“It’s still under investigation, but it’s looking more and more like a lovers’ quarrel. I’m afraid it happens more than anyone would like to think. Things got a bit heated and without thinking Agatha whacked him over the head with a frying pan; then she panicked and hid him under the floor.”
“Are you certain? Agatha was such a small woman and Horace was well over six feet. If he were standing, how would she reach his head? And if sitting, wouldn’t he notice her moving around him with a frying pan in hand? How would she have managed to bind his body and then place him where he was?” Ettie said.
“As I said, Mrs. Smith, it’s still under investigation. I think you’ll be safe enough in the house; I’d say whoever murdered that man would be long gone.”
“What about the prowler I saw last night?” Ava asked.
The detective raised his eyebrows forming lines in his forehead. “You had a prowler?”
“Yes, I called here early this morning. You weren’t in and they said they’d pass the message along.”
The detective studied Ava for a moment before he spoke. “No, I wasn’t informed.”
“I asked them to tell you about the person I saw because of what had happened. I told them about the body found under the house, and they said they’d heard about it.”
“What happened – did we apprehend the trespasser?” Kelly asked.
Ava shook her head. “No one came out.”
“Ava said that there’s never been anything like that happen at the house since she’s been living there. Do you think it’s got something to do with the murder, Detective?”
He shook his head. “There’s a small section of the population, the criminal element, who lurk around at night looking for harmless mischief. I can’t see that it’s related to your friend.”
Ava and Ettie looked at each other, and then Ettie said, “Someone mentioned you were going to speak to Horace’s family and friends from back then?”
“We’re still trying to track down a few people.” The detective’s eyes fell to a scrap of paper on his desk. He picked it up and asked, “You don’t happen to know a Terence Wheeler, do you?” He let the paper slide from his fingers back onto the desk.
Ettie pressed her lips together and her eyes flickered upward. “No, I can’t say that I do. Was he a friend of Horace’s?”
“We’re not sure yet. It’s a name we’ve heard a couple times during our investigations.”
“He’s not from the community,” Ettie added.
“We know that much. Horace’s family hadn’t heard of anyone going by that name.”
Ettie licked her lips. “Have you looked into the building company that Horace worked for?”
“Do you have some information that we don’t know about?”
“No, I don’t.” Ettie’s eyes were glued to the detective, waiting for his next response. “Unless you didn’t know about that job.”
“We’ve got no plans to, and we did know about that.” Detective Kelly leaned back. “In a case like this, this old, it’s unlikely his killer will be found unless we’re lucky enough to find some tangible evidence.” He placed his hands out, palms up. “So far we’ve got nothing.”
“What about looking for enemies he might have had?”
The detective laughed. “Leave the detective work to us, Mrs. Smith.”
“I just thought that–”
“I know what you’re saying, Mrs. Smith, but if we had any reason to believe that there was a crazed killer on the loose we’d be on to it. I think we already have a good idea who killed the man, but we’ll probably never be able to prove it.” The detective pushed back his chair and stood up. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I’ve got work to do.”
* * *
When they were outside the police station, Ava glanced at Ettie, who was staring down at her hands. “What are you thinking, Ettie? You’ve gone quiet.”
“I just would’ve preferred it if the detective had treated us with respect.”
“I know two reasons why he treated us that way.”
“Jah, we’re Amish and we’re women,” Ettie said with a glint in her eyes.
“Exactly.” Ava laughed and then said, “Agatha couldn’t have, and wouldn’t have, hurt anyone in any way.”
“We know that, but I don’t think we’ve got any way of making the detective see it,” Ettie said.
“Try not to get upset – we’ll get to the bottom of things.”
“Who do you think Terence Wheeler is?” Ettie asked.
Ava shrugged. “No idea. Are you moving into the house? I’d feel much safer if you were there.”
“I shall. I’ll stay there tomorrow night if that’ll make you feel better. You’re quite welcome to stay with me and Elsa-May tonight. We’ve only got a small haus but we have a comfortable couch.”
“Nee denke, Ettie. I’ll be all right. I’ll sleep with a light burning.”
“The offer’s open if you change your mind.”
“Shall I fetch you around noon tomorrow and we’ll go and visit the office of the building company?” Ava asked.
“Noon will be fine.”
“I’ve got to help my mother at the markets in the morning, but I should be done by eleven.”
* * *
When Ettie walked through the front door of her old house, she smelled something delicious cooking, and then she saw Elsa-May seated and glaring at her.
“Where have you been, Ettie? I’ve been waiting all day.”
Ettie closed the front door and sat on the couch. “You haven’t. You were at the knitting circle.”
“You know what I mean. When I came home I expected you to be here. And who brought you home just now?”
“It was Ava Glick. We went to the police to see what they were doing about Horace’s murder. They seem to think Agatha did it.”
Elsa-May raised her eyebrows. “They do?”
“Jah. We also visited Horace’s mudder and schweschder. Sadie told the police about an argument that Horace and Agatha had. It’s unlike Agatha to argue – she was so mild tempered.”
