Amish Christmas Mystery

by Samantha Price

  When Ettie got closer to the three story red brick building, she was pleased to see that apartment number three was on the ground floor. She didn’t fancy walking up stairs. That was something she avoided wherever possible.

  Breathing heavily in front of apartment number three, she raised her hand and knocked. She hoped for Betsy’s sake that hearing the news about Earl wouldn't bring back too many bad memories.

  The door opened and a small dark-haired woman stood before Ettie, pulling a sweater over her head. Her hair was tousled and she looked as though she’d just gotten out of bed. The woman was not Betsy.

  “Hello, I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’m looking for Betsy.”

  "She’s at work.”

  "I knew Betsy many years ago… I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

  "I'm on the night shift. I work at the same hospital as Betsy.”

  "Arr, we just passed the hospital."

  "Yes that's the one; it's nice and close. I know that Betsy used to be Amish, did you know her from then?"

  “Yes, I did and I’m afraid I have some rather distressing news for her. Someone she knew has died.”

  "That Amish guy who died on Christmas day?"

  "You know?"

  "Betsy and I saw it in the papers. I know that he persuaded her to leave the Amish with him.”

  "I would like to talk about it with her. What time will she be home?"

  "Her shift finishes at three, but you could try to catch her during her break at the hospital. Just ask at the front desk and they’ll direct you."

  "Thank you, I'll try to do that."

  Ettie hurried back to the car to tell the others what she’d learned.

  Chapter 13

  Ettie walked into the hospital with Crowley towering over her to her right, and her sister on her left.

  The three of them were heading to the main desk when Ettie noticed a sign pointing to the hospital cafeteria. "I don't know about the both of you, but I could do with something to eat right now.”

  "Why don't we do that, and then we can find Betsy after that?" Elsa-May asked.

  "Whatever you ladies want. I'm just the driver.”

  Ettie and Elsa-May hurried into the café convinced that they couldn't go on without proper nourishment.

  As they looked at the menu, they decided sandwiches and coffee would be the quickest option.

  “Why don’t you two find a table and I’ll bring the food over?” Crowley suggested.

  After arguments about who was going to pay, Crowley managed to convince them he’d pay and he’d also bring the food back to them.

  Ettie and Elsa-May sat at a table next to a floor to ceiling window that overlooked the parking lot. When Ettie managed to pull her eyes away from the bright orange plastic tablecloth she noticed a nurse who’d just walked in.

  Ettie tugged at Elsa-May’s sleeve. "Look! She looks like an older Betsy. Do you think that's her?"

  "It looks like her. Jah, I think it is. Go over and talk to her, Ettie.”

  Ettie stood up and walked over to the lady and stood beside her.

  When the woman looked at Ettie, she immediately recognized her. "Mrs. Smith?"

  "Betsy?"

  “Yes.” Betsy leaned over and gave Ettie a hug.

  "I don't remember you being quite so tall. Or maybe I've shrunk over the years.”

  "I've always been quite tall," Betsy said. "What brings you here?"

  "Actually, you do.”

  Betsy’s eyebrows pinched together. “Me?"

  "Yes. Your roommate told us where you work.” She nodded over at Elsa-May.

  "You brought your sister?"

  “Yes."

  "I’ll get something to eat and then say hello to her. Who is that man at the table? Is he with you?”

  "He's just a friend who drove us here."

  "Is my father all right? Is that why you’ve come?"

  "He's okay. We’re here because of Earl Fuller.”

  “I heard he died. Why are you here to see me? I don't think he was ever a patient here at the hospital."

  "No, it's nothing to do with you being a nurse. Do you have a few minutes to sit down?"

  "Yes. I'm on a break right now; I've got about ten minutes. I’ll just get something to eat.”

  Ettie waited with Betsy while she got some food and then they sat down with Crowley and Elsa-May. Ettie introduced Betsy to Crowley after Betsy greeted Elsa-May.

  "We were just wondering, when was the last time you've heard from him?" Elsa-May asked.

