“So Wilma Strongberg has seen no more lights in the barn?”
“I’ll find out today when I go over there,” Kelly said.
* * *
Thea was glad to get back to the market and be back in her normal routine. Her father wasn’t too happy about Austin being under suspicion, but when Thea and the officer had explained everything to him, he calmed down.
“How was it for you in jail?” Austin asked her as she was setting up for the day.
She looked over to see him smiling. “I didn’t see you anywhere. There was no one in the other cells.”
“I must’ve been over on the other side. They have two blocks of holding cells.”
“It was dreadful. That bed was so hard and I got no sleep. They wouldn’t even give me anything to read. All I did was count the bricks. I’m sorry to drag you into things. You didn’t want to go with me, so I should’ve just gone by myself.”
“It was my decision to go. Besides, if you were by yourself, you would’ve found the body by yourself and that would’ve been awful.”
“That’s true, but I’m sorry you were in jail because of me.”
He waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about that. I got to reconnect with my sister. She looked after the stall while I was away.”
Thea looked into Austin’s kind brown eyes. “I feel better that some good came out of it.”
“It’s best to look on the bright side of things.”
“I guess so. I’ll try to do that more often.”
“How’s that bike going? I’ll still fix it if you want me to.”
“That’s okay. Looks like I’ll be saving up for a new one. The old one was too far gone.” Thea didn’t want to tell Austin that her father threw her bike away as punishment. She missed the independence of having a bike like so many of the other young Amish people had.
“Your father pays you for being at the stall doesn’t he?” Austin asked.
“Yes, he does.”
“It shouldn’t take too long to save up.” Austin continued to set up his display of honey.
“I hope so. Are you finding that the stall here is working out for you? You seem to be busy.”
“Yeah, it’s working just fine. I’m making a good amount of money. People like anything that’s labeled organic these days.”
Some customers for Thea’s cheese came along, so she turned her attention to them. She still felt bad for involving Austin, but he genuinely didn’t seem to mind and wasn’t holding any kind of grudge. If only he were Amish, and then she might be interested in him romantically because had all the qualities she wanted in a man.
* * *
That afternoon, Ettie and Elsa-May went into the station to find out if there had been any sign that drugs had been kept in the barn.
Kelly was just on his way out of the station.
“I don’t have too long. I’m following up on another lead.”
“What is it?” Ettie asked.
“I’m sorry, I can’t say at this stage. I can tell you that the dog handler said that the dogs found that there had been cash and drugs in the barn. There was a trapdoor at the end of the barn and it appears that the drugs and the cash were kept there. The dogs also picked up drugs in many other places around the barn. Which is odd and we’re still trying to work it all out.”
“What are the chances that the dogs are wrong?” Elsa-May asked.
“The dogs are never wrong. We’ve taken fingerprints of the trapdoor area and we’re waiting on those to come back.” He moved forward several steps. “I must go.”
“We won’t hold you up.”
Over his shoulder, he said, “Keep in touch.”
Ettie nodded. “I wonder where he’s going.”
“It’s strange that he didn’t tell us.”
“I guess he can’t tell us everything. As it is, he probably lets us know a lot more than he should.”
“We’ve come all this way into town for nothing.”
“It would have been helpful if he told us what his lead was. Do you think it’s about the girl who was stalling Thomas?”
“That’s ‘stalking,’ Elsa-May.”
Elsa-May chuckled. “Stalking, then.”
“It could be. Perhaps he’s found her. If only we had a car, then we could follow him.”
Elsa-May laughed some more. “He’d never talk to us again if we did that. And he’d most likely have us arrested for doing it.”
Ettie giggled. “You’re probably right. Let’s go home.”
“Nee. Why don’t we go back to the address we have for Deanna Taylor? We can ask around the neighbors, see what they know.”
“Elsa-May, her name wasn’t Deanna. It was Breanna.”
Elsa-May shrugged. “I’m not doing well today. I should go back to bed and start this whole day over.”
“Jah, it’s not like you to make so many mistakes.”
“I’m not familiar with these names, that’s why. Now, do you remember Breanna’s address?”
“I do.”
“Let’s get a taxi.”
“I’m right behind you.”
Chapter 21
Ettie started off by knocking on the door of Breanna’s apartment, hoping someone might be staying there who knew where Breanna was.
A small young dark-haired woman dressed in an old blue robe answered the door. She looked as though she was half asleep.
“Hello, we’re looking for Breanna Taylor. ” Ettie recognized the woman they saw on the library computer.
“I’m Breanna. What’s this about?”
Ettie glanced at Elsa-May, pleased to have found her at last. “We are friends of Thomas Strongberg.”
“Okay.” She stared at the two of them. “I don’t think I know anyone by that name.”
“He’s dead now.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I don’t know him. Did someone say I knew him?”
“His mother said you went to his house looking for him once.”
“Was he Amish too?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, yes. That makes sense now. I did go looking for someone once and he was Amish. It could’ve been the person you were talking about.”
