Old Promises

by Samantha Price

  After a long silence, Elsa-May asked, “What?”

  “She told me she only came to talk with me because both of you had promised her cake and coffee up the road. What do you think about that?”

  Elsa-May grimaced. “It wasn’t a bribe, or anything.”

  He glowered. “It certainly sounds like a bribe to me.”

  “It wasn’t,” Ettie said quietly.

  “We only brought her here because of what she told us.”

  “If you want to help, stay out of my way, so I can investigate this. All right?” When no one said anything, the detective repeated. “All right, Mrs. Smith?”

  Ettie nodded and looked away from him.

  “Mrs. Lutz?”

  Elsa-May nodded as well.

  “Come on, Elsa-May. Let’s go.”

  “Yes, you’ve got to pay out on that bribe waiting at the coffee shop, no doubt.” Kelly pressed his thin lips together.

  “Have you tried their orange cake?” Elsa-May smiled at Kelly.

  Ettie tugged on her sleeve. She couldn’t believe her sister. Nothing they said would make him happy at this time. The only thing they could do to improve matters was leave. Besides, the detective had no time to be chatting about cake while a murderer was on the loose. As soon as they found the real killer, Myra would be off the hook. “Not the right time.” Ettie walked out of Kelly’s office closely followed by Elsa-May.

  “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him that cross,” Elsa-May said as they walked back to the waiting area.

  “Me either. Now where has Alice gotten herself to?” They looked all around the waiting area and then walked to the exit.

  Elsa-May dug Ettie in the ribs.

  “Ow! What did you do that for?”

  “Because I see her. There she is, over there.” Ettie pointed to Alice waiting on a seat outside the police station. When she saw them, she gave them a little wave and walked over.

  “Now where is this cake shop you’ve been telling me about?”

  Chapter 6

  Once they were seated with cake and coffee, Elsa-May launched into her questions. “Alice, what makes you think that one of Ian’s sons killed him?”

  “For the money. You see, the son by the first wife was not bothered by money. He’s a free spirit and probably lives in a tent somewhere with his long hair, his crystals and banging on his tribal drum.”

  “Drum?”

  “Crystals?” Ettie asked.

  “Yes. He belonged to some kind of society where they use crystals and they chant, or something along those lines.”

  “Meditate?” Elsa-May asked.

  “That too, most likely. It was his son from his second marriage who was the greedy one. You mark my words.” Alice wagged a finger at them.

  Ettie tried hard to think of the son’s name but couldn’t remember it. She remembered that the son from the first marriage was Angelo. “Did you overhear anything that was said, such as a plot to murder Ian?”

  “I hear a lot of things. Housekeepers always do.” She cut a large bite of cake and popped it into her mouth.

  Elsa-May took a turn in asking the questions. “Yesterday you were convinced that the wife murdered him. What made you change your mind?”

  She held a hand up to stop Elsa-May from talking while she proceeded to savor the mouthful. When she had swallowed, she patted around the edges of her mouth with a paper napkin before she spoke. “I overheard Ian—Mr. Carter— saying he wanted to leave me a little something. This was years ago when he was updating his will. Tiffany was horrified and got all hot under the collar and somehow managed to talk him out of it.”

  “And?” Elsa-May asked.

  “And then, they got rid of me—Mrs. Carter did.”

  Ettie leaned forward. “What did Mr. Carter have to say about you leaving?”

  “He was upset, but right after the will incident, Mrs. Carter concocted a story about me stealing.” Alice shook her head in disgust. “He didn’t believe it, thankfully, but to keep the peace and to keep Tiffany happy, he had to let me go. He convinced the Marlboroughs next door to take me on as their housekeeper. Ian told me on the quiet he’d still leave me a little something in his will and Tiffany never need learn of it, and he also said if I ever needed anything to come to him. He knew he’d most likely die before me because of his heart.”

  “That was decent of him,” Ettie said.

  Elsa-May pursed her lips. “Yes, she never would learn of it until he died.”

  Alice nodded.

