Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 4
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"You thought you might find his ghost walking around here didn't you? Feeling ridiculous, I said, Of course not. Then he said that he was ridiculous, because that’s what he was doing. He’d come there to be closer to Aaron, and that was when I admitted that’s what I was doing too. He told me it was only normal to miss him and to go somewhere to feel close to him.”
“You didn’t tell him that you thought Aaron was trying to connect with you?”
“Nee, Elsa-May, that sounds too mad. I couldn’t tell him or anyone that. No one in the community. You’re the only two people I’ve ever told about me going to the witch, fortune teller, or whatever she was. Anyway, Simon and I stayed here and talked by the water for hours. We spoke of Aaron and what we missed about him.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did it come about that you left the community?”
“And married Harold Appleby?” Elsa-May looked at Ettie. “Oh, I know I’m backtracking now, no need to tell me that, Ettie.”
“Only trying to help,” Ettie said.
Chapter 19
“Ah. Harold knew Aaron and me. It was obvious Harold liked me right from the start, but I only had eyes for Aaron. When Aaron died, Harold wouldn’t leave me alone. I was low, weak, and I leaned on him to get through it. We married and I left the community. After only a few short weeks, I saw a different side to him and in my heart I knew he was the one who’d killed Aaron. It was the lowest point I’d ever been at in my life. I filed for divorce. I told him if he ever came near me again I’d go to the police and tell them everything. He left, we divorced and then I married Simon.”
“And he came back, didn’t he?”
“Jah, he did. He came back later, years later and leased the haus next door. He knew I hadn’t told anyone I’d married outside the community. As you know, we can’t divorce.” Gertie sighed. “There are so many things against me. I hope Gott forgives me for my sins—for seeing the witch, for marrying that dreadful man and covering it up with lies. I lied to Simon every day of our married life. I didn’t expose that man for the murderer that he is. Grief is a dreadful thing.”
“It’s all good now, Gertie. He won’t be able to hurt anyone again. The police are arresting him. They might have already arrested him by now.”
“Gott always forgives. Just ask Him,” Elsa-May said.
“Maybe some sins are too great.”
“Ah, you know that’s not so, Gertie.”
“What my head knows and what my heart knows are two different things.” Her eyes were wide and shining.
“Why don’t we leave you alone for a few minutes? Come up the bank when you’re ready and we’ll get a taxi and take you home.”
“Denke to both of you. Did you find out why Harold killed Earl Quinn?”
“This is what we think happened; Earl Quinn had allowed Harold and his wife to adopt a child from him. Harold was Earl’s boss.”
“Jah, it was a daughter that Earl and his first wife had when they were young. They thought they were too young and had no money with which to raise a child. I suppose they thought the child would’ve been better off with a rich couple rather than a penniless couple just starting out.”
Ettie took over, “But then, some years later, Earl heard of the divorce and it was a nasty divorce.”
“I’d believe that,” Gertie said.
“What Earl thought would be a happy home where his daughter wouldn’t want for anything had become the opposite. The detective thinks that Earl confronted him over it and possibly wanted the child back.”
“Well, we know he did want the child back because he’d seen a lawyer about it.”
“Now that daughter would be all grown up. She’d have no idea that her birth father was so concerned about her welfare that he lost his life over it.”
Gertie sighed and stared out over the rippling water. “If only I’d gone to the police as soon as I’d found out. It would’ve saved Simon, and saved Earl Quinn, and whoever else he killed.”
“We’ll leave you alone for a bit, Gertie. Take your time, and we’ll meet you up at the road when you’re ready.”
“I’m sorry I lied to both of you by not telling you it was Harold Appleby who killed Earl Quinn.”
“It’s all turned out well,” Elsa-May said. “Well, it looks like it is going to.”
“We understand why you didn’t tell us.” Ettie pushed herself to her feet and then pulled Elsa-May off the large rock where they’d been sitting.
As they walked back to the road, Elsa-May rubbed her behind. “They should make softer rocks.”
“With all your padding I’m surprised you felt anything.” Ettie chuckled while Elsa-May was silent. “Poor Gertie, she’s been through a lot.”
“Jah she has. I hope it’s all over now.”
* * *
A week later, Kelly came to Ettie and Elsa-May’s house after dinner.
“Have a seat, Detective.”
After he sat, they waited until he spoke.
“You’ll be pleased to know that we have a confession from Harold Appleby for the murder of Earl Quinn.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“What about the other murders?” Ettie asked.
“At first he denied them, and then he came clean a couple of days later and told us everything. His murderous spree started with Aaron Fisher and once he found that he’d gotten away with it, he did it again, and again, and then again.”
“That’s awful.” Ettie shook her head.
“Who else did he kill?”
“He killed his own brother, and at the time it was put down to a hiking accident, then there was Simon. He kidnapped him and ran him down when he tried to escape, and then—”
“No more, please,” Elsa-May said. "I'm sorry I asked."
“I was right all along. Appleby killed Earl because he was harassing him about his daughter,” Ettie said.
“Appleby and his wife adopted two children, a boy and a girl. Due to his age the only way they could adopt was privately, and with all his money that was something easy for him.”
“Are you happy with the result?” Ettie asked Kelly.
“I think it’s a good result. He confessed, so we only have to wait for the sentencing. How’s Gertie doing?”
“She’s fine now that it’s all over. She’s been living with a heavy burden for a long time and she says now she feels a load’s been lifted.”
“I want to thank you both for your help. You provided that book, Ettie, and I provided the fingerprint.”
Ettie’s face scrunched. “What do you mean, you provided the fingerprint?”