  "Never. Not from the time I left him years ago.”

  Ettie figured she should offer some information of her own perhaps that would make her talk more freely. "Do you remember my daughter, Myra?"

  "Yes, I know her. I knew her quite well. We were close once."

  "Myra and Earl met each other again a couple of years ago and were friendly for a brief time and then it seems they quickly became enemies."

  "Yes, and I would say none of that was Mrya’s fault. Earl was good at making enemies out of friends."

  "We’re are just a bit concerned that since he was killed just outside my house that the police suspicions might turn on Myra. That's why we’re here."

  Elsa-May continued where Ettie left off, "And we were wondering if you might know of any enemies he had, or someone who might want to see him dead?"

  "He probably wronged so many people over the years. There’s his brother, Wayne. They never got along, but things might have changed from years ago. I remember Wayne left the community about a year before Earl.”

  "That's very helpful, thank you, Betsy. And do you know anything else about Wayne? Where we might be able to find him?"

  "Sorry. I don't. How is everybody in the community? I haven't seen anyone."

  "Your father is well.”

  "You know you could call in and see him sometime. He misses you."

  "I know, but it's hard after what happened. I don't think anyone from the community would be pleased to see me. My father was always far too worried about appearances and what other people might think. I can imagine how much shame he felt when I ran away with a married man.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “I have to go.”

  "We were pleased to see you, Betsy. It’s been nice." Ettie smiled at Betsy remembering the young girl from many years ago.

  "Not everybody in the community is like you two."

  Elsa-May chuckled. "A couple of silly old fools?"

  "Oh no, you're nothing like that at all. You’re very nice people.”

  "You might be surprised how your father might react when he sees you, Betsy, if you pay him a visit. Sometimes it pays to give people a chance.”

  “A chance to be reminded how much I disappointed him,” Betsy said.

  “Sometimes we build up things in our minds when the reality is not half as bad as we think it's going to be."

  Crowley said, "If you will excuse me, I'll go and get myself another cup of coffee. Anyone else want one?"

  The three ladies at the table shook their heads.

  When Crowley was gone, Betsy said, "I feel so ashamed of what I did. I was young and stupid. I’d never do anything like that now.”

  "Everyone makes mistakes, Betsy. It’s hard when you’re young to make good decisions. That’s why the young need to listen to advice."

  "Yes, but not many young people make mistakes so huge that they’re ones they can't come back from."

  "Is that why you stayed away from the community?"

  "That and other reasons. I have many questions now about the beliefs. And from what I found, the bishop doesn’t like people questioning things like the Ordnung."

  Elsa-May said. "There are a few things that need to be accepted by faith. Things are too high sometimes for our small minds to understand and fathom.”

  "I suppose that's true, but aren’t we easily led astray when we’re told to accept things by faith?”

  Ettie pushed out her lips. “I know what you’re saying seems right and we cou
ld talk about this for hours.”

  “You’re right and I don’t have the time right now.” She glanced at her watch again. "I might visit my father. I know he's getting on in age and I might run out of time.”

  Crowley sat back down with his second cup of coffee.

  "Well that's my break, already over. It was really nice to see both of you, and nice to meet you too, Ronald." Betsy stood up.

  "And you, Betsy," Detective Crowley said as he stood when she did.

  When Betsy left the table and was out of earshot, Crowley sat back down, and said, “I just called the details about the brother through to Kelly.”

  "What details? She didn't have any details," Elsa-May said.

  "She gave us a name. That's a good place to start. Kelly is running the name through the system.”

  Chapter 14

  During the drive home from seeing Betsy Stoll, Kelly phoned Crowley. Crowley put his cell phone on speaker.

  Ettie and Elsa-May heard how Earl’s brother, Wayne Fuller, had a long criminal record and was currently in jail for armed robbery.

  "Did you hear that?" Detective Crowley asked the sisters when he ended the call.

  "Yes, we heard. So that means the brother didn't do it."

  "Unless he had someone else do it for him,” Elsa-May suggested.

