Maureen looked out the kitchen window. “Well, we’ve done all we can do in here for the time being. Let’s go and greet some people.”
The two ladies left the kitchen and went into the living room where everyone had gathered. The minister, rather than the bishop gave a short talk on life and death. Explaining that it was all a cycle, birth death and it was a natural thing that everyone has to go through.
Maureen and Emma sat next to each other and Emma saw that Maureen’s eyes misted over and Emma knew that she was thinking of her late husband. She squeezed Maureen’s hand. Emma coped with her own grief by trying not to think too much of Levi. It was hard but she kept as busy as she could rather than face the pain of her loss. Emma could only keep reminding herself that Levi was in a better place.
After the viewing everyone got into their buggies to follow the funeral buggy to the cemetery.
After prayers were said, the coffin was lowered into the ground. Emma looked up and noticed Elsa-May and Ettie standing next to Silvie. Wil and Bailey were standing in a group with some of the men.
Emma and Maureen knew that they would have to be the first to leave so they could go back to Wil’s haus to get the meal ready. As they both turned around they saw that Bob Pluver had been standing directly behind them. Emma immediately got the chills. Bob Pluver was such an odd character.
“Hello, Maureen and Emma,” Although he addressed Emma as well, his eyes were focused the whole time on Maureen.
“Ach, hello, Bob.” Maureen glanced across at Emma. “Um, did you know Frank very well?”
“Jah I did.”
Emma had to fight the smile that was trying to spread across her face. It was clear that he had a liking for Maureen because this was the most she’d ever heard Bob say unless he was talking farm business.
“Were you friends with him, Bob?” Maureen asked.
Bob nodded.
“Gut friends?”
“I’d say so.” Bob folded his arms in front of him and leaned back.
“Did you visit him much?” Emma asked.
“I visited him every Thursday.”
Emma realized that Bob must have been at Frank’s haus on the very day that he died, but this was hardly the time or the place to ask him questions. She would have Maureen ask him questions tomorrow.
“He was a nice man,” Bob said slowly.
“Jah, he was a nice man. I didn’t know him well, but I’m sure he was a nice man,” Maureen gave him a big hearty smile revealing the slight gap in between her front teeth. “If you can excuse us, Bob, we have to go and prepare the meal back at Wil’s haus. You’re very welcome to come join us, Bob.”
Bob smiled at Maureen. “Jah I’ll come, denke.”
As they hurried to the buggy, Emma said, “That’s the most I’ve ever heard him say. I think he’s sweet on you. He couldn’t take his eyes from you and also that’s the first time I’ve ever seen him smile. He looks a different person when he smiles.”
Maureen smiled and hunched her shoulders. “He’s a sweet boy.”
Emma thought she could think of a few other descriptions for him other than sweet, but she kept her opinions to herself. “He’d have to be our age, wouldn’t he, Maureen?”
Emma was in her late twenties and Maureen was in her early thirties, Emma was sure of that.
As they travelled back to Wil’s haus, Emma said, “Be careful then if you don’t want an admirer, Maureen.”
* * *
Silvie was still at the funeral. Bailey had been on her mind every second of every day she looked for him and saw him talking to some people. She walked over so she would be close to him, hoping that he would speak to her. As soon as Bailey saw her he excused himself from the couple he was speaking with.
“Hello, Silvie.”
His smile melted her heart. “Hello. What did you think of your first Amish funeral?” Silvie asked.
“Pretty much the same as the other funerals I’ve been too. Not too different.”
There was an awkward silence as Silvie searched for something to say.
Bailey leaned into her and spoke softly, “I enjoyed our buggy ride.”
Silvie nodded and felt her cheeks heat up. She knew she was blushing and she hoped that Bailey did not notice. “Me too.”
“Do you know everyone here?” Bailey asked.
Silvie looked around. “Jah, I think I do. Or at least I’ve seen all these people before. I may not be able to tell you all their names. I would’ve expected Frank’s sons to be here and they don’t appear to be.”