  “How much longer will you work?” Elsa-May asked. “Do you intend to retire?”

  “I’ll have to at some point. I’ll work as long as I can. If I didn’t work, I’d have nothing to do. I’d like to travel but don’t have the money. I have no family, so I’d have nothing to fill my days with. I like to be useful. I worked for Ian’s parents right up until they died. I’ve watched him grow from a boy into a man.”

  “Can I ask what you said to the detective about Byron killing his father?”

  “I simply told Detective Kelly how Byron’s mother lied and that he was after his father’s money and didn’t want anyone else to have a share.”

  Ettie was deeply disappointed. There was no proof or anything. No wonder Kelly was so upset. “Can we keep in contact with you, Alice?”

  “Of course, you can. I’ll write down the number of my cell phone. I’m sure you don’t want your daughter to be accused of anything. If I can help, I’ll do anything I can.”

  “Thank you. That’s good of you.” Ettie wrote down their address for Alice, explaining that they had no phone.

  “Maybe we can have afternoon tea again some time.”

  Elsa-May nodded. “That would be nice.”

  “I’ll find my own way home. There are a few things I want to pick up from the stores. Thanks for a lovely outing.”

  * * *

  When Alice got into a bus, the two sisters walked up the road. “Elsa-May, after listening to what Alice had to say, I think we should stop by the station and apologize to Detective Kelly for wasting his time. We need to keep on his good side.”

  Elsa-May shuddered. “You can. I’ll wait outside.”

  “Nee, I’m not going unless you come with me. Think of it this way, when Myra comes to our house tonight with her pointed crystals and her billowing smoke, what are we going to tell her?”

  “It’s Sparkle.”

  Ettie rolled her eyes.

  “Hmm. You’re right. She’ll think we’ve made things worse for her.”

  “Exactly. Now, pull yourself together and follow me.” Ettie marched ahead and Elsa-May walked quickly behind her.

  When they got back to the police station, they were informed Kelly had left the building. The sisters chose to wait for him to return even though the officer on the desk had no idea when that would be.

  “Just as well we’ve had some substance,” Elsa-May said as she once again sat on one of the hard-plastic seats in the waiting area.

  “Don’t you mean sustenance?”

  Elsa-May giggled. “What did I say?”

  “Substance.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s correct as well. We had food and that was our substance and our sustenance.” She giggled. "The substance of our sustenance."

  Ettie blew out a deep breath. Elsa-May could turn anything around to suit herself. She never liked to be wrong about anything. Elsa-May then handed Ettie a handkerchief.

  Ettie took it and held it in the air. “What’s this for?”

  “You’ve got crumbs around your mouth.”

  “You’re only telling me this now?” Ettie dabbed at her mouth with the corners of the handkerchief.

  “I didn’t notice before.”

  Ettie finished wiping her face and tucked the handkerchief inside her sleeve. “Better?” She turned to face her sister, who proceeded to straighten Ettie’s prayer kapp. Ettie slapped her hands away. “I meant are there any more crumbs.”

  “Nee.” Elsa-May’s eyes
dropped to her shoulders. “Only on the top of your cape.” She raised a hand to wipe them off.

  “Don’t,” Ettie whispered looking down at her shoulders. “There’s nothing there.”

  “I can see them.”

  “Well, if I can’t I’m not going to worry about them.”

  “As you wish. I’m just trying to help.”

  Ettie sighed and shifted in her seat wondering how Elsa-May could see such small things without the help of her glasses. “These seats are so hard.” It was all right for Elsa-May who had enough of her own padding, but the chairs were starting to give Ettie a sore behind. “I hope we don’t have to wait too long.”

  “He always comes back to the office, doesn’t he, before he goes home?”

  Ettie nodded. “I think so. He’s always complaining that he’s got so much paperwork. I think that’s the last thing he does before he goes home. And now he’s going home to that new wife of his.”

  “Hmm. I wonder how that’s working out. They hardly knew one another before they got married.”

  “People within our community marry without getting to know one another very well.”

