Amish Regrets (Amish Secret Widows' Society #4)

by Samantha Price

  “I’m not going to jail.” Sabrina looked at Silvie. “I wish you hadn’t made me come here.”

  “You said that you didn’t want to be left alone,” Silvie said.

  “I didn’t know it was going to be like this. You said you sat around and talked and ate cakes and things.” Sabrina swiveled her head around. “Where are the cakes?”

  Silvie looked at the other widows and said, “I’m sorry.”

  “This is not something to be taken lightly, Sabrina. A man’s been murdered and they are looking for someone to pin it on. I mean they’ll be looking for the person who did it.” Elsa-May’s voice boomed so loud that Sabrina cringed. Elsa-May continued, “Sabrina, you must tell us everything you know and don’t leave anything out.”

  Sabrina straightened her back. “What kind of things?”

  “Start with telling us if you know of anyone, anyone at all who would wish Carmello harm,” Elsa-May said.

  “His wife for one. He wanted a divorce and she didn’t give him one until he agreed that she could have everything. She was about to sign the papers that day. I’m not sure if she did or not.”

  Elsa-May pushed her finger into her round cheek. “Seems silly for her to kill him if she was going to get everything anyway. Anyone else?”

  “He often fought with Neville, his business partner.”

  “What about?” Ettie asked.

  “Just business things, I’d guess. Then he had a secretary that he had to fire. She was lazy and never did anything she was told and turned up late to work and left early. When he fired her she put in a claim of sexual harassment, but then she dropped it a few weeks later.”

  “What was her name?” Elsa-May asked.

  “I can’t remember. Maybe I never heard it; I couldn’t really say. Do you think that’s important?”

  Elsa-May ignored her question. “Have you met any of these people?”

  “Nee, I’ve just seen them. I haven’t actually met them. Except, Silvie and I met the wife yesterday. She came to the door and was really mean.”

  “What did she say?” Emma asked.

  “She called us both horrible names and said she’d have us run out of town,” Silvie said.

  “No wonder Carmello wanted a divorce from her,” Sabrina said.

  “People can say awful things when they’re upset,” Maureen said. “She would’ve had a nasty shock over the whole thing.”

  Elsa-May read back her notes that she’d scribbled on her yellow writing pad. “Suspects so far are the wife, the secretary, or I should say the ex-secretary, and the business partner, Neville.”

  “That’s the only people I know about,” Sabrina said.

  “Ettie, you do what you do best, which is scout around and talk to people. Find out what you can about Carmello. Emma, you go and speak to Crowley and see what he knows so far…”

  “Me? Why do I always have to speak to Crowley? He’ll ask me why I’m not married to Wil yet. Do you know that last time he called me Mrs. Jacobson, when he knows very well my last name is Kurtzler. He takes delight in making me uneasy.”

  “Nonsense, Emma. You were the one to speak with him most of the time on the last case and he told you everything he knew.”

  “Jah, Emma. Just put your personal feelings to one side,” Ettie said.

  “What do you mean last case? Are you all like detectives or something?” Sabrina asked as she looked around at each of the widows.

  “Nee, we just help people where we can, that’s all,” Maureen said with a wide smile revealing the slight gap between her two front teeth.

  Emma blew out a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll go and talk to him first thing in the morning.”

  “Gut,” Elsa-May said then turned to Maureen, “Maureen, you try and find out what you can about the housekeeper.”

  “How will I do that? I don’t know where they live or what the housekeeper’s name is or anything,” Maureen said.

  “Emma will find all those sorts of things from Crowley, and then you can take things from there,” Elsa-May said.

  “What do you want me to do?” Silvie asked.

  “You just look after Sabrina.” Sabrina smiled and her face lighted up until Elsa-May added, “Keep her out of any more trouble because she obviously does not have one ounce of commonsense.”

  Sabrina’s smile vanished, replaced with an angry glower, directed at the elderly Elsa-May. Elsa-May glared right back at her until Sabrina looked away.

  “You were after some cake, weren’t you, Sabrina?” Ettie said as she rose to her feet.

  The smile quickly returned to Sabrina’s face. “Jah, Silvie said that there would be cake.”

  “Coming right up,” Ettie said.

  Chapter 5.

  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

  Philippians 4:8

  The next morning, Emma reluctantly knocked on Detective Crowley’s office door. She knew how uncomfortable he would make her feel, but the widows needed his help and he had always come through for them.

  “Come in.” His deep voice rang in Emma’s ears as she stepped through his doorway.

  Detective Crowley stood up from behind his desk. “Ah, Mrs. Kurtzler. Elsa-May told me you’d be coming this morning.”

  “Call me Emma.”

  He waved his hand in the direction of one of the two chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

  Emma sat down and licked her lips as nerves had made her mouth dry.

  Thankfully the detective spoke first on the subject she’d come about. “You’re interested to know about Carmello Liante?”

  “Yes I am. Sabrina, Silvie’s sister, found him dead before the janitor found him, but she was scared and hid when she heard someone coming.”

  “I know, I’ve read her statement. Says she heard Mrs. Liante come into the office, look at her dead husband on the floor then leave.”

