Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 7

by Samantha Price

“You have no other family?”

  Kate shook her head. “I was a rare only child and it’s funny because now it’s the same for Matilda.”

  “What about her father’s kinfolk?”

  “No. They’d be around somewhere, but he grew away from them. They haven’t bothered with us, so I won’t bother with them.”

  Ettie thought that sounded strange, but didn’t want to ask anything further. She popped a cookie into her mouth.

  “Yes, a new start is why we’re here.”

  Ettie swallowed her mouthful. “How long ago did your husband die?”

  “A little over a year ago. It still pains me to think about it.” She took up a paper napkin and dabbed at her eyes.

  Kate looked so sad that Ettie didn’t want to ask how he’d died. “It takes a while to get over it. I mean, you never exactly do, but the pain lessens over time. You learn to live on your own. You learn to be on your own.”

  “It must help that you live with your sister.”

  “It does, but I lived alone for many years until both Elsa-May and I sold our farms and bought the house next door. Like anything, living with my sister has its good parts and bad. Good days and bad days. Days I’d give anything to live alone and days I’m grateful to share the house and our final days with one another.”

  “How did your family feel about you selling, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Selling?” Ettie stared at her.

  “You said you both sold your farms.”

  “Ah, yes. They didn’t mind. By then, they all had their own places.”

  They both turned to see Elsa-May coming out of the bedroom, alone.

  “How is Matilda?” her mother asked.

  “She’s fine. She’ll be out in a minute.”

  Elsa-May sat down with them.

  “What did you say to her?” Kate asked.

  “We just had a little talk. She was upset about losing her friends and I told her she could write letters to them, and she could make new friends here.”

  “What did she say about new friends?”

  Elsa-May smiled. “I just explained that new people were friends she hadn’t met yet.”

  “And that worked?”

  “It seemed to.”

  Kate said, “Would you like hot tea or coffee?”

  “I’d like a cup of hot tea, denke.”

  After she poured the tea, and gave it to Elsa-May, she sat down with them. “I wonder what’s going to happen with the quilt store now that the owner’s not around anymore.”

  “I think the niece said she would like to keep it going.”

  “Oh.”

  Ettie saw that Kate didn’t look too happy about that. “Why do you ask?”

  “I was hoping to open a store one day. I don’t like to take advantage of anyone’s demise, but it might’ve been a good start for me if I could’ve bought the store. If it came at the right price, that is.”

  Elsa-May slurped her tea. “You could always talk to the niece and say you’re interested. She said she wants to keep it, but she might’ve been saying that because she was upset about her aunt.”

  Kate nodded. “I will say something to her after a suitable time passes.”

  “Don’t leave it too long,” Ettie said. “People can change their minds quickly.”

  As soon as Ettie and Elsa-May left, Kate walked into Matilda’s room. She hadn’t come out the whole time the visitors were there.

  “What did you tell Mrs. Lutz?”

  “Nothing, Mama.”

  Matilda was sitting on her bed holding a doll, the same one she’d had since she was two. Kate sat down beside her. “I won’t be mad if you told her something you shouldn’t.”

  “She just said I should make friends to make you happy. I said I would try. That’s all. Then she told me about her dog. He’s called Snowy and he’s white and fluffy and very friendly. She said I might be able to go for a walk with her and the dog one time. Could I?”

  “We’ll see.”

  Matilda slumped further into the bed. “That means no.”

  “It doesn’t mean no. It means we’ll see. It depends.”

  “On what?”

  “Whatever happens. Now come out and eat some cookies. They brought some for you.”

  Chapter 13

  After dinner that night, Ettie and Elsa-May sat down to look again at the pages they’d had copied at the library.

  "Where do we start, Ettie?" Elsa-May asked as she flipped through the pages.

  "We’ll make a list of all our quilt ladies and cross off everybody as we go."

  Elsa-May shook her head. "It's going to be a long list. Perhaps we should prioritize."

