“I suppose the detective is just playing it safe—playing it by the rules. Mind you, I do think he’s bending them a little in these circumstances,” Elsa-May said.
“He should, too, considering all that poor Genevieve Cohen has been through,” Ettie added.
When a knock sounded at the door, Ettie pulled the curtains aside to look out. “Looks like that’s the doctor.”
“Can you take him to the baby, Jeremiah?”
“Act like he’s yours,” Ettie added.
Jeremiah frowned. “I’ll not lie.”
Ettie raised her eyebrows. “We’re not asking you to, are we, Elsa-May?”
Elsa-May shook her head. “Why don’t you answer the door, Jeremiah, and stay with the doctor while he looks the baby over?”
“Okay.” Jeremiah answered the door and took the doctor through to Ettie’s room where the baby was, while Ettie and Elsa-May sat on the couch.
“It was good of Detective Kelly, I suppose, not to charge Mrs. Cohen right away.”
“Shh,” Elsa-May said.
“I didn’t say it loud enough for anyone to hear me.”
“All the same, don’t talk about it—wait until the doctor leaves.”
Ten minutes later, Jeremiah escorted the doctor past the ladies and the doctor merely nodded to them. Jeremiah opened the door for him and thanked him for coming. When Jeremiah closed the door, Ettie and Elsa-May were right next to him.
“Well, what did he say?” Elsa-May asked.
“He’s healthy. He just said to continue what we’re doing for the cord. It’s nearly all dried up now.”
Ettie breathed out heavily. “Good. That’s a relief.”
“What do we have for dinner, Ettie?” Elsa-May asked.
Ettie pulled her mouth to one side. “We do have plenty of leftovers from last night.”
“That’s fine by me,” Jeremiah said. “I liked it last night and I’ll like it again tonight.”
“Elsa-May?”
“Fine.”
“Gut! Now did the doctor ask you any questions, Jeremiah?” Ettie asked.
“Nee, except he asked how the mother was and I said that she was good.”
“Excellent. Gut work, Jeremiah,” Elsa-May said as she patted him on his arm.
Ettie went back to the window and peeped out again and, just like Kelly said there would be, there was a plainclothes police officer in a car parked right outside the house.
“What is it?” Elsa-May asked.
“I’m guessing that is a policeman sitting in that car.”
Elsa-May nodded. “Kelly said he’d have someone in the street watching the house all night.”
“I’m sure that’ll give Genevieve peace of mind that her baby is being watched so closely. It’s sad that she’ll be charged for giving him up,” Ettie said.
“Well, it’s the way she did it, Ettie. She could have found someone to raise the baby and adopt him through the proper channels, but as Kelly said, people just can’t drop their kinner off somewhere and leave them.”
“I know, Elsa-May, I know. No one would be able to understand the grief that she’s already been through.” Ettie wiped a tear from her eye.
“Don’t start. You’ll have me crying.” Elsa-May said.
“I’ll reheat the meal.” Ettie headed to the kitchen. It was a rare thing to see so much emotion from Elsa-May since she’d always seemed so strong and in control.
Chapter 11
During the night, Ettie woke to an intruder coming through the front door. At first she thought she’d been dreaming the scratching and rattling sounds, but when she realized she was sleeping on the couch and a man was in the house, she screamed as she came to her feet.
Before she drew breath to scream a second time, Jeremiah came running out from the other end of the house, and someone came through the front door and jumped on top of the first man.
“Don’t move! Police!” Ettie heard someone shout.
Jeremiah turned on a gas lantern to see someone being placed in handcuffs. When the man on the floor was yanked to his feet, Ettie saw it was the same one who’d come to the door the other day—the suspected kidnapper—Victor Lemonis.
“Ettie, are you all right?” Jeremiah asked.
Ettie plopped back down onto the couch when her legs gave way from under her.
“Everyone okay in here?” the policeman asked.
