Her excuse worked, and soon they all sat around the small kitchen table in Ettie and Elsa-May’s kitchen.
* * *
“Let’s start with the people who died,” Ettie said, as she wiped her hands on a paper napkin after she finished her first piece of chicken.
“That’d be a good idea,” Selena agreed.
“We knew the second man and his wife years ago before they left us. We’ll go to the funeral, assuming there is one.”
“Why wouldn’t there be?” Elsa-May asked.
Ettie frowned at her sister. “Not everyone has a funeral.”
“I know that they do.”
“Nonsense. I know someone who was just buried and didn’t want a funeral. They just wanted to quietly leave this earth, and saw no point in anyone making any fuss.”
Chapter 6
In the late afternoon, Selena was glad to get away by herself and look around the local stores. Since she had gotten here, all she had done was drive around looking for suspected killers and participate in the talk about murders.
She’d moved here to get away from all the bad memories of her ex-fiancé, and to learn more about her roots and her ancestors.
Singing along to the song on the radio, she drove down the main road looking at the stores she’d browse through when she had more time. Then someone who walked into the post office caught her eye. She kept driving with one eye on the road and one eye on the man.
The height, the broad shoulders, the shape of the head.
It can't be!
Selena stared at the figure for a moment and then looked back at the road before she slammed on the brakes as the car in front of her slowed. The brakes screeched and she came to a halt as the car in front of her drove on. Looking around, she saw people staring at her car. She took the opportunity to have a quick look around for the man, before she continued on her way.
He must still be in the post office.
As soon as she could, she pulled her car off the road taking the nearest legal spot. She locked the car, hurried to the post office and walked inside.
He was gone.
Immediately, she felt sick to her stomach. Was it possible that her crazy ex-fiancé had followed her?
She made her way back to the car, dazed and confused. There was no point looking further. He could’ve gone in any direction. She opened her car door and slid into the driver’s seat, immediately poking the automatic lock.
With her hands clutching the steering wheel, she lowered her forehead onto it.
He was in England; it couldn't have been him. Could it have been a lookalike – a doppelgänger?
She reached down into her bag that she’d thrown on the floor of the passenger side. After rummaging around, she found her cell phone. She set her number to private and called.
No answer.
She ended the call when the message recording came on; it went through to the voicemail of his personal assistant as it always did when he was away.
He was on vacation staying with an old school friend in London.
It can’t have been him.
Now her day was ruined. One of the reasons she’d come here was to get away from all reminders of him.
At that moment, she was distracted by the aroma of fresh baked goods. She lowered her head and looked out the window to see she was parked outside a bakery.
Comfort food!
That’s exactly what I need.
She grabbed her bag and got out of the car as fast as she could.
After she stood staring for several moments at the array of iced doughnuts and cakes and cupcakes, she finally made her selection of twelve assorted cupcakes. The clerk put them in a sturdy white cardboard box for her and tied it with string.
When she got back to the car, she placed the box on the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt around it. She wasn’t taking any chances with the one thing that’d make her feel better.
In great need of company to calm her nerves and share the goodies, she drove back to Ettie and Elsa-May’s house.
As she knew they would be, they were pleased to see her, and soon she was sipping hot tea in their cozy living room with the cupcakes placed on a white china serving plate on the coffee table between them.
The sisters insisted she be first to choose a cake; she chose a pink frosted princess-themed cupcake with tiny silver sparkles. Staring at the sparkles, she hoped they were edible, then she decided they had to be. This would be a favorite of little girls, too, and no little girl would want to hear she couldn't eat the sparkles!
“These look too good to eat,” said Ettie.
“No, Ettie, they’re too good not to eat. Even though we’ve only just eaten and it’s close to dinnertime.” Elsa-May leaned forward and selected a high-topped, chocolate-frosted cupcake with a pretty pink flower on the very top.
Ettie stared at Elsa-May wondering how her sister was going to fit all that into her mouth. It didn’t take long for the flower to disappear into her sister’s mouth along with half the frosting.
