Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 7

by Samantha Price

  “That’s what I was thinking. Just you and me like the old days.”

  Once they’d made up their minds and Elsa-May had finished their chores, the sisters wasted no time in getting a taxi to Don Shallot’s retirement home. Rather than have the taxi drive them onto the premises, they had the driver stop where the driveway met the street. Then, they made their way down the long, pebbled drive on foot.

  Elsa-May giggled. “Every time I go into one of these places, I hope that they let me out again.”

  “Yeah, well how do you think I’m going to feel, walking through the door with this stick? We’re probably older than some of the people who live here.”

  “I hope it makes you appreciate me more. We look after each other.”

  “Well how about you appreciating me?” Ettie looked over at her sister, who was striding ahead of her. Ettie was too busy looking at Elsa-May, thinking up something else to say, rather than watching where she was going. She bumped into the knee-high brick-walled garden bed that lined one side of the driveway, toppled into the garden, and landed smack bang on top of a daisy bush.

  Elsa-May turned around and glared at her. “We’ve got no time to take a break, Ettie. Shall I go in by myself?”

  A bee buzzed around Ettie’s head and, instinctively, she swiped at it before she realized she shouldn’t. She’d learned a long time ago if she left such creatures alone, they’d leave her alone. When she saw the bee was gone, her attention turned back to Elsa-May, who was now standing, staring, with hands on hips. “Can’t you see I’ve fallen?”

  Elsa-May narrowed her eyes at Ettie, who was trying to push herself up by hanging onto her walking stick.

  “I need some help here.” Ettie reached out her hand and Elsa-May pulled her to her feet.

  “I get more worried about you every day. Are you sure that doctor knows what he’s doing?”

  “What doctor?”

  “Now, what doctor do you think I’m talking about?” Elsa-May snapped. “The one whose walking stick you stole.”

  Ettie gasped and looked around, thankful no one was about. “Lower your voice. People will think I’m a common thief.”

  “Well, you’re not far off it with what you did.”

  “I didn’t know until I’d gotten out of his office and up the street. It’s the truth!”

  Elsa-May folded her arms across her chest. “You didn’t seem like you were in a hurry to give it back.”

  With one hand on her walking stick, Ettie dusted the dirt off her dress with her free hand. “I’ll take it back, I will.”

  “Good.” Elsa-May helped her get the remains of the dirt off.

  Ettie pushed her sister’s hand away. “That’s enough, denke. Let’s just get in there and see what we can find out.”

  “Okay, but this time let’s do it without you taking another break, shall we? Hmm?”

  Ettie looked down at the poor squashed daisy bush. “Okay.” Sometimes, it was easier and quicker to just agree with her sister.

  As Elsa-May continued to walk slightly ahead, she ordered, “You do all the talking when we get inside.”

  “Why is it always me who has to do the talking?” Ettie asked. “You do it. You’re the eldest as you keep reminding me every single day of my life since I can remember.”

  “All right, but if they won’t allow us to see him, don’t blame me.”

  “Of course, I wouldn’t blame you.”

  Elsa-May walked up the ramp to the front door with Ettie close behind her. Elsa-May opened the glass door and held it open for Ettie to walk through. They looked around and saw a little room with the sign "Office," and headed towards it.

  Elsa-May knocked on the open door.

  “Yes?” a voice called out.

  They walked into the room to see a middle-aged lady with dark brown hair pulled back tightly into a bun.

  “Hello, I’m wondering if we might see one of your inmates for a couple of moments?”

  Inmates? Ettie was horrified with what her sister had said. Thankfully, the woman laughed and then Elsa-May must’ve realized her error and she laughed too.

  “This is not a prison,” the woman said, still giggling. “No one’s held captive.”

  At this point, Ettie knew she’d have to take over. “Don’t mind my sister. I’m sorry about her.” She pushed Elsa-May out of the way with her walking stick. “We have an urgent need to talk to somebody about a very private and personal matter.”

