“Good!" Elsa-May said, “At least that’s someone who’s kept their trap shut, but we told Ava that we’d tell you when you got here.” She sighed. “I guess I’ll need to heat another bottle about now. You should watch and see how it’s done, Jeremiah; it’ll be your turn soon.”
“Nee not yet,” Ettie said. “It’s not quite time yet and I’m using all the burners.”
“All of them?”
“Jah, this is a complicated dish. I have to make the cheese sauce separately.”
“Cheese sauce! Sounds wunderbaar. I like anything with cheese in it,” Jeremiah said. “You could warm the bottle in hot water, Elsa-May, what about that?”
“That will have to do.”
“I won’t be long,” Ettie said.
“I’ll get it all ready to go.” While Elsa-May got the formula ready, Jeremiah sat down at the kitchen table.
“Denke, for fixing those chairs, Jeremiah. Ettie, Jeremiah just brought back the last of the chairs.”
“Those chairs have been needing fixing for ages,” Ettie said. “Denke, Jeremiah.”
“It’s nothing. You should’ve told me much sooner and I would’ve come and fixed them right away.”
“We don’t like to bother you,” Elsa-May said.
“Where’s the boppli? Can I see him?” Jeremiah asked.
“We’re calling him Luke,” Ettie said.
“You’re not growing too attached to him, are you?” Jeremiah swiveled in his chair to face Ettie.
“Nee, we just thought we should give him a name.”
“Can I see him?”
“He’s asleep in Ettie’s room at the moment. It’s the quietest end of the house. He’ll be awake soon enough. I don’t want to show you now in case he wakes up and there’s no warm bottle.”
“Tell me more about this man who came to the door.”
Elsa-May told him everything that had happened and all about the man who'd come to the door and what Crowley had found out about him.
“He still could’ve been the father,” Jeremiah said.
“Maybe he was,” Elsa-May said. “We don’t know for certain, but still, we were not going to hand Luke over to anyone.”
“If he’s a criminal, maybe the mother was trying to keep him away from the baby.”
“What about the quilt?” Ettie asked.
“Any number of people could’ve come by the quilt. It might have been a gift from someone. I guess the detective will have to go through all the names of the people who bought quilts like that and find out what became of them,” Jeremiah said.
“That’s time consuming, but I suppose that will have to happen if the mother can’t be located in any other way,” Elsa-May said.
“If that man was the real father you do understand that he will have rights?”
“Jeremiah, we’re not trying to keep the baby from the man if he’s the real father. We just didn’t believe he was.”
“I know. I’m just saying…”
“Crowley’s been gone a long time. I wonder if he’s been talking to that quilt woman all this time,” Ettie said.
“Quilt woman?” Jeremiah asked.
“The woman who bought the quilt from Bethany's store, and who had her baby kidnapped four years ago. I thought Ava told you everything.”
“Yeah, she did. I get the feeling both of you might be convinced that this baby is hers?”
“That’s right. That’s what Ettie and I think at this stage, at least until we get more information.”
“I sure hope you find the parents of the baby. There will be someone out there missing him already.”
“That’s what Ettie and I hope. We hope someone is missing him and really wants him. Otherwise, we’ll have to find a family who really wants him.”
“How about a cup of tea while you’re waiting for dinner, Jeremiah?” Ettie asked.
“Are you finished with one of the burners now, Ettie, so I can warm the bottle?”
“Jah, I’ve got a spare one now.”
“Can you wait for your tea?” Elsa-May asked Jeremiah.
“Of course I can wait.”
“Jah, he can wait because dinner’s nearly ready. It's only about fifteen minutes away. Can you wait that long, Jeremiah?”
Jeremiah chuckled. “Of course I can. I had a little bit of something at home before I came here.”
Right then the baby cried.
Jeremiah smiled. “Good. I can see him now.”
“Come with me,” Elsa-May said. “I’ll let you pick him up.”
