"Strangled! That's what Detective Crowley said.”
"Ettie, did you say Earl Fuller?"
“Jah, that's the one. Myra said she was going to call and tell him not to come. She knew him, but they’d had a falling out. Earl’s abandoned wife is here, and Moses.”
Elsa-May added, “And you remember that Earl ran away with Moses’ daughter, don’t you?”
"Jah, we talked about this earlier.” Ettie rubbed her chin.
“I've got chills running up and down me, Ettie.” Elsa-May pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down.
Naomi Fuller came into the kitchen just as the sisters had finished talking. "Can I help with anything in here?"
"Sit down, Naomi,” Elsa-May said matter-of-factly.
Ettie continued, “Jah, I'm afraid we have some bad news for you.”
After they had told Naomi that her husband, Earl, who’d run out on her years ago, was now lying dead in the front yard, she stared into space.
"Are you sure that it’s him?" she eventually asked.
Ettie nodded. "He has quite distinctive features."
"Well, it serves him right. I suppose you think it's dreadful of me to say such a thing, but he ruined my life when he ran off. I was never permitted to marry again because the bishop thought there was a chance he would return. Now I’m free to marry, but it’s too late for me.” She pulled a tissue out of her sleeve and wiped her nose.
Elsa-May patted her on her shoulder.
“Excuse me. I need to go to the bathroom.”
When Naomi was gone, Elsa-May said, "We need to get all these people fed."
"Okay. Everybody can take a plate and help themselves buffet-style."
"There would be no other way to do it.”
Ten minutes later, people filed into the kitchen to get their Christmas meal. All except Santa, who was still warming himself by the fire.
Ettie walked over to him. "Would you like something to eat? Or maybe a hot drink perhaps to warm you up?"
"Mrs. Claus won't be too happy if I eat before I get home.”
"And how are you going to get home? Did you drive here? There’s a phone in the shanty down the road if you’d like to call a taxi.”
"I don't need a car or a taxi. I've got the reindeer and the sled. They're coming to get me later."
"How about a hot drink, then? A cup of hot tea?"
"You're very kind, Ettie."
Ettie giggled. "You know my name."
"I know everyone's name. It's my job to watch all the little children to see if they’ve been naughty or nice.”
Ettie knew he’d had to have heard Crowley or someone else call her by name. She leaned in toward him. "I'll go and get you a cup of tea, but before I do, I'll need to warn you about Detective Kelly. He’ll be here shortly and he won't take kindly to you if you keep up your Santa Claus act. He has no sense of humour.” Ettie shook her head. “None at all! Unless he’s the one making the joke. That’s the only thing he finds funny.” Ettie stared at the man hoping he’d take her advice.
When the man just stared back at her without a word, Ettie gave him a couple of comforting pats on his shoulder and then left to fetch his hot tea.
Chapter 4
Ettie had told Crowley about all the people in their house who knew Earl—people who would be pleased that the man was now dead. She listened while Crowley relayed the information by phone to Detective Kelly who was on his way there.
After Ettie gave the man in the Santa suit some hot tea, she turned around to face Moses Stoll.
"Is it true, Ettie?"
"Jah, it's Earl Fuller and he’s dead.”
"How’s Naomi taking it?” he asked.
"She’s upset.”
Moses rubbed his beard. “What was he doing here in your street, Ettie? You wouldn’t have invited him here, would you?"
"He wasn't in my street, he was in my yard. It looked like he was coming to the house. But no, I didn’t invite him.”
"It seems a strange thing for him to turn up around these parts after all this time.”
“You remember my dochder, Myra, don’t you?”
“Jah, I do. I was speaking to her earlier in the evening.”
“She had been having complications with Earl in regard to some business matters. She hasn't quite said what yet, but she said she invited him here to make amends. She had no idea that I was having so many people here tonight. Neither did she ask me if he’d be welcome in my haus.”