  The woman smiled. “What is the name of this very important person you’ve got the important matter you have to discuss with?”

  Ettie stared at the woman wondering why she was so amused. Couldn’t old people have important things going on in their lives?

  “Don Shallot,” Elsa-May said before Ettie had a chance.

  “Ah yes. Donald Shallot. I was just processing something for him recently. He’s new.”

  “Correct,” Elsa-May said with a self-satisfied grin.

  “Good.” The woman looked over at her computer and tapped the keyboard.

  “They’re about to go on a bus trip today. I can’t see that he’s confirmed, but he’ll most likely be going with the rest of them. The bus doesn’t leave for another fifteen to twenty minutes, so you might be able to catch him in the recreation area. That’s where the bus’s leaving from.”

  “Wonderful.”

  “And where might that be?” Ettie asked.

  The woman stood up and pointed out the window behind her. “You go down this hall and then to your left, and there you’ll see it.”

  “Thank you very much. You’ve been a great help.”

  “Glad I can be of assistance.”

  As they got out of the office and walked down the hallway, Ettie wasn’t happy. “What were you thinking? 'Inmates?'”

  Elsa-May chuckled. “It didn’t matter. She thought it was funny. I’m not sure why I said that.”

  “It just lets me know that I’m going to have to do all the talking to everyone from now on.”

  “But don’t you think it made her happy—gave her a laugh, and then she was more inclined to help us?”

  “I don’t think that’s the case. I think she thought you were clearly batty and she wanted to get rid of you—get rid of us, since I was guilty by association.”

  “My, you’re grumpy today.”

  “I’m never grumpy.”

  “What are we going to say to this man?” Elsa-May stopped still. “Wait. We don’t even know what he looks like.”

  “He’s old.”

  “So is everyone in here.”

  “We’ll just have to ask people that’s all. It’s not a problem.”

  “Okay, I’m right behind you.”

  “Yes, I’ll do all the talking this time in case you ruin things again.”

  “I never wanted to do the talking, if you’ll remember.”

  Ettie had no reply to that.

  When they got to the recreation area, they saw three groups of people sitting at tables, talking. They approached the smallest group, which consisted of two men and one lady.

  “Excuse me, do you think you might be able to tell us where we might find a man by the name of Don Shallot?”

  “Sure.” The man looked around. "I can’t see him here, he must be still in his room. He’s got the room next to me. Straight down the hall and to the left.” He pointed to the hallway behind them.

  “Where is it?” Elsa-May asked.

  The woman smiled, and said, “Straight down the hall, the last door on the left.”

  “Thank you,” Ettie said.

  The sisters walk down the hallway in silence. Ettie was wondering what to say while her heart pumped wildly.

  Ettie knocked on the door that they’d been directed toward.

  “Come in,” an elderly male voice uttered.

  Ettie and Elsa-May stared at one another and then Ettie opened the door a crack. “Is this Don Shallot’s room?”

  “Yes. Who is it? You can come in.”

&nb
sp; Elsa-May opened the door further and they saw a thin elderly man sitting on the bed and putting on brown leather shoes. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m wondering if we might ask you a couple of questions?”

  “Who are you?” he snapped. He pushed his feet into his shoes and without doing up his laces, he got up and opened the door wider.

  “I’m Ettie Smith and this is my sister, Elsa-May Lutz.”

  He rubbed his jaw. “I was expecting my doctor.”

  “You’re not going on the bus trip?” Elsa-May asked.

  “No. Are you residents here?”

  “No,” Ettie said. “We’ve come about another matter. Would you have a couple of moments?”

  “Sure. Until the doc gets here.” He now seemed quite happy to have visitors and his initial gruffness had disappeared. There were two small chairs and he arranged them facing the bed and, when they sat down, he sat on the end of the bed. “What can I help you ladies with?”

  “We’re here about some matters that happened many years ago.”

  “Ah, I’m putting two and two together and thinking you’re talking about the scarecrow murders. Is that right?”

