“Jah,” Ettie managed to say.
When Mildred was out of the room Ettie looked at Crowley.
“She’s full of hate for an Amish person,” Crowley said.
“I’ve never heard her say anything like that before,” Ettie whispered.
Mildred hurried back. “There you go, Ettie.”
Ettie took a mouthful of water. “Ah, that’s better. Denke.”
“About that doctor. I don’t know why she wanted to do more tests. I didn’t listen to what she had to say properly, but Nehemiah was dead and that was that. Jacob must have felt the same.”
“You didn’t talk to him about it?” Crowley asked. “The doctor told me that Jacob agreed, but only if his sister agreed as well.”
“No. I gave him the number to call the doctor and then after he called her we never spoke of it again. He didn’t tell me what he said to her and I never asked.” Mildred crinkled her nose. “Everybody was scared of her and her anger; it just wasn’t right.”
“The doctor?” Ettie asked.
Mildred shook her head. “Camille. She was so full of bitterness and hatred toward Jacob she didn’t want to – just didn’t want him to have any little bit of happiness in his life. I suppose he was too scared to say ‘yes’ to the doctor and face Camille’s anger if she’d disagreed.”
Ettie nodded. “Didn’t the doctor go into details when she was speaking to you of why she wanted Nehemiah’s body exhumed?”
“I wasn’t really listening. She said something about her not being happy with some test that she’d run and then I didn’t really want to hear any more.”
Crowley said, “She thinks she found evidence in the body of poisoning consistent with a substance called ethylene glycol, a common coolant used in motor vehicles.”
Ettie gasped. “That’s one of the poisons also found in Camille’s body,” Ettie said. “I didn’t know that’s what the doctor had found.”
Crowley rubbed his jaw. “I guess I should have said so, but I didn’t know that’s what Camille died from.”
“I thought I told you,” Ettie said. “They found that poison and also another poison, which was sleeping tablets or something of the sort.”
“They found that ethy… whatever it was in the barn. Jacob and I thought that Nehemiah must’ve used it to protect his metal tools.”
Ettie rubbed her head. She jumped when she heard a loud bashing sound on Mildred’s door. Seeing Mildred look so worried, Crowley jumped to his feet. “Shall I get that?”
Mildred nodded and then Ettie and Mildred followed Crowley, staying back a little way. Ettie wondered whether it was the police.
When Crowley opened the door, Ettie saw a red-faced Mr. Bradshaw from next door. “Where’s Mrs. Esh?” he demanded.
“She’s here. What’s this about?”
“Who are you?”
“A friend of the family.” Crowley put one arm up on the doorframe.
The man looked into the house. “Where is she?”
Crowley turned around to look at Mildred, and then Mildred stepped forward so Bradshaw could see her. “Yes?”
“I’ve just had the police come round and tell me that my fingerprints were found on the coolant you had in your barn. I told them, and now I’ll tell you. I had that tin in my shed and you or your son stole it. That’s why my fingerprints would’ve been on it. I’m not guilty of killing anyone.” He stopped to take a breath. “Now, one of you stole it off my property and then killed someone with it. I want you or your son to admit to stealing it. I’m not going to prison for something I didn’t do.”
“Calm down. I’m sure the police just wanted to talk to you,” Crowley said.
“What would you know? They said I should get a lawyer and they’ll be speaking to me again.”
Crowley took a step toward the man. “I think you should leave. Mrs. Esh has been through enough. Sounds like the police aren’t accusing you of anything.”
“Not yet they aren’t.” He took a step back and pointed his finger at Mildred. “Just get your coward son to admit to stealing it.” He turned and strode away.
Ettie put her arm around Mildred’s shoulder and felt her shaking. “Come, Mildred, sit back down,” Ettie said and then steered her back to the living room.
“I’m sorry,” Crowley said, following the two women. “I should’ve told him you weren’t home.”
“No. He might have come back when I was by myself.”