Frozen-looking Detective Crowley hurried inside the front door and crossed over to the fire with his hands outstretched.
"Are the police here now?" Ettie asked.
"Yes they’ve just arrived, along with Kelly. They’re gathering a team of forensics as quickly as they can.” He shook his head. “This was often my busiest time of year when I was on the force. Domestic disputes and suicides are rife at this time of year.”
Ettie gasped. “That’s dreadful.”
“It’s reality.”
After Ettie walked back to the front door, she peeped out to see that the place was lit up with police car headlights and portable floodlights. Blue and red lights on top of the cars were flashing illuminating the front garden.
It was then that Ettie saw that an officer was pulling a man out of a nearby car. She squinted to see if she could see who it was. Myra came up next to her and looked out the door.
"That's my friend I told you about. Michael." Myra stepped outside and hurried over.
Ettie hurried after Myra to see what she could find out. She and Myra arrived just as Detective Kelly had approached the car and was questioning Michael about why he was there.
The man ignored the detective and looked over at Myra. "Hello, I changed my mind about coming.”
"According to one of my officers, you were trying to drive away,” Kelly said gruffly.
Michael turned his attention back to Detective Kelly. “It seems the car battery’s gone dead. I pulled up here and sat for some time wondering if I should go in. I stopped the engine, and when I tried to start it nothing happened. I’ll need to call the auto club.”
“Not right now, you won’t. We’ll need to ask you some questions.” Kelly nodded to the car that the police were now searching behind him. “Was this car here when you pulled up?”
“I don’t remember. I think so. Yes, I think it was.”
Detective Kelly glanced at Ettie. “Crowley tells me the deceased man's name was Earl Fuller.”
Michael gasped and leaned on his car. “He’s dead? Is that what all this is about? I didn’t know why all these cars were here.”
Kelly looked back at him. "That's right. There’s been a murder."
Myra said, "Detective, we both know Earl, Michael and I. Or that is, we knew the man. Michael didn't have anything to do with his murder and neither did I. My mother invited me to her Christmas party and said she wanted to make amends. Michael and I would like to leave."
Ettie raised her eyebrows, wondering if it was a good time to tell Myra she didn’t send her an invitation.
Detective Kelly said, “No one is going anywhere. No one is leaving your house, Ettie.” Kelly called out, "Ronson!"
A handsome young man in a suit ran up to Kelly. "Yes, sir?"
"Don't let anybody leave, and take down everyone’s names and addresses. Don’t leave anyone out. Understand?”
"Right, sir. Yes, sir." The young man headed toward Ettie’s house.
Ronson was handsome, with short dark hair and a pleasant manner—a man any mother would’ve been proud of. Ettie assumed he must’ve been a newly appointed detective.
Kelly turned his attention to Ettie. “I’m sorry about this, Mrs. Smith, but we’re going to need to borrow your house for a while. The snow’s heavily drifted on the road leading to the station.”
Ettie’s fingertips flew to her mouth. "For how long?"
"For however long it takes."
Myra's boyfriend put his hand on her shoulder and guided her back to the
house, and Ettie was left alone with Kelly.
"Before you start to question everybody, there’s something I must tell you," Ettie said to Kelly.
"That doesn't surprise me in the least." He said shaking his head. After he’d pulled a sour face, his voice lilted upward in a sing-song manner. “Yes?”
“You see, the thing is, neither Elsa-May or I invited any of these people here. I haven't seen Myra in years. We never really saw eye-to-eye. Then tonight she was the first one to knock on our door. Then, one after the other, everyone came to the house. Most of them aren’t people that my sister and I are particularly friendly with. You see, two of my guests in the house have been dreadfully wronged by Earl Fuller.”
The detective lowered his head while still holding Ettie’s gaze. “Could it be possible that you invited these people yourself and then forgot?”
