Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 6 Page 17

  “Excellent. You might want to wait here and I'll get it hitched.”

  “Okay.”

  When she climbed up into the buggy beside him, she said, “I really didn’t think I’d be doing this again today.”

  “Doing what? Visiting the ladies?”

  “No, going in a horse-drawn buggy again for the second day in a row.”

  He laughed. “Why not?”

  “It was fine for a one time thing. It is very slow compared to a car.”

  “We don’t need to get anywhere fast.”

  “By we, do you mean the Amish in general?”

  “Yes. You’ll get used to it and learn to love it.” He looked across at her and smiled.

  She thought it best not to say anything to him. There were too many other things on her mind. This man’s infatuation with her was the least of her problems. “I tried to find them myself, but ended up lost. I came across some Amish people selling things by the side of the road and they gave me directions, but I’m afraid I’m directionally challenged. I can’t live without a GPS.”

  “I’ve wondered a lot when I was younger what it would be like to drive a car. I don’t think it would be as good as a buggy.”

  “Let’s just say it’s different. Way different.”

  After waiting for Gabriel to secure the buggy outside Ettie and Elsa-May’s house she walked with him up to the front door. Gabriel leaned forward and knocked. When Ettie opened the door, Gabriel said, “Surprise.” Elsa-May then peered over the top of Ettie’s shoulder.

  Ettie smiled at Selena, looking pleased to see her. “We were just talking about you and your grandfather.”

  “I’ve come here today to ask you if you would help me find out the truth of what happened. It's very important to me that my grandfather's name is cleared.”

  “We’d love to help, wouldn’t we, Elsa-May?”

  “We would. I don't know why we stopped looking into it.”

  “We stopped because he died,” Ettie said with a frown aimed at her sister.

  “I know that, Ettie.” Elsa-May frowned at her sister. “Well, come inside and we’ll figure out a plan of action.”

  “Thank you,” Selena said as the two ladies stepped aside.

  “I’m coming too, as the driver.” Gabriel gave a laugh.

  “That’s a very important job.” Elsa-May patted him on his back and then guided him into the living room.

  Once they were seated, Snowy jumped all over the visitors.

  Elsa-May scolded him and ordered him back in his dog bed. “Now you stay there. Shame on you.” She shook a finger at him and Snowy looked at her with big round eyes and then settled himself down with his head between his front paws. She looked back at Gabriel and Selena. “Sorry about that.”

  “It doesn’t bother me,” Gabriel said.

  “Or me. He’s fine,” Selena added.

  Ettie said, “Sit down, Elsa-May, so we can talk”

  “I was just about to. I had to put Snowy in his bed; if I had wings I’d be quicker, but I don’t. Be patient.”

  Ettie sat still with her hands in her lap until Elsa-May sat back down. “Now, I think the first person we should speak with should be Patricia. She owns the alpacas next door to Abner’s house.”

  “Should we talk with Wayne Robinson’s relatives or friends?” asked Selena.

  “In time. Firstly, I want to see what Patricia has to say because she made a huge fuss about being angry with Wayne.”

  “Yes, that’s right. Abner told me that she thought Wayne was stealing the alpacas,” Gabriel said.

  Ettie nodded. “We’ll talk to all the people we talked with before and see if they say anything different. Then we’ll branch out talking to people we have never spoken with before. How does that sound?”

  “Very good. Everything would be much faster in the car, but Gabriel insists on going in the buggy.”

  Gabriel stared at Selena. “There’s nothing better than riding in a buggy on a beautiful day such as today.”

  Selena turned her head and looked out the small window at the cold sky. “It's not such a beautiful day for this time of year. The sky is gray and cloudy.”

  “Every day you wake up alive is a good day to me.” Elsa-May chuckled.

  Gabriel threw his head back and laughed.

  “Shall we go then?” Selena asked.

  “She’s anxious to get started,” Gabriel told them.

  “Yes. We’ll go. You two go on ahead and we’ll be out in a minute. We just need to get ready.”

  Chapter 9

  Selena sat in the backseat of the buggy and watched the old ladies come out in their black coats and black over-bonnets.

  Elsa-May decided to sit in the front and Ettie sat in the back with Selena. They traveled down miles of winding roads until they came to the lane that led to Abner's house. Just when they reached the house, it started to rain lightly.

  “Ah look, alpacas, Elsa-May.”

  Elsa-May frowned at her sister. “It is an alpaca farm, Ettie.”

  “I know that, but how many of them does she have?”

  “I'm not sure, but she rotates the paddocks, and it looks like they’re all in the front this time,” Gabriel said. “And that's your house there.” Gabriel pointed at Selena’s house.

  “Yes, I know,” Selena said.

  “We’ll have to leave the buggy here and go the rest of the way on foot.”

  Selena looked at the large and differing signs on the gate warning people not to go in. There were six of them, all hand drawn and all looking as though they were of varying ages.

  No entry, this means you.

  Do not Enter under any circumstances.

  This farm is not a tourist attraction.

  Absolutely No Trespassing.

  Private Property.

  Trespassers will be prosecuted.

  “Um, perhaps we shouldn’t go in,” Selena said.

