“It’s not a theory, Elsa-May. It’s a fact. I told you I’ve figured it all out.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“It’s true.”
When the front door opened they looked up. Selena was walking inside, but she wasn’t alone. Behind her was Don Shallot. Ettie shook her head and stared again, unable to believe her eyes. When they came closer, Ettie saw that Don had a gun pointed at Selena’s back.
“We meet again, ladies.”
Elsa-May gasped. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Elsa-May. You never listen. Don Shallot is the killer.”
Selena said, “She’s right. He’s the murderer. He said he’s going to kill us all.”
“Only problem is I’ve only got one scarecrow left.” He laughed, a loud maniacal laugh.
Fear gripped Ettie, but she did her best not to show it. “We’re expecting the detective to arrive any minute. You’d better go.”
Don Shallot laughed. “I know where he is, and he's busy.”
“Why are you here?”
“I thought you might guess. It’s what she said.“ He shook the gun at them. "One scarecrow per household should do it.”
“How did you get out of the retirement home?” Elsa-May asked as he nudged Selena further into the house.
“And why do you do what Dr. Grifford tells you?” Ettie glared at him trying to hide how frightened she was. Who would come to save them? Was there anyone?
“I don’t.”
He gave Selena a shove, pushing her to the back of the room, and pointed the gun at Ettie and then Elsa-May, gesturing toward Selena. “Get up and move over there.”
Ettie took hold of her walking stick and got to her feet, and she and Elsa-May moved to the back of the room where he had indicated.
“Are you going to kill us?” Ettie asked.
“That’s the plan.”
“Would you tell us something first?” Ettie asked.
“No.”
Ettie wasn’t going to let a no stop her from talking. “Is the doctor making you do this?”
His mouth turned down and the lines in his forehead deepened. “The doctor told me about you people and your weird ways.”
“Is that any reason to kill?” Elsa-May asked.
“He’s been supplying me with medication. I only need to kill three more Amish-born people and I’m supplied free for the rest of my life.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Elsa-May said. “Free from what? How can you be free after you’ve killed people?”
Selena said, “Drugs, Elsa-May. Free drugs. He’s an addict.”
“Oh.”
“I kill, and then I syringe out the blood the way he showed me. He said he only needs three more samples.” He pointed the gun at each of their heads. “One, two, three. Then I’m done.”
“You can’t kill all of us,” Selena said.
“One weak stick of a woman and two old girls? I’m sure I can manage.”
He raised the gun and pointed it at Selena’s head.
“Wait a minute,” Ettie blurted. “Why did you choose us?”
“I didn’t.”
“Who did?” Elsa-May asked.
“The doctor. He saw the two of you where I live, and then he saw this one…” he nodded at Selena, “...when you all came to the appointment at his office. That’s how he got your address.”
Ettie glared at Elsa-May. Ettie knew that part was all her sister's fault. If only they hadn’t gotten Selena involved in all this.
When he lifted the gun again to point it at Selena, Ettie, with all her strength swung the end of the walking stick at his wrist. When he yelled and dropped the gun, Elsa-May kicked it away.
Selena leaped forward and elbowed him in the head, knocking him facedown onto the floor, and then she grabbed one of Snowy’s dog leashes that was hanging on the wall. While he was writhing on the floor, she bound his hands behind his back. He tried to wriggle away. “Sit on him,” Selena yelled to the sisters. “I’ll call 911.”
Elsa-May sat on his back, while Selena found her cell phone and called for the police. In the commotion, Snowy woke up, started barking, and ran over to grab hold of a pant-leg. He growled and shook his head back and forth, while Don tried unsuccessfully to kick him loose.
Ettie picked up her walking stick and then she sat down on a kitchen chair and stared down at the man. “You’ve saved us a lot of time coming here just now. You see, I thought it was you, but to satisfy my sister I would’ve had to go out and chase some wild ducks.”
“What you mean is a wild goose chase. You’d have to go on a wild goose chase,” Elsa-May said. “I just suggested we talk to the man who owned the furniture store. You’re the one who thought it was David, after the insurance money.”
Don tilted his head trying to look at Elsa-May. “Hey lady, can you not sit on me so heavy? I can barely breathe. And call off the dog.”
Elsa-May didn’t budge. “Perhaps you don’t deserve to breathe.”
“Don’t move,” Ettie told her. "And don't tell Snowy to stop, either."
“I won’t. Not until the police arrive. How did you know it was him, Ettie?”
Ettie rubbed her chin. “I guessed he was in it with the doctor. I think … well, why don’t we let Don tell us?”
“I’m not saying a thing.”
“Why come here today? In the daytime. You were taking a huge risk.”
“That was stupid,” added Elsa-May.
“Don’t call me stupid. I had to eliminate the three of you because the detective was sniffing around. He knew it was me.”
“When was he sniffing around?”
“I was going to get rid of the three of you before your neighbor came home. He could’ve found you and by that time I would’ve been long gone.”
Elsa-May and Ettie stared at one another. “You’ve been watching us?”
“I had to. The younger one got away, and then she came and stayed here. I was waiting for my chance to try again.”
