Amish False Witness Read online

  The three elderly Amish ladies sat in a row in the waiting area.

  Five minutes later, Detective Kelly appeared at the end of the hallway where he had a clear view of them. He stopped in his tracks as though stunned and then proceeded towards them, stopping in front of them.

  Ettie pushed herself carefully to her feet. "Detective Kelly, we’d like you to meet our sister, Florence Lapp."

  His eyes widened as he stared at Florence. "There are three of you?"

  "Oh no, we have many more sisters.”

  “And some brothers," Elsa-May added.

  "Can we take a moment of your time?" Ettie asked.

  He reached out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lapp. I’m Detective Kelly.”

  “Nice to make your acquaintance,” Florence said, shaking his hand firmly.

  “Do you have a moment?” Elsa-May asked, repeating Ettie's query as she stood up.

  "Of course, this way please." Kelly led the way back to his office. He pulled out an extra chair for Florence to sit on. Normally there were only two chairs in front of his desk. He took up a pen and notepad. “How can I help you, ladies?”

  Florence spoke first. "We're here to help you.”

  “With what?”

  “With an investigation that your police friends have got wrong."

  Ettie frowned, knowing this was not the way to persuade Kelly to help them. Tact had never been a strong trait in her family.

  Kelly leaned forward and clasped his hands on the desk not taking his eyes from Florence. "I'm listening."

  "It all started back in the fifties…"

  Kelly breathed out heavily and leaned back in his chair. “The fifties? Not the roaring twenties or the thrifty thirties?”

  “I was born in the twenties, though, so maybe you could say that’s when it started.”

  “I have no idea why you’re here, Mrs. Lapp, but can’t we bypass the fifties and skip to the present day—please?” He glanced at his watch.

  Florence shook her head. “I need to tell you first about the gun that Morrie gave me and that was in the fifties. If I don't tell you that, nothing else will make sense."

  Kelly’s eyes glazed over. “Okay, continue."

  “Back in the fifties, I met Morrie and I was swept off my feet. I left the community and went on tour with Wylie Morris."

  Detective Kelly leaned forward, suddenly keenly interested. "You knew Wylie Morris?”

  “I was his girlfriend.”

  “You were?”

  Florence nodded.

  Kelly’s face lit up. “That brings back memories. I remember my mother playing his records. They were LPs back then. She was a fan, a big fan. Whatever became of him?"

  "He went to jail for murder."

  He nodded. "Yes. I remember reading something about that now. So all his money couldn't save him from jail?”

  Elsa-May leaned forward, "Are you implying that money can get someone off a charge, Detective?"

  "Not at all. I wasn’t implying anything of the sort. I was just pointing out that the rich and the poor are judged the same in our legal system—as it should be."

  Ettie added, “Phooey! They aren’t treated equal at all. How is it fair that the rich can afford better lawyers, and there are many people in jail waiting for trials simply because they can’t afford bail? How’s that fair when the rich people get out and the poor don’t?"

  Kelly scratched his face. "You're right, Mrs. Smith, none of that is fair about the bail system—and there are many other things in life that aren’t fair—but if we're going to debate about things like that we could be here until next week. While you might have the time, I don't."

  Ettie pushed her lips together, not happy about him thinking she didn't have anything better to do with her time just because she was old. Would he have said that to a younger person?

  “Now getting back to Wylie Morris, Mrs. Lapp. You mentioned a gun?"

  Elsa-May hiccupped loudly. She put her fingertips to her lips and gave a little giggle. "Excuse me."

  Detective Kelly glared at her before he looked back at Florence. "I'm listening," he said.

  “He gave me a gun—Wylie did. It was only for protection because he was worried about me."

  "He said that’s why he gave it to you?"

  "That is not exactly the point of my story. You see, the gun that Wylie gave me was taken from my house and planted in Morrie's grandson's car, and now he's been accused of murder."

  Elsa-May leaned forward and hiccupped again. “Whoops!”