Ettie was glad she was alone in the kitchen. She didn’t like people hovering around while she was cooking. Seeing the made-up bottle of formula, she popped it in the waiting saucepan, set the pan on the stove, and turned on the gas.
Elsa-May came back into the kitchen with Jeremiah, who was carrying Luke.
“Luke seems to like Jeremiah. He stopped crying when Jeremiah picked him up.”
“Gut! I’ve got the bottle heating. It shouldn’t be too long.”
Elsa-May smiled. “I’ll set the table, then.”
When they heard a knock on the door, Jeremiah said, “Do you want me to answer it?”
“Keep the boppli here; I’ll see it is who it is first,” Ettie said hurrying into the living room. She pulled the curtains back to see Detective Crowley. “It’s only Crowley,” she yelled out before she opened the door. “Come in,” Ettie said to Crowley. Then she noticed that Jeremiah had come up right behind her. “Do you two know each other?” she asked Crowley.
“I don’t believe so,” Crowley said.
“This is my grandnephew, and Elsa-May’s grandson, Jeremiah.”
“I think we might have met before,” Crowley said.
“Possibly. You’re the detective? From the investigation at Agatha's house?” Jeremiah balanced the baby in one arm while he shook Crowley’s hand.
“Retired detective,” Crowley corrected him, “and yes, that's where we met.”
“Did you get to speak to Genevieve?” Ettie asked the detective as Elsa-May came out of the kitchen. “Jeremiah knows everything. He’s staying the night to make sure we’re safe.”
“Good idea. I’m afraid I talked to her, but didn’t get very much information.”
“Did she admit to being Luke’s mother?” Elsa-May asked him.
“We’re calling the baby ‘Luke.’ Have a seat and tell us everything,” Ettie said.
“Wait!” Elsa-May said. “I’ll just check on that bottle.” When Elsa-May came back out of the kitchen, she had the bottle in hand. Then she organized Jeremiah to sit next to Ettie on the couch and feed the baby.
“Okay, we’re ready to hear all about it now,” Ettie said.
“When I arrived there, I told her I was doing follow-up investigations of her baby that was kidnapped four years ago. She invited me inside and I talked to her, but her husband was at work.”
“And what did she say?” Ettie asked.
“More importantly,” Elsa-May said, “what did you ask her?”
“I went over some basic facts about the kidnapping. She was hopeful I had some new information. I had to tell her I was a retired detective and that I wasn’t there in an official capacity. She didn’t mind when I explained that I was doing some work on the case in my own time.”
“What did she say about the quilt?” Ettie asked.
“When I asked her about the baby quilt she’d bought, she clammed up. After that, she wouldn’t say any more.”
“Had she had a baby recently?” Elsa-May asked.
“I asked her that at the beginning of our talk and she said that she hadn’t. I did notice that she looked horribly nervous.”
“Is there any way you could find out if she’s had a baby?” Ettie asked.
“I checked into that. There’s been no birth registered. Apart from asking her doctor, I don’t know any other way to find out. I can’t request the information from her doctor without some kind of official backing.”
“
Don’t you have a friend who works at the hospital?” Ettie asked.
“I do, but only in one hospital and she could’ve had the baby anywhere.”
“And maybe not even in a hospital,” Jeremiah interjected while he was feeding the baby in his arms.
“The dinner will be ready now,” Ettie said, pushing herself out of the chair.
“Will you stay for dinner?” Elsa-May asked Crowley.
“I’ve made more than enough,” Ettie added.
“Are you certain that will be all right?” Crowley asked.
“Of course, we’d love to have you stay for dinner, and I’ve made dessert.”
“I will; thank you. Everything smells delicious. I’ve always enjoyed your cooking, Ettie.”
Over dinner, Crowley told them word-for-word his entire conversation with Genevieve.
“Did she look like she’d had a baby recently?” Ettie asked.
