“I hadn’t ever thought much about it. Mine went gray many years ago. I don’t mind it like that.”
“Me neither,” Elsa-May said. “Getting back to Ebenezer, Ettie and I came here to pay our respects and to offer our condolences.”
“Thank you. That’s so thoughtful. That’s the first touch of humanity I’ve found since I arrived here in the police car. I think that's what attracted me to Ebenezer at first. It was his goodness and calmness and his quiet personality. Very different from the people I grew up around.”
“And you grew up in Walker County?”
“That’s right. Close to an Amish community.”
“Can I ask something?”
“Go ahead.”
Ettie said, “When you married him, did you have plans of joining us?”
“No. I'd made that very clear beforehand. Ebenezer left for me.”
“Oh.”
“Then when we found we couldn’t live together, I left and he went away. That’s when I found him living in squalor and I offered him the house on my land here. I knew the house was liveable, and he took up my offer. It seems he re-joined the community when he arrived.”
“Did you know his brother?”
“Levi? I knew him. Turns out, he was living less than a mile from my land. That I didn't know.” She yawned. “I'm sorry, ladies, but is it possible for you to come back tomorrow? I’m in need of sleep.”
“Certainly. And we will come back tomorrow, if you don't mind.”
“Very well. It was nice to meet people who were close with Ebenezer.”
They walked down the road. “Did you hear what she said about the neighbors, Ettie?
“Jah. Ebenezer was in their way because he wouldn’t move.”
“But that takes the suspicion off the nurse, doesn't it? And he was in Elaine's way too.”
“That's right. “
“I would’ve liked to learn more, but all the questions left my head. She was very casual. She didn’t mind us seeing her dying her hair like she was.”
“We knocked on the door when she was in the middle of it. She had no choice.”
Elsa-May sighed. “I suppose. But she could have sent us away. We still don’t know who killed him. We’re no closer. It could’ve been some stranger that Ebenezer managed to upset.”
“Kelly is adamant it wasn’t a stranger.”
Elsa-May hailed a passing taxi and when it pulled over for them, they slid into the back seat. On the way home, Ettie wondered if there was something staring her in the face that she hadn’t yet seen.
Chapter 23
The next morning, Ettie sat staring out the window.
“What are you looking at?”
So lost in her thoughts was she that Elsa-May’s words jolted her. “The realtor. He's bringing someone to look at the house.”
“What's wrong with that?”
Ettie turned to her sister. “It's a waste of time trying to sell a haus in weather like this. It makes more sense to me that houses would sell in the spring when the flowers are blooming and the garden is at its best.”
“I'll be surprised if it ever sells. It could take years to offload it, but it’s not our problem. Come away from the window now, before they see you looking out.”
Ettie let go of the curtains and abandoned her chair by the window and sat down on the couch. “There. Are you happy now?”
“Denke.” Elsa-May looked at her over the top of her glasses. “Did you see the people?”
“The buyers?”
“Jah.”
“I did. They weren’t interested. It was a man in his thirties or so. He’s not the buyer type.”
When they had heard a car door shut, Ettie couldn't resist getting up to look outside again.
“They can't be finished already, surely,” Elsa-May said.
“Told you he wouldn’t like it. That realtor's wasting his time. I'll have to tell him that.” Ettie walked to the door and opened it.
“Wait a minute, Ettie. Are you serious?”
“I am.”
Elsa-May abandoned her knitting and followed Ettie out the door. On her way outside, Elsa-May grabbed both their coats.
“Don't bother with that Elsa-May.”
“I wouldn't want you to catch your death of a cold. And I'm only just getting over one myself.”
“I'm fine.” Ettie made her way to the realtor who was getting into his car. “Hold up!”
The realtor looked up at them and smiled widely. After they'd introduced themselves, Ettie said, “You’re wasting your time with that house.”
“That's what they tell me, but I'm determined to do it. Everything will sell at the right price. That’s the first thing I learned when I started as an intern.”
“How low will this place go for? I might buy it myself for five dollars.”
He laughed. “I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t have a crystal ball. But I'll keep your offer in mind.” After a silent moment, he asked, “Do you know that Amish man who was killed the other day?”
“Jah, he was a member of our community.”
“Sad, very sad. Who is the property left to?”
“That's something we don't know. Why does it interest you?”
“He's a realtor, Ettie, he wants the job of selling it obviously.”
He grinned revealing his straight white teeth. “That’s what I do for a living.”
“Don't you have means of finding out who owns what?”
“Normally we can find out but it’s in the name of a company.”
“A company?”
He pulled a business card out of his top coat pocket. “If you hear of anybody selling please let me know.” He grinned widely again.
“Okay we can do that.”
“It would be appreciated. I do have someone close to making an offer on this one.”
“You do?” Ettie stared at him.
“That's right. You could have new neighbors before you know it. Bye, ladies.” He got into his car and drove away.
“Let’s get back inside. It's getting quite chilly.”
“Did you hear that, Elsa-May? There’s someone interested in buying it.”
“It could be just talk, Ettie.”
