you?"
She sat up straighter. "I'm not against prosecuting Mr. Kraft because I'm not aware of what he's done here, but there has to be an alternative to incarceration, some middle ground we can reach."
"You're asking me to—"
"I looked into it, and there are some programs where he can get probation and counseling. And if he violates any of the conditions of the probation, he suffers the consequences."
They stared at each other for a long time.
Finally, the man sighed and shook his head. He reached for a folder and pulled out some forms. "Okay, this is what I'm willing to do."
If he stayed here a hundred years, Chris didn't think he'd ever understand the Amish.
"You have to talk to Hannah!"
Matthew looked up from forking hay into a barn stall."Why?"
"I just heard that she's not pressing charges against Kraft."
"It's not our way."
"But he shot her!"
"I'm well aware of that."
Chris paced. "She could have died."
Matthew winced. "I'm well aware of that too."
"I thought she'd bleed to death before I could get help for her." He felt sick at the thought and sank down onto a hay bale.
His glance went to the loft. Everything had changed from the time he'd climbed up there, fallen asleep, and awakened to find Hannah's wide eyes staring at him. She'd been shocked to find him there, and the surprise had caused her to lose her footing.
He remembered how it had felt to see her fall, to grab at her and feel her hand slip in his before he could grasp both of hers and lift her up. It had taken quite a while for his heartbeat to steady after he hauled her over the edge of the loft and made sure she was okay.
He hadn't been the same since.
This Plain woman, so different from any woman he'd ever met, had intrigued, puzzled, and annoyed him beyond measure. He'd been in a state of anxiety the whole week she recuperated in the hospital and only when he saw her being brought home—pale, her arm in a sling—had he begun to relax.
And now she wanted to let out the man who had hurt her, almost caused her to lose her life?
Matthew laid his hand on his shoulder. "I know it's hard for outsiders to understand. But in my opinion, it's probably the central, most important tenet to our beliefs. It doesn't mean we forget what's been done to us. But we remember that we don't have to understand God, just to trust Him and have faith in Him."
"I always wonder why God lets bad things happen to good people. Why would God let somebody hurt someone as good as Hannah?"