Crowley shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. If I was still on the force, I could do a better investigation of all of this, and talk to the husband. She acted very strangely when I mentioned her husband, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he held the key to all of this, or held some kind of information.”
“Can you have one of your friends look into her credit card information?” Elsa-May asked.
“I’ll see what I can do, if I’m not stretching the friendship too much.”
“Do your best for us and little Luke,” Elsa-May said leaning forward to the detective.
The detective raised his eyebrows. “Remember our deal? I said I’d give you two days—one already gone.”
“You did say you’d help us in those two days. Don’t forget that.”
“What’s this about two days?” Jeremiah asked.
Crowley answered, “I made a deal with these ladies that I would give them two days and after that, I’ll have to alert the authorities if we haven’t tracked down the mother by then.”
“What about the note that said not to leave the baby with Englischers?” Jeremiah asked. “Ava and I could look after the baby until his mother is found.”
“That would be good.” Elsa-May looked at Crowley. “Would they let Ava and Jeremiah look after the baby?”
Crowley scratched his neck. “It’s a possibility, and it could help that there was a note left with the baby with a preference for the baby to stay amongst the Amish. You might need to have a background check run, but they can do those things pretty quickly. They’ll also need to come out and take a look at your house, and ask a lot of questions to make sure the baby will be in a safe environment. You could qualify as foster parents.”
Ettie put a hand over her heart. “That makes me feel so much better. I do hope we can keep this baby safe.”
“I said it’s a possibility. It’ll be entirely up to social services.”
When Crowley left, Ettie and Elsa-May decided between themselves that Ettie would sleep on the couch and Jeremiah would take her bed. Jeremiah volunteered to wake up for the baby’s nightly feedings, saying he’d get used to waking in the middle of the night just in case he became a foster parent. That suited Ettie and Elsa-May just fine.
Once Jeremiah was in bed with the baby in the basket beside him, Elsa-May sat on the edge of the couch while Ettie arranged the blankets over herself.
“Are you going to have enough room?” Elsa-May asked.
“Jah. I can fully stretch out. It’s just like a bed and just as comfortable. I don’t mind sleeping here at all.”
Elsa-May breathed out heavily. “You know what we have to do now, don’t you?
Ettie sat up straight. “Go to Genevieve and talk with her?”
“Exactly.”
“I figured Jeremiah and Ava can look after Luke tomorrow and we know he’ll be safe. Genevieve will be much more likely to talk to women about her babies than talking to a man.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking, Ettie. And we’ll take the baby quilt with us and see the look on her face when she sees it.”
“Good idea, Elsa-May.”
“Do you think Jeremiah will mind taking Luke tomorrow?” Elsa-May asked.
“Of course, he won’t mind and neither will Ava. He was asking about them being foster parents. They’re both like a couple of broody hens.”
They both giggled quietly so Jeremiah wouldn’t hear them.
Chapter 8
Their plan worked and Jeremiah headed off with Luke in his buggy early the next morning. Jeremiah was going to take the day off, so both he and Ava would look after the baby at their house. In case anyone was watching Elsa-May and Ettie’s house, Jeremiah had taken Luke to his buggy in a laundry basket.
“Come on Ettie; he’s gone now.”
“I’m coming, I’m just getting my boots on.” While sitting on her bed, Ettie laced up her boots and tied them in double knots. They were off to talk to Genevieve Cohen.
When Ettie came out of the bedroom, she saw Elsa-May brushing Snowy. “He’ll have to wait for his walk today until we come back.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind.”
“Do you think we should’ve let Crowley know we’re going to talk with Genevieve?”
“Of course not!” Ettie said. “He would’ve had some reason why it wouldn’t be a good idea, but the way I see it, we don’t have anything to lose. She’s the only person with any connection to Luke so far, and even though the detective thinks it’s a long shot that she’s involved, we need to see her.”
Elsa-May nodded and placed Snowy back down on the floor before she pushed herself to her feet. Once she’d thrown the dog brush down on her chair, she looked up at Ettie. “Let’s go then.”