  “Yes,” Elsa-May said.

  “Years ago, when that happened the cops tried to pin it on me for some reason. I don’t know why, but I never had nothin’ to do with it.” He scratched the side of his head. “No idea. Someone either said they saw me there or something. It’s all a bit hazy now. I’ve got a bit of Alzheimer’s, you see. I probably won’t remember this conversation tomorrow unless you write it down. Wait a minute, do I know either of you?” With piercing green eyes, he gazed at each of them.

  “No. We’re strangers,” Ettie said.

  “Ah, I see.”

  “Thanks for helping us then.” Elsa-May stood up and just as she did a well-dressed older man walked into the room.

  Ettie knew this had to be the doctor because of his obvious attitude of authority. His complexion had a strange yellow tinge, his eyebrows were white and bushy and his thin white hair was slicked back and greasy-looking.

  The doctor looked at Don Shallot and then looked at the two sisters.

  “I’ve got visitors,” Don told him.

  “I can see that.”

  “It’s alright, we were just leaving,” Ettie said.

  “This is my doctor,” Don said.

  “I’m Dr. Grifford. I’ve done studies in the past on the Amish.”

  “You have?” Elsa-May asked.

  “I have. That was many years ago. Studying your DNA and the diseases that are prevalent amongst your people.”

  “Since you’re a doctor, you might be able to help my sister. You see, she has a bad back, but she also has a sore leg along with it. Why’s that?”

  Ettie’s face flushed hot with embarrassment. “Elsa-May, we can’t get free advice. It’s rude. I’m sure the doctor’s got better things to do with his time.”

  “I do have a private practice. I’m happy to see you ladies at no charge.”

  “Why would you do that?” Elsa-May narrowed her eyes.

  “We don’t want you to do that. We’re quite happy to pay,” Ettie said. “Please don’t be offended by my sister.”

  He laughed. “I’m not offended. It takes me back to a time when I was doing the bulk of my research.”

  “When was that?” Elsa-May inquired.

  “A long time ago.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a white business card and handed it to them. “Make an appointment with Louise, my secretary.” Elsa-May stared at the card while the doctor continued, looking at Ettie. “A misdiagnosis at your age could be fatal. It could be more going on than a bad back, like your sister suspects.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Grifford,” Elsa-May said, handing the card to Ettie. “We’ll make an appointment. Come along, Ettie. And thanks for your time, Mr. Shallot.”

  Ettie didn’t want to leave because she hadn’t finished talking to Don Shallot. But they had to, because the doctor was there.

  As they walked back down the hallway, Elsa-May said, “What do you think of that, Ettie? We just got a free medical appointment.”

  “As our vadder used to say, there is nothing that is truly free except advice.”

  “Dat never said anything like that. What are you gabbing on about now?”

  “It was something like that. Didn’t he say something—?”

  “Never. Well, he said loads of things, but nothing like what you just said.”

  “It doesn’t matter, I’m not going. And what does he mean by, at my age? Does he think I’m a hundred, or something?” They walked past the people who were getting on the bus. Ettie wondered where they were going, and might they be able to catch a ride home?

  “Don’t be offended all the time by what people say, Ettie. They don’t know how fit and well we are. I want you to have a second opinion.”

  Ettie thought better of the bus idea and decided to get a taxi. “You’re just too embarrassed to go back to our original doctor.”

  Elsa-May shook her head. “Nee, I’m not. You have to go back there to give him his walking stick back.”

  Looking down at the walking stick, Ettie felt bad for accidentally stealing it. If she really had.

  Chapter 8

  Selena had found out when and where the service for Eli's funeral was being held and she’d offered to drive the elderly sisters and Gabriel.

  On the way to the chapel, Gabriel turned around from the front seat and asked Ettie and her sister, “What do you hope to find out here?”

  “We need to find out what, if anything, this man had in common with the first man who was killed.”