“Nee. Wil told me that the sons said they wouldn’t be coming to the funeral. They asked Wil to look after things.”
Silvie raised her eyebrows in surprise at his sons being so disinterested in their father that they could not even go to his funeral.
Bailey spoke softly. “It seems a little odd, doesn’t it? That they don’t even want to go to their father’s funeral, to pay their respects?”
“It is very odd. Maybe they feel awkward because they left the Amish; they might feel they have no place here.”
“Maybe. Wil said they hadn’t visited Frank for some years,” Bailey said.
“Jah, that’s what I heard.” After a small silence, Silvie said, “I’ll see you at Wil’s haus then.” Silvie turned and walked away. She could feel Bailey’s eyes on her as she walked. She dare not turn around.
* * *
There were some hundred folk gathered at Wil’s haus. Emma kept herself busy in the kitchen in an effort to avoid Wil. When the people had nearly all gone home, Maureen, Silvie and Emma stayed back to clean up afterwards.
Emma looked out the kitchen window and saw that Wil was outside saying goodbye to some people. She took her opportunity. “We’ve nearly finished. Do you two mind if I leave you to finish off?”
Both girls looked at her as though they wondered what she was up to. Any other time she would have wanted to stay back to have more time with Wil. She did not want to share with them that she’d had a little tiff with him. “I’ve got some things I need to take care of at home,” she explained.
“Of course, go,” Maureen said.
Emma wrapped a portion of left over meat for Growler and slipped out the back door and hurried home.
As she opened her front door, Growler was sitting there as if he was waiting for her. “Hello, I brought you some meat.”
Growler meowed and walked toward her.
“Over to your saucer, then.” The cat followed Emma to the saucer at the back door. Growler appreciated the meat. Emma smiled as she watched him eat it. Even though she did not like cats she was beginning to see why some people did. It was nice to come home and have someone waiting for you even if it was a cat who ignored her most of the time.
Emma filled up the kettle and placed it on the stove. A nice cup of meadow tea would be just what she needed. As she rinsed out the cup in the sink, she remembered that day at Frank’s haus when she found him; there were two cups in the sink. Why would he need two cups? He must have had a visitor there that day and it must have been someone that he knew. If someone had come to steal from him, he would not sit down and have a cup of tea with him.
Finished with his meat, Growler jumped on the chair next to her and looked at her. “You know something don’t you, Growler. What did you see that day? If only you could speak.”
* * *
The very next day Emma knocked on Detective Crowley’s door.
Detective Crowley stood up behind his desk. “Mrs. Kurtzler, what brings you here this fine day?”
“Hello, detective, it’s about Frank.”
He pointed to the chair opposite his desk and sat down. “Have a seat.”
As soon as Emma sat down, she said, “I just thought I’d mention that there were two cups in the sink at Frank’s haus.”
“Yes, I noticed that. We had those cups tested and that’s where we found the poison.”
“So, he was poisoned?”
“Yes. Why are you onl
y just telling me about the two cups now?”
Emma’s heart started to race. The detective always made her feel as though she were guilty. “I only just remembered, only just this very morning.”
“Have you been withholding any other information, Mrs. Kurtzler?”
Emma knew quite a bit, but thought she’d keep quiet about Bob being there the very day of the murder. She was sure that Bob was no murderer. Bob was a little odd, but not a murderer. “Frank had ongoing disagreements with his neighbor, Thomas something or other. His last name escapes me for the moment.”
“Yes, Thomas Graber; he’s known to the police.”
Emma tilted her head slightly to the side. “He is?”
Detective Crowley nodded. “Let’s just say we’ve had dealings with him over other matters. What else have you found out?”
Emma was surprised that the Amish mann, Thomas Graber, would have had previous dealings with the police. “Did you find any prints on one of the cups that didn’t belong to Frank? I mean the one that the other person might have drunk from?”
Crowley shook his head, then pushed back in his chair and let out a deep breath. Did the detective think that she was wasting his time?
“Mrs. Kurtzler, what’s the real reason you’ve come here?”