Ettie sat next to Mildred. “Well, that explains what the poison was doing in the barn.”
“No it doesn’t; not really, because we still don’t know who put it there,” Crowley said, slumping into the couch.
“Does that mean that Jacob’s prints weren’t on the tin of poison?” Ettie asked.
“I’ll find out.” Crowley whipped his cell phone out of his pocket and walked outside.
Ettie turned to Mildred. “See? Things are looking good. If Jacob’s prints weren’t on the tin, then that should help his case.”
Mildred swallowed hard and nodded.
When Crowley came back inside, he said, “They found two sets of prints: Bradshaw’s, and… I’m afraid they found yours, Mildred.”
Ettie looked at Mildred.
“I never go into the barn. How would my prints have gotten onto the thing? I hope they don’t think I killed Nehemiah or Camille.”
“When was the last time you went to the barn?”
“Maybe, um… I do recall I went in there a few weeks ago to fetch a stronger broom. The house broom was too soft to get some dirt off the back steps.”
“The good thing is that Jacob’s prints weren’t found,” Ettie said.
Crowley frowned. “We’re going to need more than that to get him off.”
Ettie and Ava stayed with Mildred until Jacob came home. When Crowley was driving Ettie home he said, “Are you still going through that list of names and addresses that Kelly gave you?”
“I am. Well, Ava is.”
“Keep working through the list; there must be a clue in there somewhere. There’s something we’re missing.”
“Will do. And while I’m doing that, can you see what else Kelly has found out?”
“I’ll visit him tomorrow and come to your place in the afternoon.”
Chapter 17
The next morning, Ettie got herself ready to go and see Ava Glick. She hoped Ava would have a free day to help her work through that phone list. Leah Miller kept coming to mind. She was someone who they could visit and she might know what was going on with Camille in those last weeks of her life.
When the taxi drew close to Ava’s place, Ettie could see the horse in the paddock and she knew that Ava would be home. Ettie knocked on her door and waited. Ava opened the door. “Ettie!”
“Hello. I was hoping we could go over the phone list of Camille’s again.”
“I have to help my mudder today at the market.”
Ettie nodded.
“Tell you what. I’ll go there and see if she really needs me. She might not mind if I help her tomorrow instead.”
“That would be good.”
After they hitched the wagon, they traveled to the farmers’ markets and Ettie told Ava all that had happened. “So I was thinking we should go and pay Leah Miller a visit.”
“That’s if it’s the same Leah Miller that we know. There could be a lot of people with that name.”
“Nee, it has to be the same one. She looked exactly the same in her photograph, only a little older.”
“Yes, she did. Well, that will be our first call, if I don’t have to work.”
“I’ll come in with you and talk to your mudder. I’ll tell her I want to borrow you for the day.”
Ava giggled. “Okay.”
Their plan worked. Ava was able to have the day off if she worked the next day instead.
Once they were in the buggy again, Ava said, “You do have a way of talking people into things, Ettie.”
“Do I? Now, where’s that li
st?”
Ava pulled the list out from behind her seat and handed it to Ettie.
“Leah doesn’t live far, but let’s take your horse back and go by taxi. We’ll cover more ground.”
Ava turned the horse around and Ettie called a taxi from the shanty down the road.
Ettie had the taxi wait for them while they knocked on the door of the address that was given to them. There were three small villa-apartments attached to one another. Leah’s, according to their list, was number two. Ettie knocked on the door and her heart pounded heavily. What would she say to Leah? Leah hadn’t gone to Camille’s funeral, so had they been friends at all? Perhaps not.
“She’s not home,” someone yelled from the next-door property.
Ettie and Ava looked over the fence to see a young man.
“Do you know where she is?” Ava asked.
“At work, I’d say.”
“Does she work close by?”
“Down at the ice-creamery.”
“Sprinkles?”
“Yeah, that’s the one,” the young man said.
“Thank you,” Ettie said.
“No problem.”