  “That's right,” Elsa-May said. “And we need to find out if there was any connection between the newer and the old scarecrow murders.”

  “I wish I could do more to help,” Selena said.

  “We’ll spread out and ask questions of people and see what we can find out,” Ettie said. “I'll talk to Kate.”

  “Is that the wife?” Selena asked.

  “That’s right.”

  When they walked into the white wooden chapel, they noticed they were the only Amish people there, aside from Kate's sister, Molly. They sat down in the back row. Then someone handed them a leaflet about Eli Schaeffer with his photograph on the front.

  Ettie held it and showed it to Elsa-May. “What’s this thing called? We always get one at Englisch funerals.”

  “I’m not sure. I don’t think it’s called anything.”

  “It should have a name.”

  Elsa-May nodded. “Maybe it does, but I don’t know what it is.”

  “I think it’s called a memorial program,” Selena whispered.

  Ettie nodded, and kept looking at it. “Hmm. I would’ve named it something different, but nothing comes to mind.”

  Selena asked, “Was Eli raised Amish and then all his family left when he was just a boy?”

  “No,” Elsa-May, said leaning across Ettie to talk to Selena. “He married Kate within the community, and then they moved away a little later.”

  “Ah, I think I was getting him mixed up with someone else.”

  Ettie looked around the room. There wasn’t a spare seat anywhere. She’d never been to an Englisch funeral that was so crowded. Eli must’ve had a lot of friends.

  “I can't think what he might’ve done to upset anybody,” Elsa-May said now looking at the coffin at the front of the room. “Are you cold, Ettie? It’s chilly in here.”

  “Shh. It’s starting.”

  “If you’re not cold, can I borrow your coat?”

  Someone got up to talk, and—so her sister would be quiet—Ettie dug Elsa-May in the ribs. Then she got a poke in the ribs right back, which very nearly made her giggle. Funerals weren’t the place to laugh, so Ettie looked to the front and concentrated on what was being said, thinking about what a shock it was to the family to lose a loved one unexpectedly.

  The minister talked about Eli and told how Eli and Kate worked
for several hours a week in soup kitchens for the homeless. They appeared to be decent-living church-going folk, and that was something Ettie didn’t know about them.

  Kate was sitting in the front row mopping her eyes, while the younger man sitting next to her looked concerned for her. That had to be Eli and Kate’s son, Ettie figured.

  When the ceremony was over, curtains were drawn around the coffin. That was when Ettie realized it was a cremation and not a burial. Everyone was invited to refreshments in the next room. The four of them walked through and helped themselves to the sandwiches and finger-food.

  Ettie hung back and waited until she saw Kate alone. Once she was, Ettie wasted no time. Aided by the walking stick, she made her way over, traveling as fast as she could.

  Kate looked up and smiled. The smile was genuine, Ettie noted. “Thank you for coming, Ettie. I haven’t seen you in decades. You haven’t changed and it was nice of you to bring your sister as well.”

  “It was a dreadful thing that happened. I’m sorry.”

  “It was awful and unbelievable.” She looked around. “I don’t see the bishop here.”

  “I’m not sure if he heard about it.” Ettie knew there wasn’t much chance the bishop would’ve come to a funeral of someone who’d abandoned the community, but under the circumstances she kept that to herself. According to Elsa-May, there had been plenty of talk about it at the Sunday meeting, so he surely knew, and could have found out about the funeral.

  “I’m worried, Ettie. I have to tell you that. What if he finds me?” Kate said. “It feels so awful not knowing why or who.”

  Ettie noticed Detective Kelly had walked in. “What did the police say?”

  “They said the killer never comes back to the same place twice.”

  “How could they possibly say that?” It seemed unreasonable to make such a statement. When Ettie saw Kate's eyes now wide with fear, she said, “I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about, but it wouldn’t hurt to take precautions.”

  “They said they’d give me protection, but so far I’ve seen none of it. He doesn’t even know if this is the same killer as last time. Who knows when and where it will end?”