Murder with Orange Pekoe Tea

by Karen Rose Smith

  “The security guard at the Hope Clinic?” Rachel inquired. “Do you think she knows something?”

  “I don’t know. The police only spoke to her husband so I’d like to talk with her. Bad idea or worse idea?”

  The lines around Rachel’s eyes crinkled deeper. “You wouldn’t have brought it up unless you thought it was a good idea. Something I found out might help you decide.”

  “What did you find out?”

  “Levi heard that Eli inherited part of Hiram’s estate. The rest of it went to our district’s medical fund.”

  Daisy knew that the Amish didn’t have insurance, another way they stayed off the grid and away from any type of government or English control. Each district funded an account that would cover community members’ medical bills. They held a mud sale each year, a type of auction that helped add money to that fund.

  “It’s a wonderful gut thing that Hiram left that to us. No one would have expected that. But for Eli, that might not be such gut news.”

  Daisy thought about the repercussions of that inheritance. “This means that Eli is even more a suspect. It means he could have had a motive.”

  “Are there other suspects?” Rachel asked.

  “Emory Wagner is one because he fought with Hiram at the social. There are other couples who lost embryos who I’m sure are grieving and are angry.”

  “Do you think Eli had anything to do with it?” Rachel asked, worried.

  “Jonas doesn’t think so. But he might not know about this latest news. When I talked with Eli, I didn’t get a sense that he could hurt anybody. Even though he left the faith, I think those values have stayed with him.” She thought about the fact that he was dating Miriam and he could be returning to his faith.

  Rachel tenderly touched Daisy’s arm. “You said Jonas isn’t certain whether you should call the security guard’s wife.”

  “He’s not,” Daisy responded with a sigh.

  “So let me ask you this. What would Vi say if you told her you want to question this woman?”

  “She’d probably tell me not to get involved.”

  Rachel continued, “What would your mother say?”

  Daisy wrinkled her nose. “Probably the same.”

  After a pause, Rachel asked, “And what would Jazzi say?”

  “She’d probably say to do it.”

  In the silent pause after that answer, Daisy could hear the women who were looking at fabric and talking about what they would be sewing. The scent of fabric and rose petal sachets easily wafted to her.

  After about a minute, Rachel asked, “So are you ready to make the decision?”

  Just then a customer at the other side of the store called to Rachel. Rachel waved to her client and said, “Ich bin om cooma.”

  Daisy knew that phrase too. Rachel had told her customer that she was coming.

  “Go on,” Daisy encouraged her. “After considering everything we’ve talked about, I’m not ready to make a decision. I’ll know when and if it’s right to make the call.”

  Rachel patted Daisy’s arm again, then hurried to take care of her customer.

  Daisy was about to look around for new placemats when her phone played its tuba sound. Quickly taking it out of her pocket, she saw Jonas was calling. She answered, “Hi, there.”

  “Are you at the tea garden?” he asked.

  There was no urgency in his voice so she guessed this was a social call. “I’m on my break. I’m at Rachel’s shop.”

  “I have a question for you. How would you like to meet me after work? There’s something I’d like to show you.”

  “Sure, I can meet you. Jazzi’s babysitting today instead of working at the tea garden. She dropped me off this morning and she borrowed my car. I can drive my work van wherever you want me to meet you. Where are we going?”

  “I’ll give you the address. You’ll be surprised,” Jonas said.

  Daisy didn’t know how much she was going to like this surprise. Though with Jonas, it could only be good.

  * * *

  In early evening, Daisy parked next to Jonas’s SUV in the gravel lot at . . . the animal shelter! She remembered the article about Four Paws Animal Shelter that had appeared in the Willow Creek Messenger. She looked over the building that had once been an old school house. The shelter had been the dream of a farm family who lived in Willow Creek. Noah Langston and his sister Serena had grown up on a farm taking care of all the animals there. Their dream had had to wait until they were old enough and knowledgeable enough to pull together their resources and establish Four Paws.

