Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 7

by Samantha Price

  “I think I have a pincushion somewhere.”

  “Okay, just one then and you can always come back for another later.” She placed a pincushion in the box. “Now, you’ll need to have a notebook.” She picked one up.

  “We have paper at home.”

  “And pens,” Elsa-May added.

  “Sewing machine?”

  “We have one," Ettie said, "and I won’t get the fabric today either. I’ll need to decide the pattern I’m following.”

  “You’ll need needles.”

  “We have plenty of spare needles.”

  “That’s good because if you’re sewing for hours, they’ll go blunt. It’s good to have spares. Spares of everything. I do.” She picked up a hardcover book about the love of quilting and held it out to them. “This one has patterns in it and it’s very good. It also shows you how to do many things that some people find tricky.”

  “We have many friends who can give us patterns.”

  “Good, good. A triangular ruler.” She picked one up.

  “That might come in handy,” Ettie said, as that too went into the box.

  “Good because if you decide on triangles and do other things that are a little fancier, it'll help you. Soon, you might start collecting rulers and snippers. Marking pencils, the ones that mark fabric. Yes?”

  “I suppose so,” Ettie said, giving Elsa-May a sideways glance. Any minute Elsa-May was going to object to how much this was costing. Ettie didn’t lack money because she’d been left an inheritance, but that didn’t stop Elsa-May from watching Ettie’s money carefully as well as her own. They’d both been raised not to be wasteful.

  “A glue stick.”

  “Will I need one?” Ettie asked as she watched it go into the box.

  “Yes. You will, and this one’s blue. It’s kind of nice that it's blue because it doesn't show up on colored fabrics. Also, it doesn’t dry out.” She suggested half a dozen other things and they all went into the box. “Where do you stop? These are just a small selection of things and soon you'll be like, I want that, and I want this.”

  Elsa-May chuckled.

  “It’s true,” Ann Maree said. “There are thousands of wonderful juicy quilting tools that’ll make your mouth water. These’ll get you started.”

  “Thank you,” Ettie said.

  “Would you like me to help you choose a pattern?”

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll think about it overnight and perhaps come back tomorrow. You’re a good saleslady.”

  “I’m not trying to be. I’m just making sure you have all you need.”

  “I can see that.”

  “We didn’t get a very good welcome at the other quilt store,” Elsa-May said in a quiet voice.

  “Oh, poor Greta died. It was tragic. Now they can close the store down.”

  Ettie wondered who ‘they’ were. “Her niece is hoping to take it over,” Ettie told her.

  “Mr. Cruise won’t be happy about that.”

  Ettie and Elsa-May looked at one another. “What has it got to do with him?” Ettie asked.

  She looked around and then said, “Just between you and me and the doorpost, the two of them were close. I often spotted them together.”

  “Yes, they organized the yearly fairs,” Elsa-May commented.

  “No. It was more than that. He was trying to get her to move her store elsewhere. She had a lease, a long one, but there was talk that someone was wanting to knock down those shops and redevelop. Shops downstairs, apartments above.”

  “How did Greta feel about it?”

  “As far as I know, she was more than happy to take the payoff.”

  “Payoff?”

  “Listen to me gossiping. That’s all this is, gossip. I know too many people who tell me things all the time. I’ll add these up.” Ann Maree went through all the items ringing them up on her cash register.

  After Ettie handed over the money, she said, “Where had Greta planned to go once she moved out? Where would she have moved her business?”

  “I don’t know.” As Ann Maree passed over Ettie’s goods, Ettie wondered how large the payoff was. Had Greta changed her mind and caused someone to get upset with her? Was that why she was killed?

  “Do you have anything to put your projects in, like a patchwork bag?” Ann Maree held up a large rectangular fabric bag.

  “My sister has one like that she keeps her knitting in.”

  “Don’t you deserve one too?”

  Ettie giggled. “I’ll start on the quilt and then see if I need one. I’ll come back when I do.”

  “It lies flat when you’re not using it.”