  Florence glanced at Elsa-May.

  Ettie explained further, “The police said that the gun was used in two murders in the last two years."

  "And it couldn't have been because it had been in my house and never left," Florence added.

  Florence told the detective the whole story. The detective asked more questions surrounding Dustin’s arrest, the drunk-driving charge, the murder charge, and finding the gun in his car.

  "It's all very intriguing, I must say."

  "So you’ll help us?" Ettie asked.

  The detective frowned. "Help you to do what?"

  "Justin’s innocent. We need you to prove it,” Ettie said.

  Florence put her hand on Ettie’s. “His name is Dustin, not Justin.”

  Elsa-May hiccupped again.

  Ettie continued, “Oh, sorry. As I was saying, Dustin’s innocent.”

  “Why would you think he's innocent? Didn't you say they found his DNA under a dead girl’s fingernails?” He looked at each of the three women in turn. “It sounds like he's guilty to me, straight up, but I suppose there’s always the chance that the DNA might have been under her fingernails for some other reason. It doesn't mean that he killed her—necessarily. That’s what his lawyer would argue at any rate.”

  Elsa-May hiccupped again.

  “Mrs. Lutz, would you like some water?”

  “Yes, please. I don’t know what brought this on.”

  Kelly pressed his intercom button and asked for a bottle of water.

  Florence opened her mouth to speak and Kelly lifted up his hand. “Let’s just get your sister settled first.”

  A young officer brought a bottle of water in and handed it to Kelly.

  “I hope you don’t think I can drink out of a bottle. Can I have a glass?” Elsa-May asked.

  “Get a glass will you?” Kelly asked the officer.

  The young officer returned with a glass.

  Kelly opened the bottle, poured some water into the glass and pushed it across the desk to Elsa-May.

  “Thank you.” Elsa-May took a couple of mouthfuls.

  Florence said, “Are you all good now, Elsa-May?”

  Elsa-May nodded. “I hope so.”

  Florence looked back at Detective Kelly. “Someone came into my home and took something that didn’t belong to them, and then they burned down my home.”

  “That’s something I can look into. What’s your address, Mrs. Lapp?”

  Florence rattled off her address and Kelly wrote it down.

  “I’ll find out what I can.” He looked up at the three elderly women. “Anything else?”

  “Will you look into his arrest, too?”

  He tilted his computer monitor toward him. “Name?”

  “Dustin Gandara.”

  “Date of birth?”

  “I’m not certain.”

  Kelly tapped a couple of buttons. “Here it is.” He read what was on his screen. “I’ll look into the report on his arrest, and I’ll have a chat with the arresting officers. It conveniently falls within my jurisdiction.”

  “Okay, good. Thank you, Detective,” Florence said.

  “I’ll find out about the gun and those murders.”

  “Would you?” Ettie asked.

  He nodded. “You’ve been helpful to me over the years, Mrs. Smith, it’s the least I can do.”

  Florence patted Ettie on her shoulder and Ettie turned and smiled at her.

  “Where can I reac
h you, Mrs. Lapp?”

  “I’m staying with Ettie and Elsa-May until my house is rebuilt.”

  “That long?” Ettie blurted out before she could stop herself. She squirmed in her seat at the thought of every second night on the couch for many months. They’d also have another person in their small home, which was really only big enough for two people and one small dog.

  Florence stared at Ettie. “Yes, that long. Now come along. You heard the man; he’s busy and we shouldn’t hold him up. He’s got crooks to catch.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Lapp. Why don’t you come by tomorrow afternoon and I’ll tell you what I’ve learned.”

  “You can work that fast?” Florence asked.

  “I can.” Detective Kelly’s face beamed.

  “We can come back, can’t we?” Florence directed the question at Elsa-May.

  “How about you come to our house tomorrow afternoon, Detective, and we’ll be sure to have a nice pot of coffee ready for you?”

  “And cake!” Ettie added.