  Recalling other details, Daisy remembered that Noah was a veterinarian and Serena had earned a business degree. She and Noah had given up their former lives to establish the shelter that was a nonprofit, no-kill shelter that relied on donations and fundraising events. They’d purchased the old property with the schoolhouse for a song because the building had been falling apart and the town wanted to rid itself of it. It looked like a schoolhouse you might see in pioneer photos of olden days out on the prairie.

  The building had an open front porch with two steps up to it and pillars holding up the roof. Daisy imagined it might have once been white clapboard but the structure was now sided in red. A cupola was perched on top of the gabled roof over the front porch. The red siding made the building stand out which is what the brother and sister had intended. Noah and Serena wanted to make sure everyone knew about the shelter and took it seriously. In the past year, they’d added an additional room as well as dog runs out back. Trevor had written a follow-up article about that.

  The large black door was decorated with four huge white paw prints. Daisy opened the door and stepped inside into the modern era. Gray laminate flooring looked durable and easy to keep clean. The counter in the front room looked sturdy with a glazed butcher-block top. A young woman sat behind the desk and Daisy thought she recognized Serena from a photo in the newspaper. She wore her brown hair in a distinct braided corona design. A black standard poodle was stretched beside her chair.

  At the counter, Daisy smiled at Serena and the poodle. “I’m Daisy Swanson. Jonas Groft asked me to meet him here.”

  Serena smiled back. “I’m Serena Langston.”

  “I hear you do wonderful work here.”

  Serena’s green eyes sparkled. “We try. Our work is only as good as our volunteers, and the people who adopt. I know exactly where Jonas is. Come on. Follow me.”

  Daisy followed Serena and her dog companion through a door that led into the new part of the building. On either side of the hallway were Plexiglas rooms with crates. Daisy imagined volunteers spent time with the canines housed there.

  “Fortunately we had an adoption fair last week and many of our dogs were adopted.”

  Daisy noticed a few as they passed the crates but didn’t spend long looking because she knew she’d want to take them all home.

  “You don’t have any cats that I can see.”

  “We’re hoping to add a cat room within the next year or so. It depends on how our funds hold up.”

  Serena led Daisy out a back door to the dog run area.

  Daisy spotted Jonas in one of the runs with what looked like a golden retriever.

  Serena opened the door for Daisy to enter the run then said, “I’ll be inside if the two of you need me.”

  Jonas stood at the far end of the run with the dog and waved at her. She saw the genuine smile on his face and knew what was probably happening. She was about to walk toward him when he held up his hand for her to stop.

  “Stay there and call Felix to you.”

  So the dog had a name and Jonas already trusted the canine enough to share him with someone else. She called, “Felix. Come.”

  Felix, his silky creamy fur rustling as he ran to her, was a handsome dog. His ears waved and his tail pushed the air back and forth.

  At the end of the run, his front paws stopped him as his brown eyes looked her over. Instinctively, she stooped to him and let him smell h
er hands. His tail swooped back and forth as he intently sniffed.

  “You probably smell food and kitties on me,” she said to him.

  He kept sniffing up to her wrist. Then he tilted his head and rubbed it against her fingers.

  Walking toward her, Jonas decided, “You passed inspection.”

  She scratched Felix behind his ears, and he seemed to enjoy the affection. “Serena said there was an adoption fair here last week. I guess Felix wasn’t adopted?”

  “Felix’s owner just brought him in a couple of days ago. She moved into an assisted living facility and she had to give him up.”

  At that news, Daisy petted his flanks. He kept bumping against her as if he wanted more.

  Crouching down with her, Jonas studied the two of them together. “Felix is about five years old and has had training by the woman’s son.”

  “He didn’t want Felix?”

  “He lives in Mechanicsburg and already has three dogs. He didn’t feel he could handle another one.”

  Daisy looked into Felix’s eyes. “You like attention, don’t you?”

  He bumped against her again as if he’d understood what she said.

  She laughed as she rubbed her fingers through his silky, golden-white fur. “You’re a handsome boy. You look as if you’ve just had a bath.”