  "Makes sense. Either way, it's going to take us forever. I just wish there was an easier way to go about this."

  "There is an easier way, you just let Detective Kelly figure it all out. We’re not on his payroll."

  Ettie giggled.

  "What are you laughing at?" Elsa-May scowled at her.

  "I'm just imagining you saying that to Kelly.”

  Elsa-May’s face relaxed into a smile. "I wouldn't be brave enough. Not if he's going to continually be in a mood like he was in the other day."

  "You were sent to the naughty corner, only it wasn't the naughty corner it was the naughty waiting room."

  Elsa-May ignored her comment. “I don't see that we’re going to be able to get around to more than three people a day. And we’ll need to ask somebody to drive us."

  "Gabriel? He might do it."

  "Why don't we start off at the bishop’s haus?" Elsa-May asked.

  "Talk to Mary and see what she knows?"

  "Jah. And once we talk to her, we might be having to figure out who we can put first on our list of priorities."

  "It looks like we should both have an early night and then we can get started in the morning. But wait, we have to see if Gabriel can drive us."

  "Call him. His new place has a telephone shanty right outside his haus."

  "Me call him?" Ettie asked. "I was thinking you should do it. You do it while you’re walking the dog."

  “Ach, Ettie, I do dislike it when you call him 'the dog'. Use his name, would you?”

  Ettie nodded. “I’m sorry. I’ll try not to do it again. You do it while you’re walking Snowy."

  "That's what you say each time and yet you keep doing it."

  "Would you like me to walk … Snowy?"

  From his dog bed in the corner of the room, Snowy immediately lifted up his head and looked at the two of them.

  "Yes, if you wouldn't mind, and I’ll make a start on the dinner."

  “Very well.” Ettie pushed herself to her feet, and then took the collar and leash off the hook by the door. When she turned around, Snowy was sitting in front of her ready and waiting. She chuckled. "You know what's going on, don't you, boy? I mean, Snowy." She leaned down and fastened his collar. Together they walked out of the house.

  Chapter 14

  “Selena’s out of town or she could’ve driven us.”

  Ettie grinned at Gabriel’s comment as she and Elsa-May climbed into his buggy. “You always find a way to bring Selena into the conversation.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “I didn’t notice myself doing that. I feel protective of her. Things might be different between us right now if her mother hadn’t run away with her when she was two. I mean, if we were both raised here, who knows what might’ve happened.”

  “Indeed,” Elsa-May said. “Still, she might join our community one day.”

  He moved his horse forward. “Selena doesn’t know anyone from around here yet. I just hope she stays on.”

  “Jah, me too. It was dreadful that scarecrow business that happened when she was staying at your haus.”

  Gabriel laughed.

  “You haven’t had good fortune with houses. One had a murder and the other, a close one.”

  He glanced behind at Elsa-May. “Good fortune has no part in it. The house next door t
o you was a good price. It’s already come in use with Kate staying there.”

  “It is very generous of you to allow her to stay there. Tell me, has Kate heard that someone was murdered there?”

  “I told her and she was fine with it. She just doesn’t want her dochder to know about it.”

  “You’re right about one thing, Gabriel. This whole thing would be a lot quicker and a lot easier if we had Selena here to drive us in her car.”

  “I know. What do you hope to find out today?”

  On the drive to the bishop’s house, they filled Gabriel in on what they were doing.

  "Do you want me to stay in the buggy?" asked Gabriel when they arrived at Bishop Paul and Mary’s house.

  "If you don't mind," Elsa-May replied.

  "I would prefer it," he said, smiling.

  "We’ll be as quick as we can be." Ettie patted him on his shoulder.

  "Take all the time you need. I have no plans for the day apart from this."

  Ettie and Elsa-May climbed out of the buggy and headed towards the front door. After they knocked, it took a while for the door to be answered. Slowly, the door opened a crack.

  When Mary saw who it was, she opened the door wider. "Come in, please. I'm glad you’ve come.”