“People can argue, but that doesn’t cause them to kill.”
Ettie nodded. “Now the police think that Horace and Agatha had some kind of lovers’ tiff and she hit him over the head and killed him. Then they think she somehow managed to hide him under the floor.”
“Do you think Sadie lied to the police?”
Ettie stared at Elsa-May and thought carefully about her answer. She didn’t want to think of anyone as less than truthful. “Nee, I don’t think she would lie.”
“Maybe she believes what she said about the argument. That could be how she remembers things. It was a long time ago.”
Ettie sighed. “I’m so tired. My mind’s not working properly. Anyway, I’m going to stay at Agatha’s haus tomorrow night.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
Ettie shook her head. “Nee, I’ll go by myself.”
“All right. It’ll be strange to be here without you.”
“I haven’t been by myself for quite some time either.” Once again, Ettie breathed in the aroma of something nice cooking. “You’ve got dinner on already?”
“Jah, I’ve got a pot roast with carrots, onions, potatoes, and turnips. Deidre gave us an apple pie.”
“Goodie. I just realized how hungry I am.”
“I watered the vegetables for you.”
“You did?”
“I had to do something when I came home.”
“Denke.” Ettie leaned back in her couch and considered how much easier it was to live with another person. Elsa-May and she always shared the chores, and if she moved into Agatha’s house she’d have to do everything herself.
Chapter 8.
It was Thursday when Ava and Ettie took a taxi to the building company on the other side of town.
“How are we going to ask them about Horace, Ettie?”
“I haven’t thought things through.”
“I’m too nervous to say anything,” Ava said.
“Best you keep quiet and let me do the talking,” Ettie said. “I think an older woman will seem less threatening if anything happened back then."
Ava nodded.
The company office looked more like a lumberyard. The taxi pulled up outside eight-foot high wire fences topped with barbed wire.
“Here you are, ladies. Do you want me to wait for you?” the driver asked.
“No – we don’t know how long we’ll be.” Ettie paid the driver, wondering if she should’ve asked him to wait. When she looked through the open gates she could see some kind of trailer home, which had the word ‘office’ printed on it in large block letters.
There was a worker on a forklift at one end and someone with a notebook in his hand walking away from them at the other. They were the only people visible as Ettie and Ava made their way to the office. Once they walked around the side of the makeshift building, they saw the office door was open. Ettie peered in. “Hello?”
“Yes,” came a gruff male voice.
Ettie stepped in and saw a man who looked to be in his late thirties. “Hello, are you the boss?” The way the plump man was seated behind the desk told her that he was.
He looked Ettie up and down, then stood and extended his hand. “Yes, I’m Bill Settler.”
“Ettie Smith, and this is my friend, Ava Glick.”
He smiled at them as they made their way through the door.
“How can I help you?” he asked.
“We were wondering if we could take a few minutes of your time to ask you about someone who worked here many years ago.”
“A few minutes? I can spare a few minutes.” He smiled nicely and gestured toward some chairs. “Please, take a seat.”
When they were both seated, Ettie began. “Many years ago – I’d say it would be before your time – a man by the name of Horace Hostetler worked here.”
The man nodded. “I saw the piece in the paper. Someone said he once worked here. Sorry about what happened to him – was he a relative of yours?”
“A good friend.”
“How can I help you?”
Ettie’s mind went blank. Why was she there? She opened her mouth to speak hoping her brain would kick into gear.
“Who are you?”
The shrill voice belonged to an old woman. Ettie turned around to see an elderly lady at the door of the office.
“Oh no,” Bill muttered to himself. “Excuse me for just one moment.” He walked the elderly lady away, but not far enough. Ettie and Ava could hear their conversation.
“Ma, you drove here? You know the doctor told you not to drive.”
“Forget that. Who’s that in your office?” The woman sounded so cranky that Ettie and Ava raised their eyebrows at each other.
“It’s no one, Ma. No one.”
“Billy, you promised me you’d have no more to do with that woman.”
“There are two women in my office and I don’t know either of them. They’re strangers; I’ve never met them before. They’re after donations for charity. I’m writing out a check and then they’ll leave. Now, you go home and I’ll come and see you after work.”
“You’re sure you don’t know them? Not lying to me again, are you?”
“No, ma, I’m telling you the God’s honest truth.”
“I’ve got some lunch for you and Chad in the backseat. Be a dear and fetch it?”
“We order lunch in. Just stop fussing. We’re not going to take the food.”
Ettie stood and looked out the small window to see Bill put his hands on his hips.
He continued, “I’m going to have Tony drive you home, and he’ll bring your car back here.” The old lady didn’t look too happy when Bill called one of his workers over to drive her home.
“But–”
“No. No more. I’ll come over when I finish work today. Will that make you happy?”
“Make sure you do,” Bill’s mother said.
Once Bill was back with Ettie and Ava, he said, “Sorry about the interruption.”
“Was that your mother?” Ettie asked.