Chapter 24
Elsa-May and Ettie went back to Deer Acres the next morning to continue asking Elaine questions. There was no answer to their knocks.
“I wonder if she still asleep,” Elsa-May whispered.
“She said she was tired, but it’s nearly lunchtime.”
The man sitting behind the reception desk had been on the phone when they had walked past him, but now he came walking over to them.” She’s already checked out.”
“When?”
“Late last night. She paid up for four days, and then didn’t even stay.”
“Oh, dear,” Ettie said, wringing her hands.
“She said she’d have something for me today. Do you mind if we check in her room to see if she’s left it there?”
He leaned past them and opened the door that wasn’t even locked. “There you are. You’re lucky the cleaner’s running late today.” Then he left them there.
“I fear we’ve made a dreadful mistake, Elsa-May.”
“Kelly’s going to be very upset and this time not with us.”
“Look for clues to where she might’ve gone, and hurry.”
While Elsa-May looked in the bedroom, Ettie checked the bathroom. In the grout between the tiles that made up the floor of the shower, she noticed a black substance. When she leaned closer and put her finger on it, some of it stuck. She smelled it. It had the strong odor of the smell that wafted out from the hair salons when they walked past them. “Elsa-May!”
Elsa-May came hurrying in and saw Ettie bent over. “What is it?”
“Dark brown hair dye. What color did she tell us she died her hair?”
“Dark blonde.”
“Exactly, and what color hair did she have in the photo we saw on Kelly’s desk?”
“A light color.”
“Dark blonde.” Ettie stood up and checked the trash in the bathroom; there were no empty cartons, and neither were there any empty hair dye packages in the trash bin in the bedroom. “She’s removed the evidence that she dyed her hair at all. This is not good.”
“Should we tell Kelly?”
“I guess so.” Ettie sank onto the bed. “We should’ve seen this, Elsa-May. How did we miss it? She had motive, and serious enough cuts on her hand that she sought treatment. Kelly was right.”
Elsa-May sat beside her. “Kelly said her blood type didn’t match the ones at the scene.”
“Maybe the lab mixed up the samples or made an error.”
“Call him and tell him what you found.”
Ettie stared at the phone on the nightstand, then reached out and picked up the phone’s receiver. As soon as he answered, she blurted out, “Detective Kelly, I have something to tell you.”
“Mrs. Smith?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“You were right about Elaine.”
Elsa-May grabbed the phone from Ettie. “You might need to arrest her again. She's dyed her hair dark brown.” Then she handed the phone back to Ettie.
“Stop it, Elsa-May.”
“Was that Mrs. Lutz?”
“It was.”
“Tell her from me that I can’t arrest a woman for changing her hair color. If that were so, I’d be arresting my own wife every other month.”
Ettie glared at Elsa-May. “It’s not just that. We found her staying at Deer Acres and we talked to her last night. She said to come back and talk to her again this morning. Now she’s gone.”
“How did you know where … What? She’s gone?”
“Not only that, she’s died her hair dark brown, like Elsa-May said. She told us she was only covering the grays and going dark blonde, not dark brown.”
“Where are you calling from?”
“From the room where she stayed at the Deer Acres Guest House.”
“Don’t touch anything. Don’t move, and I’ll be right there.” He hung up in her ear.
“He’s coming here,” Ettie said. “And we’re not to touch anything.”
“Hmm. Bit late for that.”
The man from the front desk stuck his head in the door. “Did she leave what you were looking for?”
“I’m afraid that the police are coming over here right now and they’ll want to look through this room.”
“The woman was a criminal?”
Ettie shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Oh dear. I’ll have to check that her payment went through.” The man disappeared.
Ettie sighed. “Will Kelly blame us, Elsa-May?”
“Most likely. He wouldn’t tell us where she was for a reason. He might say we scared her away.”
“Did we?”
“I think she thought everything was closing in on her with all the questions we were asking.”
“It’s a shame. Killed at the hand of his wife who once loved him.”
Elsa-May nodded. “All because he wouldn’t get off her land so she could sell it to the neighbors.”
As soon as Kelly came with his officers, Ettie and Elsa-May got out of there as fast as they could.
Chapter 25
On Monday morning, Kelly came to their house. He stood at the door, stony-faced.
“Have you found her?” asked Ettie.
Elsa-May was busy closing Snowy in her bedroom. Snowy was fond of the detective, but that wasn’t reciprocated and Snowy made a nuisance of himself every time Kelly was about.
He shook his head. “She disappeared and then she returned one of my messages. She said she left and went home because she was distressed. She’s coming back and has agreed to stay put here for a few days.”
“That’s good of her, but what about her hair color?”
“She insists she hadn’t dyed it dark. She said the dye looks dark, but it washes out light.”
Elsa-May came back. “What have I missed?”
Kelly stepped into the house and faced Elsa-May squarely. “You’re lucky I’m not here with a warrant for your arrest, Mrs. Lutz.”
Wide-eyed, she pointed to herself. “Me? Don’t you mean Ettie?”