Ettie shook her head vigorously. “No, no! Neither of us invited them. Everyone received an invitation from us and the invitation apparently said to bring food. Everyone has turned up with food. Elsa-May and I would never ask our guests to bring anything with them.”
Ettie then narrowed her eyes at the detective when she realized that he had made a negative remark about her age. She was sure he wouldn't have said such a thing to a younger person. "We're hardly losing our minds, Detective. Our bodies might be old but our minds are still good."
"Forgive me I didn't mean to offend, I'm just trying to make sense of everything.”
"Neither of us invited anyone here tonight, and don't you think it's strange that many of the people here are enemies of Earl Fuller?"
"Tell me more?"
As he and Ettie walked toward the house, she told the detective all she knew about Earl Fuller and the people he had upset.
“Let me get this straight, Mrs. Smith. You didn’t invite anyone here, and your daughter invited Earl Fuller?”
“Yes, but only because she didn’t know that Naomi, that was his wife, and Moses Stoll were both here.”
"Did anybody leave the house and then return? Could anyone have slipped out of the house, killed the man, and came back inside?"
"It's hard to say because Elsa-May and I were in the kitchen at the time and we walked out just as Santa Claus burst through the door and announced that he had found a dead man."
"Santa Claus?"
“Yes, Santa Claus opened the door with a gust of snow. It was quite dramatic and then he called out that he found a dead man."
"Santa Claus?"
"Yes, Santa Claus. A man dressed as him, of course. I know it's not the real Santa. I mean, I don't believe there is a real one."
"And is the man who dressed up as Santa Claus… I'm hoping he's still inside your house?"
"Yes, yes.”
“Good. I was hoping he wasn’t an apparition.”
“I’ll introduce you to him.”
“I'll start with him. Mrs. Smith, I'm going to need to take over your kitchen.”
"Fine. Do whatever you have to do.”
Detective Kelly walked into the house, leaving a team of people in the street photographing, measuring, and raking through the snow, collecting evidence.
Ettie and Elsa-May moved all the food into the living room so people could keep on eating.
Kelly asked Crowley if he would assist with the questioning while the young detective, Ronson took notes and made the recordings.
Ettie stayed by the door of the kitchen so she could listen. They called in Santa first.
"Can I have your name for the record?" Kelly asked the man in the red suit.
"Santa Claus."
Kelly snarled, "We need your real name.”
“Santa Claus."
"This is a murder investigation. Apparently you found the body, which makes you suspect number one. If I were you, I’d drop the act and cooperate fully."
"I am telling you my real name."
Kelly breathed out heavily and gave a sideways look at Ronson who had pen poised, ready to take notes.
Kelly continued, "Address?”
"Santa’s workshop, the North Pole.”
Ettie peeped around the kitchen door, worried for the man. She had warned him Kelly wouldn't find this funny.
"I'll give you one more chance and then I'll take you down to the station and put you in lock-up. State your full name and address for the record."
"Santa Claus. Santa’s Workshop, the North Pole.”
Detective Kelly leaned forward.
"Have you been drinking?"
"Yes! Last night I had a few. Sometimes the kiddies leave me a beer and a slice of Christmas cake. Some leave carrots for the reindeers. It would be rude if I didn't drink what they left out for me." He patted his large stomach and gave a chuckle.
Detective Kelly turned to Ronson. "Have someone take him back to the station and then come straight back here."
“No! You must believe I am the real Santa. My beard’s real. You can pull it if you want.” Santa tugged at his white beard and offered it for them to pull.
Ronson reached out his hand and then looked at Kelly. “Can I?”
Kelly pinched his eyebrows together, remained tight-lipped and shook his head.
Ronson immediately withdrew his hand.
“Have Phillips take him and put him in lock him up for the night. He can sleep off his drunkenness. You come straight back here. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.” Ronson bounded to his feet. "What about the snowdrifts on the way to the station, sir?”
Kelly frowned at the young man. “They’ll have to wait in the car until someone clears the snow, or it melts!”