As they were walking back to the taxi, Ettie asked Ava, “You know where that is?”
Ava nodded. “Jah. I love ice cream and they have the best in town.”
“What name does Leah go by now?”
“Lacey Miller.”
“That’s right.”
This time when the taxi pulled up at the ice-creamery, they paid the driver and let him go. “If she’s not here we can have some ice cream. I won’t be having ice cream for quite a while now that Elsa-May has to cut down on her food.”
“You can’t eat less, Ettie; you’re already thin.”
“I always stay the same weight no matter how much or how little I eat. I’ve got a good constitution. Elsa-May was always on the heavy side. I can’t eat ice cream in front of her.”
Ava giggled. “I suppose not. That would be cruel.”
The building they were walking toward was just at the town’s edge. It was a white double-story building with white tables and chairs outside, and a pink and white umbrella over every table.
“Shall we sit inside or out?” Ettie asked.
“Maybe we should sit inside. There might be more chance of seeing Leah.”
“Okay, you go first.”
Ava walked in through the automatic-opening glass sliding door, and Ettie followed. Ettie scanned the faces of the girls behind the counter and couldn’t see Leah. They looked at the array of ice creams, sorbets, and gelatos. Ava ordered a strawberry delight, which was a scoop each of strawberry sorbet and strawberry ice cream topped with cream and strawberry slivers, all sprinkled with dark chocolate flakes.
Ettie ordered a coffee-choc surprise, which had coffee and chocolate ice cream, dark Dutch chocolate ice cream, and whipped cream with white chocolate slivers.
They were given numbers for their orders and told to take a seat.
When Ava was given her number she asked, “Is Lacey working today?”
“She’s on a break. She’ll be back in a minute.”
“Oh, good.”
Ettie and Ava found a table at the side of the room. There weren’t many people sitting inside because it was such a nice day. While they waited, Ava produced the list of names. She pointed to a man’s name. “We should look at this man next. He’s the one who had the criminal record. That is, if it’s the same man I read about in the paper.”
“A petty criminal. I wonder what Camille was doing talking to him.”
“A boyfriend perhaps? People who go on those dating websites meet all kinds of people. They could’ve gone on a date.”
“What are you talking about a dating website for? Was Camille doing that kind of thing?”
Ava shrugged. “Could’ve been.”
They both looked up to see Leah walking toward them carrying their ice creams. Leah had a huge smile and seemed pleased to see them. She greeted them and placed their ice creams down on the table.
Ettie and Ava stood up and hugged her.
“Can you sit with us for a while?” Ettie asked.
Leah nodded. “I’m the manager so I can basically do what I want,” she said with a little laugh. “How did you know I worked here? One of the girls said you asked for me.”
“We heard you worked here,” Ava said. “I’ve been here before, but I’ve never seen you here.”
“I’ve not been here long, around three months. I was managing another store in town.”
Ettie needed to change the subject so she wouldn’t have to tell her she was on Camille’s illegally-gotten phone list. Looking at her ice cream, she said, “I don’t think I’ll be able to get through this. It’s huge.”
Leah giggled. “What’s been happening in the community? I heard about Jacob Esh,” she said.
“That’s actually what we came to talk to you about,” Ava said.
“Yes, were you friends with Camille?”
“Not good friends. We knew each other.” Leah breathed out heavily. “I’ve been bothered by something. I’ve even had nightmares about it, I feel so guilty. I didn’t want to get into trouble so I kept quiet about it, but now seeing you two has made me feel even more guilty about it.”
“What is it?” Ettie asked.
Leah leaned forward. “Camille asked me to go to the police and tell them that she thought her brother was trying to kill her.”
“So it was you who told the police that?”
Leah nodded. “You heard?”
Ettie nodded. “That’s the main reason the police were looking at Jacob.”
“Oh no! She said it was just a prank she was playing on her brother.”
“What made you do it? It doesn’t sound like a prank to me,” Ava said.