Bill smiled and sat down. “Since my father died she’s been – I don’t know what the word is – overprotective, perhaps?”
Ettie laughed. “We never see our children as grown up. They’ll always be little ones in our eyes.”
“I suppose you’re right.” The corners of Bill’s eyes creased as he smiled. “I’m not much better. My boy wanted to leave school early and I insisted he work with me for a year before he goes anywhere else. He just seemed too young to be out in the big world.”
“If you don’t mind me saying, Mr. Settler, I overheard what your mother said. Do you know some people in our community?”
“We’ve had many Amish people work here, mostly when they’re on their rumspringa. My mother’s losing her mind and doesn’t know what she’s saying half the time.” Bill laughed.
Ava put their conversation back on track. “We’re here because we want to know if anyone who worked here might have known Horace Hostetler.”
“I’m certain they would’ve, but I wouldn’t know who knew him or who didn’t. As you said, it was many years before my time. We’ve always had workers come and go.” He raised his eyebrows slightly. “But you’re in luck.”
Ettie’s face lit up and she leaned forward to hear why they were in luck regarding news of Horace’s employment while he was on rumspringa.
Bill continued, “I’ve got records from back then down in one of the storage units. My father never threw anything away, and I’m afraid I’ve taken after him in that regard. Now we’ve got our records computerized, but I haven’t been able to find it in me to throw the old paperwork out.”
“Would you mind if we went through it?” Ava asked.
“It might take me days to find the exact year you’re looking for.”
Ettie told him the approximate years Horace would’ve worked there.
He looked at each of them in turn. “Can I ask you ladies what’s so important?”
Ava and Ettie looked at each other.
“Are you trying to find out about his murder?” he asked before either lady could respond.
Ettie nodded. She didn’t want to give too much away, but she had to say something to get the man to look for the information.
Bill leaned back in his chair. “You’re trying to find who killed him and you think the man who killed him might have worked here? Is that it?”
Ava jumped in. “No, we just want to ask questions of people who knew him back then when he had left the community.”
“Aren’t the police doing that?” Bill asked.
“They have their own theories,” Ettie said.
“The police haven’t been by. Do you think they’ll come around here asking questions?”
Ettie shrugged “I’m not sure.”
“I’ll help you all I can. I’ll go through the records this afternoon. So you want a list of names of people who worked here at the same time as the man who was murdered?”
“Yes, Horace Hostetler.”
The man grabbed a piece of paper out of the printer behind him and clicked on the end of his pen. He pushed the paper and pen toward Ettie. “You’d better write that name down for me.”
Ettie wrote Horace’s name and handed the paper back to Bill.
“Give me a couple days, and I’ll have some names for you.”
Ettie frowned. At first he said he’d look into it that afternoon and now he was saying two days? He didn’t seem to be aware of the urgency. “Is there any way we can get those names sooner? We don’t mind going through some old boxes or wherever you’ve got the papers stored.”
Bill raised his brows. “That important, is it?”
Ettie and Ava nodded.
“I’ll have my son, Chad, take you over to the storage shed where the records are kept. They’ve got the years on the end of the boxes. Now, as well as employee records there are sa
les receipts, taxation records – I’d ask you not to disturb anything.”
“Thank you so much. You’ve been very helpful,” Ettie said.
The man chuckled. “Well, you can put a good word in for me with the old guy upstairs.”
Ava and Ettie smiled at him.
Bill walked past them and opened the door. Ettie could see a man standing not too far away and she wondered if he had been listening in.
“There you are, Chad – you were supposed to be on the forklift today.”
“Just taking a break, Pa.”
“These ladies here need to be escorted over to the unit where we keep the old files. They’re looking for people who worked here ’round the time of that guy they found under that house – the one that was in the paper.”
Chad nodded. “Okay.”
Bill pushed the door open for the ladies to walk out. “This is my son, Chad.”
The ladies said hello.
Bill said, “Follow him, and please don’t make a mess of the records. My father was meticulous, so please, leave everything where you find it.”
Ava asked, “Might we borrow pen and paper to write with?”
“Of course you can.” Bill went back into his office and came out with an empty notebook and two pens.
“Thank you, Mr. Settler. You’ve been so helpful.”
He laughed. “I’ve been called many things in my time, but helpful – not so often.” He looked at his son. “What are you waiting for?”
“This way,” Chad said to the ladies.
Chapter 9.
Ettie’s eyes fell on the right box immediately – the years were written in large black letters on the end. She pointed at the box, knowing Horace had worked there in the mid-seventies. “There.”
Chad pulled the box out for them. He leafed through the files until he found the ones with the employees. He handed some folders to Ettie.
Ettie leafed through them. “Here he is, Horace Hostetler. Write down these names, Ava.” Ettie handed Ava a stack of papers. Each page contained an individual employee’s name and address.
“That’s going to take some time,” Chad said. “Why don’t you photocopy them?”
Secrets Come Home (Amish Mystery Suspense): Amish Murder Mystery (Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Book 1) Page 4
