Elsa-May said, “Give him an hour, or so, and then try him again.”
Ettie nodded. “Jah. That’s what I was going to do.” Ettie hit her head. “Ava, we forgot about looking up to find out more about Georgina Avery’s death.”
“I totally forgot about it. I’ve had my mind on the wedding. I’ll go to the library tomorrow and look it up on the computer.”
“Would you?” Ettie asked.
Ava nodded.
Later that evening, Ettie got through to Detective Kelly and told him that they had seen Melissa Avery and one of those men who were in the photos he’d showed her earlier that day. He asked her which one, but she wasn’t able to describe him well enough for him to determine the man’s name. Detective Kelly asked her to come in at twelve the next day.
Chapter 16.
When Ettie woke the next morning, she remembered she had that second appointment with Brandy Winnie, the realtor, at the house.
Ettie sat up and yawned, and then she swung her feet over the side of the bed and attempted to slide them into her slippers. When she could only feel one, she looked over the side of the bed for the other. She stood up after placing her foot in the sole slipper, and looked under the bed. Ettie always wore soft slippers in the house rather than going barefoot on the floorboards.
There was only one place her slipper could be. She walked out to the living room wearing one slipper and saw Snowy munching on her other fluffy slipper. Elsa-May was knitting beside him.
“Elsa-May, can’t you see he’s chewing on my slipper?”
Elsa-May glanced down. “Jah. Sorry about that.”
“Well, why didn’t you stop him?”
Elsa-May looked at Ettie over the top of her glasses. “It was too late. When I came out this morning, he’d already ruined it. I figured if I let him keep chewing on it, that would save something else in the haus from being ruined.”
Ettie groaned and put her hands on her hips.
Elsa-May smiled, seemingly calm about Ettie’s slipper being torn to shreds. “I’ve got a spare pair in my cupboard you can have.”
“Denke.” Ettie went to her sister’s cupboard and pulled out the slippers and stuck her feet into them, after kicking off her now-partnerless slipper. “These will do.”
The two sisters went into the kitchen for breakfast.
“I’ve got that second appointment with Brandy today at the haus. Do you want to come?”
Elsa-May shook her head.
“Then after that, I’m going to see Detective Kelly to tell him which one of those men I saw with Melissa Avery.”
“Okay, then I’ll cook the evening meal.”
“Only if you feel up to it.”
“I’m better, nothing wrong with me. I’m getting exercise like the doctor said, so no need to worry.”
* * *
“Hello again, Ettie.” Brandy Winnie was as bubbly as ever.
Ettie waited for her at the front door. “Hello. Come in, Brandy.”
“Lovely day, isn’t it?”
“It’s a bit chilly, so I suppose if you like the chilly weather, it’s a lovely day.”
“Oh yes. I love the cold; I love sitting cozy in front of an open fire sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows.”
“Yes that does sound good,” Ettie said.
As soon as Brandy walked in, she said, “Have you decided to go ahead and sell?”
“Yes I will sell it, but I don’t want anything to be finalized until after my young friend moves out. I’ve only bought one house in my life and that was with my sister, Elsa-May. I lived in my parents’ home, and then I went straight into my husband’s house.”
“That’s exactly why you have me. I’ll fix up all those details and handle everything for you.” Brandy pulled paperwork from her briefcase. “I’ll just explain the listing procedure, and then, if you’re happy with that you can sign the paperwork.”
“We better go sit down at the table,” Ettie said.
“That brings up a question. Are you planning to sell the furniture with the house?”
“No,” Ettie answered. “There are pieces I think I'd like to keep, and I might give others to my friend when she gets married.”
Fifteen minutes of explaining later, Ettie signed the paperwork. “That’s a relief. But I hope you do get a good price for it. Not for myself; it was my dear friend’s house and it seems such a waste if I don’t get a good price for it just because someone was murdered here.”
