Free The Missing Will by Wanda E. Brunstetter

container filled with pumpkin muffins and set it on the table. Then she checked the refrigerator to see how much food there was for Glen. She’d brought him a jar of homemade soup, which she took from the box and placed in the refrigerator. She’d also included several apples, bananas, a loaf of bread, lunchmeat, and cheese. Since Glen often ate supper at their house when he finished work for the day, he didn’t need a fully stocked refrigerator or pantry. Still, Elsie wanted to make sure her son didn’t go hungry.
    “I’m ready to help,” Elsie announced when she returned to the living room, where her sisters sat, going through more paperwork. She grabbed a handful of papers and seated herself in the rocking chair across from them.
    Sorting through their father’s mound of paperwork while rocking the chair caused Elsie’s eyelids to become heavy. It reminded her of when she was in school. Whenever the teacher wrote their assignments or list of spelling words on the chalkboard, the letters sometimes turned into squiggly shapes as Elsie stared at them. The next thing she knew, her body would relax and her vision fade. Then, she’d jolt her head back up, realizing she had dozed off.
    “Before we get too busy, there’s something I need to tell you both,” Doris said. “It’s about Joel.”
    “What’s he done now?” Elsie asked, relieved she could take a short break.
    “Well, as I mentioned last Sunday, Joel and Kristi broke up. I finally had a chance to call and ask her about the details.”
    “Now that’s a surprise.” Arlene frowned. “Although, with our bruder, maybe it’s not. Don’t forget—he broke up with Anna before he left our Amish way of life.”
    “True, but this time it was Joel’s aldi who broke things off with him.” Doris went on to share everything Kristi told her when they spoke on the phone.
    “It’s a shame.” Arlene spoke softly. “I liked Kristi and looked forward to getting to know her better.”
    “Me, too,” Elsie agreed.
    Doris leaned slightly forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “There’s more.”
    “More about Joel?” Arlene questioned.
    “Jah. I found out from Kristi that our impulsive bruder spent the weekend at Dad’s house. Did Glen say anything about this to you, Elsie?”
    “No, he did not.” Elsie narrowed her eyes. “But then I’ve only seen him briefly the last few days, when he’s come to the house to meet up with his daed before the two of them went out on a job.”
    “Maybe Glen said something to John about Joel coming here to Dad’s,” Doris interjected.
    Elsie compressed her lips. “If John knew about it, I’m sure he would have told me.”
    “We can’t have Joel showing up here whenever he feels like it, going through Dad’s things without our knowledge.” Arlene’s nose crinkled. “I wonder what rooms he looked in while he was here.”
    “Hard to say. Maybe Glen knows.” Elsie rocked in her chair. “Next time I see him, I’ll ask for details about what his uncle did during his stay.”
    “If he spent the night here, I wonder if he found anything interesting.” Arlene rose from her seat. “Think I’ll go check the upstairs bedrooms to see if anything looks disturbed.” She headed for the stairs.
    Elsie sorted papers quietly for a while, then glanced over at Doris and frowned. “It would be nice to work with our bruder through all of this, instead of dealing with the tension he causes.” She remained quiet a few minutes, watching Doris look through more of Dad’s papers. Several minutes later, she spotted Arlene coming down the stairs. “Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”
    “It looks like Joel picked his own room to sleep in, because not one box was on the bed, as it had been before. He didn’t bother to make the bed, either, so I did.” Arlene sighed. “Like I said before, we can’t have Joel showing up here whenever he feels like it, going through Dad’s things without our