Amish Barn Murders

by Samantha Price

  “Austin, did you hear what happened?”

  “What?”

  “Thomas has died.”

  “The man who knocked over my stuff?”

  Thea nodded.

  “How? He looked healthy.”

  “I don’t know much; I heard it was a fall. A lady in the community, she’s a gossiper, she’s going from house to house telling everyone that he died. She could have it all wrong, I mean, I’m sure he died, but he might not have died the way she said he did.”

  “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. That’s crazy, and to think that he was just here, and now he’s gone.”

  Chapter 3

  After Ettie and Elsa-May had eaten an early dinner, there was a knock on their door.

  “I’ll see who it is,” Ettie said as she pushed herself up from the kitchen table.

  “I can’t imagine who it could be at this time of night.”

  Ettie opened the door and Doris Wyberger pushed her way inside. “Have you heard what’s happened, Ettie?”

  “Jah, Elsa-May told me.”

  “I’ve got something to tell you that you might not have heard. You’ll be hearing it first from me.”

  “What is it?” Elsa-May stepped out of the kitchen and into their small living room.

  Doris’ eyes flickered around the room until they settled on the couch. She remained silent while she hurried over and sat down. “Sit down and I’ll tell you what I heard. I learned it when I was at Levi’s haus.”

  Ettie and Elsa-May sat down, ready to hear what she had to say.

  “Is it about poor young Thomas?” Elsa-May asked.

  “Jah, I heard that he’s been killed—murdered,” Doris said.

  Ettie narrowed her eyes. “And how does Levi know that?”

  “I was just leaving their haus and I overheard him talking to his dochder about the man at the market who threatened to kill Thomas just hours before his death. Of course, they didn’t know that I’d heard. Mind you, I wasn’t listening in deliberately—they thought I’d left and I just happened to overhear them. You see, what happened was I was just about to step off the porch after Levi had closed the front door, and I saw that my laces on my shoes were loose. I didn’t want to trip over them and have a nasty fall, so I crouched down and did them up properly. That’s when I heard what Levi said.”

  “Where was Levi when he found out about this?”

  "Well, Levi was collecting his dochder, the younger one, from the market.”

  “You mean Thea?” Elsa-May asked.

  “That’s the one. Levi always collects Thea from the market every day, and I heard from someone else that there had been an almighty argument between Thomas a man who has a market stall, so it all ties in nicely. Thomas told Levi that the man said he was going to kill him.”

  “So Levi didn’t actually witness anyone killing Thomas?” Ettie asked.

  “Nee, he wasn’t there, but don’t you see?”

  “Nee!” Ettie said. “People say things in anger, and if someone said he was going to kill Thomas in front of others, he’d be the one least likely to kill Thomas. That is if Thomas was indeed killed. And no one’s heard that Thomas’ death was a murder.”

  “Are the police saying that Thomas was killed, Doris?” Elsa-May asked.

  Doris’ lips turned down at the corners. “I haven’t heard that.”

  “You seem to know everything else,” Elsa-May shot back.

  “I thought you’d both be interested to know that Thomas Strongberg might have been killed.”

  “We are. Denke for letting us know. You say he fell off a ladder? That’s what Elsa-May told me.”

  “Fell off, or pushed off?” Doris asked. “As with most barns, they have a ladder leading to the loft. Their loft was quite high.”

  Ettie frowned while she thought about Doris’ murder theory. “So this man who argued with him that day. He would’ve had to hide in the barn—in the loft—knowing that Thomas was going to go up the ladder, and then he pushed the ladder over. And to do that, he would’ve had to have known where Thomas lived, and get there before Thomas did.”

  “He was an Englischer so he probably had a car and could get to Thomas’ haus faster right after the market closed,” Doris said.

  Elsa-May perched her glasses on the end of her nose and then picked up her knitting from the bag by her feet. “And, he would’ve had to get into the barn without anyone seeing him, and get out without anyone seeing him.”

