Chapter 22
As soon as Ettie and Elsa-May arrived at Valerie's house, Ettie went straight up to Valerie. If they were going to be sent home, it was better that they found out at the start. It was the right thing to do to ask Valerie if she minded if they were there. Everyone had been invited, but Ettie wasn’t so sure if she’d meant them.
Ettie found Valerie in the living room near large glass doors that opened onto a colorful cottage garden. Being spring, it was in full bloom. She waited until Valerie stopped talking to the person she was speaking with, and then she stepped forward. "Valerie, I know we got off on the wrong foot the other day, but I'm hoping that you don't mind my sister and me being here. We really do want to pay our respects to your dear aunt.”
"I appreciate that. That is fine. I don't mind you being here since you knew my aunt. As you can see, many of your Amish friends are here also."
"That's right."
“I must say, I don’t know what your sister was thinking, taking my book to the library like that, and you must’ve been involved.”
“We just … we just …” Ettie could not think of a reasonable excuse. “I’m sorry.”
Valerie looked in Elsa-May’s direction to see her standing with Kate. "Is Kate a friend of yours?"
“You know her?”
“I do. She came to the store the other day.”
"That’s right. We saw her leaving. She's new to the community. She's just moved next door to my sister and me."
"Yes, she said she was new. She wanted to put her quilts in the store, but I did have to explain to her that I couldn't take on any more at the moment."
"That's quite understandable under the circumstances."
"Help yourself to a drink and something to eat. I do have to get around and speak with everyone."
"I will, thank you.” Ettie heaved a sigh of relief when Valerie walked away. Ettie felt better for apologizing for what they’d done.
Elsa-May came hurrying over. “Guess what I heard.”
“What?”
“The councilor has decided to hold an event to give out the prizes that weren’t awarded from the fair.”
“That’s good. I thought they might have to have a do-over.”
“You don’t look very pleased. He said there’ll be fireworks and everything.”
“I don’t like fireworks and neither do you.”
“I do like them. It’s just that Snowy doesn’t. We’ll be home well before that anyway. There will be stalls and rides for the kiddies. Kate is taking Matilda. At least now the people who won the various divisions in the cookie contest will be awarded their medals.”
Ettie pressed her lips together. She didn’t need to be reminded that she’d missed out on being a cookie judge.
“And we have to go there to support the fair. The money raised is for a good cause.”
“Okay, I’ll go, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m not staying for the fireworks.”
“You just don’t want to go because you won’t be presenting the cookie prize.”
“Who will be presenting it?”
Elsa-May wrung her hands. “They asked me to do it.”
Ettie’s mouth dropped open. “It’s just not right. It should’ve been me.”
“I knew you’d say that. You can do it. I don’t mind. I don’t mind at all. It’s just that ...”
“Just that what?”
“Just that you didn’t judge them so it might be a little weird that you present the prize.”
“If they’ve asked you then you should do it.”
“Okay then. As long as you’re sure you don’t mind?”
“I don’t mind at all,” Ettie repeated trying to hide her disappointment.
“Next time you might remember what color tent you’re supposed to go into.”
That was a jibe Ettie didn’t need. “Let’s just focus on the reason we’re here. I had to apologize to Valerie. She’s okay with us being here for Greta’s sake, but I don’t think we’ll ever be welcome back at Greta’s quilt store.”
Elsa-May took a sip of her soda.
“Kelly was only there for the ceremony. I did want to ask him more about Mondo.”
“I doubt he would’ve told you anything. He didn’t even look over at us or acknowledge us. I also don’t know why Kate had to come to the funeral and drag young Matilda along with her. The girl didn’t even go to her father’s funeral so why go to someone else’s?”
“I thought that too, but didn’t like to say anything. The first funeral she has attended is that of an Englisher.”
“What should we do now, Ettie?”
“We should talk to people and see if we can find out more about Mondo, or the councilor, and …” Ettie tapped on her chin. “That’ll do it for now.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to the councilor.”
Before Ettie could stop her, she was on her way. The only thing Ettie could do was follow her. She didn’t mean for her to talk to Martin Cruise, just ask people about him.
“Martin,” Elsa-May called across the room.
He looked up and smiled. “Yes?”
“Hello, I have heard talk that you’re somehow involved in the sale of a building. A proposed sale of the building where Greta had …”
Ettie dug her sister in the ribs. “Look at the asparagus rolls, don’t they look delicious?”
“Excuse me, Ettie, I’m talking.”
The councilor looked bothered, “This is not the time or place to discuss matters of that kind.”
“Come along, Elsa-May. Let’s try some of the delicious looking mini pastry rolls. Looks like they’re filled with sausage.”
Elsa-May frowned at her sister as she was dragged away. “What did you do that for?”
“You were supposed to ask about him behind his back. Not ask him anything outright. Now he knows we’re onto something and if he is the murderer, he’ll cover his tracks better.”
“Why didn’t you say so?”
Ettie felt a headache coming on. “I didn’t think I’d need to. What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m only trying to help you.”
“Try less, follow instructions better.”