  Elsa-May swiped a hand through the air. “That’s different. We have the same basic beliefs and live by the same principles as the people we marry.”

  “I suppose that’s true, so no one is really a stranger. Isn’t it awful how Mrs. Carter said that Alice stole something?”

  “It’s unfair, but we’re talking about the same woman who also told outrageous lies about Sparkle. It is sad that poor old Alice lost her job with the Carter family since she’d been working for them for so long,” Elsa-May said.

  “It’s convenient for us, though, that she stayed close.”

  “Close enough to keep up with the gossip about the family?”

  Ettie nodded. “Jah.”

  Elsa-May clasped her hands together. “I don’t know if we can go by anything she says since she changes her stories all the time. It makes me think that that’s all they are, just stories.” With a loud sigh, she then said, “I wish I had brought my knitting. I’m not used to sitting around doing nothing when I could be doing something.”

  “You’re always knitting and complaining of sore fingers. This will give your fingers a rest.”

  “I suppose so, but it might be good exercise for them. I’m thinking of making teddy bears for the Children’s Hospital like Michelle suggested.”

  Ettie wasn’t really listening. She was too busy staring at all the people who came into the station, wondering why they would say a few words to the sergeant on the desk and then leave. Then when she felt Elsa-May staring at her, she realized her sister was waiting for her to comment. “The Children’s Hospital did you say?”

  “Michelle is organizing it.”

  “That figures. Michelle is always organizing something. She probably organizes her twelve children’s visits to the bathroom each day. Come to think of it, where does she find the time to do anything outside the haus with all those kinner, and her in-laws living with them?”

  “It sounds like you’re jealous, Ettie.”

  Ettie frowned at her sister, who was grinning at her. “Jah, I’m jealous.”

  When Elsa-May chuckled, Ettie grew irritated because she’d said it sarcastically, but Elsa-May probably thought she was actually jealous. She couldn’t let the moment pass without setting her sister straight. “Why would I be jealous about someone organizing a bunch of old ladies to make teddy bears? Anyway, what does the bishop say about teddy bears? I don’t think it’s appropriate.” Ettie pursed her lips and looked straight ahead.

  “He says nothing. They’re for the hospital—for the children.”

  “Jah. I understood that the first time you said it. Making teddy bears for the children who are in the Children’s Hospital—got it.”

  “Why do you begrudge the children having a little happiness? It’s something I can do that is useful, bringing a smile to a sick child’s face—”

  “Hush, Elsa-May, enough. You’re always doing this.”

  “What? Doing what? I haven’t started making the teddy bears yet.”

  “This is what you’re like when you have nothing to do. You start picking over nothing at all. I’m not going to sit around and listen to this nonsense.” Ettie bounded to her feet, took two steps and then the detective walked in the door and locked eyes with her. She quickly wiped off the grim expression on her face and replaced it with a bright smile. “Good morning, Detective.”

  Chapter 7

  Kelly frowned at Ettie with a raised eyebrow, glanced at Elsa-May behind her, and finally said, “Afternoon, Mrs. Smith.”

  “Oh yes. It would be afternoon by now, wouldn't it? Good afternoon.” Out of the corner of Ettie’s eye, she saw Elsa-May push herself up off her chair. Ettie thought she better say why they were there before Elsa-May put her foot in it again. “Can we have a quick word with you, Detective?”

  “It better be quick. In my office?”

  “Yes.” Ettie nodded. They followed Detective Kelly through to his office and he closed the door. Ettie sat down first.

  Kelly stared at Ettie and then Elsa-May. “What can I do for the two of you?”

  “Ettie’s come to apologize.”

  Ettie’s mouth dropped open and she stared at Elsa-May. She looked back at the detective. “We’ve both come to apologize to you—”

  “What have you done now, Mrs. Smith?”

  She could tell Elsa-May was stifling a giggle. “Stop it, Elsa-May. You wouldn’t be like this if it was your daughter accused of murder.” That wiped the smile off Elsa-May’s face.

