“Are you all right to drive, Leah?” Ava asked when the three women were standing together on the front steps of the police station.
Leah wiped her nose with a tissue. “I’m okay. Can I drive you two home?”
Ava and Ettie looked at each other, and then Ettie said, “Ava and I have some things to do in town. Thank you once again for being honest. It will help Jacob out of the mess he’s in.”
“Good. I can’t imagine he’d do a thing like that.”
Ava asked, “You wouldn’t happen to know a man called Nick Heaton, would you?”
Leah thought for a moment. “No. I don’t recall that I do. Why?”
“He was someone Camille knew. I was just wondering if you knew him too.”
After Leah left, Ava said, “I wonder if Kelly has found out any more about the people on the list? Especially because Nick Heaton might have a criminal record if, he’s the same one I found on the Internet.”
“Shall we go in and ask? By the sound of things he’s not in a good mood.”
Just then Kelly came out of the building.
“Mrs. Smith and her side-kick.”
Ava screwed up her nose.
“We were just coming in to speak to you.”
“I know you think things are looking better for Jacob Esh, but we’ve just found out something to make our case even stronger.”
“You have?”
“The will that Camille conveniently wrote just days before she died was written by Jacob.”
“No. That’s not possible.”
“It’s possible, it’s probable, and it happened. We have a forensic handwriting analyst who’s willing to testify that the will was not written by the hand of Camille Esh, and that it was, in fact, written by the hand of her brother, Jacob Esh.”
“Jacob’s fingerprints weren’t found on the tin of the poison that killed her.”
“He could well have used gloves.”
“What about the man next door? His fingerprints were found and he wanted the farm. With Camille killed and Jacob in jail for murder, Mildred would most likely sell the farm.”
“We talked to him. He claims the tin was stolen from him and that’s why his prints were on it.”
“And you believed him? Why don’t you believe Jacob? If he shot at her while she was in her apartment, why was the gun just left with all his other guns? Wouldn’t he have hidden the gun somewhere?”
“Perhaps he wasn’t aware that the gun could be traced. He is Amish, after all, and like all you people he’s only had a limited education.”
“If you knew anything about us you’d know that some of us continue our schooling from home.” Ava said bluntly, "And Jacob lived outside the Amish community for about twenty years."
Ettie could see Ava was getting upset so she put her hand on Ava’s arm. “Let’s go, Ava.”
Ettie and Ava went home in separate taxis. Feeling completely defeated, Ettie pushed the front door open. She was pleased to see Elsa-May sitting up and looking brighter.
“I’m sorry I’ve hardly been here today.”
“You look dreadful.”
“I’ll put the dinner on and then I’ll sit with you and tell you all about it. Things aren’t looking good for Jacob.”
An hour later, Ettie had told Elsa-May all that had happened that day.
“They can tell that Camille didn’t write the will?”
“Apparently so.”
“It is beginning to look like he’s guilty. It doesn’t make sense that she would get Leah to tell the police she thought Jacob was trying to kill her.”
“Perhaps she was acting out of spite since he got the farm. She might have been trying to disrupt his life by having the police come and question him, or something like that.”
A knock sounded on their door.
“That might be Ava. She was very upset by what Kelly said to us. He was really quite rude when speaking about our community and the people in it.”
Ettie swung the door open to see old Detective Crowley. “When are you ladies going to get a phone?”
“Crowley! Come in.”
The former detective walked in and sat down. “How are you, Elsa-May?”
“I’m so much better. I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time.”
Ettie sat down on the couch. “Do you have news?”
Crowley gave a sharp nod. “I do. I struggled with myself for a while. I know medical records are confidential and I don’t have the authority anymore to look into things…”
“Yes?” Elsa-May said.
“I got my friend at the hospital to look up Camille Esh’s file. Or, in fact, to see if she had a file. Both my contact at the hospital and I could get into a lot of trouble over this, so I have to be careful how I let Kelly know about it.”
Ettie was now on the edge of the couch. “About what?”
“Camille had recently been diagnosed with the same fatal disease that you told me her mother died from.”
“Oh my,” Ettie said. “That’s no good.”
“And that’s how she knew Dr. Mackelvanner?” Elsa-May asked.
Crowley shook his head. “No. She was under a different doctor.”
“I haven’t told you yet, but we found the woman who told the police that Camille feared Jacob was going to kill her. Camille had paid her to say that. We happened to know the young woman and we went with her to the police station. Kelly wasn’t happy about it. She’s going to look and see if she’s still got the instructions Camille wrote down for her.”
“That’s one good thing for Jacob,” Crowley said. “I’m thinking more that the stepmother, Mildred, might have had some involvement. If Camille told her that she had the disease, might Mildred have killed her to lessen her suffering? I saw Kelly earlier, and he said that Camille’s will was a forgery. What if Mildred wanted Jacob to inherit the money Camille had – keep Camille’s money with Jacob? Since Camille didn’t get along with anyone in her family, she might have preferred her money end up elsewhere.”
