“Okay, well I still haven’t told you the whole thing.”
Elsa-May settled back. “This’ll be good.”
“We have a rock in the park where we leave our messages and then we leave other notes about town. If we lose track of each other’s notes, we always have the park.”
Elsa-May turned to Ettie., “Perhaps it’s better if we don’t think about it too much, Ettie. It does explain the pocket in the quilt and what Martin Cruise quickly placed into his pocket.”
“Wait. He has my note?”
“I don’t know for certain. I saw him put something in his pocket, but I don’t know what it was.” Ettie wasn’t entirely convinced by her story. “Is everything you say true, Leonora?”
“It is. It’s all true and I’m a silly old woman.”
Elsa-May said, “There’s nothing silly in wanting happiness. It’s something we all want, but next time, go for the everlasting happiness, not the temporary happiness that this world has to offer.”
Leonora looked down. “You’re right, Elsa-May. I know you’re right.”
Ettie stood. “We should go now. Denke for being so honest, Leonora. I know it wasn’t easy to share all that with us just now.”
“It does feel better to get it off my chest.”
Chapter 31
"What are we doing today, Mama?" Matilda asked.
"We're going back to the quilt store."
"What for?"
"To see if they have an update of what's happening with it. I really need to sell some of my quilts, and it seems that's where everyone goes to buy their quilts."
"Is Mr. Yoder taking us there?"
"No, we can't rely on Gabriel, I mean Mr. Yoder, to take us everywhere we want to go. We’ll get a taxi into town and get one back."
"Will we get our own horse and buggy soon?"
"When we get a house we will. It won't be long."
"Are you sure you've got enough money for a house, Mama?"
Kate looked at her daughter, upset that Matilda had to worry about things like that. No child should have to worry about adult problems. "Quite sure. Now finish your breakfast."
She would never tell her daughter how much money she had, and everyone in the new community assumed she had next to nothing, but she'd sold a substantial farm and her husband had been very good with saving money. She was sure they had enough for a house, one with a stable and enough pasture for a horse, and then, money enough to open a little store somewhere. They didn't need much. She’d told Gabriel she had plenty enough money to pay the going amount of rent and he had flatly refused to charge her.
She sat down with her daughter and picked up a piece of toast and took a bite.
"Will we be able to have a pet, too?"
"Perhaps."
"A cat and a dog?"
"We'll see."
"You always say that and then I get nothing."
"That's not so. Let's just save the idea of pets until we get a place of our own, shall we?"
"What do we have to wait for? Can I ask Mr. Yoder if we can have one here?"
"Certainly not. Pets are a large responsibility and I'm not going to keep an animal in a place that’s not ours.”
Kate had the taxi bring them right to the quilt store. As she was paying the driver, she saw the councilman, Martin Cruise, walking out looking pleased with himself. When she walked into the store with Matilda, they saw a different scene—Valerie, looking close to tears. Kate couldn't ignore it; she had to ask, "Valerie, what’s wrong?"
"Someone wants to buy the building and buy me out of my lease. But Aunt Greta had another four and a half years left on the lease."
"Greta didn't own the shop?"
"No. She leased it. My sister bought the building a few years ago. She said she was buying it so my aunt would always have her store here. Shand always gets her own way."
"Your sister, the movie star?"
Valerie nodded wiping a tear out of her eye.
"Don't you have a legal lease?"
"My aunt did, but now she's dead and my sister’s lawyer said the lease is no longer valid. She said she’s selling it to a developer. I don't have a lawyer of my own to find out whether that's true or not. I can't continue on here."
"Who is it who wants to buy the building from your sister?"
"I don't know, she didn't say."
"Pardon me for asking, was the business left to both of you?”
“It was, and Shand claims our aunt was going to take a large sum of money to shut the store down to allow Shand to sell. She said the buyer was only interested if the building wasn’t tied up with leases.”
“I’m hungry, Mama.”
Katie looked down at her daughter. "Matilda, why don't you have a look at the brightly colored cartons over there? We'll figure out a snack for you as soon as I finish talking with Ms. Valerie."
"Yes, Mama."
When she was gone, Kate said, "Isn't there anything you can do?"
"Even if I had the money to buy her out of her share of the business, she wouldn't accept it because she doesn't want it to be here. She was never close to Aunt Greta. I wanted to keep this place open because it's my aunt's legacy and she had no children of her own to leave it to. I'm sure I would've enjoyed it. I've enjoyed each moment of these past days here."
"Why is she so insistent upon selling?"
"The people are offering a lot of money."
"Sometimes it's best to just go along with things that you can't fight back about. Maybe you could move the store elsewhere. Would your sister consider paying you a fee to break the lease? Perhaps enough money for you to relocate the store elsewhere?"
"Thank you, I know what you're saying and if it wasn't so important, I could have that attitude, but my aunt's gone, and this is her life's work. To think of it closing, or moving, it wouldn’t be the same. There will be nothing left of my aunt."
"Surely you'll have lovely memories of her?"
"Yes, but that's not the same. This is her business that she built from the ground up." Valerie swallowed hard. "Perhaps you’re right and I could relocate, but everyone is used to coming here. Oh dear, I'm sorry—you didn't come here to listen to my problems. What can I help you with?"