  When Ettie stepped in through the front door, she saw Mary’s eyes were red-rimmed.

  "Whatever is the matter, Mary?” asked Elsa-May.

  "Nothing. I'm just sad over Greta. I used to go into her shop every time I was in town and that was nearly every other day. I have so many errands to run for Paul, going to the post office and this and that, and we used to have a nice chat. Now I won’t be able to do that anymore. I’ve lost a friend. She wasn’t one of us, but still, she was a friend. A bishop's wife is in a different situation - one generally doesn't have many personal friends."

  "Why don’t you sit down and talk to Ettie while I make you a nice cup of hot tea?"

  "Oh, I’d like that. Denke, Elsa-May."

  When Ettie was sitting down next to Mary, she took the opportunity to ask her first question. "I'm pleased that you know Greta so well because I’ve been thinking a lot about her. Do you have any idea who might've wanted to harm her?"

  "Nee. Not at all. She was such a nice woman and she did so much for the community. For the broader community I'm talking about and not just our Amish community. She was always helping with the fundraisers, always so good with everything. The councilor will be very upset too.”

  "Martin Cruise?"

  "Jah."

  “He was there with me. He was the one who called 911. Was he a friend of hers?”

  "That's right."

  Ettie was confused about that. She knew that they knew one another, but he didn’t seem like he’d lost a good friend. He hadn’t even tried to revive her—wouldn’t go near her and it was left up to Ettie to see if she was still alive. “How well did they know each other? Apart from organizing the yearly fairs together?”

  "I often saw him at her quilt store."

  "That is interesting. Someone said she mentioned having difficulties with paying the rent."

  "Yes, she said that to me too because the rent had risen when she signed the new lease, but she also said the general costs of doing business had risen."

  "It must've been difficult for her, being alone with no husband and no immediate family.”

  "That's right."

  "I heard she has two nieces and one is keeping her shop open. We met her, she’s a very nice woman called Valerie."

  "Jah, I know Valerie too. I know her quite well. She was often at the store when I stopped by."

  "Did you ever hear of Greta having a falling out with anybody? Maybe over the price of quilts or because of her withholding money from someone?"

  "Ach nee, Ettie, everyone loved her."

  Ettie pulled her mouth to one side. "Well, not everybody."

  When Mary sniffled into her handkerchief, Ettie regretted her last remark, but it was true. She moved closer and put her arm around Mary. "There, there. It’ll be okay." Where was Elsa-May with that tea?

  "I asked Valerie about the funeral and she said that they haven't released the body yet. Why would that be, Ettie?"

  "They have to do the autopsy. It shouldn't be too much longer."

  "Valerie is worried that her sister might be unable to attend the funeral because of her work on the TV show.”

  Elsa-May arrived with the tea items on a large tray and set them down on the table. "A nice cup of hot tea will make you feel better." She sat down with them and passed around a plate of sugar cookies. Everyone refused them, so Elsa-May set the plate down. “Can’t have them going to waste,” Elsa-May said as she reached for one.

  After waiting for a couple of minutes, Ettie reached for the pot and poured the tea for all of them.

  "I'm so pleased you both stopped by today. Paul had to go out, and I didn’t want to be alone, but other people need Paul too.”

  “It's not nice to be alone when things like this happen," Elsa-May said.

  "You're always welcome to come to our place if you ever need anyone to talk with," Ettie added.

  “Denke. How did you get here today? You don't have a buggy, do you?"

  "Nee. We had Gabriel Yoder bring us here today. He drives us to the meetings sometimes too."

  "Did he leave you?"

  "Nee. He’s sitting in the buggy. He doesn't want to come in. He thinks it’s women’s talk."

  "Ettie, would you take him out some tea and cookies?"

  "Of course I will. He probably doesn't want to be around us ladies talking with no other men around." Ettie chuckled as she poured tea into a large mug to take out for him. She placed two cookies on a plate and walked outside to deliver them.

  Gabriel jumped out of the buggy when he saw her coming. "Is this for me?"