Ettie pulled her mouth to one side. “I don’t think that Mildred is so focused on money, though, Detective. Besides, Kelly said their expert said Jacob wrote the will.”
Elsa-May said, “My pick is the neighbor. He seems to have a bad temper and his prints were on the tin of poison. Also, it wouldn’t have been hard for him to take the gun, drive past Camille’s apartment, shoot at her, and then put the gun back in the house once Mildred had gone out.”
“If that’s true, the neighbor is taking a very indirect route to get the farm, don’t you think? I mean, how could he have thought it all up?” Crowley asked.
“From what Ettie said, Bradshaw didn’t like Camille anyway. It seems a good way to solve two problems at once; get rid of the two people who were standing in his way of buying the farm.”
Ettie gasped. “It’s just occurred to me. Elsa-May could be right. What if Nehemiah was killed by Bradshaw?”
“It could be possible, as they were neighbors and if they met often for a drink in the afternoon or something like that. I think the poison has to be administered over a time,” Crowley said.
Ettie shook her head. “I don’t think he’d drink or eat with an Englischer.”
“But we don’t know that for certain, Ettie. He probably didn’t, but he could’ve.”
“What are you going to do?” Ettie asked Crowley. “Are you going to tell Kelly what you found out about Camille being ill?”
Crowley nodded. “I will, but I’ll have to figure out how to do it without appearing to have bent the rules.”
“What would you do now, if you were working the case?” Ettie asked.
“I’d have Nehemiah’s body exhumed and retested.”
Elsa-May said. “Who do you think might have killed him?”
Crowley raised his hands in the air. “We’d have to establish whether he was killed first. No good putting the cart before the horse.”
“What else would you do?” Ettie asked.
�
��Then I’d go through all of Camille’s phone contacts and I’d get a second opinion on the handwriting of the will. I’d also get the tin re-examined for further prints. Then I’d talk to Camille’s doctor to see if he could shed light on anything.”
“Then that’s what you must get Kelly to do,” Elsa-May said.
Crowley tilted his head and sniffed the air. “That smells delicious.”
“Ah. I must turn off the stove.” Ettie pushed herself to her feet. “Care to join us for dinner? I’ve made a pot pie.”
“I’d be delighted.”
Early the next morning, Ava knocked on Ettie and Elsa-May’s door. When she was sitting in their living room she said why she’d come.
“I was so upset last night I couldn’t settle. So I went to Nick Heaton’s.”
Ettie’s jaw dropped. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“Don’t get mad at me; he wasn’t there. The man he lived with said he’s in jail. We got talking, and I asked him about Camille and he didn’t know if his friend knew Camille or anything.”
“So it was a wasted trip and you put yourself in danger.”
“Nee. I haven’t finished.”
“Go on.”
“He remembers one night Nick came home and told him about some lady paying him to have him shoot into an apartment. She gave him gloves to wear, the gun she wanted him to use, and the bullets. Then she'd told him to cover the gun with a towel and leave it in the trash can at a nearby park."
Ettie gasped, “Did you hear that Elsa-May?” she yelled out to Elsa-May, who was still in bed.
“Jah! That’s interesting, but Kelly won’t believe it unless it comes from the man himself. And only Kelly can talk to him if he’s in jail,” Elsa-May yelled back.
Ava said, “I wanted to come and tell you last night, but I thought you could do with a good night’s sleep.”
“Crowley visited us last night. He told us that Camille had the same disease that her mother died from.”
“That’s awful. Is that why she wasn’t nice to people? Doesn’t it affect the brain or something?”
“It does.” Ettie nodded. “Don’t tell anyone that Crowley found that out; he did it by illegal means and he has to figure out a way to let Kelly know that Camille was sick. He’ll have to find a way to suggest that Kelly look into Camille’s medical history.”
“From what we know, Camille paid someone to shoot into her apartment and then paid Leah to tell the police she feared for her life.”
Ettie shook her head. “What if it was Mildred?”
“Ettie! Isn’t she a good friend of yours?”
“Ach. I don’t know what to think anymore. The more I think about it, the more I find reasons that any number of people could’ve killed her. Crowley said he’s going to see Kelly today and he’ll try to push him to do some things.”
“That’s good. Like what?”
“See Camille’s doctor, for one. Then take a second look for more prints on the bottle of coolant, and get another handwriting expert to take a look at the will for a second opinion. I think that’s all. That’s all I can remember, anyway.”
“That’ll be good. It’s good to have him on Jacob’s side. Have you spoken to Jacob lately?”
“Nee. Not for a while, but I think I should. I just can’t shake the disappointment about finding out Camille’s will was written by him.”
“It wouldn’t hurt for us to go and visit his haus just in time for the midday meal, would it? We know he comes home to eat.”
Ettie nodded. “I’ll go fix Elsa-May something to eat before we go. Then I must come home and wait for Crowley. He’s going to tell me how he got on with Kelly.”
Chapter 19
Ettie and Ava came across Jacob before they reached Mildred’s house. He was fixing some fences by the road.
He looked up and waved when he heard them approach. When Ava stopped the buggy, he walked over. “I want to thank you both for helping me. Mamm says you’ve been doing a lot of looking into things.”