  He smiled. “I’d be delighted. I can’t pass up an offer like that. I’ll be there between four and five unless something unexpected turns up.”

  Elsa-May hiccupped loudly again before they walked out of his office.

  Ettie thought she heard a loud sigh just as she closed the door behind them.

  Chapter 3

  The next afternoon Detective Kelly sat in Elsa-May and Ettie’s living room with the three sisters.

  “Mrs. Lapp. I made some inquiries…"

  "You don't have to keep calling me Mrs. Lapp; it’s so formal.”

  "Florrie, I made some inquiries."

  "My name’s not Florrie. I don’t like to be called that.”

  The detective laughed. “I'm sorry, I had an Aunt Florrie once."

  "What does that have to do with me?"

  The detective stared at Florence for a moment while his mouth attempted to form words. “I always assumed that Florrie was short for Florence.”

  "Well, was it in your aunt’s case?"

  Detective Kelly rubbed the side of his face. "I'm not certain now, come to think of it."

  "And do you normally make such assumptions in your line of work, Detective? I thought people in your profession dealt in facts," Florence said.

  “I don’t make those assumptions when it involves work. Not when it's about a case." He shook his head. “Can we start again?"

  "Please do," Florence said.

  “Now I can see the family resemblance. I made some inquiries, Florence."

  When he emphasized her name, she smiled. "And what did you find out?"

  "The incident report from your house states that the fire was started in the bedroom—most likely from a candle that was left burning on the nightstand. Nothing in the report suggests arson. There was absolutely no evidence of the use of accelerants.”

  “Maybe there was.”

  Kelly shook his head. “They’re very thorough. There were no signs of any accelerants. They classed it as an accidental fire due to the candle in the bedroom burning down, or tipping over.”

  “It’s never tipped over before.”

  “Do you have a cat who could’ve knocked it over?”

  “No, I’ve never had a cat. Someone came into my house to start the fire. All they had to do was tip the candle over.”

  “That's probably how they started the fire. Normally, deliberately lit fires use accelerants."

  “I always keep a lit candle in my bedroom throughout the night. I find it calming."

  "Did you forget to blow it out that morning?"

  "I never blow it out in the morning. I just leave it to burn."

  "Well, that's what started the fire. According to statistics, the most common place for home fires to start is in a bedroom."

  “There were no drafts or breezes. All the windows and all the doors were closed. I always make certain of that. I like to burn the candles down because I don't like to blow them out—it's bad luck."

  Detective Kelly’s eyes opened wide. “No! I didn’t know that.” He looked at Elsa-May and Ettie.

  "Our sister doesn't necessarily hold all of our beliefs," Elsa-May explained.

  "She’s slightly alternative,” Ettie said.

  "Well, I'll take that as a compliment. I don't want to be the same as everybody else. Do you see my point detective?” Florence asked.

  “I suppose so.”

  “Ever since I've lived in that house, I've always let the candle burn down in the morning. It's a slow burning candle that lasts all night and through to the morning. It was probably due to burn itself down and go out by around midday or just before. I’m convinced the fire was deliberate."

  "Well, that's not what the investigators think."

  “They can think what they want.”

  "Was your house under insurance, Mrs. Lapp?" Kelly asked.

  "That's just wasting money. I don't believe in insurance. My son-in-law and his friend are rebuilding the house for me. What do I need insurance for?"

  "When was the last time you saw the gun?"

  "I had the gun under my bed. I checked it every night before I went to sleep."

  "Why? Were you expecting someone to break in?"

  "Morrie gave it to me for protection. It would be rude if I had ignored the purpose he gave me the gun for."

  "That Sunday morning of the fire, you left for your meeting—was the gun under your bed that morning?”

  "I'm saying, I saw it there the night before, like every other night. I didn’t check on the gun in the morning. That wasn't my habit. And there was no report of the gun when they sifted through the remains of the house. Someone must’ve taken it."

  “I see.”