  “That’s right.” Emma crossed her legs in an effort to feel more comfortable, but she nearly tipped herself off balance on the chair. She uncrossed her legs and hoped Crowley hadn’t noticed her awkwardness.

  His raised eyebrow and downturned mouth told Emma that he had noticed.

  Then the detective lowered his eyebrow and his face returned to its usual deadpan state. “Did it occur to you that this might be a crime of passion and Sabrina might be guilty and trying to implicate Mrs. Liante?”

  Emma sat tall; she was highly offended by his suggestion. “No, it didn’t occur to me because I know that is not true. Amish aren’t capable of violence. It’s against everything we stand for.”

  Detective Crowley picked up a pencil and tapped it a couple of times on his desk. “Isn’t having relations with a married man also against what the Amish believe in?”

  He’s trying to rattle you again, Emma. Think your answer through before you speak. Emma knew what he said was true and she did not like having to defend Sabrina’s actions. “All people sin, Detective, even the Amish, because we are still people. To answer your question, I do not believe that Sabrina is capable of murder. She was in love with the man and she had no reason to kill him.”

  He pushed out his lips. “He might have told her that he didn’t want to see her anymore.”

  Emma narrowed her eyes. “But he didn’t.”

  “You can’t know that with absolute certainty.”

  “I know it in my heart.” Emma pounded her fist against her heart so hard that she involuntarily coughed.

  “I agree.” The detective leaned back in his chair.

  “You do?”

  “Yes. I don’t think she did it at all.” He swiveled slightly in his chair and then stopped.

  “Why did you say those things, Detective?”

  The detective gave one of his seldom seen smiles. “To see how strongly you agre
ed with me.”

  Emma tilted her head at the riddles the detective was speaking in. Why can’t he just speak straightly? Emma thought. “You were testing me?” she asked.

  The detective leaned back in his chair once more, but he remained silent. Emma wished that Elsa-May had come instead of her. She knew that the detective would cause her to feel foolish.

  Emma forged ahead with the reason she was there. “Now that we have all that out of the way, what can you tell me about the case?”

  “Seems that Carmello was quite the ladies’ man.”

  Emma was disappointed to hear that and hoped it wasn’t true. Sabrina would be sad to know that she hadn’t been the only woman in his life. “Is it true that his wife was just about to sign some sort of contract, like divorce papers or some kind of property settlement papers?”

  “We found no personal papers whatsoever in his office. I personally questioned Mrs. Liante and she told me that she had a happy marriage and was unaware of any indiscretions. When she learned of your friend, Sabrina’s, relationship with her husband she was visibly shaken. She either had no idea her husband was having an affair, or she’s a mighty good actress. She denies any talk of separation or divorce.”

  Emma knew that the woman was not being truthful, but that did not mean that she was guilty of murder. “Did she know of anyone who wished her husband harm?”

  “She said that she couldn’t think of a single enemy her husband might have had.”

  “Was he poisoned?”

  “He’d ingested a lethal dose of Aconitine.”

  Emma chewed on a fingernail at the thought of the painful death Carmello might have had. Poison would not be the nicest way to die. “Could it have been an accident?”

  “Not in that dose.”

  “Suicide?”

  “There was no note, and no poison near him. Suicide isn’t plausible.”

  “Elsa-May also wanted me to ask you about Mrs. Liante’s address and the name of the housekeeper.”

  Detective Crowley shook his head.

  “Elsa-May said if you don’t want to give it that’s okay, there are plenty of other ways she can find out.”

  The detective continued to shake his head as he wrote the information on a slip of paper and handed it to Emma.

  Emma smiled. “Thank you, Detective Crowley.”

  The detective leaned forward and spoke in a low tone. “You didn’t get that information from me.” He gave Emma a wink.

  Chapter 6.

  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

  James 2: 14-17

  At the widows’ meeting the next night, Detective Crowley told all the widows how Carmello Liante had died.

  “Ah, yes, Aconitine. It’s a slow and painful death resulting in paralysis just before death.” Elsa-May smiled. “It’s actually a pretty plant w ith blue, violet flowers, but extremely poisonous. It’s native to northern Europe.”

  “How would anyone get it around these parts?” Silvie asked.

  “That’s the origin of the plant; it’s grown all over the place now. The roots and leaves can be dried just like any other herb.” Elsa-May tapped on her chin with her fingertips. “It is said that is how the Roman Emperor Claudius died, from the same poison. It was rumored that his wife poisoned him. Funny that Liante was Italian too and his wife is a suspect.”

  “Claudius who?” Silvie asked.

  “Never mind, you wouldn’t know him,” Elsa-May said. “I’m not about to try and explain the whole of the Ancient Roman Civilization to people who probably don’t even know where Italy is.”

  “Don’t be boastful of your education, Elsa-May. Dat always told you not to be prideful. He thought that might happen when you forced him to let you go to college.”

  “Forced him to let me go? I was married at the time with two kinner. Dat had nothing to do with it and Liam was happy for me to go.”

  “Hmmph, Liam would have let you fly to the moon if you asked him.”

  “You went to college all those years ago?” Silvie asked.