Leah blinked a couple times and looked away. “She gave me two thousand dollars to do it and I needed the money at the time. I changed my mind after she left, but I did need the money, so I went through with it. She told me exactly what to tell them and she wrote down the date she wanted me to go and see them.”
“Do you still have that note?”
“I wouldn’t think so. I don’t keep anything I don’t need. When I found out she’d been killed I felt really bad about going to the police, but if he’s innocent he’ll have nothing to worry about.”
“Do you think that Camille did think her brother was trying to kill her?” Ava asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I felt awful when I found out what happened to Camille, and then that they’d arrested Jacob. They came around and I had to go back to the station and verify what I’d told them. I didn’t tell them that she asked me - and paid me - to say it. I lied to them. I’ve been so worried; I don’t want to get into trouble by telling them I lied to them twice. The first time I went there I didn’t even know that Camille had already died.”
“You must tell them, Leah,” Ava said.
“Lacey. It’s Lacey now,” Leah said.
“Sorry, Lacey. They’re heavily relying on that information and it’s making Jacob look guilty. Now with everything else they’re finding out, they’re framing it in the reference that he was trying to kill her, if you see what I mean.” Ava’s voice trailed away.
Leah breathed out heavily. “Could I get charged or something?”
Ettie patted Leah’s hand. “I don’t think you’ll get into trouble. They just want to know the truth.”
Ava added, “It’s possible Jacob might be charged with murder if they find him guilty.”
Leah’s eyes opened wide. “I’ll go to the police when I finish work.”
“Could you do it now?” Ettie asked.
“We’ll go with you,” Ava said.
“Would you?”
Ettie and Ava nodded.
“I’ll take the rest of the day off, then. You wait here and I’ll get my things.”
When Leah left them, Ettie and Ava looked down at their ice creams.
&n
bsp; “I’ll race you,” Ava said.
“Nee, ice cream should be eaten slowly and savored.” Ettie pushed her spoon into the coffee flavored ice cream as that was her favorite flavor. She could smell the strong coffee aroma before she placed it into her mouth. The texture was smooth and creamy.
Ava had pushed the cream and the strawberries aside and was spooning the strawberry ice cream into her mouth as quickly as she could.
“We must come back here another day,” Ettie said as she loaded her spoon with both coffee and chocolate ice cream.
Ava’s mouth was full so she could only nod.
Leah sat down again. She had her bag over one shoulder, a sweater over one arm, and a car key in her hand hanging from a keychain.
“You’ve got a car?” Ettie asked.
“Yes. I’ll drive us there. Don’t hurry; I’ll wait until you finish.”
“No. I think we’re ready. Aren’t we, Ettie?”
“I’m good to go.”
Leah led the way out to a small Honda Civic. It was only a two-door, so Ava squeezed past the front seat into the back, and Ettie sat in the front.
“I’m so glad you both came in today. This was weighing heavily on me. I’ll feel so much better once I tell the truth.”
“The truth sets us free,” Ettie said.
“I’ll have to pay back the money she gave me. I don’t have it right now, but I must go and see Mrs. Esh to tell her I’ll pay it back.”
“Who were you speaking to at the station?” Ettie asked.
“He was a detective. I don’t remember his name.”
“What did he look like?”
“Hard to describe. He just looked like a detective, I guess.”
“Detective Kelly’s the one looking into things.”
“Yes, that’s it. I’m sure that was his name.”
Ettie was satisfied that the police would have one less piece of evidence against Jacob. Without Leah’s testimony there was no proof that Camille had feared for her life from Jacob. Now it would be known that Camille had said she was playing a prank – little did Camille know that she’d be dead when the prank played out.
Chapter 18
After Leah Miller made her confession to Detective Kelly about taking part in Camille’s prank, Kelly wasn’t at all happy and Leah was in tears. When Leah came out of his office, she told Ettie and Ava between sobs that Kelly had warned her in a nasty manner of the seriousness of what she’d done.
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 1 Page 22