  “Thank you. I might see you again soon.”

  “I hope so. You’ll need to come back to get the fabric. It was a pleasure meeting you both.”

  Ettie made her way out of the store followed closely by Elsa-May.

  “She’s the lady I saw Greta talking with just before she was killed.”

  Elsa-May gasped. “You saw Greta talking with someone after she left us?”

  “Jah.”

  “That one?”

  Ettie nodded. “I don’t remember telling Kelly. In fact, I’m sure I haven’t told him that part.”

  “What were you thinking, Ettie?” her sister asked when they were well away from the store.

  “I don’t know. I wonder if … remember how everyone who was at the fair had to give their names and addresses, etc., to the police before they were allowed to leave the fair?”

  “Jah.”

  “I wonder if they got her name?”

  “Should we tell Kelly now?”

  “Not just yet. We’ll keep that up our sleeves. I never met anyone who talked so much. She barely drew breath.”

  “She’s a better saleswoman than I remember Greta being. No wonder Greta couldn’t make the rent.”

  Ettie groaned. “Ann Maree said someone wanted Greta’s store to move and there was a payoff for her doing so.”

  “That’s right, so you’re thinking that had something to do with Greta’s murder?”

  “It’s possible. Can we believe anything Ann Maree said just now, Elsa-May?”

  “I don’t know, but wouldn’t there be some record at the council or something if someone wants to knock down a building?”

  “No. Not if they haven’t purchased the building yet. We do know that she signed a lease just a few months back. That could’ve been a three, five or even a ten-year lease. Someone wanted her to break it. No one’s going to buy the building and then wait for her lease to run out.”

  “How do we find out if her story’s true? And find out how close she was with the councilor? Were they in it together?” Elsa-May grabbed Ettie’s arm.

  “Perhaps the shops adjacent to Greta’s shop have had similar offers.”

  “Good idea. Let’s ask while we’re here. Can you walk back that far, back to the store?”

  “If you can then I can.”

  They walked back to Greta’s store and walked into the hobby shop/toy store next door to it. Ettie picked up a model airplane and whispered to Elsa-May, “What are we going to ask?”

  “I don’t know, but think of something fast.”

  Ettie turned around to see a man approaching her.

  “Can I help you, ladies?”

  “Yes, you can. I’d like to buy this.” Ettie selected a model airplane and handed it to him.

  He took it from her. “Do you realize this has to be put together?”

  “Yes. It’s not for me. It’s for my sister.” She nodded at Elsa-May.

  He smiled at Elsa-May, who didn’t look too happy. “Do you have glue?” he asked Elsa-May.

  “Yes, we have all the accompanying things needed,” Ettie said, not wanting to buy half the store like they had at Ann Maree’s store.

  “I’ll wrap it for you.”

  “Thanks.” They followed him to the counter. And while he popped it into a bag, Ettie said, “I suppose you won’t be here much longer.”

 
He looked up, surprised. “Why’s that?”

  “The sale of the building here.”

  He smiled. “We’ll see. They’re not sure if they can get all owners to agree and then some of us are on lengthy leases.”

  “Who’s doing the buying?” Elsa-May asked.

  “I’m not sure. Just some company. That’ll be $89.59.”

  Ettie drew in a sharp breath. She had thought it would be less than twenty. She handed him the money. “We heard that the councilor, Martin Cruise, has something to do with the sale.”

  “Really? I haven’t heard that. I don’t think he can be involved given his position with the council. I’d be surprised if he was involved.”

  Ettie nodded. “I might’ve heard wrong.”

  He smiled at them and handed them their package. “Have a nice day. Do come again.”

  Once they were out on the pavement, Elsa-May said, “Congratulations, you’re now the proud owner of sewing implements you’ll never use and a toy airplane that’s not even put together.”

  “I’ll give the plane to someone who’ll enjoy it and I will use the sewing things. I am going to make that quilt.”

  “I know you’ll make a start.”