  "Do you? Someone burned down the house thinking I’d forget about the gun. They wanted to get it.”

  Ettie interrupted, "Detective, did you find out about the murders connected with the gun they found in Dustin’s car?"

  "Good question, Mrs. Smith. The gun was used in two armed hold-ups in the past two years.”

  “That’s what I was told when I went to visit Dustin in prison.”

  “What you might not know is that the first one was a supermarket holdup and the next one was at a gas station."

  "Why didn’t the people just hand over the money? That way they wouldn’t have been killed.”

  "That's another good point. I’ll have a talk with the officers; tomorrow I’ll be able to tell you more.”

  “Ettie, I think you don’t believe the gun is the same one I had under my bed, but it is,” Florence insisted.

  Ettie frowned at her sister’s comment because she had no such opinion about the gun.

  Before she could answer, Kelly asked, "Mrs. Lapp, who knew you had the gun?"

  "I can't say exactly. I don't know who knew about it."

  "Have a good think about it because it’s vital that you remember.” He opened the file he brought with him and pulled out a photo of a gun. “Is this the gun you say is yours?"

  “That's it! That's my gun. I looked at it every night over the past few years—ever since my children moved out of the house leaving me all alone. My husband died fifteen years ago.” She took her eyes off the photo of the gun to stare at the detective. “This is the gun Morrie gave me.”

  "Detective, was there any connection between the two people killed by the gun? The two people in the holdups?" Elsa-May asked.

  "I'll look into it. It seems unlikely—they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but as I said, I’ll know more when I get those reports tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Detective,” Ettie said.

  “I'll let you know the dates that those people were killed and then I want you to think back and try to remember who visited your house. If that is indeed the gun, then someone must've used it at least twice and put it back."

  Florence nodded. "Yes, I have a good memory. Once I have the dates, I’ll work out who was in my house. And then we’ll have the killer."

&nbs
p; "Well, I hope so, but if not, at least it might give us a bit more information," Kelly said.

  "So you agree that it’s the same gun?" Elsa-May inquired of the detective.

  "I can't say for certain.” Kelly rubbed his nose. “We’ll see if we can get some information on any guns that Wylie Morris might have purchased."

  “Anything else?” Ettie asked.

  A smile tugged at the corners of Kelly’s mouth. “I was promised cake."

  The ladies laughed.

  Elsa-May stood. "I'll get the cake and the coffee."

  “Do you want help?” Florence asked.

  “No, you keep talking with Detective Kelly.”

  "What did you learn about Dustin’s arrest?” Ettie asked the detective while Elsa-May disappeared into the kitchen.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary. He was swerving across the road and that’s why he was pulled over. Because they didn’t have a mobile breath tester, they invited him to come down to the station and he agreed. While he was waiting at the station, they asked if he’d volunteer a DNA sample, and he agreed to that as well."

  "Isn't that unusual? To ask for a DNA sample of someone who’s been suspected of drunk driving? What does that have to do with DNA?"

  "It sounds a little unusual, but by then they’d searched his car and found the gun, you see."

  “They searched his car for a drunk-driving charge?” Ettie asked.

  "It seems a little odd that they searched his car. Isn't that illegal to do that without permission?" Florence asked.

  "Not if they're suspicious that there might’ve been drugs or something illegal in the car. Suspicion of illegal activity or of something connected with a crime makes the search legal."

  "Is that what they're saying?"

  Detective Kelly nodded. “Another thing that I think you don’t know, Florence, is that Dustin had graze marks on his face when he was pulled over. They looked to be scratches. I saw the photos. He claims he didn’t know how they got there. They were faint but they were there.”

  Florence’s jaw dropped.

  “That’s not good,” Elsa-May said.

  “Does Dustin have a lawyer, Florence?" Ettie asked.

  "I believe one has been appointed to defend him."

  “A good one?"

  Detective Kelly said, "You know his lawyer, Ettie. You met him a year or two ago.”