His eyebrows pinched together. “Her blood wasn’t found inside Mr. Fuller’s house. Yours was!”
“What?” Elsa-May gasped.
“He said—”
“I heard what he said, Ettie.” She looked at Kelly. “You don’t think I killed him, do you?”
“If I did, I’d be cuffing you right now.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Can you explain how your blood got into Ebenezer’s kitchen?”
“Elsa-May, you broke my favorite cup.”
Elsa-May scowled at Ettie. “I know. I said I’d replace it. We’ve got bigger things to think about right now.”
“You cut your hand on it. Remember?”
“That’s right. I did and I unwrapped the handkerchief I’d wrapped around it when I was in Ebenezer’s kitchen.” She stared at the detective. “I’d put it on too tight.”
He breathed out heavily. “You contaminated the crime scene. A crime scene is paramount to finding the perpetrator. Next time, do what you’re told. Keep out and away from crime scenes.”
“We didn’t—”
Kelly raised his hand to stop Ettie from talking further. “No excuses, just do it. I’m going to need you to come down to the station and make an official statement.”
“I can do that. Now?”
“Later today or tomorrow will be fine.” He sniffed the air. “Have you been baking?’
“We did earlier today. It's a lemon cake and I’ve just finished frosting it.”
“It smells delicious.”
“Do you want to sample some?” Ettie asked.
Kelly grinned. When he was eating—or talking about eating—cake, that was just about the only time they ever saw him smile. “I wouldn't mind, if that's all right.”
“Certainly, and would you like coffee with that?”
He chuckled. “Now you’re reading my mind.”
“Come into the kitchen and we’ll fix you something in there. It’s warm. We’ve had the oven on for most of the morning.”
Kelly sat at the small round table while Elsa-May cut the cake and Ettie fixed the coffee.
“Have you continued to ask everyone about Ebenezer?” he asked.
“We have. We had a meeting on Sunday and then—”
“That was yesterday,” Elsa-May corrected her.”
“I know it was yesterday.”
“Why didn't you say yesterday?”
“I didn’t choose to.”
Kelly cleared his throat. “All right. If we can just keep on the topic, that’d be good. You had your meeting yesterday you were saying, Mrs. Smith?”
“That's right and we talked to a lot of people there.”
“And what did you find out about Ebenezer?”
“He wasn't a popular man.”
“I already knew that,” Kelly said. “And the bishop and his wife kept an eye on him too, but probably less frequently than ideal. Did he have any enemies?”
“You don’t think the wife did it now?” Elsa-May asked.
Kelly then told Elsa-May the news that Ebenezer’s wife had been located. “All I want the both of you to do is question people. Is that too hard?”
“No, it’s not. I'm sure we'll find something out soon if we keep asking.” Ettie put a mug of coffee in front of Kelly and sat down, just as Elsa-May also served him a piece of cake.
“This looks delicious. Would you mind if I get the recipe from you for my wife?”
Elsa-May simply glowed at the appreciation of her food. “Certainly. I'll write it up for her before you leave.”
“I tell her about your cooking all the time.” He took a mouthful of the cake and then his mouth turned down the corners.
“What is it?”
He sh
ook his head and then pulled a large white handkerchief out of his pocket and that's where his mouthful of cake ended up. Then he placed it back in his pocket.
“Was there something wrong?”
He ran his tongue around his mouth. “Taste it and see.”
Ettie popped a piece of cake in her mouth and chewed and swallowed it. “Something's wrong for sure.”
“What is it, Ettie?” Elsa-May asked.
Ettie jumped up. “The canisters.” She picked up the canister on the countertop and opened the lid. “Is this what you used today as flour?”
“Yes, that's the flour.”
“No, Elsa-May, this is the salt.”
Elsa-May’s eyebrows flew up.
“You’ll have to wear your glasses while you’re baking.”
Detective Kelly chuckled and stuck his finger into the frosting and popped it into his mouth. “Good,” he said, and scooped up another fingerful.
“Sorry, Detective Kelly. This is the first time, and I hope, the last time I’ve done anything like this. I’ll make another cake and bring it in for you tomorrow. For you and for Mrs. Kelly.”
He chuckled. “No need.”
“I insist.”
“Okay and you can make your statement at the same time. I only hope no one sees the cake as a bribe.”
Elsa-May gasped. “Would they?”
He laughed. “No. I was just teasing.
“The coffee I made will be fine.”
He picked up the mug and cautiously took a small sip. “Perfect.”
Ettie reached up in the cupboard and pulled out a jar of cookies and placed several on his plate.
“Thank you. I hope we can find out something sooner or later. I’ve got handwriting experts looking at those two notes we found to see if they were written by the same person. There was little else to go on inside the house. It was too clean.”
“Cleaner than normal?” Ettie asked.
“Yes, it was and that's what made me suspicious. It was a little too clean and tidy for a single man.”
“You think someone made a mess and then came back and cleaned it up?”
Kelly rubbed his lined forehead. “It’s possible. That's why I sent the team back the second time for a more thorough going-over in the house, looking for those small details that just don't fit.”
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 7 Page 11