“Yes, I quite understand. I’ll get you the best price possible, and that’s a promise I make to you.”
“Thank you, Brandy. I appreciate that. Now, I have a question to ask you on quite a separate subject from real estate.”
“Yes what’s that?”
“What do you know about Melissa Avery?”
Brandy batted her long false eyelashes a couple of times. “She had a very strange relationship with both of her parents. I should say with her mother, and her stepfather.”
“Stepfather? Alan Avery? Was he her stepfather?”
“Yes. Alan Avery wasn’t her real father. Her father died when she was just a young girl. In no time at all her mother married Alan Avery. I’ve been told that set a few tongues wagging.”
“Why was that?”
Brandy looked away from Ettie for a moment, before she said, “There should be a waiting period after someone dies before someone remarries.”
“And why did Melissa have a bad relationship with her mother?”
“She didn’t want her mother to marry Alan. What made things worse was that Alan was never at home. He was always out working. Georgina, Melissa’s mother, became very lonely and turned to drink. She became an alcoholic and some say she drank herself to death. It was really quite sad.”
“I had no idea.”
“I think that’s why Alan Avery tried to make things up to Melissa. With the money from his wife’s life insurance settlement he bought Melissa the café. When that didn’t make her happy, he went ahead and bought that big warehouse he intended turning into a bakery.”
Ettie was certain that Melissa had told Ruth she wasn’t interested in having a bakery. Had Melissa lied to Ruth? “Do you know how much Georgina Avery’s life was insured for?”
“Not a lot. I believe it was about seven hundred and fifty thousand.”
Ettie’s eyes grew wide. That certainly sounded like a lot of money to her. “I had no idea.”
“Didn’t Ruth mention it to you?”
“Ruth knew?”
“It was common knowledge amongst people who knew the family.”
Ettie shook her head. “Nee, she never mentioned it.” Ettie’s mind ticked over. Melissa’s mother, Georgina, was found dead and happened to have life insurance. A few years later, Melissa’s stepfather was murdered and he also had life insurance. Melissa had made out that she was going to see very little of the money, due to her father owing money to one of those thugs.Seeing that she'd been kissing one of those thugs, Ettie doubted the thug would be demanding money.
“Oh dear, have I upset you, Ettie? I’m certain Ruth wasn’t keeping that information from you deliberately. She might have even forgotten it.”
“I’m not upset. I’m just thinking about something. Last time you were here, you mentioned Big Freddy. Do you know if Melissa had any connections to Big Freddy or any of his men?”
Brandy shook her head. “The only thing I can think of is that her father owed him money.” Brandy leaned forward. “Why? Have you heard anything different?”
“No, I was just wondering, that’s all.” Ettie had no intention of telling Brandy she'd seen Melissa with the thug.
“Have the police found out who murdered Alan Avery yet? There hasn’t been anything on the news about it and no one seems to know. I haven’t heard a thing.”
“They don’t know anything yet. Brandy, would you mind taking me to Ruth’s bakery if you’re heading that way?”
“Of course I can. I’m going back to my office,
and it’s just a few doors from there.”
Ettie couldn’t wait to see if Ruth knew that Alan Avery was Melissa’s stepfather.
Brandy dropped Ettie right outside the door of the bakery. Ettie hoped that Ruth was still there.
She walked through the door of the retail area of the bakery and asked one of the workers if Ruth was there. The worker led her to Ruth’s office.
Ruth looked up. “Ettie! This is a surprise.”
“I just had another meeting with Brandy and she brought me into town. I’ve found out something interesting.”
“Sit down and tell me.”
Ettie pulled out a chair and sat across the desk from Ruth. “Did you know that Alan Avery was Melissa’s stepfather?”
“Nee. Did Brandy tell you that?”
Ettie nodded.
“She said that he married Melissa’s mother not long after her father died, and the marriage was an unhappy one. Brandy said Melissa’s mother had turned to drink.”