“I’m okay,” Ettie said. “Are you okay, Jeremiah?”
“Yes, and Luke’s safe; I’ll check on Elsa-May.”
Ettie was worried that Elsa-May hadn’t run out when Jeremiah had.
Jeremiah came back just as the policeman was taking the intruder out. Ettie looked out the window to see more than one police car. Lemonis had to be the kidnapper coming back to get the child.
When Jeremiah came back out he said, “Elsa-May is still asleep and she’s snoring.”
“She slept through the whole thing?”
“It seems like it.”
“Lock the door will you, Jeremiah? I hope they’ll still keep a policeman outside. We won’t know who else might be lurking about.”
“Yes, I'm sure they will. If not, I'm here.” Jeremiah walked closer to Ettie. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“It’s just the scare, that’s all.”
“Would you like me to make you a cup of hot tea?”
“Jah, I’d love a cup, denke.”
“Coming right up,” he said before he headed to the kitchen.
Ettie propped pillows behind her. Then she lifted her legs out in front of her and covered them with her warm blanket.
* * *
Ettie must’ve closed her eyes because the next thing she knew it was morning, and a shaft of light was shining through the gap in the curtains. She sat up when she noticed Elsa-May in her chair. “Did you hear what happened last night, Elsa-May? Unless I dreamed the whole thing.”
“Nee you didn’t. Jeremiah told me that Lemonis came into our haus and the police took him away. I'm surprised I slept right through the whole thing.”
“Where is Jeremiah?”
“In the kitchen giving Luke his bottle.”
“We’ll have to call the police station and find out if he told them what happened to the poor baby he kidnapped before. I hope he confessed and then maybe the Cohens can finally find some peace.”
“Why don't we phone them after breakfast?”
Ettie agreed, but before they even had a chance to start on breakfast, there was a loud knock on the door.
“That’s Detective Kelly,” Ettie said.
“How do you know that without even looking?”
“I know his knock,” Ettie stood up.
“Just be sure first, and check out the window.”
Ettie peeped out the window and saw Detective Kelly. Instead of the dark crumpled suit he usually wore, he was wearing a white shirt with gray baggy pants and sneakers. He looked like he hadn’t had any sleep. Ettie put her robe on, and then placed her prayer kapp on top of her head, tucking in her two long braids.
“Are you going to open the door in your dressing gown?” Elsa-May asked.
“Why not? It’s morning and besides, it’s warm.” She opened the door and Kelly asked if he could come in.
“Of course.”
Once he was further inside, Jeremiah came out of the kitchen with Luke in his arms.
“I think you’ll all need to have a seat.” Kelly’s brow furrowed deeply.
“What’s wrong?” Elsa-May asked.
Ettie hoped he’d say that nothing was wrong but he remained stony-faced.
“Can I listen, too?” Jeremiah asked, to which the detective gave a nod. “I’ll put the baby in his basket. I won’t be a minute.”
When Jeremiah returned and they were all seated in the living room, Detective Kelly drew in a deep breath.
Elsa-May leaned forward. “What is it, Detective Kelly, you look dreadful.”
“I’m wondering where to start. You obvio
usly found out that we let Victor Lemonis go after hours of questioning. We had nothing to hold him on, so we had no choice but to let him go. We followed him, hoping he’d lead us to someone who might have helped him with the kidnapping all those years ago. At the very least, we hoped that he’d lead us to someone who would be able to help with our inquiries.”
“He came here to get the baby again,” Ettie said. “This time, he wasn’t going to ask, he was just going to take the baby.”
“We let him go and followed him here. We alerted Jeff, the officer who was stationed outside your house. After we arrested Lemonis for breaking and entering, we took him back and locked him up again. We had him on a charge so we could keep him for longer than the maximum twenty-four hours. When we were going to start a new round of questioning, I’m afraid we opened the cell and made a grisly discovery.
“What?” Elsa-May asked.
