Ettie raised both hands in the air. “Honestly, I don’t. To keep her happy, I’ll have to come back with her as soon as she …. as soon as she feels better.”
“Good idea. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll play along the best I can.”
“Would you?”
Valerie smiled. “Yes of course.”
“Thank you. That’s good of you.”
“No problem.”
Ettie hurried out of the store, and found Elsa-May two doors up sitting on a bus seat looking through the book. “Elsa-May, what were you thinking, leaving me there with your made-up stories? Sometimes you go too far. I didn’t know what to say. I was standing there like an idiot.”
“I got the book.”
Ettie sat next to her. “Jah, I know but did you think of just asking for the names of the people who left quilts there?”
“Nee.”
“Why not?”
“She would never have told us.”
“It would’ve been better than stealing her book with her important records.”
“Ach, Ettie, I’d never steal anything. You should know that better than anybody. We’re just borrowing it.”
Ettie heaved a sigh. “We? We’re just borrowing it? Leave me out of your criminal activities.”
“If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be here right now snooping around, would we?”
Ettie pressed her lips together. Her sister had a good point. “Now that you have it, we should take it to the library and get the pages copied. Then you can take it back to the store and make some excuse for having taken it.”
“We’ll have to take it back.”
“I’ll leave that to you since it was your idea to do it.”
Elsa-May grunted, then pushed herself to her feet. “It’s only three blocks to the library. Do you want to come too, or is that up to me as well?”
“I’ll come for the walk. We could both do with the exercise.” She looked Elsa-May up and down. “One of us more so than the other.”
Elsa-May glared at her, but remained silent.
Chapter 10
Once they were in the library, Elsa-May handed the book to Ettie. Ettie then walked over to the lady sitting behind the counter. “Hello. Could you copy something for me?”
The librarian offered up a bright smile. “Certainly. What is it you’d like copied?”
Ettie handed over the book. “This.”
The librarian took hold of it and flipped through the book. “All the pages?” The smile left the librarian’s face as she stared up at Ettie, adjusting her glasses.
“Yes, all of them …” Ettie saw from her badge her name was Carol. “All of them, Carol, please. Anything that has writing on it.”
Carol counted the pages and then told her the cost. After Ettie nodded, Carol said, “Have a seat. It might take a while.”
“Please hurry,” Elsa-May said.
Ettie swung around to see that her sister was right behind her.
Carol rose to her feet. “I’ll be as fast as I can.”
They then sat down on the row of chairs at the front of the library. Ettie whispered out of the side of her mouth, “That librarian seemed unsure. Almost like she knew what we were up to.”
“You’re too suspicious of everyone. Just relax. I don’t know what Kelly was thinking. I know none of our ladies killed Greta over a price discrepancy.” Elsa-May shook her head.
“He has to rule these things out so he can go onto the next thing,” Ettie said. “You know what he’s like, always doing things by the book.”
“I think he’s giving us something to do to keep us out of the way.”
Ettie didn’t like the sound of that. “Do you think so?”
“I do. He’s onto something and he’s probably about to arrest that young man.”
“He showed me photos, but I didn’t recognize anyone. It’s too early for Kelly to be onto anything. He hasn’t even got the forensic testing back. It always takes several days and often, several weeks.”
“Not always. He’s getting us to do what he doesn’t want to do.”
“It’s not that. We can find out things he can’t. You’re never happy, are you, Elsa-May?”
“Of course I am.”
“Nee, you’re not.” Ettie pointed a finger at her. “You’re looking for something wrong all the time.”
“I can’t help what I see. It doesn’t mean I’m looking for it.”
“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Ettie asked.
“Nee, I’m not enjoying borrowing books and hoping the woman doesn’t notice it missing before we get it back there, but I know you. You won’t be able to sit still until this thing is all said and done and figured out.”
“I don’t think that is so.” Ettie crossed her legs at her ankles.
“Jah, it is. I’m just worried about how I’m going to get the book back to her.”
“I’ll distract her and then you slip it onto the desk or under the counter.”
“I hope she doesn’t notice it’s gone.”
“Relax,” Ettie said. “Worrying will do no good. That’s why we must get it back to her quickly or she will notice.”
Elsa-May held her head. “I hope she doesn’t call the police.”
“Ahh, don’t even say it. I’m in enough trouble with Detective Kelly. We should’ve just asked her for the names.”
It was fifteen minutes later when Carol, the librarian, came out with the green book and a large stack of copy paper. She set it on top of the counter and Ettie walked over, hoping Carol wouldn’t ask any questions.
After Ettie paid the money, Carol said, “Would you like me to find a bag for you to put all that paper in?”
“No thank you,” Ettie said, noticing Carol still looked concerned. She gathered up the pages and the green book and then she and Elsa-May headed outside.
As they walked back to the quilt shop, Elsa-May said, “What are we going to do with this? We need a bag. You should’ve said yes.”
“Not with the way Carol was looking at us. Just hide it down the front of your apron. A little bit of extra padding won’t make a difference.”
