Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 3

by Samantha Price

  "You already mentioned the tape business, but I feel we should start there. Even if we can't get in, there might be people hanging around—like neighbors we can talk with."

  "I guess that's as good a place as any to start."

  The taxi pulled up at Paula’s house, and it was just as the sisters had expected. There was yellow crime scene tape criss-crossed in front of the house, along with a string of police cars parked outside.

  "You can drop us here," Ettie said to the taxi driver.

  When they'd paid the driver, they walked out to join a crowd of people who had gathered to watch what the police were doing.

  They noticed Elizabeth Esh outside the house next door. Elizabeth waved to them.

  With her elbow, Ettie jabbed Elsa-May in her side. “Let’s go over and ask Elizabeth if she saw anything.”

  Ettie scurried off and Elsa-May did her best to keep up with her.

  "Hello, have you heard?" Elizabeth asked the sisters when they walked through her front gate.

  "Jah, we heard; that's why we’re here.” Elsa-May joined Elizabeth just outside her front door and Ettie wasn’t far behind her.

  "Did you see or hear what happened, Elizabeth?" Ettie asked.

  "I was the one who called the police and the ambulance."

  "Did you see who did this to her?" Ettie asked.

  "I saw her. She stepped out of the haus and then collapsed on the ground. I ran to her and I thought she was dead. She had passed out, so I ran back to Mr Grayson's haus and asked him to call 911."

  Ettie knew that Mr Grayson lived a few doors down.

  "Are you all right, Elizabeth?" Elsa-May asked.

  "I am, but I feel a bit shaky."

  “How about Elsa-May and I make you a cup of hot tea?"

  Elizabeth nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Let’s all go inside and have some tea."

  When they were seated with tea in front of them, Elizabeth told them what she knew. “It was in the early hours of the morning. I had just woken up and I was putting the pot on to boil in the kitchen like I usually do, and I just happened to look outside and I saw her. I have a clear view of the front of her haus from my kitchen window."

  "Did you see anyone before that, or hear any cars?" Ettie asked before she took a mouthful of tea.

  "I heard nothing at all and I saw nothing. Have you heard how she is?"

  "She’s in critical condition. The detective we talked with this morning said she might not make it.”

  "We must pray for her."

  "Jah, we will keep praying. After we spoke to the detective this morning, he was going to the bishop's haus to see if he could find details of any of Paula’s relatives or friends."

  "Would you happen to know of any?" Elsa-May asked Elizabeth.

  “Or did she still keep company with Englischers?” Ettie asked.

  "I don't know her that well. I see her to wave to every day, and she pops over for a cup of tea every now and again. I've never asked her about her past. The old things are passed away, and all things have become new. Why talk about the past when it’s dead and buried?"

  The sisters murmured in agreement.

  "So you're helping the police again, Ettie?" Elizabeth asked.

  "The detective asked me to help him. He has the problem that no one in the community will speak with him."

  "There's not much difference talking with him or talking to you, is there? If you are just going to repeat everything to him that people tell you."

  "I don't see it that way," Ettie said.

  "We’re only trying to help people, Elizabeth. It's not as though we get people into trouble by helping the detective. So far the outcomes have been helpful to the community, and many times Ettie’s helped keep community members out of jail when they’ve been falsely accused.”

  “Well, not just me, Elsa-May. I’ve only played a small part,” Ettie said. “Other people have helped.”

  "Of course you'd see things that way, Elsa-May," Elizabeth said. "You're like an informant, Ettie."

  Ettie pulled her mouth to one side, not liking what her friend said.

  Elizabeth continued, "Everyone in the community knows you’re friendly with that detective fellow. What's his name—Crawly?”

  “Crowley, and he’s retired. The current one is Detective Kelly." Ettie figured it was time to go and she gave her sister a nod.

  Elsa-May drained her teacup. “It was a good thing you saw Paula when you did. From the sounds of it, she might not have survived if you hadn't been so quick to call 911."

  “Gott was watching over her,” Elizabeth responded.