  “Maybe someone saw something. We don’t know yet because they still think it was an accident,” Doris said.

  Ettie rubbed her chin. “I wonder.”

  “What? What is it, Ettie?” Doris asked.

  “What did the two men argue about?”

  “Why, Thea, of course. Didn’t I mention that?”

  Elsa-May dropped her knitting into her lap. “A love triangle? How intriguing. It’s been many years since we had one of those around here.”

  “I hardly think it was anything of the kind, Elsa-May,” Doris said.

  Elsa-May pulled a face and went back to knitting. “Darn it! I’ve dropped a stitch.”

  While Elsa-May tried to save the stitch, Doris said, “The young man in question is an Englischer. Thea doesn’t like him at all. Neither did she like Thomas, I believe. It was nothing like that, Elsa-May, nothing like a love triangle or any other love shape. The point is that both young men liked Thea, and that’s how the argument began.”

  “Did Thea tell you that?”

  “She was there when I was talking with her mudder and vadder. Levi was speaking and Thea didn’t say it wasn’t so. I overheard Levi comment something about that to his dochder when I was on the porch.”

  Chapter 4

  Thea Hersh opened the door to see an Englischer in a rumpled dark blue suit.

  “Hello.”

  “Good evening. I’m Detective Kelly. Can I come in?”

  “I guess so.” Thea opened the door wider and the detective walked in.

  “Should I get my parents?”

  “Yes, that might be a good idea. I’m here about Thomas Strongberg.”

  Thea ran upstairs to get her parents. She and her vadder hadn’t been back long from the market, and her mother and father were talking while her father was washing up and changing clothes.

  “Dat, Mamm, there’s a detective downstairs, here to talk about Thomas.”

  “You let him in the haus?” Her father stared at her.

  “Jah. Was that wrong?”

  She could tell her father was furious. How was she to know he didn’t want the man in the house? When she walked back downstairs with her parents following, the detective had made himself comfortable on the couch in the living room.

  “I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Levi said.

  “I’m Detective Kelly, and I'm here about Thomas Strongberg. Were any threats made towards Thomas?” the detective asked Thea.

  “No, just a man at the market who said something in anger about killing him, but he didn’t mean it. Thomas was being a bully and I guess that Austin was trying to stand up for himself.”

  “How well do you know Austin?”

  Thea’s father stared at her, waiting for her to answer the detective’s question.

  She looked at her father, and then said to the detective, “I know him well enough to know that he didn’t mean what he said. People say things when they get angry that they don’t really mean.”

  The detective stared at Levi as though waiting for him to comment.

  Levi hesitated, and then said, “Thomas told me that the man running the honey stall said he was going to kill him.”

  “Did Thomas appear to take his threats seriously?” Kelly asked.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but my daughter shouldn’t have let you in the house. I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

  Kelly stood up. “Just one more question, please. Was Thomas worried by the threat?”

  “I thought so,” Levi answered gruffly.<
br />
  “Detective, do you think someone killed him? Is that why you’re asking?” Thea asked.

  Levi strode to the door, opened it and Kelly took the hint, walking toward it while answering Thea’s question. “It’s too early to tell at this stage. It’s hard for the forensics crew to work out exactly what happened, since his family moved his body immediately.”

  “Is that all?” Levi said at the now opened front door.

  Detective Kelly nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”

  Kelly walked out the door and just as he was about to get into his car, Thea ran outside.

  “Wait!” she yelled out.

  Kelly stepped back from the car, closing the driver's-side door. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know if this will help…” she looked over her shoulder knowing her father wouldn’t like her talking to the detective without him being there. She had to be quick. “It might be nothing, but I noticed that Thomas was a different person when he came back from his rumspringa. He seemed stressed and almost worried.”

  “Rumspringa—that’s when you young Amish people leave the community and go wild?”

  Thea nodded. “I guess that’s right, for some.”