Ettie selected a green frosted cupcake with darker green tree motifs. “This reminds me of the fun I used to have on the farm when I was a child, running with the dogs and the baby goats, and the chickens. Ah, it was a good life.” The older Ettie got, the more she appreciated the days gone by.
“It’s a cake, Ettie. How can that remind you of running in the fields with animals?”
Ettie looked down at the cupcake in her hand. “It’s green and the farm, I remember, was always green. It was in my mind, anyway.”
Elsa-May shook her head and then devoured the remainder of the cake as she reached for another.
Ettie leaned back in the couch and rested her plate and cake fork on her lap as she delicately peeled off the paper wrapping from the cupcake’s base. Then she pushed the fork into the pastel-green cake, broke off a small portion and popped it into her mouth, sighing with pleasure.
“A strange thing happened when I was in town just then,” Selena said.
Both ladies stared at her.
“What’s that?” Elsa-May asked.
She proceeded to tell them what had happened and how she was sure she had seen Eugene. “But it can’t have been Eugene. If I didn’t know he was in London, though, I would’ve sworn it was him.”
“Do you think it's him come to find you?” asked Ettie.
“Maybe hoping for a second chance?” added Elsa-May. “He could’ve flown back.”
“No. He knows things are definitely over between us.”
“Sometimes men need to be told things in a way that they can understand,” Elsa-May said. “You say it’s over and they hear—”
“No! He knows we’re through. The wedding and everything was canceled. It was awful for everyone concerned. It can’t have been him. It just unnerved me seeing someone who looks so much like him. He put me through so much after all that.”
“It's nothing that a good cup of hot tea won't fix,” Ettie said.
“Maybe all this has been too much for you. We got you to drive us to too many places and you should be relaxing and enjoying yourself—settling in.”
“I've enjoyed it. I have. It reminded me of when I used to be on the force. I never got out of the office, but I always wanted to be a detective. That was my dream.”
“Was your old fiancé a lawyer?” Ettie asked. "Do I remember correctly?"
“Yes. He felt obliged to follow in his family tradition. They’re all lawyers.” Selena shrugged.
Ettie frowned as a feeling of uneasiness settled over her. “What if it's him and he's come back early looking for you?”
“I don’t think so. I guess I should check to make sure. I’ll do that tomorrow.”
“Has he ever been violent?”
Selena looked over at Elsa-May. “I'll be fine. I'm sure he has no idea where I am.”
“Still, we’d feel better if you stayed here tonight,” Elsa-May said with a smile as she dotted her finger along her mouth to collect stray cak
e crumbs.
“I'll be fine, truly. I think it was just my mind playing tricks on me. That’s all.”
Ettie loaded her fork with more green cake as her mind wrestled with the idea of it really being Eugene that Selena had seen.
Chapter 7
The next day when Elsa-May was finishing up washing the breakfast dishes , Ettie said, “Elsa-May, why don’t we go to the Happy Valleys retirement home and see if we can talk with Don Shallot?”
Elsa-May shot her a look. “That’s True Valleys, Ettie.”
“Is it?”
“Jah, that’s what Selena told us.”
“I like the sound of Happy Valleys better. It makes me feel good inside.”
Elsa-May pulled out the plug, shook her hands dry and then picked up a tea towel. Ettie couldn’t help; not with her ailments. “Well, he’s not at Happy Valleys if such a place even exists. If we want to talk with him, we’ll have to go to True Valleys.”
Ettie pulled a face. “Not a good name.”
“Why don’t you let them know? I’m sure they’ll change it just for you.”
Ettie grinned, and just to annoy her sister, said, “Good idea.” Ettie chuckled when Elsa-May looked at her as though she was mad.
Elsa-May sighed just as she put the first dry plate away on the shelf. “We should go, I suppose, and see what we can find out. Let’s go by ourselves, shall we? I don’t like continually involving Gabriel and Selena.”
“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.”
&
nbsp; “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.”
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.
Amish Scarecrow Murders Page 4