  "Yes, he could've, but why now? And what benefit was there in having his brother dead? Wayne wasn't named in the will. We’ll need a lot more than that to persuade Kelly that Michael isn’t guilty.”

  "What about hatred?" Elsa-May suggested. "I'm guessing he wasn't recently provoked since he's been incarcerated for the past five months.”

  "It's a mystery," Ettie said with a sigh.

  "What do we do from here, Ronald?" Elsa-May asked.

  "After I take you ladies home, I'm going to go down to the station and see where Kelly’s up to with things. I'll see if he's got some forensic reports back yet. Maybe they found someone else’s prints in his car or something that will give us a lead.”

  “What if Michael did it?” Ettie asked. “He was outside and had the opportunity and besides that he was the one who wrote the invitations. Maybe Kelly’s right about him. Not only that, one of the police said it looked like he was trying to drive away. If it weren’t for his car’s battery being dead, he wouldn’t be under arrest right now. He would’ve been long gone.”

  “I didn’t like to say that before, Ettie, but I think you might be right. The only thing is where does Myra fit into his plans?”

  Elsa-May said, “It is odd that he was in that street and claims he didn’t see anyone else. He didn’t see Santa or the man who was killed. He should’ve at least seen those two people.”

  “He seemed confused,” Crowley said.

  Ettie said to Crowley, “Myra is innocent.”

  “Yes, I know she wouldn’t have killed the man, but exactly how much did she know—if Michael was the one who killed Earl? Had they talked about killing the man in jest? Michael might turn around and say that Myra had asked him to do it or had some involvement somehow. That’s what concerns me.”

  “We need to find out exactly what happened,” Elsa-May said.

  "I wonder when Earl’s funeral will be," Ettie said to Elsa-May who merely shrugged her shoulders.

  "We have to find out all we can. I’m still driving you to talk with people tomorrow, aren’t I?”

  "That would be wonderful if you could do that,” Ettie said. "Before Kelly made the arrest he asked us to talk with Moses Stoll and Naomi Fuller, but to wait a day or two until we talked with them, and that would bring us up to tomorrow."

  "Perfect timing,” Elsa-May agreed.

  “Except we’ve already gone to Moses about Betsy. Do you think we should go there again? We should’ve asked him more when we were there.”

  “I think it’s fine to go back there,” Elsa-May said. “We’ll take him a cake.”

  “Perfect idea, Elsa-May. I’ll bake one tonight.”

  Elsa-May and Ettie weren’t home long when Ava came to the door.

  "I don't have long," Ava said hurrying over to the couch.

  "Why are you rushing so much, my girl?" Elsa-May asked Ava.

  "Jeremiah and I have had such a busy time and so many visitors that we’re just going to have a quiet night at home with just the two of us. I'm cooking something extra special for him.”

  "Ah, newlyweds.”

  “That sounds like a lovely idea,”

  The sisters told Ava everything that had happened and everything they knew so far.

  "Poor Myra, she must be devastated,” Ava said. "And to think that the man was killed right outside on your property.”

  Ettie pulled a face. "Don't remind us of that."

  "Are you going to the fireworks on New Year's Day?"

  "What fireworks?" Ettie asked.

  "There’s going to be fireworks at Abraham Glick’s place. New Years Day night, actually."

  "They did that last year too,” Elsa-May said.

  Ettie smiled. "We might go and stay for a little while.”

  "I can take you there and bring you home if you like. I'll drive you home whenever you want to go.”

  "Then we’ll definitely go. Denke, Ava," Elsa-May said.

  Ava asked, "So who do you think could've done it if it wasn’t Myra’s boyfriend?"

  "Well, there's always a reason. People don't go around killing people for no reason at all, so the man must’ve caused someone some grief."

  Ettie raised her eyebrows. “We’ve learned that he caused many people grief over the years. It could’ve been any one of those people.”

  "And for all we know, we probably don't know half of the people who had wanted him gone."

  "Detective Kelly is checking into his business associates.”

  "Hopefully he'll know more soon.”

