Free Amish Undercover by Samantha Price

which is often the case with private collectors. We need to have some credibility.”
    Marvin laughed.
    “What do you find so amusing?” Bailey asked.
    “We’re in the same line of business you and I. We both fool people into believing something that’s not true.”
    As much as Bailey did not like to hear Marvin’s words, he had been thinking along the very same lines for some time. What he was doing was not far from what Marvin and his criminal organization had done. The difference was that Bailey did it to catch people who were doing the very same thing; he was not doing it to line his pockets. At the end of the day, Bailey had to wonder if deceiving people, even if they were criminals, was the right thing to do in the sight of God.
    “You talk too much, Marvin.” Bailey walked out of the house, carefully carrying the painting by balancing the outer edges against his palms. After he placed the painting in a large box in the trunk of his car, he drove it to the gallery where an expert was waiting to issue false papers of authenticity on the request of the FBI.
    Straight after Bailey had the authenticity papers of the fake Chez Tortoni in his hands, he needed to see Silvie. Silvie always made him feel better.
    Silvie came to her front door. Bailey wrapped his arms around her and they stepped into the house together. “It’s getting close, Silvie. I hope our plan works and if it doesn’t, I’ll be happy that I’ve given it my best shot. It makes me feel part of a team that your friends and my aunties are all helping.”
    “ Jah , I can’t wait until you join the community. It’s better than I could have ever hoped for. At first, I didn’t even want to let myself believe it.”
    “I’ve spoken to the bishop and he said that I’ll be welcome when I’m ready. He wants me to stay with a familye for six months before I get baptized. After I get baptized then we can announce our marriage, or our wedding, I should say.”
    “I can’t wait. Do you know which familye you’ll be staying with?”
    Bailey shook his head. “I have no idea, but I can’t stay with Wil and Emma. Wil offered for me to stay with them, but they’re newly weds, so I don’t want to intrude on them when they’re getting to know each other.” Bailey held Silvie’s hand and walked her over to the couch and sat down. “It’ll be strange living with a family when I’ve lived by myself for so long. And what would I do here, in the community, for work?”
    “Are you having second thoughts?” Silvie bit her lip.
    Bailey laughed. “No, I’m not having second thoughts. It’s just that I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even had time to think of what I might do when I’m here in the community. I know I have to leave my career behind me. I just don’t know what else I can do.”
    “I’m sure that there are many things you’d be good at.”
    Bailey looked into Silvie’s beautiful face, pleased that she believed in him. “It doesn’t matter, as long as we’re together, then I will be a happy man. It’s not been easy being away from you. Everyday I wake up and I’m conscious that you’re far from me. As I’m driving to work, I think of how much I miss you. As I close my eyes to sleep, I long for the day when I can hold you in my arms.” Bailey looked away from Silvie as he recalled his nightly routine. He would lie on his bed, close his eyes and think of Silvie, and just as he was half way between asleep and awake something sinister would jolt him and he would wake. Silvie’s voice jolted him away from his thoughts.
    “It’s been just as hard for me.”
    “It’s not long now.” Bailey pulled Silvie in toward himself, hoping that she would never be affected by the darkness that affected him.

Chapter 12.
    And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
    forgiving one another,
    even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiv e n you.
    Ephesians 4:32
     
    For the past three weeks, as Emma had been working for Mr. Starks, she was