Elsa-May nodded. “That’s just the problem you see. You need to be clearer.”
“Jah, I will be very clear next time. I’ll tell you what, you ask around—discretely—about who helped Greta out around her place. Did any odd jobs, lawn mowing and the like. Hopefully someone will mention the young man who mowed her lawn, got it?”
“Got it.” Elsa-May looked back at the table, reached over and grabbed a pastry roll. “You’re right, Ettie. They do look delicious.” She popped the entire mini roll into her mouth, dusted off her hands and walked into the crowd.
Ettie leaned against the table feeling exhausted.
“Are you okay, Ettie?”
She turned around to see Kate.
“I’m fine. I’m just not as young as I used to be.”
“Can I get you something?”
“A soda would be nice.”
“Sure. Come along, Matilda.” Kate grabbed Matilda’s hand and they walked over to the drinks table.
While they were gone, Ettie thought more about Kate. She didn’t want her to be a murderer, but she had a motive, albeit a flimsy one. What would happen to Matilda if Kate had killed Greta? Ettie pushed that crazy thought out of her mind. So what if Janet didn’t know her? If Kate had lied about where she was from that didn’t make her a killer, just a fibber.
Kate and Matilda came back and Ettie was handed a soda.
“Mrs. Smith, they’re going to have the fair again, have you heard?”
“Yes, I have. That is exciting.”
“Are you going?”
“I am.” Ettie looked around to see who she could speak with. She spotted Elsa-May talking with someone she didn’t recognize and hoped she was getting information not just talking about the weather. Then there were a group of people hovering around the famous Shand
Hollows.
“Mrs. Smith, what are you looking at?”
Ettie smiled and looked down at her. “I’m just looking at my sister and hoping she’s behaving herself.”
Matilda giggled. “She’s too old to misbehave.”
“Not always, Matilda.”
Ettie couldn’t get away because Matilda and Kate kept talking with her. Her hopes lay with Elsa-May.
Finally the two of them left her to move to a table to get another juice drink for Matilda at the same time as Elsa-May made her way back to Ettie.
“What did you find out?” Ettie held her breath hoping it was something.
“The two of them were left a sizeable trust fund.”
“The two nieces?”
“Yes. Not only that, Shand owns the building. It seems she’s the one who would benefit from the sale and she was the one offering her aunt a payout to break the lease and move her shop elsewhere.”
“Ah, good work.”
“Denke.”
Ettie looked over at Shand, who was enjoying all the attention. Then her gaze traveled to Martin Cruise. “Martin must’ve known that Shand owned the building. He’s trying to help her get the tenants to forgo their leases so she can sell the building for a higher sum.”
“It seems like it, and was she giving him a payout to help her?”
“Maybe and he also might’ve been taking a payout from the buyer.”
“I wonder then, Ettie, if you saw him putting money in his pocket at the fair. Money that someone might’ve hidden in a pocket?”
“Oh, you don’t think that our old friend Leonora is involved do you?”
Elsa-May adjusted her prayer kapp. “Probably not. I don’t think she would have the money to buy a building in town and further develop it. You’re right about that, so forget what I said.”
“I do agree with you about one thing, Elsa-May. I do think Martin Cruise is corrupt. We just have to prove it. He’s shifty. We’ll have to talk with Shand.”
“We can’t possibly do that. She’s surrounded by people all the time, not to mention the two bodyguards.”
“They can’t be with her all the time. We’ll wait. It might not be today, but I will talk with her.”
The two sisters had to stop their conversation when Kate and Matilda walked back to them.
Chapter 23
When Gabriel was driving them all home, Matilda asked her mother, “What does famous mean?"
"In what way?" Kate asked.
"I'm always hearing people say someone is famous. What does that mean exactly?"
Elsa-May said, "You must be talking about Shand?"
"That's right. Everyone is saying she's famous."
"It means that many people know her from all over the world."
"Why make all the fuss?"
"Well, because so many people know her, she's in high demand to go to events. That's why everybody was excited about her coming back and going to the fireworks when we’re having the re-do of the fair."
"It’s a shame she wasn’t at the first fair. It would’ve boosted the numbers,” said Ettie.
"Yeah, she was there. I saw her."
Ettie nearly stopped breathing. "You saw her?"
"No, Matilda. She wasn’t there. You must've just seen someone who looks like her, because she wasn't there."
"I remember her. Except one thing was different.”
"What was that?" asked Elsa-May.
“The only thing was that she was wearing clothes like us."
"That can't be right," said Elsa-May. "She wouldn't be wearing clothes like us because she's not Amish."
"It was her. I know what I saw."
"Okay, it doesn't matter. Don't carry on about it," Kate said. “Remember what I told you about telling stories?"
"It wasn't a lie, Mama."
Her mother put her finger up to her mouth. "Not another word,"
“Yes, Mama."
When they got back to their house, Ettie was still troubled by what she'd heard. "Do you believe what Matilda says she saw, Elsa-May?"
Elsa-May scoffed. "No, why would Shand have been at the fair?"
"To poison her aunt."
"Exactly, and why do it herself and risk being seen?”
