“Jah, we’d like that, denke,” Ettie said as they followed Gertie to the kitchen.
Elsa-May poked Ettie and made a face telling Ettie she was positive it was Gertie who had made that call to the police.
Gertie put the kettle on the stove and turned around. “Sit down.”
They took their seats at the small round table in the center of the spacious kitchen, and Elsa-May plunged right into the reason they were there. “Gertie, Ettie and I were in the woods yesterday chasing Snowy because he’d gotten away. Anyway, to make a long story short—”
“And I came across bones of… of a dead body.”
Gertie gasped. “Nee!”
Ettie nodded. “Jah.”
“The detective thinks the dead person had been there for a long time.”
“That must’ve given you a dreadful fright. Why do the living have to have so much to do with death? The two men I loved died.”
Ettie knew she’d married Simon, and he’d been found dead on the side of the road around ten years ago. The police had said it was a hit-and-run accident.
“We know your husband died, but who was the other man?”
“Aaron, Simon’s bruder. We had plans to marry, we were both too young for marriage back then, but that didn’t stop us from talking about it.”
“Oh, I remember, he died when he was a little more than a teenager. Drowned, didn’t he?” Elsa-May asked.
“There’s no need to bring that up, Elsa-May,” Ettie said to her sister.
“It was Gertie who mentioned it.”
“That’s quite all right. I don’t mind talking about Aaron. I still miss him just as much as I missed him back then. Weird happenings took place after he died and they caused me to do some things I deeply regret.”
Ettie wanted to stop Gertie from wandering off the reason they’d come to talk with her. “The truth of the matter is that we’re both here today because there was a call made to the police station and the police first thought I’d made the call—”
“And we recognized the voice as yours,” Elsa-May said.
She nodded. “Jah, it was me who called them.”
“You stopped partway through. What did you call them to say?”
“I kept this to myself for many years. The man I called about lived where Amos is living. Simon and I heard screams. We rushed over to see what was happening and Simon and I both saw the man murdered. He was struck repeatedly, one blow after the other. He was lying still and lifeless by the time we saw what the man was doing. Simon grabbed my arm and we ran back into the house together. We both feared we’d be next if the killer knew we’d seen him.”
Ettie gasped.
“Once we were inside, we thought about what we should do. The man was already dead so it was too late to help him.”
Ettie asked, “Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“And end up dead?”
“They would’ve protected you,” Elsa-May said.
“Nee. I was too scared. It took me many years to call them, but I thought someone besides me should know what happened. When I made the call the other day, I was halfway through talking to the person on the other end of the 911 call, someone stood near me and wanted to use the phone. I couldn’t let them hear what I was saying, so I hung up. What else could I do?”
“You never called back?”
“I never had the chance.” Her gaze flickered downward. “I was scared.”
“Who was the man you saw being killed?” Elsa-May asked.
“Earl Quinn.”
Ettie gasped. “How did you know his name?”
“I could be wrong, but right after I saw the man get killed there were all those missing persons posters about. It looked like the man Simon and I saw. I’ll never forget that name, it’s been burned into my memory. He had to have been the one.”
“So you’re an eyewitness to the murder?”
“I guess that I am. That’s correct.”
“Why was he killed, do you think?”
“That’s something I don’t know.”
“Who was the man living there? What was his name?” Elsa-May asked.
“Don’t you own that house Amos is living in?”
Gertie nodded. “I was out one day and when I came home Simon told me he’d finally found someone to lease the house. There was never any formal lease on paper or anything. The man paid cash at the end of every week.”
“What was his name?”
Gertie cast her gaze downward. “I don’t remember now.”
Ettie wondered if that were really true. If she thought the man had killed someone then surely she’d remember his name. She was still scared, Ettie reasoned. If she didn’t tell the police, she wouldn’t tell them.
“Will you tell the police what you know?” Elsa-May asked.
“And end up like Simon?”
Ettie frowned. “Did Simon go to the police?”
“Nee, but he was always talking about confronting the man—the killer. He didn’t like to remain silent.”
“You think that’s what he did?”
“I’m certain of it. It was no hit-and-run, that is for sure and for certain. They found him dead on the side of the road, hit by a car. But, he was in a place he wouldn’t normally be. His buggy was still at home.”
“Can you tell us what happened that day—the day Simon was killed?”
“I wasn’t feeling well and was asleep most of the day, and when I woke up Simon was nowhere around. Next thing I knew the police were knocking at my door. They told me Simon got run over by a car. I didn’t tell them what I thought.”
“I remember it.”
“Me too. I remember hearing that he’d died and the motorist didn’t stop.”
Gertie sighed deeply.
"You should really tell the police what you know," Elsa-May said, staring directly at Gertie.
"I'll think about it. I didn't want to let them know who I was. That's why I called without leaving my name.” Gertie looked over at Ettie. “I didn't know we sounded so much alike."
Ettie smiled. "Neither did I. I still don't think we do."
Elsa-May cleared her throat. "If you saw that man kill someone, they'll arrest him."