  “Exactly when did he return from his rumspringa?”

  “Around six months ago.” She glanced around to see her father at the front door with his arms folded. “I have to go.”

  “Thank you,” the detective said before he got into his car.

  Thea hurried back to the house.

  “What did you say to him?” Levi asked.

  “I was telling him that Thomas had changed since he came back to the community, that’s all.”

  “None of that is our concern, Thea. Now go help your mudder.”

  Chapter 5

  “I suppose you’ve heard what’s happened?” the detective asked when Ettie opened her front door to see him standing there.

  “You mean about young Thomas?” she answered, standing aside to allow him in.

  “Yes.”

  “Come in.”

  “Yes, we’ve heard,” Elsa-May called out from her favorite chair where she sat knitting. “I suppose you want us to do some asking around for you?”

  “No one in the community talking to you?” Ettie asked with amusement in her voice.

  Detective Kelly sat on one of their wooden chairs, while Ettie sat on the couch opposite. “I’ve spoken to Thea and her parents. They knew Thomas. Thea was a good friend of his.”

  “So, why are you here?” Elsa-May asked.

  Ettie’s mouth opened wide. “Elsa-May, that sounds a little rude.”

  Elsa-May dropped her knitting into her lap. “I’m sorry, Detective Kelly, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. You’re welcome here anytime. You don’t need a reason to drop by.”

  “Are you here because there’s a rumor going around that his death wasn’t accidental?” Ettie asked.

  “Which was it, an accident or a murder?” Elsa-May looked over the top of her glasses at Detective Kelly.

  “It’s hard to say since things were moved right after he was found. It was hard for the forensic team to determine what happened with any degree of accuracy. We’re still waiting on the coroner’s report.”

  “I assume you’re here because we can help you with something?” Elsa-May asked.

  “I’m here, firstly, to learn what you know of the situation, and secondly, to ask you to keep your eyes and ears open.”

  “What do you know so far?” Ettie asked, becoming annoyed that Kelly was taking a long time getting to the point.

  “The cause of death was a blow to the head. Now whether that was caused by falling from a great height or from a deliberate blow, the coroner is still to determine that.”

  “That’s most unfortunate,” Elsa-May said.

  Detective Kelly stared at Elsa-May. “Do you know anything about Thomas, Mrs. Lutz?”

  “I know that there was talk about his death, that’s all really.”

  “What did you hear?”

  “Wait a minute and I’ll finish this row. I don’t want to drop any more stitches.” When Elsa-May finished the row, she placed her knitting in her lap and perched her reading glasses on top of her head, pushing back her prayer kapp. “All Ettie and I heard was nothing more than idle gossip. Something about an argument with a young man at the farmers market.”

  “Yes, that’s the story I’ve heard. As I told you, I’ve just come from Levi Hersh’s house, and I’ve spoken to a young lady called Thea. She witnessed the argument between the two young men. Then she told me something interesting.”

  Elsa-May leaned forward. “What?”

  “She said that Thomas had not been the same since he came back from his rumspringa six months ago. Now, what do you make of that?”

  Ettie was the first to speak. “It can be a confusing time for young people. Perhaps he wasn’t certain where he belonged—in the community or out of it.”

  “Did he ever get baptized, Ettie?” Elsa-May asked.

  “No, I don’t think he did. At least I never heard anything about it.”

  Elsa-May nodded.

  Kelly tipped his head to one side. “What’s the significance of that?”

  “Usually when people return from rumspringa they’ve made their decision to officially join the community, and they get baptized which shows their commitment to Gott. If they're not ready to commit to the Amish way of life, they generally don't come back."

  Elsa-May added, “And, if they leave the community after being baptized, they’ll be shunned.”

  “Ah, I see. I’ve heard about shunning. I thought that all Amish were born into it.”