"I had come to ask you about the quilts again. The quilts that I have to sell, but it doesn't sound like you’ll be taking any more in at the moment."
"No, I won't. I won't until this whole thing is sorted out. Are you pleased you moved?"
“Yes, I am. I think this place will suit us nicely.”
"What's that you’re reading, Ettie?" Elsa-May moved to peer over her sister’s shoulder.
"It’s a letter."
"I can see that, but who's it from?"
“Janet.”
“How is she?” Elsa-May moved to her chair and started knitting.
Ettie couldn't believe what she was reading. When she came to the end of the letter, she looked up at Elsa-May. "It's from Janet."
"Jah, you said.”
"She's fine."
“Good,” Elsa-May said. “What’s bothering you?”
Ettie folded the letter in two and laid it on her lap. “Janet doesn't know a Kate Roberts who has a dochder, Matilda Roberts.”
"They must be from the other community Kate was telling you about. She said she didn’t know them, so why do you look so hot and bothered?”
"Elsa-May, there is no other community in that area. I was already sure of it, but Kate's comment made me doubt myself, but now this letter confirms it." She waved the letter in the air. "She doesn't know a Kate or Matilda Roberts, but she does know of a Kate Lapp, and she has a daughter, Matilda Lapp."
"So what? After Kate’s husband died, she probably went back to her maiden name. There's nothing wrong with that."
"Nee, there’s nothing wrong with that, but it appears her husband was murdered and there was… there is something wrong with that!"
Elsa-May dropped her knitting into her lap, wide-eyed with shock.
; Ettie continued, "There was … there was suspicion by some people that Kate did it."
Chapter 32
Elsa-May sat there with her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Finally she said, “Ettie, it's just gossip. People have too much time on their hands. Kate’s not a killer, she’s a mudder. What else did Janet say in her letter?"
"It seems Kate’s husband was poisoned. That's what the police said."
Elsa-May rubbed her chin. "Poisoned?"
"That's right."
"What was the poison?"
Ettie sighed. “I don't know. Janet didn't say. We should sort this out right now.” Ettie started to push herself to her feet. Then she sat back down. “If she’s a murderer, and if she knows that we know it, she might kill us.”
“I hardly believe she’s a killer. She only just arrived in town.”
“Jah, but think about it. Where was she when Greta was killed?”
“With me.”
“Nee, she went to the bathroom. I remember it. She left Matilda with you. I thought at the time it was strange she didn’t ask Matilda if she wanted to go too.”
“Why would she want Greta dead?”
Ettie flung her hands into the air. “Greta wouldn’t let her enter a quilt. She said it was too late to put a quilt into the competition.”
“That’s hardly reason enough.”
Ettie shook her head. “How do we know that the second kill isn’t easier than the first? If she’s done it once, she might not need a good reason to do it a second time.”
Elsa-May placed her knitting back in the bag by her feet. “There would have to be a better reason than Greta refusing to put Kate’s quilt into the competition.”
“It wasn’t only that. Remember what Kate said she wants to do here?”
“Open a quilt shop,” Elsa-May answered.
“Jah, and how many are there in town already?”
“Three.”
“We saw her on the Monday just after Greta had been murdered on Saturday, and she was coming out of Greta’s store. We saw her coming out as we were going in, remember? What if she was there to make Valerie an offer for the business? A very low offer. Probably thought she could snap it up for nothing.” Ettie clicked her fingers in the air.
“Valerie didn’t mention anything.”
“We didn’t ask. Or, perhaps she was there to find out if they were closing down. Ah, yes, that would be ideal for her. Close the doors and then she’d reopen in the very spot of the best quilt store in town and take over all Greta’s customers.”
They were both silent for a minute. “I don’t believe she could be that ruthless.”
“Criminals don’t always seem like criminals. Sometimes it’s the people you’d least suspect.”
Elsa-May clicked her tongue. “We can’t even ask Valerie anything because she asked us to leave. I should never have taken that book out of the store.”
“What’s done is done. No use worrying about it now. What we can do is go to someone who seems to know everything that’s going on. Someone who has trouble keeping her mouth closed.”
“Who? Detective Kelly?”
Ettie scowled at her sister. “Don’t you ever listen to anything I say? I said someone who has trouble keeping HER mouth shut. Detective Kelly is a man.”
“Oh, I didn’t hear that part.”
“My idea is to visit the woman from the other quilt store, Ann Maree.”
“Good idea, Ettie. Um, do I have to go with you?”
“Jah, you do. If we find out that Kate has made an offer to buy Greta’s store, that could be her motive for killing Greta.”
“And you think Ann Maree will know?”
“I do. She seems to know everything and be happy to share it.” Ettie moved to the window and looked out at the house next door. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Kate and Matilda were coming through their front gate. Had they been talking too loudly? Did Kate know they suspected her of killing Greta, and possibly, her own husband too?
Chapter 33
Ettie felt she had to act fast when she saw Matilda and Kate on the way to their front door. "Oh no, Elsa-May, they’re coming."
"Who's coming?"