  "Denke for the tea, Elizabeth, but we’ve got a bit to do today, so we better get going."

  "What are you going to do today?" Elizabeth asked.

  "We’ve got a few errands to run," Elsa-May said.

  "Did you know any of Paula’s friends or family?” Ettie thought she might as well ask once again. “I heard that she had her bruder visit her recently.”

  "There’s always a man coming to visit her, and he’s an Englischer. I didn't take too much notice. He could be her bruder. Why do you ask?”

  Ettie didn’t want to say that she was asking to help the detective out. She didn't want another lecture from Elizabeth. "I'm just wondering who might have done this to her."

  "It's not our business, is it, Ettie, to go poking around in people's lives?"

  "If you hadn't interfered in Paula's life she might not be alive today," Elsa-May said. “You poked around in her life by calling 911. Let’s put things into perspective.”

  "I never poked around in anyone’s life. I was helping Paula by calling the paramedics.”

  "You called 911. That's kind of like poking around in someone's life; you didn't just leave her there to die."

  "That's two very different things, Elsa-May." Elizabeth rose to her feet and Ettie and Elsa-May knew they had worn out their welcome.

  "Thank you for the tea, Elizabeth," Ettie said.

  "You’re welcome."

  Ettie and Elsa-May picked up their tea cups.

  “Just leave them there. I’ll clear up,” Elizabeth said.

  When they were outside in the street, Ettie turned to her sister. "She wasn't any help whatsoever.”

  "Nee! She seemed annoyed with you, Ettie. What did you do to upset her?"

  "I don't know if I've done anything to upset the woman." Ettie looked over at the small crowd of onlookers still outside Paula’s house. "Let's see what we can overhear. If we just stand amongst them, we might be able to hear something useful."

  "It's worth a try I suppose."

  As soon as they approached the crowd, everyone started moving away.

  "There’s nothing to see here ladies," a police officer said as he walked over near them.

  Ettie looked up at him. "We know the woman who lives here. She’s a friend of ours."

  "Is that so? We might need to speak with you, then." He pulled out a pad and a pen from his shirt pocket. "What's your name?"

  Elsa-May responded, "We’ve already got an appointment to see Detective Kelly later this afternoon."

  He closed his notepad and put it back into his pocket along with his pen. "Very good."

  "What happened here?" Ettie asked.

  "I can tell you the same thing Detective Kelly will tell you this afternoon. Someone wanted your friend dead." The man turned to walk away.

  Ettie took a step toward him. "Did the technicians find any evidence?"

  He turned back, and smiled at her. "I can't tell you that, I'm sorry, Mrs?"

  "Mrs. Smith."

  "I can't tell you that, Mrs. Smith.”

  “And you are?”

  “Senior Constable Barker.” He gave her and Elsa-May a nod, and then walked to a police car and got in the passenger seat.

  "You weren’t exactly subtle, Ettie."

  "I stopped being subtle ten years ago."

  Elsa-May chuckled. “Where will we go now?”

  “I’m not cer
tain. No one’s being very helpful.”

  “Well you're the person who usually knows what's going on in the community, Ettie, and if you don't know very much about this woman who would? Who is she friends with?"

  “The Lapps would probably know her best, but I don’t want to be the one to tell them someone attacked Paula and put her in the hospital.”

  “It's not as though she’s dead."

  “I suppose you’re right. Let’s go visit the Lapps, then.” Ettie walked off.

  "Ettie, where are you going? There’s a public phone back this way to call for the taxi.” When Ettie didn't answer her, Elsa-May hurried to catch up with her.

  Ettie rapped on the window of the police car causing Senior Constable Barker to roll down the window. "Would you be going back to the police station now? When you leave here?”

  "Yes. Do you want us to take you to speak with Detective Kelly now?"

  Ettie screwed up her nose. "He said he wanted to see us later in the afternoon and he'll get cranky if we turn up any earlier. I was wondering if you would take us somewhere else. It's on the way."

  He smiled. “Cranky, eh? Can't have that. Certainly, we can give you a ride. My partner will only be two minutes.” He got out and opened the back door for them.