"For reasons we haven't figured out yet."
"It doesn't make sense. With all her money, she could’ve paid someone to kill her aunt."
“Maybe she tried. Maybe she tried to pay Mondo and he didn’t do it right.”
"You know what we need to do, Elsa-May?"
"I’ll do anything except visit Detective Kelly again."
"That's just what I was about to suggest. We must go and see what he's found out before we work through our list of people. There’s no point wasting our time before we’re updated with what Kelly has done.”
“Okay.” Elsa-May’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not happy about it. I might stay in the waiting room while you see him. Now, what about that quilt? Have you already given up before you’ve even started?”
“I’ll start as soon as I can. When I get the fabric. I’ll start.”
“You haven’t started a quilt. If you don’t start something, you’ll never finish it.”
Ettie huffed in frustration. “Stop harping on at me. I’ll make a decision on the pattern tonight and I’ll get the fabric tomorrow. We’ll go back to Ann Maree’s store.”
“Good.”
“Let’s put my quilt aside for one minute. What do we know so far about who might have killed Greta? Who are our suspects?” Ettie asked. “Greta was strangled. Martin Cruise puts something in his pocket and Leonora took her quilt out of the way. She could’ve been hiding something in the quilt.”
“Shand Hollows might’ve been wearing Amish clothes at the fair. If she was doing that, she was doing it for a reason. To kill her aunt with her own hands.”
“If you can believe a ten-year-old.”
“I do, though, Ettie. The more I think about it, I do. I also overheard where Shand is staying. You said you wanted to talk to her.”
“How did you find that out?”
Elsa-May tugged at her ears. “I listen with these.”
“I’ll ask her if she killed her aunt.”
“That’s silly. If she did, she’s not going to tell you.”
“That’s why we need to be smart about this. We need to trap her into confessing.” Ettie drummed her fingertips against her chin.
“How?”
“Elsa-May, something clever can’t be thought up that quickly.”
“We don’t have much time if she’s leaving soon.”
“You’re right. We’ll have to go there now.”
“Right now?”
“Jah, unless … you have something better to do?”
“My knitting. At least I won’t be arrested for staying at home knitting. You do know they can arrest you for harassing people nowadays, don’t you?”
“We’ve got to do something. If you don’t go with me, I’ll go alone.”
Elsa-May rolled her eyes, and muttered, “I don’t know how I’ll ever get my knitting finished.”
Chapter 24
That evening while they were riding in the taxi, Elsa-May leaned over and asked, “What is her name again?"
"It's Shand Hollows, Elsa-May."
"That's strange because her sister's name is Valerie George."
"I would say it's a stage name. All actors and actresses have stage names."
Elsa-May shook her head. "Not all of them would.”
“You’re right not all, but it’s not uncommon.”
“Couldn't they have thought of something better than Shand Hollows? I’ve never heard of a first name of Shand."
"I don't know. It obviously worked because she's famous."
Elsa-May smiled. "You're right about that. It’s a unique name.”
"We’ve moved past talking about the name.”
“Exactly how do you plan to go about this?"
Ettie bit her lip. "I don't k
now.”
"Please don't do anything that will get you into trouble with the police. We have no proof that she did it."
"Of course I won't and that’s why we’re here, hoping she’ll confess. I don't know how you could say anything of the kind."
"It wouldn't be the first time."
"I’ve never been in trouble with the police that I can think of."
“You’ve gotten into trouble with Kelly plenty of times. You’ve probably blocked everything out. You only see what suits you."
Ettie leaned over from the back seat of the taxi. “Just let us out here please.” After Ettie paid the driver, they walked a few doors up to the bed-and-breakfast. In the closest parking spot to the door, a man was sitting in a car reading the paper.
"He looks like a bodyguard," Elsa-May whispered.
"Yes, she probably has a few of those. I don't think he'll be suspicious of a couple of old ladies walking in.” Ettie poked her sister in the ribs. “Stop looking at him."
Ettie pulled on Elsa-May's sleeve and soon they were inside the B&B. While Elsa-May stayed near the doorway, Ettie went forward and saw a man walking out of a room.
"Miss,” he said trying to gain her attention.
Ettie looked up at him. “Yes?”
“Miss Shand would like some more clean towels please."
"Certainly. I'll get some right away for her."
"Thank you.” Then he walked out of the front door.
Ettie couldn’t see Elsa-May anywhere. “Typical. If I need something done, I have to do it myself.” Ettie looked everywhere for towels. When she didn’t see any, she walked into a guest room, saw it was empty, and took out some towels.
Then she realized she didn’t know what room Shand was in. When she went back to the reception area with the towels under her arm, Elsa-May was sitting behind the desk. Looking up at her, Elsa-May said, “She’s in room nine.”
"Where are all the staff, Elsa-May? And where were you just now?”
“Just hurry. There are two bodyguards outside. Hurry before they come back.”
“Unless she’s got another guard in her room.” Ettie looked up the hallway.
“Go on. If you’re going to do it, now’s the time. Off you go. I'll be waiting here and I’ll whistle if I see anyone coming."
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 7 Page 37