"Kate and Matilda. Do you think they know that we know?"
"You're acting like Kate did something wrong."
"But she couldn't have heard, could she?” Ettie whispered.
"We don't know anything. You’re jumping to conclusions."
"Yes, you're right. She couldn't possibly know that we know anything, or rather, suspect anything. She certainly wouldn't know that I got a letter back from Janet or even that I wrote a letter to Janet."
"Exactly, so open the door and act like nothing is wrong."
"Jah, jah, good idea." Ettie walked to the door and opened it. "Kate, and Matilda, what a nice surprise, come in."
They both walked in and then Kate handed her a tray of cookies. "Matilda and I made these for you."
"How lovely," Elsa-May said, as she walked over to take the tray from them. "How about I make us some hot tea, and perhaps some hot chocolate for you, Matilda?"
"Yes please. I love hot chocolate!"
"I thought that you might. My great grandchildren all love hot chocolate. Sit down with Ettie while I boil the water.”
Ettie was shocked that her sister would leave her alone with Kate. She felt very uncomfortable as she sat down with Matilda and Kate. "Well, what have you both been up to?"
"We’ve been baking cookies. And we went visiting today and I met a new friend."
"Ach, that's wonderful. I knew it wouldn't take you long to make new friends."
Matilda spotted Snowy on his dog bed and slid off the couch to play with him.
"Yes, and that's changed her mood entirely. To thank Elsa-May for her little talk with her, we decided to make you the cookies. And to thank you too, as well."
Ettie gulped. “What have I done?"
"You’ve been supportive and a good friend."
Ettie smiled and then they both watched Matilda play with Snowy until Elsa-May came out with hot chocolate and pot of hot tea. While the tea was steeping, Ettie offered Matilda a cookie.
Matilda stretched out her hand to take one, but Kate said, "No, you're not allowed to have more. You’ve had too many at home."
"But Mama, you said I could have one."
"And you had more than one." She said to the ladies, "I don't like her having too many cookies. It will spoil her appetite for dinner."
"What about you?" Ettie asked as she held at the plate of cookies to Kate.
"No, I really don't care for cookies. I enjoyed making them, but I'm not a real cookie eater."
Ettie placed the cookies back on the coffee table, now quite convinced they were poisoned since Kate hadn't taken one and wouldn’t let Matilda have one.
“What about me, Ettie?” Elsa-May stared at the cookies. Then she reached forward to take one.
All of a sudden Ettie picked up the plate and whisked it away. "You remember what the doctor said about you eating cookies?"
"The doctor didn't say anything about cookies."
"No, but these fall into the kind of foods he was talking about. The same group of foods that you shouldn’t touch.”
"That was a long time ago, Ettie."
"Still, it pays to be careful."
"Ettie, one cookie wouldn't hurt, surely," Kate said.
Kate's comment confirmed everything to Ettie. "All the same, we might enjoy these later, after our dinner, if that's all right with you, Kate."
"Of course. They’re yours to do with what you will."
"I'll just put them in the kitchen out of harm's way for the moment." Ettie walked them into the kitchen and then came and sat back down with the others.
"I have heard you saying you have a friend now, Matilda. Tell us, who might that be?" Elsa-May sipped on her tea.
"It's the bishop’s granddaughter, Kathryn," Kate spoke for her daughter.
"Ah, that's right. Kathryn'
s about your age, Matilda. And she would have a lot of friends as well and those friends will become your friends."
Ettie smiled at Matilda, who looked pleased with what Elsa-May said, but her mother didn't look pleased. Probably because they hadn't eaten any of the cookies.
Snowy walked up to Matilda, who was now drinking the hot chocolate. He gave her leg a licking. Matilda giggled. “He licked me. It tickles! I really like your puppy.”
“He wants you to keep playing with him,” Ettie said.
"He's not a puppy, he's a full-grown dog," said Elsa-May.
"Oh. He's lovely." Matilda got back down on the floor and patted Snowy.
"We had a few animals that we had to leave behind. That's another thing that Matilda was upset about, but I think she’ll be fine now. She can see that she can make friends here and still have her old ones back home."
"Do you miss your old home?” Ettie asked, fishing for information.
"I do, but I think a new start was best for us."
"Jah, a new start is always a good idea," Elsa-May agreed.
Ettie took a sip of tea wondering what to say to make conversation. She couldn’t ask the woman about her name change, or about her husband’s death. "How is your quilt-making coming along, Kate?"
"I sew every day. Whenever I can, really."
Elsa-May slurped her tea. "Ettie started on a quilt."
"Did you, Ettie?"
"Jah. I was inspired by seeing all the beautiful quilts at the fair and visiting Greta’s shop."
"Yes, she has a lovely shop."
"And you would like to have one like that one of these days, would you, Kate?" Ettie studied Kate’s face. She didn’t look guilty in the slightest. How many more people had to die? Greta said no to her, perhaps her husband had also said no?
"Yes, I'd like nothing more than to own a little store. I always find that whatever is meant to come to me, will come to me. I did go back to Greta’s store today because I have some quilts I need to sell. Valerie wasn’t in a good state.”
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 7 Page 40