“Yes, sir.” Ronson looked at Santa. “This way.”
Together, Ronson and Santa walked out of the house.
Kelly said, “Crowley, did that man say anything to you about how he found the body?”
“He said he didn’t touch anything. Except he leaned down to touch his neck to feel for a pulse and there was nothing. It was then that he ran into the house.”
“Did he see anyone about?”
“He saw no one else in the street. He mumbled something about someone in the car across the road.”
“I doubt we can believe anything he said. He could’ve murdered the man. We’ll need to run his prints.”
Chapter 5
The next person to be interviewed was Myra, and Ettie sat in the kitchen with her. Ettie and her daughter were on one side of the table, with Detective Kelly on the other, beside Crowley, the retired detective. Ronson came back inside from delivering Santa to one of the officers outside and he sat back down beside Kelly.
Ronson then informed Myra he’d be recording the conversation and taking notes. After Myra gave her full name and address for the record, the questioning began.
Detective Kelly began, “Myra, how did you know the deceased?"
“I knew him when I was in the community. As you have probably already guessed, I was raised Amish.” She shot a sideways glare at her mother displaying her disapproval. “I went to the same school as Earl and saw him often after that—Sunday meetings, community events and the like. We were never close back then. I left the community when I became old enough. I ran into Earl a little over a year ago.”
“And you were the one who invited him here?”
“I did, because I thought I should try and bury the hatchet and make a fresh start with people in my life. That was to be my new year’s resolution—to get along with people. Things were fine at first between Earl and I, then we got on each other’s nerves. I thought if my mother can say she’s sorry then I can find it in my heart to make peace with someone too.”
"Where did you run into him again?" Kelly asked. “You knew him in the Amish community, and then when did you meet him again?”
“We met again on a motivational cruise."
Detective Kelly placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his knuckles. “Could you describe to me exactly what a motivational cruise is?"
“It’s a normal k
ind of cruise, but the price of the ticket included a round of lectures by Ralph Bounty, as well. Have you heard of him?”
Kelly pulled a face turning his lips downward at the corners. “Can’t say that I have.”
“I’ve been reading his books for years. He’s a motivational speaker and he also gives one-on-one business advice. He helped me develop an idea I’ve had for some time. It was on that cruise, at one of Ralph’s lectures, that I saw Earl. It was the first time I’d seen him since I left the community.”
“Go on.”
“We sat next to each other because neither of us knew anyone else there. I told him about my business plans and he said he had some people he knew who might like to invest in the concept. He asked me all about it and I had no reason not to tell him. He even sat in on my private sessions with Ralph.”
“How did you two have a falling out?” Crowley asked.
“I’m getting to that. When we got back, I found out that he lived close by. He seemed to turn up everywhere I went. I finally had to tell him I was no longer interested in his investors. The man was beginning to disturb me.”
“How did he take that?” Kelly asked.
“He kept away for a while, but when I was about to sign a lease for a building for my wellness center, I found out he was doing the very same thing close by. The realtor mentioned that it was odd that someone else was looking for space for a wellness center and she let his name slip. He had more money to throw at it than I. There was nothing I could do so I had to shelve my idea. If I’d gone ahead, my business would never have lasted. Not with a larger competitor nearby."
“Did you go ahead elsewhere?” Ronson asked. “Or did Earl end up going ahead?”
Kelly turned and stared at Ronson, who lowered his head. Kelly then turned back to Myra. "Did he go ahead with his plans, Myra?”
“He wouldn’t have had time to do so. This all happened recently.”
“So what you're saying is it's convenient for you that this man is now dead?"
"Yes, I suppose it is, if you look at it like that.”
"And the man we picked up in the car with the dead battery, he's a business acquaintance of yours?" Kelly asked.
“No, he's my…" her eyes flickered to Ronald Crowley. "He is sort of like my boyfriend.”
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 4 Page 3