"I know how these things work, Elsa-May. They'll arrest him, he'll get out on bail and then he’ll come and kill me, and then I won't be able to testify against him. And if he stays in jail, he'll get one of his friends to kill me."
"We can have a talk with Detective Kelly. He might be able to work something out," Ettie suggested.
"I'm too old to go on one of those witness protection things. I can’t relocate at my age."
"No, I wasn't thinking of anything like that." Movement out of the corner of her eye caught Ettie’s attention. Through the window, she saw Amos was still standing outside and staring at the house. She looked over at Gertie who seemed totally oblivious to Amos' strange behavior. "What is he doing standing there staring like that?"
"Oh, don't worry about him. It used to bother me and now I just take no notice of him."
Elsa-May half stood, and leaned over so she could see what Ettie saw. “Does he always look into your windows like that?"
"Sometimes. He's not close enough to see in. I'd have to put a stop to it if that happens. He likes me, always has. He wanted to marry me after Aaron died, and again years on after Simon died. I married Simon not long after Aaron died."
"It was around two years as I remember it," Elsa-May said.
"That's right." Gertie nodded with a faraway look in her eyes.
Ettie took a last mouthful of tea. "Well, thank you for your stories."
"Any time. You should visit more often."
"You could visit us," Elsa-May suggested.
"Maybe I will. I haven't been to your haus for years. I don't want you to breathe a word to anyone of what I've told you. It's for your ears only." She looked carefully from one sister to the other until they both had nodded in agreement.
Ettie was pleased
Gertie had added that last bit because she knew if she told the detective that Gertie had seen that man get murdered, her friend's life could very well be in danger. It was a secret Ettie was glad to keep.
Chapter 5
When Ettie and Elsa-May walked through their front door after riding home in a taxi, they were finally free to talk about what Gertie had said.
"What do you think about it all, Ettie?"
Before she could answer, Snowy scampered over to Elsa-May and pawed at her legs begging to be picked up.
"Gertie knew the murdered man’s name and everything. It's a wonder she didn't call the police all those years ago when all the posters were around."
"She was too scared, that's why. And what do you think about her saying that the same person that killed Simon, killed Aaron and Earl Quinn?"
Elsa-May shook her head. "That's not right. We can disregard that. Aaron drowned so long ago, and even if his death wasn't an accident I don't see that the three deaths can be related. Mind you, she could be right about Simon’s death."
"That's what I thought. The only things those deaths have in common is Gertie."
"I quite agree."
They’d only just sat down to dinner that night when there was a knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" Elsa-May asked placing her fork down.
"Did you make enough for guests?" Ettie asked.
"I always make plenty. I like to plan for leftovers."
"I'll see who it is." Ettie pushed out her chair and walked to the door but Snowy beat her to it. The way Snowy was pawing at the door, she guessed it was Detective Kelly. The little dog always seemed to know. She scooped him up and held him under her arm as she opened the door.
"I hope I'm not calling too late," he said with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Not at all, come in. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"Would you like to eat with us? We’ve only just sat down and we have plenty."
Snowy was struggling to get at him, but Ettie managed to hold him back.
Kelly stepped through the door. “I'll take you up on your kind offer, thank you."
"Good. You go through to the kitchen and join Elsa-May, and I'll put Snowy outside."
“Don’t put him outside because of his stitches," Elsa-May called out. "Put him in my room.”
As Ettie put Snowy in Elsa-May’s room, she reminded herself to keep quiet about what Gertie had told them. She washed and dried her hands and then joined them in the kitchen.
"What did I miss?" Ettie asked.
"Nothing. We were waiting for you," Elsa-May said as she placed a heaped plate of food in front of Detective Kelly. They had steamed cabbage, boiled chicken and mashed potatoes, and of course, gravy.
"Do you have news for us?” Elsa-May asked when she sat down.
"Me? I'm here to see if you have news for me."
"We found the woman who made that call."
"Ah, good. That's what I was hoping. What’s her name?”
“Gertie Fisher.”
“Is she willing to talk?"
Ettie shook her head. "Her husband witnessed a man being murdered and then her husband turned up dead. This was around ten years ago. She doesn't want to have the same thing happen to herself."
"He witnessed a murder, you say?"
“Yes. That’s what she was saying on the phone call. A man who once lived next door to her and Simon, her husband, killed a man outside the house. Simon saw it and came back and told her that he’d witnessed a murder."
"That's what she believed to be true," Elsa-May added.
“Her husband died not long after. The killer must’ve known he saw something.”
"And what was the name of her husband? Fisher, too?"
"Yes, Simon Fisher."
"And no one was charged for his murder?"
"The police said it was a hit-and-run.”
“But she never believed that,” Ettie said.
“She told us Simon had no reason to be in the area where he was found."
"And she believes that it was the murderer who killed him?” Kelly asked.
“Yes.”
“That’ll be hard to prove with so much time having passed.”
"Have you found out the name of the man whose bones we found?"