  “No! We aren’t born into it like we’re a race of people. Our children are raised in the Amish way of life, but one day—when they are old enough—they must each make their own decision. It’s a personal decision that every Amish person must make when they’re old enough to understand,” Elsa-May explained.

  “I’m with you now.”

  Elsa-May said, “I hope so. I know what I mean, but I’m having trouble trying to say it in words.”

  “I do know what you mean, Elsa-May. Back to Thomas—you’re saying you think he was undecided?”

  Ettie nodded. “It seems so, but maybe he was soon to be baptized. The bishop would know. Or perhaps Thomas’ family would know.”

  Kelly chuckled. “That’s where you two come into the picture.”

  “What do you want us to do?”

  “Could you ask around for me? It might come to nothing, but it would be useful to know where Thomas’ head was at.”

  Elsa-May and Ettie stared at each other.

  “We’ll let you know if we hear of anything,” Elsa-May said as she picked up her knitting.

  Detective Kelly drew his eyebrows together. “That’s not what I asked.” He looked at Ettie who looked away.

  “What’s going on with the two of you? Do you know something that you’re not letting on?”

  “No. We’ll ask some questions,” Ettie said.

  He looked suspiciously from one sister to the other. “Am I missing something here?”

  “Ettie’s concerned that people think we talk to the police too much.”

  “I’m a detective.” He laughed and then stopped when he noticed that he was the only one laughing. “You see, that’s slightly different from the police.” When neither of them commented, he asked, “You’re not going to help me?” He looked again at each sister in turn. “I see. You only help me when an Amish person—someone from your community—is threatened or accused of a crime. Now that no one is in jail, you aren’t so keen to help me?”

  Ettie pursed her lips. What he said was true, but it made them sound selfish and only concerned with their own community rather than the broader community. “We’ll give it some thought.”

  “I’m not asking too much. The thing is, I know you two will hear things, so all I’m asking is to tell me what you hear. Is that too much to a
sk?”

  Ettie looked at Elsa-May, hoping she’d speak. “No. We’ll do it,” Elsa-May said glancing up from her knitting.

  “It should be ‘Yes. We'll do it.'” Ettie took every opportunity to correct her older sister because Elsa-May corrected her every day.

  Elsa-May’s expression soured. “I’m saying ‘no’ because the detective said, 'Is that too much to ask? I’m merely saying, ‘no’ it isn’t too much to ask.”

  “Okay. Don’t go on about it.” Ettie was annoyed that Elsa-May always had an answer for everything.

  Elsa-May shook her head. “I can’t say anything right these days.”

  Ettie chuckled. “I’m just getting a bit of my own back. Giving you a taste of your own medicine.”

  “Now, have you’ve run out of coffee, or what’s going on?” Kelly asked, smiling at Ettie's last remark.

  Ettie pushed herself up from the couch. “I’ll get you a cup. We’ve only just boiled the pot so it won’t take long.”

  While Ettie was in the kitchen, she thought about it and decided it was best to help Kelly. Elsa-May had been right to agree to do so. Thomas was dead, so it was too late to help him, but if they helped Detective Kelly now, next time someone in the community might be in trouble, he would return the favor.

  Chapter 6

  Kelly hadn’t been gone long when Thea knocked on Ettie and Elsa-May’s door.

  “Thea! What a nice surprise. Come inside,” Ettie stepped back and opened the door, moving aside.

  “Denke.” Thea walked in and spotted Elsa-May. “Hello, Mrs. Lutz.”

  “Hello, Thea,”

  “Have you heard about Thomas?”

  “We have.” Ettie guided Thea to the couch and sat down next to her.

  “I thought if anyone would know anything it might be you, Mrs. Smith.”

  Ettie frowned narrowing her eyes. “Know what exactly?”

  “People, well, some people think that Thomas might have been murdered. He was a friend of mine and I just wanted to see what both of you thought. At first, I heard he died accidently from falling off a ladder and then someone thought that it might not have been an accident.”