  "Jah. Mary insisted I bring something out to you. I told her not to bother." Ettie giggled.

  "I'm pleased she did.”

  "Be sure you don’t let it ruin your appetite because we might stop somewhere nice for lunch today.”

  "Don't worry about that. Nothing ever ruins my appetite."

  Ettie hurried back hoping she hadn't missed anything.

  When she sat down with the other two women, they were talking about Leonora and her quilts.

  “She entered the most beautiful quilt in the fair.” Ettie described it to them.

  “It sounds like no quilt I’ve ever seen,” Mary said before she sipped her tea.

  Ettie looked over at Elsa-May and they both knew what the other was thinking. They had to go to Leonora’s house next. Why had she been in such a hurry to remove her quilt? Was it simply for the reasons she gave, or was there an entirely different reason?

  "Where to now?" Gabriel asked when the sisters climbed back into his buggy.

  “Leonora Shroder’s haus.”

  "I thought you’d say that."

  "And why is that?" Elsa-May asked, as the horse and buggy moved forward.

  "Because everyone says she’s the best quilter in the community. So if you have any questions, she would be the right one to go to."

  "You do know that we're asking questions about a murder, don't you? And not asking questions on quilting?"

  "Jah."

  As they drove, a thought occurred to Ettie. “Elsa-May, surely they would’ve searched Greta’s house for clues. What if they missed something? They couldn’t have found anything because Kelly hasn’t mentioned anything.”

  “You’re right, Ettie. Unless he didn't tell us.”

  Gabriel held up a hand. “I can tell where this is leading. I am not driving you to Greta’s house for you to go snooping. Absolutely not! For one, it could land us into a lot of trouble. For two, it’s just not right. You barely knew the woman.”

  “We didn’t ask you to do anything of the kind,” Ettie said.

  “You were going to though, weren’t you?”

  “Just continue on to Leonora’s place, Gabriel, denke,” Elsa-Ma
y said.

  Ettie looked out the window and up at the blue sky. She had to find out what a search of Greta’s house had revealed. Surely there would’ve been clues aplenty there. If they couldn’t go to Greta’s house, they had to talk with Kelly and hope he’d tell them what he’d found.

  Chapter 15

  “Tell me again why you're going to Leonora’s? She took the quilt away instead of leaving it, right?” Gabriel asked.

  “Jah. She should’ve left it there. The place was a crime scene. Nothing should’ve been touched, much less taken from the tent. Detective Kelly blames me for not stopping her, but how could I? I'd have had to attempt to physically restrain her, and it was pretty clear she'd have resisted.”

  “I don’t see what you could’ve done, Ettie.”

  “She was more anxious than anyone to get her quilt back. I don't think she's lacking in money, so it wasn't that. It was a lovely quilt. The best I’ve seen."

  Elsa-May sighed. “Jah, Ettie, we know. You’ve said that ten times already today. 'The sky, the water, the cottage.'”

  Everyone was quiet the rest of the way to Leonora’s place. If Elsa-May was going to complain every time Ettie opened her mouth, she wouldn’t say anything. Gabriel was concentrating on driving, and after a while Elsa-May dozed off.

  When Gabriel stopped the buggy, Elsa-May woke. “Are we there yet?”

  “Jah,” Ettie said. “Denke, Gabriel. Come on, Elsa-May.” Ettie got out of the buggy and waited for Elsa-May. Together they walked the short distance to Leonora’s house.

  “I hope she’s home and this isn’t a wasted trip. Do you think we’ll get the truth out of her?" asked Elsa-May.

  "What if we pretend that we know something?"

  “But we don't know anything, and we don’t know what we don't know."

  It troubled Ettie that she understood what Elsa-May had just said. "Leave it up to me. Follow my lead."

  "I’ll do my best."

  They knocked on the door and then heard heavy footsteps. The door opened to reveal a grim-faced Leonora. “It’s you,” she said glaring at Ettie.

  “And me,” Elsa-May said.