Ettie frowned trying to work it out. “Why did you look for him and go to his house if you didn’t know him?”
Breanna folded her arms across her chest and leaned on the doorframe. “Someone asked me to go fetch him. He didn’t meet someone where he was supposed to.”
“You were never boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“With the Amish man?”
“Yes, with Thomas Strongberg.”
She rubbed her nose. “I don’t know who told you that, but no. I don’t think I ever even met him. When I went to the house, his mother said he wasn’t there.”
Elsa-May said, “Who asked you to go to his house?”
“What’s this about?”
“We can’t really say; we’re just trying to piece some things together.”
“You’d be helping us greatly if you answered our questions.”
“Unless you tell me what it’s about, I can’t help you.”
Elsa-May stared at Ettie and then looked back at Breanna. “Did you go to Thomas’ funeral?”
“I don’t know the man. Why would I go to his funeral?”
“We were told you were there.”
Breanna frowned and was clearly growing impatient. She stood straight and held the door as if she were about to close it on them. “Well, I wasn’t. I don’t know what this is all about, but you’re wrong about everything. I don’t know anyone called Thomas.”
“You did go to his house, though.”
“Can you tell me why you’re asking all this?”
“Thomas was killed by someone, and then another man was killed, a man by the name of Bart Crittenden.”
Breanna held her stomach. “Bart’s dead?”
“Yes. You knew him?”
She shook her head, but it was clear from her reaction she
did know him.
Breanna quickly hid her previous reaction, and her face was now expressionless. “What does any of this have to do with me?”
“We were told that you were Thomas’ girlfriend at one point.”
“You’re wrong. I’m sorry, but I have to get ready to go to work.” She took a step back inside the apartment.
“Have you been away somewhere?” Ettie asked.
“Yeah, I was away visiting my brother.” Breanna stepped back further, and closed the door without saying goodbye.
Ettie and Elsa-May walked away from the apartment building.
“What do you make of that, Ettie?”
“Weird. It wasn’t her at the funeral.”
“So she says, and that agrees with Ava's opinion from her picture on the computer, but she admitted going to Thomas’ house, but who sent her?”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
Ettie felt Elsa-May’s hands on her shoulders and then she was steered behind a tree. “What are you doing?”
“Sh! Look! It’s Detective Kelly.”
They were now both behind the tree so Kelly wouldn’t see that they’d been at Breanna’s apartment.
“This is where he was off to.”
“But how did we get here before he did?”
“He probably went somewhere else first. I’m glad he didn’t see us.”
They watched him until he disappeared into the apartment building.
“Let’s get out of here and go home real quick.”
Elsa-May pointed to the corner. “There’s a public phone up there. We’ll call for a taxi.”
“Let’s go. I hope he finds out more than we did.”
“Jah, like who made her go to the Strongberg haus. And what did she say? Someone made her go because Thomas wasn’t where he was supposed to be?”
“She said, ‘He didn't meet someone where he was supposed to.'”
“Maybe they tried to make him meet someone to get drugs, or to pass some on?”
Ettie and Elsa-May hurried up the road to call the taxi.
“If Spreed and Breanna Taylor weren’t at the funeral, who were the Englischers who were there? There was a man and a woman, according to Ava.”
“They could’ve been anybody. We’ll ask around later and see if we can find out, but they may not have anything to do with the deaths.”
“It’s an odd thing that Kelly didn’t go to Thomas’ funeral.”
“I think Thomas’ death was still labeled as an accident at that stage.”
“Ah, yes, I think it was.”
That night Kelly showed up see them right at dinnertime.
“Perfect timing, if you came for dinner.”
“I hadn’t planned to, but if you have enough…”
“Come inside. We’ve got plenty.”
Detective Kelly followed Elsa-May to the kitchen. “Ettie, I’ve invited the good detective to have dinner with us.”
Ettie was in the kitchen and she turned around to see him standing there. “Wonderful! I thought that might be you at the door. Have you come to tell us what you found out from Breanna Taylor?”
He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. “How did you know I talked to her? Never mind.” Kelly shook his head, and mumbled, “It’s probably best I don’t know.”
“Well?” Ettie asked as she sat down at the table next to him.
“If she knows anything, she’s not saying.”
“I know it’s turning this whole thing upside down, but what if it was Austin who organized this whole thing after all. He could be the Mr. Big of this whole drug thing.”
“Don’t be daft, Ettie.” Elsa-May scoffed. “Although, it would explain why Austin’s sister couldn’t explain, or didn’t know, where Austin’s beehives were. He claims to have organic honey. Most likely the only thing he’s guilty of is selling honey which he buys cheaply from a wholesaler and labels as organic when he wouldn’t have any idea of the quality.”
“Honey? Did you say 'honey'?” Kelly’s eyebrows flew upward.
“Yes. Austin sells honey and when he was in jail recently we talked with his sister who was looking after his market stall, and the funny thing was she couldn’t tell us where the honey was sourced.”
“And she’s his sister. We thought she’d know.”