Elsa-May stared at her with one eyebrow raised. “Someone has to eat the food you leave so it doesn’t go to waste.”
Ettie smiled, thinking it had gone to waist all right—Elsa-May’s waist. She wasn’t brave enough to say it, though. “Just do it. No one will notice.”
With Ettie standing in front of her, Elsa-May wedged the green book and the pages inside her apron.
“How does that look? Can you see anything?” Elsa-May patted her tummy.
Ettie turned around to look. “Fine. Just fine.”
“Okay, let’s go."
"Just make sure they don’t fall out.”
Chapter 11
When they got back to the quilting shop, Ettie went in first. Now the shop had two different pairs of customers and Ettie walked through the door and was tremendously relieved when Valerie turned and smiled at her. She hadn’t discovered the missing book.
Then she stayed at the back of the room while Elsa-May walked in.
Elsa-May was still hiding the green book under her apron when she walked to the counter.
Ettie stood between Elsa-May and Valerie who still had her back turned serving customers. When the customers left, Valerie turned around and Ettie immediately tried to keep her occupied. She took Valerie by the arm and led her over to the window. “I’m so cold I need to stand near the doorway in the sun.”
“It is a little chillier today.”
“Yes, it is. I saw this quilt once and it was blue and pink and it was of a house. Have you ever seen one like that?”
“Not that I recall. It sounds very pretty.”
“It was the nicest one I’ve ever seen. I’m fairly certain the woman who always wins first prize for her quilts at the fairs made it. Do you know the woman I mean?”
“I do. Her name escapes me right now, but my aunt often talked about her
and Aunt Greta even gave me one of the lady’s quilts as a gift.”
Ettie smiled. “There’s nothing nicer than having a lovingly made quilt on your bed.” Ettie hoped Elsa-May had finished putting the book back by now. She wasn’t brave enough to look behind her in case Valerie followed her gaze.
“Well, I must confess that I don’t use it. It’s too brightly colored. I prefer everything coffee-colored or at least muted. I have that one stored in the top of my cupboard. I’m saving it up to give to my daughter. It’ll be something she can have from her great Aunt Greta.”
“That’s lovely. How old is your daughter?”
“I don’t have one yet. Maybe someday.”
Ettie nodded, and then heard a noise. She turned around to see that Elsa-May had dropped all of the pages on the floor.
“Botheration!” Elsa-May said as she crouched down to gather them all up.
Valerie walked forward to help her, but Ettie grabbed hold of her arm. “No, Valerie. Just leave her be. She’s done this before and doesn’t like anyone to help her. Anyone but me.” Ettie tapped the side of her head to make Valerie think Elsa-May was a bit crazy.
“Oh.” Valerie looked over at Elsa-May, concerned.
Ettie whispered, “I’ll help her with those papers and then we’ll leave you in peace. I’m only sorry I allowed her out of the house today, but still, I can’t keep her locked up.”
“I thought you said she lived somewhere ... in a home?”
“Ah, no, I don't think I said that. So far, she lives with me in my home.” Ettie shuffled forward to help her sister pick up the last of the papers.
Valerie looked on. “Mrs. Lutz, how’s your stomach?”
Elsa-May stopped and looked down at her midsection. “It’s still there.”
“That’s good. I hope you’re feeling better now.”
Elsa-May eyed Ettie suspiciously, and then turned back to Valerie. “I’m fine.”
“Try some hot peppermint tea with a touch of lemon. I always have that when I’m feeling off in the tummy.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to remember that. We should go, Ettie. We’ve got that appointment.”
“Oh, you’re going to the doctor?” Valerie pushed her blonde hair back from her face. “That’s a good idea. It always pays to be safe.”
Elsa-May stared at Valerie and blinked a couple of times. “Yes, it does.”
Then they said goodbye to Valerie and hurried out of the shop.
As soon as they were away from the shop, Elsa-May pulled on her sister’s arm.
“What did you tell her?”
“Did you successfully place the book back where it was supposed to be?”
“Jah, I did and she won’t be any the wiser. Now, what did you tell her about me?” Elsa-May clutched the papers to her chest.
“I had to make some excuse for you running off like that and leaving me there.”
“I thought as much,” Elsa-May grunted.
“Let’s sit down and organize these pages. That was a close call. I mean, if she’d seen what we had … it would’ve been dreadful.”
“I know.”
They sat on the bus seat and straightened out the pages.
As soon as they got home, Ettie put the kettle on to heat. Then she and Elsa-May sat in the kitchen with a pot of tea and the copied pages from Greta's book spread out around them.
“There seem to be more people here than we were told.”
“I know. We’ll just work through them.”
“Ettie, there are fifteen names here that I recognize as being from our community. Five that are not.”
“We can’t talk to twenty different people.”
“Then we’ll just do what we can do. Don’t you want to find out who murdered the woman?”
“Of course I do, but I have to think about you and your health. I can’t drag you around everywhere.”
“Why? Because of my sore stomach?”