Snowy finally decided he'd done his duty and went back to his bed, still on the alert.
Don was quiet for a while, and then he suddenly started talking. “The doctor eliminated people years ago, and he asked me to do it for him now. He didn’t want to risk getting caught, I suppose. I swore I wouldn’t talk if I was caught, but you can’t trust a killer. He could do the double cross.”
Ettie poked him with her stick.
“Ow!”
“You deserved it,” Elsa-May told him. “The doctor could’ve got samples without killing people.”
“He did do it that way, too. But he enjoyed the drama … with the scarecrows and all. Watching the police try to put all the pieces together.”
“You’ve caused a lot of suffering,” Ettie said.
“I’m the one who’s suffering. With this old cow parked on me.”
Elsa-May raised her eyebrows. “That’s not nice. Be careful or I'll have her poke you again. One thing I still can’t understand is the red truck in the first murders.”
He turned his head the other way. “It was the doctor’s fault,” he mumbled. “He made me do it. He borrowed my truck.”
Ettie said, “Then how did you get to … You used stolen cars in case you were seen, didn’t you? You know how you fell under suspicion last time. It was the red truck, so this time you used stolen cars. Am I right?”
He didn’t have a chance to answer before Selena hurried back into the kitchen. “The police are on their way. Is everyone okay?”
“No!” said Don.
“She wasn’t meaning you,” Elsa-May told him.
Chapter 23
Several tense minutes later, the police arrived and Don Shallot was handcuffed and taken away. Ettie, Selena, and Elsa-May were moved onto their small porch while the officers retrieved the gun.
Then they saw Kelly pull up and he hurried over to them
“What happened here?” Kelly asked.
“
Don Shallot happened, that’s what.”
He rubbed his chin. “I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner. I talked to him only today.”
Selena said, “That’s what motivated him to finish the job he’d started.”
Kelly made no comment. He walked into the house, talked with the police and walked back out. “Good job for getting him red-handed. He was in it with the doctor. Dr. Grifford.”
“We know,” Elsa-May said. “He said that too.”
“We’ve got the doctor in custody and now we’ve got Don.” He smiled.
“He’d been watching the house. He was going to kill us all,” Selena said.
Ettie said, “He admitted what he did.”
“That’s good, now let’s hope he admits it down at the station. I’ll check back with you later tonight.”
“There’s no need. We’ll be fine,” said Selena.
“Tomorrow then.” He gave them half a smile and a nod and then left them.
The two police officers came out of the house. “You can go in now,” one of them said. “Are you ladies okay? Do we need to call the medics?”
“We’re okay,” Elsa-May answered. “Can we really go back inside now?”
“Yes. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“We’ll be fine. Our friend from next door should be here soon.”
When the police left, the three women moved into the house, closed the door and locked it.
Then they all collapsed onto the couch.
“I can’t believe anything of what just happened,” said Elsa-May.
“Me neither.” Selena shook her head. “Are you both okay?”
Ettie said, “We’re okay. I wonder how they arrested the doctor. What led them to him?”
“We’ll have to ask Kelly when he comes back.”
Selena said, “Probably the same clues that led you to him, Ettie.”
“Maybe.”
Selena sighed. “Gabriel’s not going to believe this.” Suddenly there was loud knocking at the door. Startled, they looked at one another. “I’ll get it.” Selena jumped up, and then hesitated when she got to the door. “Who is it?”
“Gabriel Yoder.”
Ettie thought it odd he used his last name. They weren’t expecting any other Gabriels.
Selena opened the door and he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “We’re fine.” She glanced over at Ettie and Elsa-May.
“I came as soon as I heard.”
“Come in and sit down.”
He took off his hat and walked inside. Selena locked the door behind him.
“You heard that Don Shallot was here?”
He sat down on a chair opposite the couch. “I heard police cars were here. I heard the sirens and then found out they were heading to your house.”
Ettie said, “It was Don Shallot. A man from a retirement home. A suspect in the original killings, but he didn’t do those ones. If we can believe what he said, anyway.”
“It was awful,” Elsa-May told him. “He pointed a gun at us.”
Gabriel gasped and stared at Selena. “You could’ve been hurt.”
“So could’ve we,” Ettie pointed out.
“Jah. You all could’ve been.”
Exhausted, Ettie closed her eyes while listening to the conversation, until the voices lulled her to sleep.
Ettie and Elsa-May didn’t see Kelly until four days later. They’d just finished washing up from the evening meal when he knocked on their door. Snowy started barking, knowing who it was behind that closed door. Elsa-May closed him in her bedroom as she mostly did when Kelly visited. The detective was not a dog lover.
“Come in.” Ettie was pleased to see him and opened the door wider.
“Thank you.” He stepped into the house and looked at Elsa-May who was sitting down, knitting.
“Sit down,” Ettie said.
As he walked to one of the chairs opposite the couch, he asked, “You’re by yourselves?”
“We are. Selena’s moving into a small house, and Gabriel’s there right now putting extra locks on the doors. But, she’s been too nervous to stay by herself yet. She’ll be staying here again tonight.”