  “And I’ll finish it. I just have to decide what pattern to make.” She looked over at Elsa-May to see her looking doubtful. “It’ll only take me a day or two to decide.”

  Chapter 21

  On the day of Greta O’Toole’s funeral, Gabriel collected Ettie and Elsa-May as well as their neighbors who were also attending the funeral.

  As before when they traveled in Gabriel’s buggy, Kate was in the front and Matilda was in the back seat between Ettie and Elsa-May.

  “I hear one of the nieces is a movie star from Hollywood,” Kate said.

  “Yes, I’ve heard that too. A TV star from a soap opera,” Ettie told Kate.

  Gabriel asked, “Not the one working at the quilt store?”

  “No, the star's name is Shand Hollows. It’s Greta's sister’s daughter. One of her sister’s daughters. The other one is Valerie who is keeping the quilt store open until certain decisions are made,” Elsa-May said.

  “I didn’t want Matilda to come, but I have no one to leave her with and I feel I should go out of respect.”

  “The first funeral I went to I was about her age,” Elsa-May said.

  “I’ll be okay, Mama. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Just behave yourself and don’t talk too much.”

  “I know. Don’t misbehave and don’t talk about the things that we're not supposed to talk about.”

  Ettie noticed Kate gave an embarrassed smile.

  “That’s right. Only talk about polite things that people should talk about.”

  “I’ll remember,” said Matilda.

  “We are here now, so we might as well enjoy it,” Ettie said.

  “Enjoy it, Ettie? It is a funeral.” Elsa-May’s face soured.

  “You know what I mean. We are here now.”

  They stopped in their tracks when a shiny black car pulled up and photographers swarmed around it. Two large men kept the photographers at bay while the rear door of the vehicle was opened and out stepped a woman dressed head to toe in pink. Even her hair was a light shade of blush pink. Her pink dress hugged her slender form as she held her long hair aside while she moved quickly toward the chapel.

  “Don’t Englishers normally wear black to funerals?” Elsa-May whispered to Ettie.

  “I think when you’re famous you can wear anything you like.”

  Once the fuss had died down and the photographers were kept out by the two men standing either side of the doorway, Ettie and Elsa-May slipped into the chapel. After the ushers handed them leaflets, they sat down with Gabriel, Matilda and Kate.

  A minute later, Detective Kelly walked in and sat halfway down toward the front.

  Ettie looked around the room and wondered if the killer might be amongst them. It was then that she saw Ann Maree of Ann Maree’s Quilting Store. She was wearing large black sunglasses and sat by herself in the back row.

  Ettie wondered if she should’ve told Kelly about having seen her talking with Greta right before she was killed. She’d meant to.

  Even though the lawn mowing young man they’d arrested seemed to be guilty, Ettie had a gut feeling he wasn’t. But if he wasn’t, why had Greta written him all those checks?

  "She had no idea she was going to die this suddenly," Elsa-May whispered.

  "I know," Ettie whispered back.

  When organ music piped around the room, everyone stood. A minister said a few words and then a hymn was started. It was a song Ettie and Elsa-May weren’t familiar with, but still, they tried to sing along by following the words on the leaflet in front of them.

  When the song finished, everyone sat down and the minister gave a short talk about life, and then he talked about Greta and what a marvelous woman she was with doing her charitable works.

  Ettie looked down at the leaflet and read Greta’s year of birth and death. After she did some sums, she whispered to Elsa-May, “She was only fifty-three.”

  “I know. I can read and do math.”

  “Look, the councilor’s here. In the second row.”

  “That’s not surprising. He’d have to be here. Greta was killed at an event. He’d have to represent the council and, don’t forget, he did know Greta.”

  “I know.” Ettie’s eyes were glued to the councilor and she saw he couldn’t keep still and kept fidgeting in his seat. Ettie was even more surprised when Ann Maree got up from her back-row seat, walked forward, and sat down behind him. She tapped him on his shoulder and the two exchanged smiles.

