Amish Scarecrow Murders

by Samantha Price

  “Care to join me?” she asked.

  “Sounds good to me,” said Elsa-May as she and her sister sat down at the table.

  “Did you find accommodation?”

  “I did. I’m leasing a house on the same street as my house. They’ve had trouble getting a tenant because it’s only got one bedroom, but that’s perfect for me.”

  “Don't be in a hurry. Are you sure it’s right for you?”

  “I am. I feel bad for Gabriel moving out of his house and … do you think he only bought the one next door because of me needing somewhere to stay, so I could move into his place?”

  Ettie knew it was very likely. “If he had, he would’ve done it for another reason as well. Perhaps he wanted to buy a second place to rent out for extra income. Or to fix up and then sell for a higher price.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Elsa-May said. “The police said you can’t go back to his house.”

  Selena sat down with them after she’d given them their hot drinks. “I know, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling bad.”

  Ettie began, “So, you said Eugene was in London?”

  “Yes. He’s staying with a college friend of his.” She sipped her coffee.

  “Do you know this friend?”

  “I’ve met him a couple of times.” Selena poured the coffee into three mugs.

  “Could you call him and ask to speak to your ex-fiancé?”

  She looked up at Ettie. “Why would I want to do that? The last thing I want to do is to speak to him.” Selena placed two mugs on the table and then sat down with hers.

  “Yes, we quite understand that, but what if he’s really here and not there?” Ettie wrapped both hands around her mug to warm them.

  “Wouldn’t you want to know that?” Elsa-May asked.

  “Supposing you’re right. Wait a minute ... You don’t think he’s a killer or something crazy, do you?”

  “Ettie said that you told her he’s been very aggressive in the past.”

  “That’s right, he has, but he wouldn’t kill anyone. And he wasn’t even born in the seventies.”

  “What about if he’s killed the latest ones, Eli Schaeffer, John Fuller, and Laine?”

  Selena’s bottom lip quivered. “But he didn’t even know any of them. I would’ve known if he had.”

  “You’ve had an attempt on your life. He might be trying to kill you, and that could be his cover so the police don’t look for him. Number one, he’s not even in the country and number two the authorities were looking for the scarecrow serial killer. They won’t be looking for people who had motives to kill each of the individuals. Do you see?” Ettie asked.

  “Now you’re scaring me.”

  “I’m not trying to do that. I’m simply trying to eliminate him from my list of suspects.”

  Elsa-May said, “You don’t have to call him if you don’t want to.”

  Ettie frowned at Elsa-May. “Of course Selena has to call London and make sure he’s there if we’re to cross him off our list.”

  “Wait. He’s on a list? Okay, I’ll call him.”

  Ettie heaved a sigh. “Thank you, Selena.”

  Selena stood and fished around in her bag for her cell phone. She pulled it out. “I’m sure I’ve got the number of his friend where he’s staying. Eugene called him from my phone once and I saved the number.” She looked up at the sisters. “I’ll make the call outside.”

  “We’ll be waiting to hear what’s said.” Ettie sipped her coffee.

  * * *

  With her heart pumping wildly, Selena found the number of Nigel Wallace and pressed it.

  A male voice answered and he sounded either half asleep or half dead.

  “Hello, is this Nigel?”

  “Yes. Who’s this?”

  “It’s Selena Lehman. I was Eugene’s fiancé. I met you once before when you stayed with him.”

  “It’s eight o’clock in the morning and I’m working nights.”

  “I’m sorry, I forgot about the time difference. I’m very sorry to wake you. Might I speak with Eugene? It’s important.”

  “He’s out. Why don’t you try his phone?”

  “He’s not answering.”

  “That’s because it’s eight in the morning?”

  “Where would he be then? I thought he was staying with you.”

  “Look, I don’t know what’s going on or why people keep calling him. He’s not really here, okay?”

  “What? Where is he?”

  “I’m sorry, Selena, but I can’t keep this up. He didn’t say I’d have to lie for him. I thought he was just going to tell people he was here and that would be it.”

  “Was he ever there?”

  “Only for a day. I even had to lie to the police. That wasn’t part of the deal. Now can I sleep?”

  “Where is he?”

  “I’ve got no idea, I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry to bother you, Nigel.”

  “It’s fine. If you see him, tell him he’s not cool.”

  “I definitely will.” She ended the call and then hurried back to the kitchen table and sat down with Ettie and Elsa-May.

  “What did he say?” Elsa-May asked.