  “The volunteers groomed him this morning.” Jonas’s gaze hadn’t left her and Felix.

  Now Felix moved his attention from Daisy to Jonas. He stretched out his front paws, his rear up in the air, and then he sat at Jonas’s feet. Jonas laid his hand quietly on the dog’s head.

  “You’ve decided, haven’t you?” she asked Jonas.

  When Jonas nodded, Daisy knew he’d found a new friend.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The pet store on the outskirts of Lancaster called Fur and Feathers welcomed canine clients. Since Jonas had submitted forms the week before he’d decided to adopt Felix—Four Paws did background checks on applicants—it didn’t take long to finish same-day paperwork. Afterward, Jonas needed pet supplies. The fact that they could all go into the store together was a bonus.

  Felix stayed by Jonas’s side throughout the store. Obviously, he’d been trained well to heel. Daisy looked over the dog beds—Felix would need a large one—while Jonas chose a collar and a lead. Jonas added a toy to the cart. Daisy did too and they grinned at each other. A large bag of dog food went into the cart next along with cans of wet food. Dishes to eat and drink out of were next.

  Jonas said to Daisy, “Do you think I should buy two dog beds—one for downstairs and one for upstairs?

  “That depends. Are you going to let Felix sit on the furniture?”

  “It’s going to be his house as well as mine,” Jonas answered practically.

  It was a good thing that Daisy and Jonas felt the same way about pets.

  “It might be a good idea to have a bed for upstairs and downstairs. And you know what else? One of those self-warming pads would be good. In the winter, you can put it in one of the beds. Jazzi laid one on the chair in her room. Both cats like to sleep on it when it’s cold outside.

  “You have the best ideas.”

  “I try,” she said, hooking her arm through his while Felix walked next to her.

  After Jonas charged the supplies, they went outside to his SUV. They climbed inside with Felix in the back seat. However, he poked his head up between their seats, looking first at Jonas and then at Daisy.

  Gently she said to him, “You’re going home with him.” She pointed to Jonas.

  Jonas pointed to her. “But you’re going to be seeing her a lot.”

  Felix didn’t seem to mind. His brown eyes appeared to glow with the knowledge that he was going home with someone.

  Jonas was about to start the vehicle when his phone buzzed. He took it from the console and gave a shrug when Daisy looked curiously at him.

  “Hello,” he said. “This is Jonas Groft.”

  “Hello, Mr. Groft. My name is Adele Gunnarsen. I was Felix’s mamma.”

  The woman was speaking loud enough that Daisy could hear her. Still, Jonas said into the phone, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to put you on speaker. I have someone else here who would like to hear what you have to say.”

  Adele’s voice was a little shaky when she said, “I don’t mind at all. The volunteer at the shelter gave me your number. That’s not always kosher, but she and I are friends. She kept her eye on Felix for me.”

  “I’m so glad to hear he came from a loving home,” Jonas said.

  “He did. I don’t want to hold you up now, but sometime I can tell you my story. I’m at Whispering Willows Assisted Living facility. I have a favor to ask you.”

  “Of course,” Jonas agreed.

  “Whispering Willows allows pets to visit. I would love to see Felix now and then, if you’re so inclined.”

  “I think that would be a good idea,” Jonas told her. “Visits to you will help transition Felix into my care. You could tell me all of his idiosyncrasies. Maybe I should ask straight out—does he chew up shoes?”

  Adele gave a little laugh. “Not shoes, exactly. But my husband Horace had a pair of slippers that Felix liked to drag around. In fact, I still have them. I forgot to send them along with him.”

  “I’m sure Felix would like to have them,” Jonas gently assured her.

  “I was afraid you’d mind if I called you.”

  “Not at all.”

  “The fact that you are willing to talk to me means that you are going to provide Felix with a home that he’s going to like.”

  “I hope that’s true.”

  “There’s one more thing I’d like to tell you.”

  Daisy listened and watched Jonas while he waited.