  Then, the councilor got up to say some words. He seemed terribly sorrowful and mentioned what a loss it was to the broader community. He detailed her charitable works and then he said that Valerie, her niece was going to take over some of her duties.

  Once he was finished, Valerie spoke on behalf of Shand and herself. She thanked everyone for coming and directed everyone to attend the burial, which was at the graveyard at the end of the road. After that, everyone was invited back to her house.

  “We going to that?” Elsa-May whispered to Ettie.

  “Of course. If she doesn’t kick us out. You have to be on your best behavior. And, we’ll have to keep our ears open.”

  After another hymn was sung, the coffin was carried out and placed into a hearse. When it drove away, everyone walked down to the graveyard. Everyone, that was, except Ann Maree. Ettie saw her hurrying to get into a white car. When it drove away, Ettie wondered if she hadn’t been able to hire anyone to mind her store.

  “Are you okay, Matilda?” Elsa-May asked.

  “I’m fine. Mama wouldn’t let me go to Dat’s funeral and I wanted to see what one was like.”

  “But surely you’ve been to funerals before, jah?” asked Ettie.

  “No, Mama, wouldn't let me.”

  “I thought there was plenty of time for funerals when she’s older. Life is for the living, especially at her age. I always tell her we all have to die at some time, but we are blessed to be chosen by Gott and to know where we’re going.”

  “Very true,” Elsa-May said.

  “Mama told me the lady died at the fair. It would’ve been all right for me to know. I’m nearly a grownup.”

  “Jah, you are. More grownup than some older people I know,” Elsa-May said.

  That earned her a big smile from Matilda.

  When they arrived at the graveyard, they followed the crowd to the dug-out grave. The coffin was sitting atop the grave ready to be lowered. When everyone was gathered around, the minister opened his bible and read a verse from Leviticus.

  Shand and her sister were huddled together there, looking very upset. A tall man dressed in a black suit stood very close behind them.

  "Who's that man?" whispered Ettie to Elsa-May.

  "I've got no idea. We’ll have to ask around to find out."

  Ettie hadn’t e
xpected Elsa-May to ask right now, but she was gone for a minute and then came back and whispered, "He's Shand’s lawyer.”

  "What does she need one for?"

  “I don’t know. Do you want me to ask?”

  “Nee. Just stay still. We’ll find out later.” Ettie looked around for Detective Kelly, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  “What will we do, Ettie? We’ll have to go home. I don’t think Valerie will be happy about us going to her house.”

  “If we don’t go, we might miss something. Some clue, or other.”

  “You’re right, but do we really want to risk being asked to leave?”

  “It doesn’t bother me.”

  “Okay, we’ll go. I guess I can handle one more humiliation.”

  “If you insist.”

  Ettie looked around for Kate, Gabriel, and Matilda.

  “Everyone’s going back to Valerie’s house after the funeral, Kate. Will you and Matilda go too?”

  “Yes, I think so. It’ll be a good way for me to meet the other quilters who aren’t in our community.”

  “Good idea.” As they walked back to Gabriel’s buggy, Kate said, “The niece had her lawyer here with her.”

  “I know, that’s a little strange.”

  “What’s a lawyer, Mama?” Matilda asked.

  “I’ll tell you later. Adults are talking now.”

  “Yes, why would she need to bring her lawyer here?” asked Elsa-May. “It’s odd, but that might be what rich and famous people do.”

  When they climbed up into the buggy, Gabriel took hold of the reins. “Maybe she’s expecting some kind of trouble. Did your detective ever talk about what was in her will, Ettie?” asked Gabriel.

  “I don’t believe so. She only has the two nieces so surely things would be left between them.”

  “Although, she was a big charity worker,” Elsa-May said, “Perhaps she left some to one of the charities she supported?”

  “Will they have food at this next place, Mama?”

  “Are you hungry again?”

  “No. Only hungry for cookies.”

  “I’m not sure what they’ll have, but don’t be greedy. If they have cookies don’t take more than two. And, that’s one at a time.”

  “Yes, Mama.”