Kelly’s shoulders slumped. “He’d done away with himself.”
“He’s dead?” Ettie asked, not believing her ears.
Kelly nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Ettie pulled her dressing gown high around her neck. What Kelly had told them didn’t seem real.
“Last night, we prematurely told the Cohens that we were onto something and that we were certain we’d apprehended one of the kidnappers. Then we had to tell them this morning what had happened. They were devastated. They had hopes that they’d finally find out what happened to their baby all those years ago. Now there is a real possibility that we’ll never know.”
“How did it happen? I thought prisoners were searched for things they might harm themselves with before you put them in the cell,” Elsa-May asked.
“He hanged himself with his shirt.”
Ettie covered her face with her hands. It was too awful to think about.
“These things happen all too frequently. Often it’s not the hardened criminals who kill themselves. I remember one time it was a solicitor who was caught skimming funds from one of his company accounts. It was the shame of having to face charges and go to jail. Another time it was a company executive on speeding charges. He was held in the cell for three hours and he killed himself.”
“That’s horrible,” Jeremiah said.
“It’s something that’s in the forefront of our minds and that’s why we have suicide-proof cells, but I guess if someone’s going to do it, they’ll find a way. It’s hard to tell if someone’s going to try to do it or not. Often we can’t tell.”
“Why would they take their own lives?" Ettie asked. “People make mistakes and learn from them.”
“According to psychiatrists, they think they’ve ruined their lives. Then they’re concerned about what their family and friends will say.” He shook his head. “We haven’t had a suicide in years. It’s hard to deal with when it happens. We’re supposed to look after them while they’re in our custody. They’re our responsibility—we failed him.”
Ettie stared at Detective Kelly as he hung his head. “Would you like something to eat? We can fix you some eggs, and we’ve got coffee ready.”
He lifted his head and smiled. “I’ll start with a cup of coffee, thanks. The police department runs on coffee.”
Chapter 12
They all moved to the kitchen and Ettie fixed Kelly some eggs while he drank his coffee.
“What happens now with the investigation? Does it end there?” Elsa-May asked.
“We’re getting a warrant to search his car and his house. We’ll take any cell phones and computers and go right through them. We’re sure to find some kind of evidence. Do you know what people in jail do to kidnappers and people who hurt children?” Kelly asked Elsa-May.
Elsa-May shook her head.
He shook his head. “I can’t tell you; I’ll leave it to your imagination. Often they have to go into protective custody, but just the thought of what Lemonis would face was enough to make him kill himself.”
“What happens now with the baby?” Jeremiah asked. “I have to work today. He’ll be with my wife, though, if you want me to take him again.”
“I would prefer he stay here today. I’ll have two men sitting in a patrol car all day.”
“Is the baby still in danger?” Ettie asked handing Kelly a plate of scrambled eggs and toast.
“We can’t be certain about anything until we find out exactly what happened with Lemonis. We need to find his accomplices.”
“What if he didn’t have any?”
“He would’ve had someone in on it with him—at least one and maybe two others. It’s too big a thing for someone to pull off on their own.”
When Jeremiah left, Ettie sat down at the table with Kelly and Elsa-May.
“Have you had any sleep?” Ettie asked Kelly.
“I’ve had a couple of hours. That’ll be enough. I might grab a couple more during the day. I prefer to see this through. When the warrant comes through, which should be just after nine, we’re going to go directly to his house and take his car.”
“Are the cold case people still working with you?”
“They are, and they bring with them some excellent detectives.” Kelly spooned a large forkful of scrambled egg into his mouth. “Although, I remain the head detective on the case.”
“That’s good. I hope some peace will come to the Cohens soon.”
“So do I,” Kelly said. “Thank you for breakfast. This will keep me going and I’m hoping we get some major breakthroughs today.”
* * *
Some time after Kelly had left, Jeremiah delivered Ava back to the door.
“Ava, have you come to help us with Luke?”