  “What is it?” Kelly glanced at his watch. “You’ll have to be quick.”

  “Ettie and I have come here to apologize for bringing Alice in to speak with you.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Is that it?”

  “Yes. She told us something very different and we thought she should tell you what she told us and then when she got here, she changed what she said.”

  “I can only go by what she said to me.”

  “And that’s exactly why we’ve come to say that we’re sorry we wasted your time.”

  Ettie added, “Yes. We didn’t know she was going to change what she said. She said—”

  Kelly raised his hand. “It doesn’t matter what she said to you. It’s interesting that she’s been named in the will. When I heard you were bringing her in I thought she might open up can of worms.”

  “A can of worms?” Elsa-May asked.

  “That’s an expression. It means to bring something to light that adds confusion to the mix, perhaps something sinister, or something previously unthought-of of, or unheard of.”

  “I see.”

  “Well, apology accepted.” He looked over at Ettie. “I know you’re upset about your daughter, but just trust the process. If she’s not guilty then she’s got nothing to worry about.”

  “I wish that were true. Many a mistake has been made in the justice system. Look at all the people who’ve gone to jail and then years later it’s been found out they were innocent.”

  “I’ve got no time for a debate.” A tiny smile hinted around his lips. “if you don’t trust the system, Ettie, trust me. I won’t let that happen.”

  Ettie saw the detective’s lips turn upward into a smile, but it was devoid of sincerity. “Thank you. We’ve taken up enough of your time.” Ettie was halfway pushing herself up out of her seat when Detective Kelly spoke again.

  “The good news is that Sparkle hasn’t been accused of anything, not yet. She’s in a very precarious position, however, with that bottle having been found in her house.”

  Elsa-May said, “Since Mrs. Carter told you all about the poison doesn’t that point to her more than to Myra?”

  Ettie sat back down. “Someone planted that bottle in Myra’s house.”

  “I hear what you’re saying and we’re looking into all possibilities.”

  “Thank you,” Ettie said as she got t
o her feet.

  “You should know this by now, Mrs. Smith, that when there’s a murder the people who fall under the most suspicion are those closest—the spouse in particular.”

  Ettie nodded. She felt a little better after hearing him say that.

  Chapter 8

  When the taxi turned into Elsa-May and Ettie’s street, they saw Ava’s horse and buggy outside their house.

  “Did you know Ava was coming?” Elsa-May asked Ettie, as they climbed out of the taxi.

  “Nee, did you?”

  Elsa-May shook her head.

  The taxi zoomed away, and Ava got out of the buggy and walked over to them.

  “Is anything wrong, or is this just a kind visit to a couple of old ladies?” Elsa-May asked her.

  Ava giggled. "I haven’t seen you for some time, so I thought I’d visit.”

  “Good.” As Ettie pushed open the front door, she asked, “How’s Jeremiah?”

  “He’s good. He’s doing some more work on the house.”

  “More work?”

  “Hasn’t he finished it by now?” Ettie asked.

  “Jah, most of it. He’s doing some work on one of the bedrooms.”

  “Oh.”

  Once they were inside the house, Elsa-May asked, “Would you like tea?”

  “Jah, you two sit. I’ll get it.”

  While Ettie and Elsa-May sat down at the kitchen table, Ava got the tea ready. She looked over and said, “We thought it would be a good idea to get one of the bedrooms ready in case we have a visitor in a few months.”

  “That’s nice. You never know when you’re going to have unexpected visitors. Of course, we can’t have any here because this place is too small,” Elsa-May said.

  “Florence stayed with us one time, but I had to sleep on the couch. It was most uncomfortable. Elsa-May snores, so that’s why she couldn’t sleep on the couch, so she said.”

  Elsa-May chuckled. “It’s true. I didn’t want to keep anyone awake.”

  Ava sat with them at the table waiting for the kettle to boil. “We’re painting the walls a pale yellow, almost a cream because we don’t know whether we might have a girl visitor or a boy visitor come to stay with us.”