  Elsa-May smiled. “I did and I’m not prideful about it. I craved learning about all kinds of things and still do.”

  “That’s all very interesting I’m sure, but you ladies can discuss those things when I’m not here. Let’s get back to the point, shall we? I found out that Mr. Liante was worth around four million dollars, possibly more,” Detective Crowley said.

  The widows gasped.

  Silvie turned to Sabrina. “Did you know of this?”

  “Nee, what does it matter how much he had?” Sabrina said.

  The detective’s eyes fixed firmly onto Sabrina as he asked, “Did you know that you, Sabrina, have been left one quarter of everything?”

  “Really? Well, that’s one thing he didn’t tell me. Who was left the rest?”

  “Sabrina!” Silvie said shocked at her schweschders’s rudeness.

  Ettie interrupted before the detective could answer Sabrina’s question, “Sabrina won’t have to go to the reading of the will and be in the same room as Mrs. Liante, will she?”

  “No. I was getting to that. Mrs. Liante is in the hospital. It seems that there was an attempt on her life this afternoon. Someone broke into her home with a knife. The housekeeper disturbed the intruder and he fled.”

  The widows murmured their shock.

  “That’s awful,” Ettie said.

  “Is she hurt badly?” Silvie asked.

  “She has small cuts, and she’s suffering from severe shock. She’s under sedation now. I’ve got a guard stationed on her door just in case the attacker thinks he’ll be able to get to her in there. I’ve another piece of news. Mr. Liante’s business partner has disappeared.”

  “You’re full of surprises tonight, Detective,” Elsa-May said. “Is there anything else we need to know?”

  The detective shook his head. “I wouldn’t mind a chocolate slice or a cookie.” The detective looked around the room. “Are you ladies on diets? There’s usually food galore here.”

  Ettie rose to her feet. “I’ll get it. We’ve started talking first before we eat. We seem to get more done that way. Your usual black tea, Detective?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “What will you do with all that money, Sabrina?” Maureen asked.

  “I’ll stay here in Lancaster County and buy a haus. I’ll give some to Silvie and some to mamm and dat.”

  Silvie said, “You don’t need to give any to me, Sabrina, but it’s a kindly thought.”

  “I want to give you some money, so you don’t have to work so hard.”

  “I don’t work that hard and I enjoy the bakery,” Silvie said, pleased that her schweschder had a generous heart.

  “Okay, I’ll keep it all then,” Sabrina said without the hint of a smile. “When do I get the money, Detective? I’ve never been left any money before.”

  “You’d have to wait a time until probate goes through. Could be weeks or months. There’s no telling how long it will be.”

  “How much did Mrs. Liante get?” Sabrina asked.

  “The remainder of his estate was divided amongst Miss Scotsdale, Miss Tobrill and Mrs. Liante. I should let you know that Mr. Liante’s lawyer suggested that Mrs. Liante could contest the will and she’d likely have a good case.”

  “Who are those other two women?” Sabrina asked.

  “As far as I’ve been able to ascertain, one was a girlfriend of some time ago, before you came along, that was Miss Tobrill. Miss Scotsdale was his former secretary.”

  “What does it mean to contest the will, Detective?” Silvie asked.

  “She could take the matter to court and claim that the will was unfair to her sin
ce she was the lawful wife. The courts might decide that it’s only she who is entitled to his entire estate. If she does take it to court, it’s hard to say which way it will go.”

  Sabrina bounded to her feet and walked outside. Maureen stood up to follow, but Silvie said, “Leave her, Maureen. She needs to be by herself for a while.”

  Maureen sat down. “It must be an awful shock to her.”

  “She brought it all on herself thinking she could get away with such a terrible thing as having an affair with a married man.” The widows remained silent and Silvie reprimanded herself for her judgmental attitude, knowing that it wasn’t her place to judge anyone.

  Ettie came out of the kitchen with a tray of goodies. “There you are Detective, Emma’s chocolate slices, chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate cake that I baked today.”

  “And my poor old sugar cookies,” Maureen said.

  “Everything can’t be chocolate,” Emma said.

  The detective took a chocolate slice and said, “You ladies sure know how to cook.”

  “Silvie, are you sure Sabrina’s alright? Should someone go and check on her?” Emma asked.

  “Nee, the fresh night air will do her some gut and she’ll come back in when she’s ready,” Silvie said.

  “Who are the suspects, Detective?” Elsa-May asked.

  “I think we can safely rule Mrs. Liante out. She would not have known that she wasn’t left all of the money, so she would’ve had no motive. Now it would appear that she’s in danger too. Perhaps we need to be looking for someone who had a grudge against both of them.”

  “Who does that leave?” Elsa-May asked with pen and paper in hand.

  “The business partner has to be the main suspect now that he’s disappeared.”

  “Detective, what do you know about these other women? Could one of them be a jilted lover out for revenge?”

  “That’s the next possibility. There’s also the possibility that Mr. Liante told Miss Tobrill or Miss Scotsdale of their inheritance and they wanted to speed things along or have him die before he changed his will again.”

  Ettie shook her head. “Terrible, terrible mess.”