Kelly looked worried.
“We saw a tin of cheap honey that he’d bought from one of those supermarket chain stores. I don’t think there’s a law against that, but I wouldn’t really know. What if they’re buying inexpensive honey and pouring it into their own jars and labeling it as organic? That’s your department, Detective, but I guess if it’s not against the law... although it’s at least unethical to make out his honey is something special when it’s not.”
“I’m not concerned about the ethics of selling honey and the claims Austin’s made about it. There’s something called THC marijuana concentrate and it looks like honey. They were smuggling drugs in the honey!”
“What are you talking about?” Elsa-May asked.
He rubbed his chin. “To keep things simple to explain, there’s a way of making a drug concentrate and the end result looks like honey. Have you heard of marijuana?”
“Yes,” Elsa-May said.
“So were they selling that at the market as well as the honey?” Ettie asked the detective.
“They could’ve had a few ‘special’ jars put aside for regular customers. And I’d guess that they might have been using Thomas’ barn as a place to make it.” He stared up at the ceiling, and then said, “That’s why there were the crockpot and the hairdryer.” He hit his head. “I don’t know how I missed it. There were so many things, all sorts of things, lying around in the barn that I didn’t recognise the homemade drug making equipment for what it was.”
“And maybe they were doing that at night, and that’s why there were so many lights on,” Ettie suggested.
“Yes, it’s possible.” Kelly picked up his phone, and the sisters heard him tell someone he was heading to the market and needed backup.
Then the ladies were left in the house alone.
“I’m guessing we’re dining alone, Ettie.”
“Looks that way. I do wish he’d slow down and have a decent meal every now and again. The market would be closed by now anyway. He’s not going to find anything tonight unless he knows where the honey is kept overnight.”
“When this whole thing is over, we’ll have him for dinner.”
“Jah, we’ll have to roast him slowly.” Ettie laughed at her own joke.
“I’d reckon he’d be a bit tough.” Elsa-May giggled.
Ettie said, “Good idea, though We’ll feed him up. With a good meal in his stomach, it might help him handle all that stress.”
Elsa-May suggested, “Why don’t we try to forget everything for tonight, enjoy our dinner, and then think about it all again tomorrow?”
“I’d like that.”
Chapter 22
The next morning when Ettie and Elsa-May were eating breakfast, Ettie said, “I thought honey was just honey.”
“It just goes to show we’re never too old to learn some new things,” Elsa-May said.
“Austin and Thomas obviously knew each other. Austin probably had Thomas behave aggressively toward him at the market that day so the police would suspect him and then realize they were wrong.”
“Do you think Austin had planned to kill Thomas that day, is that what you’re saying, Ettie?”
“Maybe.”
“And you think Austin was the mastermind?”
Ettie nodded. “It’s an explanation.”
“Too many things don’t fit with that theory. It surely wouldn’t make sense to Thomas if Austin told him to act aggressively toward him and Thomas then was told to make a big deal out of Austin's words saying he’d kill him. What would that achieve?”
“Austin could’ve told Thomas that it wouldn’t look good for them to appear friendly. If people thought they were enemi
es, no one would suspect they were in cahoots with one another with the drugs.”
“Maybe Thomas held Bart’s money for him and when Bart got out of prison, he heard Thomas was dead and he came looking for the money. Austin killed Bart because—well it could’ve had something to do with the money. Bart could’ve come to him for the money.”
“Well, that’s an idea. I wonder what Kelly will find. Ettie, why would Roy lie about being with Thomas on the day he died?”
Ettie blew out a deep breath. “Perhaps we should pay him a visit?”
“At home, or at his work?”
Ettie shook her head. “Not at home in front of his wife.”
“We don’t know if he'll be at his office. He might be out working somewhere.”
“We could take our chances.”
“Should we take Ava with us?” Ettie asked.
“Good idea. She can explain about whatever it was Kelly thought was in the honey. She’s mixed with people while she was at college who could’ve been into that kind of thing.”
“Put Snowy outside and we’ll head to the phone and call a taxi and then we’ll call Ava and see if she’s home.”
“Do we have to put him outside? Look at him sleeping so soundly,” Elsa-May said as she gazed lovingly at her dog.
“That’s all he does all day.”
“Well, that’s what dogs do.”
“Not proper dogs, Elsa-May, just fluffy little dogs like Snowy.”
Elsa-May giggled. “I’ll put him outside in his kennel just in case we’re gone for a long time. Although, we’ll miss our morning walk.”
“Just walk when we come home!”
The sisters hurried down the road and called a taxi. While they waited for it to come, they called Ava and told her what Kelly had said about the honey.
“I’ve heard about the process. I’m not certain how it’s done, but Kelly is right, I know they use a freezer, a hair dryer, and something to heat it with. I don’t know any more than that,” Ava commented on the drug-making process.
“We’re waiting for a taxi to take us back to Roy’s place of business. We’re going to try to find out why he lied about being with Thomas the day he died.”
Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 3 Page 28