“To tell you about the two cups. You said if I think of anything to let you know.”
“Mrs. Kurtzler, Emma, I have to tell you that I do not need your help to solve a crime.”
Emma gasped and jumped to her feet. “I’m tying to be of help. You told me to come to you if I thought of anything and that’s what I’m doing.”
The detective stayed seated and interlocked his fingers in front of him. “It’s funny that I come across you again, in another murder case. Would that be fate or destiny?”
“I thought I might be able to help you, that’s all. Seeing that I was the one who found him and I’m looking after his cat, and all.” Emma knew she was not making any sense. Why did she mention Frank’s cat? “I’ll be going now, then.” Emma walked straight out of Detective Crowley’s office without saying goodbye to him.
She was glad that she did not mention the fact that Bob was there the day that Frank died. Bob was not one who was good with words, and he would never be able to explain himself to the police.
All the way home, Emma felt sick in the stomach. Why is that detective so mean all the time? He always finds the very thing to say that would upset me.
The next morning Emma called in on Wil. She knew it would be awkward to see him. She was not ready to speak of their disagreement.
Emma took a deep breath when he opened the door. “Can you give me the keys to Frank’s haus? The ladies and I want to go and give it a gut clean.”
“Jah, I’ve got a spare key. I’ll fetch it for you. Do you want to do that today?”
“Both Maureen and Silvie aren’t working today, so today suits all of us.”
Wil rubbed his chin. “Do you think it will be safe? They haven’t found who did it, you know.”
“Jah, it’ll be safe with the five of us. Elsa-May and Ettie are going too.”
Wil went around the corner into the kitchen and then came back with the key and handed it to her. “Emma, can we talk?”
“Not now, Wil.”
The widows met at Frank’s haus at noon, as they had planned. Maureen was to arrive as soon as she talked to Bob Pluver.
“What exactly are we looking for, Elsa-May?” Silvie asked.
“I don’t really know. Tell me if you find anything, anything at all.”
They were immediately disturbed by a knock on the door. Elsa-May opened the door to see Thomas Graber, Frank’s next-door neighbor. “Hello, Thomas.”
“Hello, Elsa-May. What are you ladies doing in here?” Thomas seemed jittery as he shifted his weight between his feet.
“We’ve come to give the place a gut cleaning,” Emma said.
“Sad news about old Frank, wasn’t it,” Thomas said.
“Jah, that it was,” Elsa-May said.
Thomas tipped his hat slightly back on his head. “Wonders me that anyone would have anything against old Frank and wish him harm.”
Emma knew that the two men had many disagreements, the last one being about a fence that Thomas wanted to build between the two houses, but did that mean that Thomas would wish him harm? Surely not.
“Did you notice anything unusual in the last few days? Any strangers or visitors hanging around?” Elsa-May asked.
Thomas scratched his cheek. “Can’t say so. Except the day he died, I heard some kind of ruckus. Someone was yelling I’m sure of it.”
“I see, did you tell the police that?” Emma asked.
“Jah, there was a detective who questioned everyone in the street. I’m sure no one heard or saw anything, just me and the yelling.”
“Okay, well thanks for popping by.” Elsa-May tried to close the door and Thomas put his hand up against the door to hold it open. “Are you sure you ladies are supposed to be here?”
“Of course we are. Did you want to help us clean? We’ve got a spare scrubbing brush and soap. We could use some muscle power on the floors, especially the dried blood that’s still there on the kitchen floor,” Emma said.
“Nee, I’ve got to be somewhere soon.” Thomas stuck his head through the door and had a good look around. “Carry on then.”
When Elsa-May closed the door, Emma joined her in a fit of giggles. “What would you have done if he said he’d help with the dried blood only to find that there was none?”
“I was sure he wouldn’t help,” Emma said.
Elsa-May and Emma walked into the kitchen where Frank was found. “Found anything?” Elsa-May asked Ettie and Silvie, who were on their knees.