  She switched her phone off and placed it down on the table. “Nigel said he was only there for a day. Eugene was using him as a cover, but Nigel got spooked because the police called him a few times.” She held her stomach. “Nigel didn’t expect that.”

  “Did Nigel say where he is?”

  “He doesn’t know.” Her hand moved from her stomach to cover her mouth.

  “Are you alright?” Ettie asked.

  “No.” She ran out of the room, out the back door and was sick in the yard. Exhausted, she sat on the cold grass with her head between her knees.

  Elsa-May heard Selena being sick out in the yard. “Oh dear. That doesn’t sound too good.”

  “We’ll have to tell Kelly this business about Eugene. You look after Selena and I’ll go down and call Kelly.”

  “Can you walk that far?”

  “Yes.” Ettie stood and grabbed her stick. “It’ll take me a little longer than normal, but I’ll get there.”

  While Elsa-May walked out back, Ettie slipped a leash around Snowy’s neck and together they walked out the front door and down to the shanty that housed the telephone at the end of their street.

  When she finally got through to Kelly and told him, he replied, “I’m way ahead of you, Mrs. Smith. We’ve actually got him in for questioning right now. The gentleman I talked to on the phone days ago in London didn’t sound convincing. He said he’d have Eugene call me. He never did. I ordered Eugene’s phone records and what do you know?”

  “He was here?”

  “Yes. We picked him up a half hour ago.”

  Ettie hesitated not wanting to ask the next question. “And you think he did the killings?”

  “I’m not one hundred percent convinced, but why the cover story? Was it a simple case of stalking an ex-lover, or was it something more sinister?”

  “You haven’t spoken to him yet?”

  “I was just about to walk into the interview room to speak to him when they told me I had a phone call.”

  “Oh, I won’t hold you up.”

  She heard a loud click in her ear. She replaced the receiver with a laugh and, with the help of the walking stick, hobbled home with Snowy sniffing every second blade of grass along the way.

  “Take your time, Snowy. I’m not in a hurry to tell Selena the news.”

  When Ettie and Snowy finally got to the house, Ettie unclipped the leash from Snowy, and he ran to the dog bed.

  Chapter 22

  When she got back home, Elsa-May sat next to Selena on the couch, comforting her. She told them the shocking news that Kelly had told her.

  “I can’t believe he’s here.”

  “It’s a shock.” Elsa-May nodded.

  “I just hope it’s not him who’s done all this. I really won’t be able to believe it.” Selena rubbed her
forehead.

  Since Elsa-May was sitting in her place, Ettie sat down in Elsa-May’s chair. “I don’t think it’s him.”

  Elsa-May rolled her eyes. “Would you make up your mind? You're flip-flopping from one to the other.”

  “I keep going back to the man in the retirement home—what was his name again?”

  “Don Shallot. What about him?” Elsa-May asked. “What about the doctor? We have someone accusing him, and what about the man at the Amish furniture store? We haven’t even gotten to speak with him yet. Then there’s David who’s getting the big life insurance pay-out if he can get his mother out of the way. He’ll kill her next.”

  “Oh, Ettie.” Elsa-May shook her head.

  “Now, hear me out.”

  “Nee! You’re going around in circles and I don’t want to listen. You’ve got no idea and you’re …”

  Ettie had to raise her voice. “I know what I know. I’ve got it all figured out. It’s fallen into place like the folds in my dresses after I press them.”

  Elsa-May frowned at her.

  Selena stood. “I just need a little fresh air.”

  “You’ve upset her, Ettie.”

  Selena was nearly at the door and turned around. “No one’s upset me. I just feel a little squirmy and need to walk around outside a bit. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  She walked out the front door.

  Ettie and Elsa-May sat there looking at one another.

  “Well, go on tell me, if you must,” Elsa-May said through gritted teeth.

  Ettie shook her head. “Nee. You didn’t want to hear it.”

  “We might not even know the killer. It could be a thousand people.”

  “It’s easy when you think about it. Someone who knew enough to wear gloves all the time, even back in the seventies when forensic technology wasn’t so advanced.”

  Elsa-May sat back further into the couch. “This is quite comfortable.”

  “I told you it was. Why don’t we get you a couch too, instead of this hard, wooden chair?”

  “The chair suits me fine. I like to sit upright as I knit. If I knitted while sitting on a couch, I’d fall asleep.” With her hands stretched out either side of her Elsa-May smoothed down the soft velvety fabric of the couch. “Is your latest theory that the murders from the seventies and these latest ones were performed by the same person?”

  “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 arou
nd. 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.