“We have,” Ettie said, climbing down from the buggy. “I do have a question to ask you.”
“Sure.”
“The detective says that they found out that the will was written in your handwriting.”
“Yes, it was.”
Ettie frowned at him. “You wrote it yourself?”
He nodded. “Camille came to me and told me that she wanted to write a will and leave the money she had to me. I was shocked, but we were bruder and schweschder and she had no one else. She met me in the fields, just like how you came across me today, and she had a paper and a pen. She wanted me to write it out because she never had much schooling and wasn’t good at writing. I wrote word for word what she asked me to write and then she signed it. She asked me to keep it secret and I never told anyone. I know the police are trying to make something of it.”
Ettie shook her head. “It does sound bad.”
“It makes sense the way you explain it,” Ava said.
Ettie nodded. “I see how it came about.”
“Anything else you want to ask me?”
Ettie shook her head. “I can’t think of anything for the moment.”
“Do you know a man called Nick Heaton?” Ava asked.
“I believe I looked at a used car being sold at one of his car lots. And he might be the man Camille bought her car from.”
“One of his car lots?”
“Jah, he buys and sells used cars. I think he’s got two or three places he sells used cars from.”
“Would it surprise you that he’s in prison?”
Jacob tipped his hat back on his head. “I suppose it does. What did he do?”
Ava and Ettie looked at each other. Ettie said, “We’re not sure yet.”
“Well, then I’ll have someone I know in there.”
“Jacob, you mustn’t let those thoughts come into your head.”
“I think it’s best to be prepared. If I’m found innocent, well and good, and if not, I’ll be prepared to face whatever they throw at me. I’m not going to live in fear.”
Ettie nodded.
After they said goodbye to Jacob, Ava asked, “Do you want to visit Mildred?”
“Nee, not today. There are some loose ends that I wish Kelly would help us with. Someone should talk to Nick Heaton in prison and see what his dealings were with Camille. The detective talked about looking into the trust fund to see if there was money missing and I never heard any more about it.”
“Most likely there was no money missing and Kelly would’ve put it down to the fact that Jacob knew Camille was leaving him the money anyway.”
“Hmm. I wonder if Jacob’s told Kelly yet that Camille had him write the will.”
“‘Says he.’ That’s what Kelly would say.”
Ettie peered into Ava’s face. “You’re most likely right. Don’t you have to work today? Or was it yesterday?”
Ava giggled. “Mamm gave me the week off. She could tell my mind was elsewhere and she said they’ve been quiet.”
“Good. Now, I must go home and wait for Crowley. Care to join me?”
Ava nodded. “Let’s go.”
That afternoon, Crowley walked into the house and took a seat.
“How did things go with Kelly?”
“He’s put a request to the court to have Nehemiah’s body exhumed.”
Ettie put her fingers to her mouth. “From what you said before, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.” Ettie told Crowley how Jacob said it came about that he wrote his sister’s will out and she made him say he wouldn’t mention it to anyone.
“There’s an awful lot against him with only his say-so to defend himself. I know you’ve never been wrong before, Ettie, but are you really certain this time?”
“I believe in his innocence.”
Crowley nodded. “We have to wait and see what Nehemiah’s autopsy brings.”
“There is the matter of the other people on Camille’s phone list. Ava and I
found that… Well, I’ll let Ava tell you.”
Ava told Crowley about what she’d learned from Nick Heaton’s flat mate.
“I’m sure Kelly wouldn’t mind if I talk to the fellow.”
“Really? That would be wonderful.”
It was a week later that Crowley came to tell Elsa-May and Ettie that Nehemiah’s body was exhumed and re-examined and it was found that Nehemiah’s death was not due to poisoning with ethylene glycol.
“Where does that leave Jacob?” Elsa-May asked.
“Have you spoken to that man in prison yet?” Ettie asked.
“Firstly, Elsa-May, I’m not sure where that leaves Jacob. And Ettie, I have spoken to Nick Heaton. We’ve only just gotten the information out of him. He said he’d only give me information if the courts lessened his sentence.”
“What did he say?” Ettie asked.
“The courts cooperated and cut his time in prison down in exchange for him providing information. It was actually Kelly who spoke to him and got his statement.”
“And?” Elsa-May asked.
“He said that some woman paid him to shoot a gun into an apartment and when he was done he had to wrap the gun in a towel and leave it in the park.”
“That’s exactly what his flatmate told Ava.”
“He positively identified the woman as Camille Esh.”
“From a photograph?” Ettie asked.
“It would have to be from a photograph, Ettie, since the woman’s dead.”
Ettie pressed her lips together as she stared at her sister.
Crowley added. “He got paid two thousand dollars.”
“That must have been her number for everything. It was also the amount that she paid Leah Miller,” Ettie said.
“Is Jacob in the clear now?”
“No. Jacob’s prints were on the cup in her apartment identified as having poison in it, and Jacob forged the will.”
“Yes, but Camille signed the will. Jacob told us how it all happened.”
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 1 Page 23