“Jah, a long strand of pale hair, could be gray or could be blonde, and a flake of red.”
“Did you bag it?” Elsa-May asked.
“Jah.” Silvie held up two plastic bags in her gloved hand.
“Wouldn’t forensics have found everything?” Emma asked.
Elsa-May shook her head. “Not necessarily. Where’s Maureen?”
“She’s talking to Bob Pluver and then coming here, remember?” Ettie said.
“Jah, that’s right. Now, Emma, let's think, what would the murderer do, where would he have gone?”
“Seems that he went right through the entire haus.”
At that moment, Maureen came through the front door. “Well, I have some news.”
“We’ll sit at the kitchen table,” Elsa-May said.
When everyone was seated, Maureen began. “Bob said that he arrived here on the Thursday, at the time of his normal visit, and Frank seemed shaken by something. He had Bob drive him to the bank. Then Bob watched him as Frank walked to another bank. Then he had Bob drive him to a lawyer’s office.”
“Which lawyer?” Ettie said.
“I wrote it down, but I left it in the buggy. I think from memory it was Wagners & Sons, or something like that.”
“Winters & Sons?” Silvie asked.
“Jah, that’s the one.”
Silvie sat up very straight. “I know George Winters. He comes into the bakery every single day.”
“Okay, so seems like old Frank may have taken his money out of one bank and put it in another? Then he changed his will?” Elsa-May looked at all the other widows.
“He could have taken something out of a safe-deposit box,” Maureen said.
“Did you ask Bob which banks he went to?”
Maureen shook her head.
“You’ll have to go back and find out which banks. Not all have safe-deposit boxes and we need to know what he did at each bank.”
“Couldn’t the detective find that out?” Emma asked.
“Ach, nee, we can’t tell him that Bob was here the day he died,” Maureen said.
“Maureen’s right, Emma. We don’t want innocent people to get blamed for things they didn’t do,” Elsa-May said.
Emma nodded.
“Silvie, you will have to find out from George, what Frank was doing there that day, the day that he died.”
“Jah, I’ll do that today,” Silvie said.
“Off you go now then,” Elsa-May said.
Silvie looked down at her clothes. “I’m a mess. I’ll have to go home and change first.”
Elsa-May lowered her head and glared at Silvie. “Nonsense, you look fine. Go now.”
“Okay,” Silvie said as she headed quickly to the door.
“We’ll wait for you; come straight back here,” Elsa-May yelled after Silvie.
“Do we know anything of Frank’s will?” Ettie asked.
“Nee, not that I’ve heard. Andrew was to have Wil let a realtor through to put a price on it, but he hasn’t done that yet. Maybe that means that the haus is not left to Andrew? I’m not sure,” Emma said.
“He only had Andrew and Clive and I’m sure he wouldn’t have left something to one son and not the other,” Maureen said.
“Maureen, you go back right now to Bob and find out what two banks Frank went to.”
“Do I have to go back now? I don’t want him to think that I like him,” Maureen said.
Ettie giggled.
“That’s the least of our problems, Maureen. Just go and find out those two things, hurry,” Elsa-May said.
Maureen headed out the door with a most reluctant look on her face, which caused the three remaining widows to giggle.
“Poor Maureen,” Emma said, “I do think that Bob is keen on her?”
“He’ll be pleased to answer her questions then,” Elsa-May said with a grin on her face.
“Well, come on girls; this place isn’t going to clean itself,” Ettie said.
Half an hour later, Maureen arrived back. After she told the widows which banks Frank went to, it was clear that he hadn’t gone to the banks to take something out of a safe-deposit box, as neither bank had safe-deposit boxes.
“Gut work, Maureen,” Elsa-May said.
“Jah, now I have to have dinner with him next week,” Maureen said.
“He’s the strong silent type, Maureen. There’s nothing wrong with that boy and now he’s inherited his daed’s business, he’s quite a catch,” Ettie said with a twinkle in her eye.
Hidden (Amish Romance Mystery) (Amish Secret Widows' Society Book 2) Page 5