  Ettie shook her head. “She knows us. She’s talked to us before.”

  “That was years ago, Ettie. She wouldn’t remember us.”

  “Is she Amish?” Selena asked.

  “No,” Elsa-May said.

  The ever-happy Gabriel said, “It’s okay. She knows me. She’ll be okay, and it’s stopped raining. Come along.” He slipped through the wire fence at the side of the gates and held the wires apart for the ladies to slip through.

  Selena was grateful the rain was holding off, and she helped Elsa-May keep her balance and stopped her dress from being snagged on the edge of the fence.

  “Thank you, Selena,” Elsa-May said as she straightened herself up.

  Ettie got through without a problem. “Let’s go.”

  They all followed Gabriel up the slight hill that led to the house. Paddocks of alpacas, that were very interested in them, flanked the road. Gabriel walked right up and knocked on the door while the three women stood behind him.

  When the door of the house opened, a woman of around seventy stood there. Under one arm she held a large rifle. A black hat was pulled low over her face, and she wore faded jeans, big boots, and a red and black checkered shirt. If it weren’t for her small and delicate features, she might have been mistaken for a man.

  “Hello, Mrs. Langerfield. It's lovely to see you again,” Gabriel said.

  “Can’t you read?”

  “Don’t you remember me? I talked to you a couple of months ago.”

  “Who are you? I’m not a tourist attraction. Didn’t you see the Do not Enter Under Any Circumstances sign at the front gate?”

  Gabriel continued, “I did, but I didn’t think it applied to me.”

  “Well, it did. I don’t like to be disturbed and neither do my animals.”

  He ignored her protests and kept talking, a little faster than before. “I’m the caretaker of Abner's house next door. Don’t you remember me? We talked about the weather just two weeks ago, and you said you were pleased with the fences.”

  She stared at him. “That's right. I’m g
lad that man who stole my alpacas is finally gone. I haven’t had one gone missing since.”

  “I’ve made sure the fences are well maintained even though we both have that responsibility. We just have a couple of quick questions. This young lady here is Abner’s granddaughter.”

  Selena stepped forward. Patricia looked at Selena and nodded. Gabriel then introduced everybody to Patricia.

  Ettie said, “We have already met. We met a few years ago when I was asking you questions about Abner and the man who was run down years ago. Do you remember?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “If you want to ask me something make it quick.”

  “Do you remember a man, Wayne Robinson, who used to work on the farm helping Abner?”

  “He was the one run over, wasn’t he?”

  “That's the one.”

  “I remember him well. I just mentioned him. He stole my animals.”

  Selena asked, “Do you know anyone who would have wished him harm?”

  She narrowed her eyes and shifted her gaze from one person to the other. “What's this all about?”

  “My grandfather admitted to running over Wayne, but I don't think he did it and I’ve learned they were on friendly terms.”

  “That's right. He admitted to doing it, so is that not enough for you? What’s it got to do with me?”

  “We don't believe he did it,” Elsa-May said.

  “What did you know about Wayne?” Ettie asked.

  “Nothing, but I reckon he was stealing my alpacas, and that’s all. That’s as much as I know. He had shifty eyes. The fences were always down and one by one they went missing.”

  “How many did you lose?” Selena asked.

  “Three.”

  “Did you call the police?”

  “I like to settle things myself.”

  “How would you do that?” Selena asked.

  “I didn’t have to. He got killed. Those animals were my pets and the rest of the herd missed them. I told Abner about it, but he wouldn’t believe the man was stealing them. If Abner had told him to stay off his land, none of this would ever have happened. From the time that Wayne man came onto Abner’s land, I knew he was trouble.”

  “Was he here a lot?” Selena asked.

  “He helped Abner about the place and that’s all I can tell you. It’s too far back and the old memory’s not as good as it used to be. Whenever something needed doing, he was the one Abner called. I thought it unusual because he wasn't one of you people.” She nodded at Gabriel. “You Amish stick together, don’t you?”

  “Yes, and normally we help each other. Perhaps this man needed money and Abner was helping him out.”

  “Huh. Exactly and he was helping himself to my alpacas along the way.” The woman hitched her gun up higher on her hip. “I'm sorry I can't help you more than that. Make sure you latch the gate on your way out.”

  “We came through the fence,” Gabriel said.

  She shook her head. “I hope you didn’t loosen the wires.”

  “No, I don’t think we did. We appreciate your help on this. Thank you very much.” Before Gabriel had finished thanking her, she’d closed the door on them.

  They headed back to the buggy.

  “She was no help at all,” Elsa-May said.

  “Where to now?” Selena asked Ettie.

  “Right now, I’m a bit peckish.” Ettie knew she would have to drag the day out, in the hope Selena would give up and go back home.

  Selena glanced at her wristwatch. “It's only eleven.”

  “We have lunch early around these parts,” Elsa-May said.

  “You'll feel better once you’ve had something to eat,” Gabriel told her.

  She had no choice but to agree since it was three against one. “I guess we could grab something to eat, but it won't take long, will it?”

  Gabriel said, “I'll take us to the nearest diner.”

  Begrudgingly, Selena agreed.