“I certainly have. I know it can be tiring looking after a young baby and I thought you might appreciate some help.” Ava giggled. “And I was so disappointed when Jeremiah told me that I wouldn’t be looking after him today.”
When Ava came further into the house, Ettie closed the front door behind her. “Did Jeremiah tell you everything that happened last night?”
“Jah, he did. It was terrible what that man did to himself. And it must’ve given you such a fright when he came into the house like that.”
Ettie heard a car drive up and stop outside her house. She looked out to see a police car and another car stopped behind it. “What’s going on now?”
“What is it, Ettie?” Ava asked.
“Police! And a woman is getting out of the car behind them.”
Elsa-May nudged Ettie out of the way. “It looks like a social worker.”
“Come to take Luke?” Ettie’s jaw fell open. “Kelly said he’d give us time.”
“I’d say our time has run out,” Elsa-May said, staring out the window.
“Stop it!” Ava said to Snowy who was pawing at her leg.
Ettie answered the door. “Are you looking for me?”
“We’re here to take the baby. Are you Ettie Smith?”
“I am.”
“Detective Kelly didn’t have time to come here and tell you himself and he said to apologize for that. This is Mrs. Watkins, a social worker. She’ll take the baby with her.”
Elsa-May leaned forward. “Detective Kelly said he wasn't going to call the social worker just yet. He promised to give us a little bit of time looking after him.”
“Mrs. Cohen has requested her baby be returned to her and Mr. Cohen.”
Ettie gasped and looked at Elsa-May. Why couldn’t she have come there and taken him back herself?
Elsa-May pushed herself up off the couch and stood next to Ettie. “Does she get him back just like that? She left him alone and it could’ve rained on him. What if she leaves him somewhere again?”
The social worker said, “When something like this happens, our aim is to have the mother take the baby back. Then we monitor them closely, and she’ll have ongoing counseling.”
“Will she still be charged?” Elsa-May asked the officer.
He nodded. “There are charges pending. Now, the baby?” The officer looked at each of the three lad
ies in turn.
“I'll fetch him,” Ava said, walking toward the bedroom.
“I do hope Mrs. Cohen makes a full recovery. It can't be easy for her after what happened. I'm sure what she did was with the very best intentions,” Ettie said, hoping her words would calm Elsa-May.
“Don’t be concerned. We’ll be watching her closely,” the social worker assured her.
Ettie nodded. “That's good.”
Ava came to the door with the baby and told the social worker Luke's routine.
“Shouldn’t you be writing this down?” Elsa-May asked the social worker.
The social worker raised her thin eyebrows. “Oh yes. I'll just get my notebook out of the car. If you don’t mind waiting.”
“We’ll wait right here,” Ava said.
“Before we hand the baby over, can we see some form of identification?” Ettie asked the officer.
The officer whipped his badge out of his pocket and showed them.
“You don't mind if we make a phone call to Detective Kelly to verify you being here?” Elsa-May asked.
“Not at all,” he said.
Ettie took the mobile phone that Crowley had loaned them for emergencies and then looked through her address book. When she found Kelly's personal mobile number, she dialed it.
“Crowley, what can I do for you?” Detective Kelly answered.
“It's not Crowley. It’s Ettie Smith. Crowley loaned us his phone in case of emergencies.”
“Is there anything wrong?”
“There might be if you didn't send an officer and a social worker to our house.”
“I did, Mrs. Smith, and I didn't have time to let you know in person, and I apologize for that. I should’ve, under the circumstances but it’s been hard to get away from the station. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen want their baby back, and we had to get the social workers involved. I know you’ve got concerns and so do we, that’s why they’ll be carefully monitoring mother and baby.”
“Okay, thank you, Detective Kelly. We’re handing the baby over right now.”
“Very good, Mrs. Smith. I do thank you for your help and I will keep you informed of any updates.”
Amish Baby Mystery Page 7