He inched up his trousers and then sat down. “I can’t blame her for being nervous after all that’s happened.”
“There was one point when I was sure that Selena’s ex-fiancé was responsible for the killings.”
“She means the recent ones,” Elsa-May told him. “But she was also sure it was other people along the way.”
Kelly nodded. “It's a process. It’s important to let the facts speak for themselves and not be tempted to make the facts fit with the story in your head.” He tapped the side of his forehead. “I’ve learned that from being involved in over three hundred murder cases over the years.”
Ettie gasped. “That’s a lot.”
“It is. I do believe we've convinced the ex-fiancé it's in his best interests to disappear from her life.”
Elsa-May dropped her knitting into her lap. “That's good news. Is the doctor in jail?”
“Yes, along with Don Shallot.”
“Good. We were waiting to hear that, weren’t we, Ettie?”
“That’s right.”
He continued, “Both of them were denied bail. We’ve got enough rock-solid evidence for convictions for both of them. Don Shallot has confessed and his evidence will help us put the doctor away. We're also in communication with investigators in New York, looking into unsolved crimes with links to the Amish from the time Dr. Grifford spent out there. Killers like him are rarely able to just stop for years at a time. They usually escalate their dastardly deeds. He would’ve been smart enough to mark those kills with something other than scarecrows.”
“Why did the second fellow use scarecrows?”
“Seems he was an admirer of the doctor. That’s all I can tell of the situation so far. Anyway, we can rest easy, knowing they’re both locked up. Selena will be pleased to know that. She can start that carefree life now.”
“Yes. The life that she moved here for,” Ettie said. “Can we get you a cup of coffee and … maybe a piece of cake, Detective?”
He frowned. “As much as I’d like to, I shouldn’t. I’ve got Mrs. Kelly keeping my dinner hot.” He glanced at his watch. “It’ll be the first night this week I’ve gotten home before nine.”
Elsa-May grinned. “She must be a very patient woman.”
He nodded. “She is. I’m a lucky man.”
Ettie couldn’t get the doctor out of her mind. “I just don’t think the doctor had a good enough reason to kill people, or to have someone else do it. I’m sure people would’ve donated blood for his experiments.”
Kelly shook his head. “And they did. That’s not why he killed. He did it for the thrill and for the high it gave him. As for encouraging Don Shallot to kill, it was a sick satisfaction that came in the form of controlling another human being. Forcing him to kill and do his evil bidding. He probably had a good laugh about us trying to figure out about the scarecrows and why they were placed in the front yards.”
Elsa-May made tsk-tsk sounds. Then she asked, “Why did he put them there?”
“Most serial killers have a calling card. It’s a way for them to be remembered. It gives them a certain notoriety. Some of the more famous ones have left notes, playing cards, drawings, and one even wrote letters to the police and left them at the scene of the crime. One thing I didn’t tell the both of you was that on each of the victims were found small puncture wounds, and now we know why.”
“I was wondering about that when Don Shallot told us what he did. That would’ve shown up at the autopsy. I noticed nothing was mentioned about that.”
“Let’s not talk about it anymore,” Elsa-May said. “It’s over with. Let’s talk about something happier, shall we?”
“How’s Mr. Yoder getting along next door?”
“Gabriel?”
; Kelly nodded.
“Really well. I guess he’ll move back into his old place now. It’s not convenient putting his horse and buggy at the Troyers and having to walk there every day to get them, and to feed his horse and all that,” Ettie said.
“Oh no, Ettie.”
Ettie stared at Elsa-May. “What is it?”
“When Gabriel moves out of the house next door, you know what that means for us?”
Ettie shook her head. “Oh, new neighbors. I didn’t even think of that. I hope they’re nice.”
Kelly chuckled. “So do I. I think you’ve had enough excitement for a while, don’t you?”
“We certainly have,” said Elsa-May. “More than enough.”
He stood up. “I should go. The three of you did a great job.”
Elsa-May pushed herself to her feet. “Ettie saved us all.”
He looked down at the still-seated Ettie. “You did, Mrs. Smith?”
“Yes,” Elsa-May said, “She used her walking stick as a weapon.”
Pleased with herself and her walking stick, Ettie lifted it up.
The detective furrowed his brow. “Since when have you had a walking stick, Mrs. Smith?”
Ettie lowered it until it touched the floor. “You’ve seen it at least half a dozen times now.”
He shook his head. “I don’t recall.”
“It’s just a temporary thing.”
Elsa-May leaned forward. “We won’t tell you how she came by it.”
He eyed Ettie and then folded his arms. “Now, I’m interested. How—”
Ettie pushed herself to her feet and then glared at her sister. “Don’t you dare say a word.”
Elsa-May laughed and then Ettie giggled and shook her walking stick at her.
Kelly looked from one to the other as he edged his way to the door. “Perhaps it’s better I don’t know.”
Elsa-May opened the door for him and watched as he disappeared into the night. Once he was gone, Elsa-May let Snowy out of the bedroom. He ran around sniffing where Kelly had been. Ettie sat down and placed her feet on the coffee table. “All’s well that ends well.”
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 7 Page 26