  Chapter 10

  The four of them ordered hamburgers. At first Selena was a little frustrated that the other three had ordered menu items that needed to be cooked rather than something quicker. Then she decided to enjoy the experience of going to a diner. She was so used to going to fancy restaurants and eating gourmet food when all she ever wanted was to sink her teeth into a burger with the works. At the kind of restaurants Eugene liked, she felt their serving portions were far too small and were more of a snack rather than a meal.

  While they waited for their food to be brought to their booth in the back of the diner, Selena asked, “Who was the man who was killed? We need to find out all about his life. That’s what we need to do.”

  Gabriel asked, “Couldn't you find out from your police friends?” He said to the older ladies, “Selena was a year in the police force.”

  “Really?” Ettie asked.

  “That would’ve been interesting,” Elsa-May said.

  Selena pushed a couple of strands of her hair off her face. “Not as interesting as it sounds. I was stuck in an office or at the front desk. Anyway, to answer your question, Gabriel, I haven’t asked them because I don’t want to compromise their positions. We need to find out if there were witnesses to the crime and about the car that was driven, that kind of thing.”

  “I can answer that,” said Ettie. “There were no witnesses, because it was late at night. The police never knew what kind of car they were looking for, which made things hard for them.”

  “Well, we need to know who Wayne’s friends were and what was happening in his life at the time. Did someone murder him? That's what I'm getting at. Maybe it wasn't just a random hit-and-run and Abner knew who did it.”

  “You could be right, but I think we should follow my leads first,” Ettie said. “I’m doing it methodically by going over old ground before we approach the new.” Ettie stared at her without blinking and Selena didn’t dare disagree.

  “She's always been right about these things,” Elsa-May said.

  Selena looked at Elsa-May and nodded. “Okay. It won't hurt to talk to a few more people, I guess. It's possible my grandfather was protecting someone. But if that’s the case, it still leaves the mystery of who it was and why. Was he protecting a murderer, or was he protecting someone who accidently ran over the person and fled the scene, possibly because they were scared?”

  “That would be a normal reaction,” Gabriel said. “Is that still a crime?”

  “Of course,” Selena said.

  “But would Abner have known which one of those you just mentioned might have been true? A deliberate act or an accident? If he learned someone close to him had done it he still might not have known.”

  Selena nodded. “I guess that's true. If Abner didn't do it, and we can rule out police intimidation, why else would he confess?” Everyone looked at her blankly apart from Gabriel who kept smiling at her. “It’s not unheard of that innocent people confess to crimes. There are many reasons for that to happen. Who else is on your list, Ettie?” Selena asked.

  “The brother, Terrence Robinson, is the next person.”

  “Oh good. Someone close to Wayne. And what do we hope to find out from the brother?”

  “Anything we can.”

  “Have you talked to him in the past?”

  Ettie nodded. “We did when Abner was in jail.”

  At that moment, their four hamburgers arrived. Even though Selena hadn’t thought she was hungry, her mouth began watering at the sight of them.

  When they had finished their lunch, Ettie opened up her book and gave Gabriel the address of Terrence Robinson, Wayne’s brother. Then they were on their way.

  This time Ettie knocked on the door and she was pleased when Terrence opened it. He was a pleasant looking man in his early forties. Ettie’s gaze was drawn to his foot that was in a large plaster cast; he was leaning on crutches. He smiled and greeted them when she reminded him of who she was. Then when she told him why they were there, he invited them inside.

  “You’re lucky to find
me home. I’m on sick leave because of this leg.” He nodded to it. “I get around on crutches all right but can’t do construction like this. Anyway, take a seat.”

  “Thank you,” Ettie said as everyone sat in the living room. “A few years ago, I asked you a few questions when my friend, Abner Troyer, was imprisoned for running over your brother.”

  “I remember.”

  “He didn’t do it,” Gabriel said.

  “I do doubt it was the Amish man, even though he confessed. He must’ve been confused or something.” He shook his head. “I warned him he was playing a dangerous game. Wayne, I mean. My brother was involved with women all over the place. He was a playboy. He was seeing two of your kind.”

  “Two Amish women?” Elsa-May asked.

  He nodded.

  “You know the names?” Gabriel asked.

  “No.”

  “Was there anybody who might have wanted him out of the way?” Selena asked.

  “Only about sixty women, and maybe some of their husbands.” He shook his head. “My guess is that one of them finally did him in.”

  “Had there been attempts on his life before?” Selena asked.

  He looked across at Selena. “Not to my knowledge. And you’re Abner Troyer’s granddaughter?”

  “That’s right and I’m trying to clear his name.”

  “Well, I wish you all the luck in the world, but I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

  “If you do remember anything, can you call me on this number?” Selena leaned forward with a slip of paper.

  “Certainly. Wait a minute. I do remember a man who was furious with him.”

  “Who was it?” Selena asked.

  “An Amish man he was having trouble with.”

  Gabriel said, “Not Abner?”

  “No not him. A younger man. He kept telling him to stay away from his girlfriend and …” He shrugged his shoulders. “And that's all I know.”

  “You don't remember the name or what he looked like?” Elsa-May asked.