Ruth said, “There was talk that Georgina was a drinker. That’s why Alan wasn’t too concerned when she disappeared. Apparently she’d done that a couple of times before. She’d be gone for a couple of days here and there without telling anyone where she was going. The last time she’d left without telling anyone, Alan got concerned when it got to day four. I knew that much but I never knew that he was Melissa’s stepfather.”
“According to Brandy, Melissa blames Alan for her mother’s death, or at least blames him for her mother’s drinking. Brandy said Alan bought her the café to make it up to her – get on her good side, and when that didn’t work he bought the building he was going to turn into a bakery. Why would Alan do that if his daughter didn’t really want a bakery?”
“Maybe she did, then. She might have been embarrassed to admit it to my face.”
Ettie nodded. “Jah, could be. That would make sense.”
Ruth leaned back in her chair. “Kelly visited me today.”
“He did? What did he want?”
“He’s been following up the information about the knives. The only firm that supplies them in the US gave Kelly their list of customers who’ve purchased the whole set, or knives belonging to the set. He found out that Hugh Dwyer had ordered that exact same knife, the same as the one that killed Alan Avery.”
“The large one that we saw was missing?”
“Jah. And do you know when it was ordered?”
“Nee, tell me quick.”
“Two days before the murder.”
“Two days before? That’s odd. He’s got something to hide. He told Kelly that the large knife wasn’t a replacement.”
“And that’s not all,” Ruth said. “Rupert Bird also bought that exact same set six months ago. Detective Kelly is on his way right now to talk to Rupert Bird.”
Chapter 17.
Since he was most likely already in Harrisburg talking to Rupert Bird, Ettie would have to wait to tell the detective about Melissa’s grudge against her stepfather.
Ruth who’d been sitting down talking to Ettie suddenly covered her face with her hands and began to cry.
Ettie ran over to her and placed her arm around her shoulders. “What is it, Ruth? What has upset you?”
“I’ve decided that I’m going to sell up. I’ve had enough! I just can’t do this any more. Everything’s against me.”
“Nee. Nothing is against you. Sometimes we get trials thrown at us. All the things that come against us make us stronger.”
Ruth sniffed. “Everyone thinks I’m a strong person, but I’m not at all. Just because I’ve always been on my own they think I’m tough.”
Ettie saw a box of tissues on the filing cabinet. She plucked two out, and handed them to Ruth. Ruth took the tissues, wiped her eyes, and then blew her nose.
“I can’t do everything anymore. All the strength I had is gone.”
“Why don’t you take a few days off?”
Ruth opened her mouth and stared at Ettie as if she’d just sworn or said a bad word. “I can’t take any time off.”
“Of course, you can. You must be under a lot of pressure running a business of this size on your own for so many years. I think if you don’t take time off now, you’ll regret it. And you can’t make rational decisions when you’re stressed. You told me this was your life and couldn’t think what you’d do if you sold. If you sell now you might regret it when you feel better.”
Ruth sniffed. “I suppose you’re right. If I have a day or two off, my head might clear.”
“When was the last time you had a day off?”
“When we went to visit Rupert Bird; before that, I don’t even remember. Maybe never, except for Sundays.”
“Jah, but even then you unlock the place to let the workers in. You told me that before. So it’s not as though you can switch your mind off and not think about the place of a Sunday. Have two weeks off, and then you’ll feel like a new woman.”
Ruth stared at Ettie through bleary eyes. “Do you think so, Ettie?”
“I do.”
“But it’s been busier since all the press about the murder. I thought it might keep people away, but it’s done the opposite.”
“I’ll get a roster going and get some of our ladies to help out. I know quite a few who’d be willing to come in and help.”
“Would you do that, Ettie?”
“Of course. I’ll organize everything so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Stay away from this place for two weeks, and I’ll organize three ladies to come in every day except Sunday.”
“That sounds gut. I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before, but who will I trust with my key and my recipe?”