  Ava stood up. "It's time I made a move. I’ll collect you just as it's starting to get dark for the fireworks.”

  “Very good.”

  "Denke, Ava."

  Ettie and Elsa-May hadn’t heard from Myra, and when Crowley arrived the next day to take them to visit Moses and Naomi, he informed them that he’d had a few distressed calls from Myra since he'd left them the day before.

  “I hope she’s okay,” Ettie commented.

  “We were on the phone for a long time last night and again this morning. She’s okay. Michael’s moved out, saying he can’t trust her. She questioned him about the incident and he took offense.”

  Ettie pushed out her lips wishing Myra might have come to her instead of turning to Crowley for comfort.

  “Ettie, we have to focus on finding out what really happened. Kelly is looking into people Michael knew from his job, trying to find more proof of his guilt. While he’s doing that, we’ll find out what we can from your Amish friends.”

  Ettie nodded and Elsa-May patted her on the shoulder.

  “Let’s get this done, Ettie,” Elsa-May said, now picking tiny pieces of lint off Ettie’s black shawl.

  Ettie slapped her hand away. “Stop it!”

  “Are we ready?” Crowley asked, standing up and staring at the two of them.

  “Yes,” Ettie said, walking out the door first with a tin containing a chocolate cake.

  “I’ll just make sure that I’ve got enough water out for Snowy.”

  “We’ll wait in the car,” Crowley said. While he walked with Ettie, he asked her to tell him about Moses, the first person on the list to visit.

  “Moses has a large farm, which two of his boys now run for him. He lives in the grossdaddi haus, which is built onto the main farmhouse. You would’ve probably seen all that from yesterday. But what you don’t know is, his wife died before his children were fully grown leaving him with five boys and the youngest child, Betsy, who was the only daughter.”

  “Well, that sums it up nicely.”

  “I can’t think of much more to tell you than that. If I had to guess, I’d say he was in his seventies.”

 
; Chapter 15

  "Where should I park?" Crowley asked when he pulled onto Moses Stoll’s farm.

  "Just park under this tree here. We don't want him to see you. He’ll ask who you are."

  Ettie and Elsa-May walked up to the front door of the grossdaddi house and Elsa-May knocked. After waiting a moment, she was about to knock again when the door was flung open.

  "Hello again. This is a nice surprise."

  Much to Ettie’s horror, Elsa-May got right to the point. "We’re here to talk about what happened the other night.”

  “We’ve brought you chocolate cake,” Ettie said, hoping to soften Elsa-May’s words.

  He opened the door wider. "I love cake of any kind. Chocolate is always my first preference. How did you know, Ettie?”

  “I just guessed.”

  “Come into the living room. We can eat cake with a cup of tea.”

  After he showed them to the living room, they sat on a small couch, while Moses pulled a chair out from the dining table nearby to sit on.

  "Would you like a cup of tea or would you prefer kaffe?"

  "Nee, don't go to any bother for us," Ettie said. “Don’t waste any cake on us.”

  "And we just had tea at home, so we’ll get right to the point,” Elsa-May said.

  "That's often the best way," he said.

  Ettie took over knowing her approach would be softer than her sister’s. "Myra is concerned that someone is trying to make it look like she killed Earl. She knew him and they didn’t get along.”

  “That’s no good. Who would do that?” Moses asked.

  “We don’t know, but we’re trying to figure it out and you could help us by answering some questions.”

  He nodded. “I’ll help all I can.”

  “Denke.”

  Elsa-May took over. “When was the last time you saw Earl?”

  "When he was dead at your house. I looked out the window.”

  "And, before that?"

  "I didn't see him after he took Betsy away from me. I had no word from him or Betsy after that. I heard that things hadn't worked out between them and things ended between them. That's all I know. Betsy knows where I am. I haven't moved from this house. And yet, she's not been back to see me, or her brothers. She's missed all her brothers’ weddings and I can't count how many nieces and nephew she hasn't met.” He shook his head and looked as though he was fighting back tears.