  Once they were seated in the car, Ettie gave Elsa-May a huge smile, leaned in and whispered, “It beats paying for a taxi."

  Elsa-May smiled. “I have to agree with that.”

  The officer got back into the front passenger seat. "So you knew this lady well?" he asked them.

  “She’s relatively new to our community, but we had gotten to know her reasonably well."

  "That's why the detective wants to talk to us; to see if we can help him in any way," Elsa-May added.

  Another officer got into the driver’s seat and turned around to look at the elderly ladies.

  Senior Constable Barker laughed. “We’ve got a couple of passengers."

  "I can see that, but where are we taking them?" the officer asked.

  Ettie leaned forward. “It’s on the way. We need to visit someone to help with the information we’re to give Detective Kelly later today. Just start driving back to your police station and I’ll let you know when we get closer.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” The officer started the engine. “But don’t ask me to put the siren on.”

  Ettie and Elsa-May giggled like a couple of girls.

  After the sisters had been dropped off at the end of the long driveway at the Lapps’ property, they began the trek up the driveway.

  “This is such a long walk. I never realized this before.”

  “When was the last time we visited them?" Ettie asked.

  "It would be some time. We didn't bring anything with us."

  "There’s nothing we can do about that now. We couldn’t ask the police to drive us to a bakery and bring us back here.”

  “I hope you’re going to do all the talking, Ettie.”

  "If you let me I will. You tend to interrupt me at the very worst times.”

  "Nee. You usually do that to me."

  Ettie gritted her teeth. "I’ll talk and you can fill in things that I leave out."

  "I suppose we’ll have to tell them what happened to her, first off,” Elsa-May said.

  “We, or me?” Ettie asked.

  “You. I’ll keep quiet. I hope Paula’s okay.”

  "Yes, I do, too. Don't forget the main reason we're here is to find out who Paula was friendly with. We’ll most likely have to find the people they mention, whether they are friends or familye.”

  "Got it."

  When they reached the house, there was no sign of anyone about.

  “Knock on the door and see if anyone’s home," Elsa-May ordered.

  Ettie knocked on the door and waited a while. When no one answered, she pushed the door open. "Hello! Hello, is anyone home?"

  Elsa-May passed Ettie and walked into the living room. Ettie followed. They stood still and looked around.

  “There’s no one home," Elsa-May said.

  "What do we do now?"

  "I suppose we’ll have to think of someone else to ask about Paula.”

  Ettie suggested, “We’ll call for a taxi and then while we’re waiting for it, we’ll figure out what to do next."

  They closed the door and headed to the barn where they knew the Lapps’ had their phone.

  When they pushed the door of the barn open, the interior was so dark that they could barely see.

  “Push the other door open, Ettie.”

  “What? The other door?”

  “Jah.”

  Just as Ettie pushed the second of the side-by-side barn doors open, a deep voice boomed from somewhere within the barn. “Who’s there?”

  Ettie and Elsa-May jumped.

  “It’s Ettie and Elsa-May,” Ettie said.

  “Who is it?” the monotone voice asked again.

  Ettie knew it was the Lapp’s nineteen-year-old son, Obadiah. “Obadiah, it’s Ettie Smith and Elsa-May Lutz.”

  Obadiah stepped into the shaft of light coming in through the doors and lighting the darkness of the barn. He was a simple boy and they knew he had various learning difficulties.

  “Obadiah! You gave us quite a fright,” Elsa-May said.

  "We were looking for your mudder and vadder. Do you know where they are?"

  “They’re at the hospital. My girlfriend is in the hospital."

  "Your girlfriend?” Ettie asked.

  Elsa-May took a step toward him. “You mean Paula?"

  "Yep!"

  "Paula is your girlfriend?" Ettie asked, amazed. It was possible, she realized, that Paula knew nothing of this.

  "Yep."

  Elsa-May asked, "How did your parents know Paula was in the hospital?"

  "Someone hit her. On her head." He rapped his knuckles on his head.