  “Felix’s name means happy and fortunate,” Adele explained. “He was the best dog in the world and I hope he’ll bring you much happiness.”

  After Jonas ended the call, he and Daisy looked at each other. Jonas’s eyes were misty, as well as hers. She knew that visiting Adele Gunnarsen was going to be high on Jonas’s priority list.

  * * *

  Lunch with her mom was something Daisy tried to do at least once a month. Even though it was difficult sometimes for her mom to get away from Gallagher’s Garden Corner, she did because she knew she and Daisy needed to mend a relationship that had been broken for a long, long time. Now they’d found their way back to each other. Time together was important.

  While Daisy waited for her mom, she made a decision. Taking the slip of paper out of her pocket, she called the security guard’s wife. She held her breath.

  When Mavis answered, Daisy introduced herself and explained, “I know your husband spoke to the police. But I thought there might be some detail you could tell me that they missed.”

  Mavis said, “I’m so glad you called. I didn’t know if I should really call you. My husband has been working at the clinic since it first opened. My son’s on the waiting list for work there, too. But now since this happened, they might not hire any longer. I hear you own a tea garden. How nice. Tell me about it.”

  Daisy did. A little. Then she asked, “Does your husband bring his stun gun home with him?”

  Without hesitating, Mavis responded in a high voice, “Oh, no! Never. He has to hand it in when his shift ends. You know he gets really tired now when he puts in twelve-hour days. I hate when he works nights.” Mavis continued on, telling Daisy all about that.

  That’s when Daisy realized Mavis simply needed someone to talk to . . . someone to give her a little attention.

  Mavis was a dead end.

  Shortly after Daisy ended the call, she met her mom in front of the diner’s main entrance. Sarah Jane’s sported huge hex signs of birds on the front wall and a hex sign with hearts on the other side of the door. The diner wasn’t busy around one-thirty, the best time for privacy. Sarah Jane, who was behind the counter, spotted them and smiled.

  Sarah Jane was often cook as well as hostess. She had help, of cou
rse, but she liked to control everything about her diner. Her strawberry-blond curls fell over her forehead and around her ears. They tousled a bit when she walked. She was rounded and a little overweight but she had lots of energy. She catered to the elder population of Willow Creek by running coupons in the newspaper and online for everyone over sixty. Today she was wearing her blue gingham apron and fuchsia-and-green sneakers.

  To Daisy and her mom, Sarah Jane said, “I have the booth in the back where you like to sit.”

  Daisy’s mom smiled. “Perfect.”

  Her mother was wearing her bright pink lipstick today, and her ash-blond hair looked as if it had just been permed. It curled close to her head and didn’t move much when she walked.

  Sarah Jane herself rather than one of her waitstaff led them to the back booth and laid a menu on either side when they sat. “Susie will be here shortly to take your order. The meatloaf’s especially good today from what I hear.”

  As Sarah Jane walked away, Rose leaned across the table and said to Daisy in a low voice, “I can’t eat meatloaf and mashed potatoes for lunch. That’s too heavy. I’d fall asleep as soon as I went back to the nursery.”

  “Get whatever you want, Mom. Sarah Jane’s suggestions usually roll off her tongue because they’re the special of the day.”

  “Her chicken salad is delicious,” Rose said. “I think I’m just going to have the chicken salad in the tomato, you know, cut like a flower? She puts hard-boiled eggs around it. That should be perfect.”

  Although Daisy was listening to her mom, she was distracted. The two men seated in the booth behind them were having a heated discussion. One of the men was Lawrence Bishop. The other was Daniel Copeland, a good-looking man in his mid-thirties. Likewise, he was a member of the town council. He had rusty brown hair, a patrician nose, and a very firm jaw. She knew lots of women in Willow Creek thought he was handsome and quite a find because he was the assistant manager of the Willow Creek Community Bank.

  Glancing at the menu, she couldn’t help but hear the raised voices behind her. At first trying to ignore them, she said to her mother, “I think I’ll order the tuna melt with a side of slaw.”