“Do you know where she lives?” Ettie asked.
“Nee, don’t you?”
“How would I know that?”
“Why did you say we should see her, then?”
Ettie shook her head, quite disgusted with Elsa-May. She should’ve thought this through better. “Elsa-May, do we still have that cell phone that Crowley gave us for emergencies?”
“Jah, we do.”
“Let’s try to phone Information and see if they’ll give us the address.”
“Won’t they only give a phone number?” Elsa-May asked.
“Then we’ll call Genevieve and see if she’ll give us her address.”
“I doubt she will.” Elsa-May said, “We know the general area she lives in and that’s a start. Do you remember what her husband’s name is?”
“Didn't Crowley say 'Craig' when he mentioned him last night?”
Elsa-May picked up the cell, turned it on, and then dialed the number for Information. “Quick, get me pen and paper.”
“It’s a good thing you still remember how to use a cellphone. We had one once remember? Until the bishop let on he knew about it, and you thought you should get rid of it.”
“Shh. It’s ringing.” Elsa-May got the phone number of the residence and then ended the call. “I think I can get onto the Internet with this phone. I couldn’t with my old one.” After she had clicked a couple of buttons, she managed to find the Cohens’ address, which she wrote down.
“How on earth did you do that, Elsa-May?”
“Well, they don’t have much security. They don’t even have an unlisted telephone number.”
“That’s strange, isn’t it?”
“Seems odd to me if they’ve got a lot of money like Crowley said, and they’ve had problems before.”
“Let’s go.”
Elsa-May and Ettie hurried down to the end of the road to call for a taxi.
* * *
When the taxi dropped them off, they were faced with a house surrounded by a high fence and high metal gates.
Ettie stared up at the gates, hugging the folded baby quilt. “What was that about them not having much security?”
“I guess this is why they aren’t too careful about people knowing where they live. How are we going to get through those gates?”
At that moment, a car drove into the dri
veway, and the driver spoke into the intercom. Two seconds later, the gates were opening and the car was driving through.
“Quick, Ettie.”
Before Ettie could think, she was being dragged through the opening gates. Then Elsa-May pulled her behind some bushes when the large double gates began to close.
“Now what do we do?” Ettie asked, crouching down with her long dress brushing the grass.
“We’ll see who’s in that car.” They watched as a lady in a black and white uniform got out of the car.
“It’s the maid by the looks of her,” Ettie said.
“We’ll wait a while, and then we’ll knock on the door.”
“What if they can see us? There could be cameras around, or they could have big attack dogs.”
“We like dogs, don’t worry about it. You’re always looking on the down side of things.”
“I’m not. I’m being practical. One of us has to be.”
“Stop talking, Ettie. Less talking and more action.” Elsa-May stepped out from the hedge and tugged on her sister's sleeve, pulling her up off the grass as Ettie hugged the baby quilt under her other arm. “Let’s go.”
Ettie stumbled toward Elsa-May and had no choice but to follow as Elsa-May strode confidently on the white pebbles of the driveway toward the front door. Their footsteps crunched underneath them and Ettie was certain the people inside the house must’ve heard them approaching.
After Elsa-May had pressed the call button, she waited for the tall white double doors to open, while Ettie stood behind her.
To their surprise, a woman spoke to them through an intercom. “Hello?”
“Hello, we need to speak with Mrs. Cohen. Is she available?”
“How did you get in?”
“Through the front. We need to speak with Mrs. Cohen; it’s a matter of great importance.”
“Who wants to speak to her?”
“She doesn’t know us. It’s urgent that we speak to her, though.”
Ettie leaned forward. “We have some private information to give her.”
“Just a moment,” the voice replied.
Elsa-May turned around and raised her eyebrows at Ettie. Then her gaze fell to the quilt under Ettie’s arm. “It’s gut that you remembered that.”
Amish Baby Mystery Page 5