He chuckled. “It’s an old police trick. There was no fingerprint in the book. It was too degraded. We often use that trick when we haul in two suspects who’ve been working together. We convince them both that the other has turned on them, then they usually crack and we learn the truth.”
Elsa-May’s mouth fell open in shock.
“You told Harold you had his fingerprint?”
“Yes. We didn’t, but now we don’t need it because he’s confessed.”
“What if he says he was wrong to confess, and he didn’t do it? Now you’ve got no evidence.”
“A confession is evidence. And we have his confessions—not for one murder, but many. And Gertie, if we need her.”
He put his hands up. “Relax, both of you. I didn’t use the words, ‘We found your fingerprint in this book.’ I said, 'What if I told you that your print was found in a book that was hidden in the fireplace of a certain house?' Then I was able to confirm that he was in the military and we had his prints. He squirmed in his seat and things went from there.”
“You told Ettie and me you found his fingerprint in the book.”
He chuckled. “I was getting in the zone before I talked to him.”
“I suppose we have to be pleased he confessed,” Ettie said to Elsa-May.
Kelly nodded.
“How did you figure it out that it was his book?” Elsa-May
asked him.
“A background search revealed he was once married to one Gertrude Hersler. Then when you told me the story about her being in love with Simon’s brother, Aaron, and then marrying Simon a little later, it all clicked when I saw all those names in the book.”
“If you’d listened to Ettie you would’ve arrested him sooner.”
“All roads lead to Rome.” Kelly laughed. “There’s the road Ettie takes called Hunch Highway, and the one I take is aptly called Fact Freeway.”
Ettie pursed her lips. “Well, thanks for stopping by, Detective.” Ettie pushed herself to her feet.
His lips parted along with a slight eyebrow raise. “No cake or cup of tea tonight?”
“We’re all out,” Elsa-May said, moving off her chair.
“Out of tea as well as cake?”
“It happens.”
They both walked Kelly to the door. When they closed the door, they stared at one another.
“I should let Snowy back in the house.”
“What do you think of what he did, Elsa-May?” Ettie said, as she followed her sister to the back of the house.
“I don’t like it a bit, but the man confessed.” Snowy scampered into the house as soon as Elsa-May unlocked the dog door, and he ran to where Kelly had been and sniffed around.
“We should visit Gertie tomorrow.”
“She would feel like a new woman with all those lies out in the open. She’s been carrying those lies and deceptions for many years. Jah, we’ll visit her.”
“I can’t believe she was once married to Harold Appleby. That’s something I didn’t see coming,” Ettie said.
“It was a shock. Cup of tea, Ettie?”
“Why not? And we should have some of that cake we got from the markets today.”
“We really were a little bit mean to Kelly just now.”
“Next time he might treat us a little better, but if you feel bad I suppose we could bake two cakes tomorrow and take him one and then bring one with us to Gertie’s.”
“Should we take the highway or the freeway that he was talking about?” asked Elsa-May.
Ettie giggled. Then Elsa-May started to giggle, which made Ettie laugh harder. Soon both of them were wiping their eyes.
“Well, let’s hope that’s the last body you fall over, Ettie. It was you who started the whole thing.”
Snowy walked into the kitchen.
“Nee. It was Snowy’s fault. If he hadn’t wanted to get out of the taxi, he wouldn’t have run off and we wouldn’t have gone after him.”
Elsa-May put the teakettle down on a trivet atop the counter, and crouched down in front of her dog. “Hear that Snowy? It’s all your fault. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Snowy licked Elsa-May on her hand and stared up at her.
“I think he’s saying he won’t do it again,” Ettie said.
“Good. We need a quiet life for a while.”
“Gertie’s story made me wonder what things others are keeping from us. What secrets don’t we know about people we come into contact with every day?”
“Best we don’t know. At least until we have to.”
Snowy barked. Both sisters stared at him because he rarely barked.
“Snowy wants the last word.”
“That would be hard with you around, Ettie.”
Ettie deliberately kept quiet because she knew Elsa-May was trying to make her comment. And when she did, Elsa-May would say she was trying to have the last word. Elsa-May waited, but Ettie remained silent. Then Elsa-May turned around and made the tea.
* * *
* * *
I hope you are enjoying these mysteries.
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Blessings,
Samantha Price
ETTIE SMITH AMISH MYSTERIES
Book 1 Secrets Come Home
Book 2 Amish Murder
Book 3 Murder in the Amish Bakery
Book 4 Amish Murder Too Close
Book 5 Amish Quilt Shop Mystery
Book 6 Amish Baby Mystery
Book 7 Betrayed
Book 8: Amish False Witness
Book 9: Amish Barn Murders
Book 10 Amish Christmas Mystery
Book 11 Who Killed Uncle Alfie?
Book 12 Lost: Amish Mystery
Book 13 Amish Cover-Up
Book 14 Amish Crossword Murder
Book 15 Old Promises
Book 16 Amish Mystery at Rose Cottage
Book 17 Amish Mystery: Plain Secrets
Book 18 Amish Mystery: Fear Thy Neighbor
Book 19 Amish Winter Murder Mystery
Book 20 Amish Scarecrow Murders
Book 21 Threadly Secret
Book 22 Sugar and Spite
About Samantha Price
USA Today Bestselling author, Samantha Price, wrote stories from a young age, but it wasn't until later in life that she took up writing full time. Formally an artist, she exchanged her paintbrush for the computer and, many best-selling book series later, has never looked back.
Samantha is happiest on her computer lost in the world of her characters. She is best known for the Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries series and the Expectant Amish Widows series.
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