Ettie giggled. “We’ll start tomorrow if you feel up to it.”
“I think we should —”
Crying coming from next door interrupted them. They stared at each other. “Oh dear! That’s got to be Matilda.”
“I wonder what’s wrong with her?”
“Should we investigate?” Ettie asked.
“Nee, she’s probably just being difficult. You know how young girls can be sometimes?”
“I do."
"Especially around the preteen years.”
“She’s only ten.”
“That’s what I said.”
Ettie nodded as she normally did to keep her sister happy. When the crying continued, however, they grew concerned. “I think we should go over, but we won’t say we’re there because of the crying.”
Elsa-May agreed. “We’ll have to have some kind of an excuse.”
“What about the cake you made the day before the fair?”
“Yes, maybe, but we took her a chocolate cake the day before yesterday.”
"Jah, that's right and she’d still have some of that left.”
“Cookies?” asked Elsa-May.
“Jah, cookies.”
“Tea and cookies and cake.”
“I think we just take the cookies. Or should we ask them back here for tea and cookies, or milk and cookies?” Ettie wondered.
“It’s easier for us to take cookies over there. If she’s got the child there, she might not be able to leave the haus.”
“I was thinking she would bring Matilda here.”
Elsa-May shook her head. “Nee.”
They got some cookies out of the jar and placed them on a plate and then together they walked next door and knocked on the front door. The crying and howling were still going on. Had the child been harmed?
Chapter 12
Kate opened the door looking severely stressed. “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you here to complain about the noise?”
“What noise?” Elsa-May asked, blinking her blue eyes rapidly.
“We brought cookies,” Ettie said moving the plate toward her.
“Yes. We won’t come in. I thought you might be able to use the cookies and Matilda might appreciate them.”
“That’s lovely of you.” Kate took the cookies from Ettie. “I’m sorry about all the noise. Matilda is upset because she wants to go home. I said no because we’ve come here to make a new start and that’s what we’ll do. If we were to return home that would be going backward and I never like to go backward in my life, I always like to move forward.”
“Me too.”
Elsa-May stepped forward and said, “Would it help, do you think, if I had a talk with her? I am a great grandmother.”
“Oh, would you? I’d be ever so grateful.”
“Of course.”
Ettie was surprised. That wasn’t part of the plan. Why did Elsa-May think she was so good with children? It took no particular skill to be a great grandmother.
Kate said, “I’ll put the cookies in the kitchen and take you to her room.”
“No need,” Elsa-May said, “I’ll follow the sounds.”
Before Kate could say anything further, Elsa-May was at the bedroom door, turning the door handle. Then, the crying came to an abrupt halt.
Ettie couldn’t resist the temptation to listen at the door. Elsa-May was fake crying.
"Boo-hoo-hoo, wah wah wah.”
That’s why Matilda had stopped crying because she probably wasn’t used to seeing an adult do so. What is Elsa-May doing? Ettie put her ear to the door and heard Matilda giggling.
“What are you doing, Mrs. Lutz?” asked Matilda.
“I’ve come to share your misery. I had some friends when I was five that I don’t talk to now.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Not that long ago. Maybe it will be the same for you. New friends will replace the old …”
Ettie moved away from the door, satisfied her sister was doing a good job of being compassionate and understanding—for once.
Ettie joined
Kate in the living room.
“I hope she can calm her down and make her see sense. Would you like some coffee, Ettie?”
“I’d love some.”
Ettie and Kate sat down to their coffee, cookies, and slices from the chocolate cake the sisters had brought over a couple days earlier. The crying hadn’t started up again. Ettie remembered that they’d seen Kate in town earlier that day. “Did you find somewhere that would sell your quilts?”
“I found two places, but I’m not sure which shop to leave them at. The future of the store where I saw you, Greta’s Quilt Shop, is uncertain.”
“Yes, I wonder what will happen to it.”
“Have the police found the person who killed Greta yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Do they know why someone wanted to hurt her?”
Ettie shook her head and took a sip of the hot coffee. “If they do know, they haven’t told me.”
“Gabriel said you know the detective quite well.”
“A little. We’ve asked questions for him before when people in the community didn't want to talk to him. Are you sure you don’t know Harold and Janet Palmer? They’ve been there for years.”
“I don’t recall them. There are two communities. They must be in the other one.”
“Perhaps that’s it. Janet and I exchange letters. We’re quite close.”
“I wouldn’t bother asking her if she knows me. If I don’t know them, they won’t know me. Would you like cream in your coffee? I just remembered I have some.”
“Nee denke.”
“It seems Elsa-May has managed to calm Matilda down.”
“It sounds like it.”
“I’m very embarrassed. I’ve tried my best with her, but she’s continually pushing the limits with me.”
“Some children are like that. I have one who’s nearly sixty and she’s still the same. She left the community, many years ago.” Ettie was talking about one of the two daughters who had left the community. One never contacted her and when the other one did, it was only because she was in trouble.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want Matilda to leave. We’ve only got each other.”
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 7 Page 32