  "Jah, we heard about that and that's dreadful news, but who told them about Paula?"

  "I got a phone call."

  "Who called you?"

  He shook his head. “Dunno.”

  "Is it okay if we use the phone to call a taxi?" Ettie asked.

  He nodded and continued to stare at them, as Ettie pulled Elsa-May’s sleeve so she’d go with her to the corner of the barn where the phone was.

  Chapter 3

  Ettie and Elsa-May filled in time around town, and before they knew it, it was late afternoon. They made their way to the station to see Detective Kelly.

  When the sisters were seated in front of the detective, Elsa-May asked, “How is Paula?"

  "Her condition remains unchanged.” He breathed out heavily and placed his elbows on his desk. “Did you manage to find out anything for me?"

  “We talked to the neighbor, Elizabeth, but she didn’t tell us much.”

  “She’s the one who called 911?” Kelly asked.

  Ettie and Elsa-May nodded.

  "That is disappointing.”

  “Yes, it is,” Ettie had to agree.

  “I thought you of all people would be able to get information from her, Ettie."

  "She seemed rather hostile for some reason."

  “Elizabeth told us that Paula had a man who often visited her, but I guess she’d already told you that,” Elsa-May said.

  “It was the fellow on the other side who told my officers about the frequent visitor, Mr… something starting with G, I think, if I can trust my memory.” He rustled through his paperwork. “I’ll find it later.”

  Ettie said, “There’s Mr. Grayson who lives a few doors down from our friend, Elizabeth, but I don’t know the man who lives directly on the other side of Paula. Elizabeth called 911 from Mr. Grayson’s phone.”

  “No, it wasn’t a Mr. Grayson. It’s in my paperwork—somewhere.” He looked back up at the sisters. “Can you go back and speak with Elizabeth some more tomorrow?”

  “Why?” Elsa-May asked.

  “Sometimes when people have time to cool down and think about things they can rethink their re
luctance to speak. I’m certain she knows more than she’s said. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so uncooperative."

  "I don’t see that it will do any good,” Ettie said, trying to work out what Detective Kelly meant by his last comment. It didn’t make sense.

  Elsa-May leaned forward. "What did your team find out from the evidence?"

  “Firstly, there are the fingerprints on the tire iron, which was obviously the murder weapon that was left behind. The locket we found suggests a female perpetrator, and then there was the information we got from the non-Amish man living on the other side of Paula."

  "And what did he say?" Elsa-May asked.

  “Detective Kelly just told us that,” Ettie said.

  “It’s okay, Ettie, it’s a lot to take in.” Kelly turned to Elsa-May. “He was the one who told us that Paula had a regular male visitor. You already know what happened when we questioned Elizabeth.” He chuckled.

  Elsa-May puffed out her cheeks. "I’m glad it wasn't only us she didn’t want to speak with."

  "You mentioned that Paula couldn't have any visitors in the hospital, but when we went to visit the Lapps, their youngest son told us that his parents were at the hospital visiting her."

  "She's had no visitors. They might have tried to see her, but they wouldn’t have had any luck. You say their son told you?"

  "That’s right, and he thinks he’s Paula’s boyfriend.” Ettie giggled.

  The detective leaned forward and clasped his hands on the desk in front of him. "Is that so?"

  Ettie frowned, not liking the way the detective was appearing interested in the boy. "Yes, but you said yourself it was a female perpetrator."

  "At this stage, it looks that way, but it's early days yet." The detective leaned back in the chair. “What did you say his name was?”

  “Ettie didn’t say what his name was.”

  Ettie frowned at Elsa-May. There was no point getting on the wrong side of the detective. “His name is Obadiah Lapp.”

  Elsa-May added, “Don’t go thinking Obadiah would be Paula’s boyfriend. It would all be in his mind. He’s a simple boy with the mind of a ten-year-old.”

  “According to my officers, Paula had a regular male visitor.”

  “An Amish one?” Ettie asked.

  “No, but an Amish man could’ve dressed in other clothes if he’d had ill intent.”