"Yes, the dental records came through before the DNA testing. His name was Earl Quinn."
Ettie coughed, choking on a mouthful of food. Elsa-May jumped to her feet and got Ettie a glass of water and stood behind her slapping her on the back. Earl Quinn was the exact name that Gertie had given them, but they couldn't let Detective Kelly know that.
Ettie took a large mouthful of water, which was hard to do with Elsa-May still patting her on the back. "Thanks, Elsa-May, that's quite enough."
Kelly frowned at Ettie. "Are you okay?"
“I am now. Something just went down the wrong way, that's all."
"For a moment there I thought you were reacting to hearing the name Earl Quinn."
"I don't remember ever knowing of anybody called Earl Quinn. Do you, Elsa-May?"
Elsa-May sat back down. "No, I don't. It's certainly not an Amish name."
Kelly put a portion of food carefully onto his fork. "He was the one I thought it might have been. He went missing. He wasn't supposed to be anywhere around here, but he last used his credit card at a gas station near here, and his car was found not far from that same gas station. Then he was never heard from or seen again."
"If he wasn't supposed to be in this area, where was he supposed to be?"
Ettie was pleased that her sister was thinking straight because she was too uncomfortable keeping information from Detective Kelly and she couldn't help but wonder if he knew they had more information and he was simply playing along with them and hoping to trip them up.
"Pittsburgh. He came from here, lived just five miles from this gas station. He was supposed to be in Pittsburgh for work, but it seems he never got there."
"What sort of work did he do?"
"He was a traveling salesman, something to do with windows I believe. And I'm not talking about the software program." Kelly gave a chuckle, amusing only himself.
"That seems a long way for him to travel if he was selling windows. Wouldn't he have enough people to sell windows to around here?"
"His firm was working with an inventor who was experimenting with different minerals to block out visibility through the glass, to make it see-through at times and then make it block out visibility at other times. At least that's what I gather from the notes in the file."
"And did he have a family?"
"Yes. He was married with two young children at the time. That was a good ten years ago."
"How did his family take the news? Have you told them yet?"
“Yes, of course. That was the very first thing I did this morning right after his identity was confirmed.”
Elsa-May shook her head. “Very sad.”
"His wife was both pleased and relieved that she could finally give him a proper funeral. It’s quite distressing for people if family go missing. They accept the fact that their loved one is most likely dead, but there's nothing worse than that question — that lingering question of what really happened to them."
"Yes, it must be an awful feeling."
Kelly nodded. "It would be. First thing tomorrow, I’ll have a look into this Simon Fisher you told me about, and I’ll see if I can find anything in his file that doesn’t add up.”
“His wife was positive it wasn’t just a hit-and-run.”
“If I’m not satisfied with what I see in the file, I’ll have to talk with her.”
“Um, that might not be a good idea,” Ettie said, knowing that Gertie would think that Ettie had divulged her secret if she saw a detective coming to her house.
“No,” Elsa-May said. “She’s got a thing about talking to the police.”
“I’m sure she’ll talk to me if it’s about her husband. Doesn’t she want justice? You j
ust said she thinks he was murdered.”
“It’s God who judges,” Ettie said.
“Ah, yes. I forget that. If everyone thought that way, the world wouldn’t be a safe place.”
“We’ve got our views and you’ve got yours,” Ettie said.
“And never the twain shall meet.” Kelly chuckled at himself again.
“Would you like more to eat?” Elsa-May asked Kelly as he mopped up the last of his gravy with some bread.
“No, thank you. That was delicious. I don’t remember when I’ve had a better meal.”
Elsa-May smiled. “You will have dessert, won’t you?”
“I won’t say no.”
“Elsa-May made apple and rhubarb pie.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever had that.”
Ettie cleared the dinner plates while Elsa-May got the pie out of the oven where it had been keeping warm.
“Do you eat like this all the time?” Kelly asked.
“Yes. It’s far from the pizzas and fast food you eat every night.”
Kelly rubbed his neck. “It’s a hazard of the job, I’m afraid. I have to grab something on the go most days.”
“Will you have cream or ice-cream with that?” Elsa-May asked.
“Not for me. Just a small piece of pie. Ettie’s made me feel guilty.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to do that.”
“I should be watching my weight.”
“Ettie?”
“Just the pie for me too, denke.”
When Elsa-May had placed a plate of pie in front of everyone, she sat down and watched Kelly have a taste.
His face brightened as soon as he tasted it. When he swallowed, he turned to Elsa-May. “That’s just delicious.”
“Thank you. It’s a recipe that’s been handed down to us.”
“Does it have secret ingredients?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Did this Gertie friend of yours say why she was so sure her husband was murdered?”
“Only that it made sense. I think that’s all.”
“No one threatened her or anything? Or had her husband been threatened?”
Ettie looked at Elsa-May, then she said, “I don’t think so. She didn’t say, and if that had happened, I’m sure she would’ve said so.”
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 4 Page 24