“You trusted your manager with the key once. You need to let someone in on some things. How about you trust the manager again?” Ettie suggested.
Ruth nodded. “I suppose I can. He’s been with me for many years and he’s never let me down.”
“Why don’t I wait here with you while you tell your staff what’s going on, and then I’ll walk home with you?” Ettie patted Ruth on her shoulder.
Ruth nodded.
* * *
When Ettie got home that evening, she had Elsa-May help her make up a roster with ladies they knew would help at the bakery.
When the roster was done, Elsa-May put Snowy on a leash and all three walked down to make some calls. After workers for the next few days had been confirmed, the two elderly sisters and Snowy made their way home.
“I thought that was a job well done,” Ettie said as they strolled along.
“Jah, from what you said she needed a rest. I didn’t think Ruth would be the type of woman to break down and cry.”
“I was surprised too, but it’s not every day you find someone stabbed and dead in your office. It also might have put a strain on her that everyone wants her bread recipe, and here bread secrets, whatever they might be.”
“You’re right, Ettie. I think that has worn her down.”
“It’s good that Detective Kelly is finally following up on the knives.”
“Ruth said he was heading to talk to Rupert Bird right after his visit with her this morning, seeing that he also had that same knife set.”
“Didn’t Kelly already know that Melissa resented her father?” Elsa-May asked.
“Stepfather,” Ettie corrected. “I don’t know if the detective knows that yet.”
They walked into their house, and Elsa-May took her pup off the leash. The pup ran around in circles and Elsa-May and Ettie sat down in their living room.
“Let’s think about the facts we have so far, Elsa-May. Melissa’s stepfather was stabbed in the back while inside the bakery of a person he was trying to buy a bread recipe from. Melissa’s mother had disappeared years earlier only to turn up dead. Trying to make his stepdaughter happy, Alan Avery bought a café, and then later, a large building to turn into a bakery.”
“Jah and I do find it odd that he’d spend so much money without having Ruth’s recipe.”
“And that would make him desperate to have it, seeing he was spending all that money on the remodeling.”
Elsa-May added, “It wouldn’t do to have a bakery with no customers. And his bread would’ve been nowhere near as good as Ruth’s.”
“So we can assume he was there to steal her recipe, he was certain it was in the bureau and then he found her Bible. We’re missing the identity of the person with him.”
“Who would have gained from his death?”
“Only Melissa. He had life insurance, and we can safely say that the men he borrowed money from aren’t coming after her like she’d said because we saw her cozying up to one of them. Ava saw them kissing in the café.”
“Are you thinking Melissa killed him, or had one of the thugs kill him?”
“Kelly seemed to think it was a man who killed Alan Avery. It’s unlikely Melissa would’ve done it herself. If she had wanted him dead she would’ve asked her boyfriend to do it.”
“We know that the knives aren’t commonly available, and Hugh Dwyer lied to Kelly about the largest knife being a replacement, even when the detective could plainly see that it was.”
Ettie sighed. “We haven’t heard from Ava about Georgina’s death. She said she’d look it up today. I’d like to learn more about Rupert Bird, too. He went funny when I asked if he used to live in the area around Ruth’s bakery. He couldn’t look me in the eye, and mumbled something about tasting the bread when his family was passing through.”
“It’s still early in the day. Why don’t we head to the library and look it up on the computer ourselves? Ava’s got enough on her mind at the moment; it’s most likely slipped her mind since she’s giddy and in love at the moment.”
Ettie nodded. “But we can’t take Snowy to the library.”
Elsa-May looked down at her pup who was now sleeping on his bed. “I don’t see how that’s fair. Okay, we’ll leave him here. He seems to have exhausted himself.”
Chapter 18.
Later they were settled at the library, and Ettie was looking up information on the Internet while Elsa-May sat beside her.
Murder in the Amish Bakery (Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Book 3) Page 10