Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 6 Page 21

  She couldn't tell him until she knew the truth for certain.

  “Nothing. I’ll tell you when I see you.”

  “Is there anything wrong?”

  He’d guessed. “There's been a lot going on and I'll have a fair bit to tell you.” All she wanted from him was reassurance and some niceness. “Why can't you ever treat me with respect? Lately you’ve been reprimanding me like a child. I am an adult.”

  He chuckled. “That's why you’re good for me. You challenge me.”

  “Yes, but sometimes I need a soft place to fall. I need some love and some understanding.”

  “I give you that, but don’t get it back. You’re very needy, and sometimes I have nothing left to give. Sometimes I think this relationship is all about your wants and your needs. What about mine? I need you to be more efficient in the way you go about things. If you were a switched-on efficient kind of a gal we would be having a different conversation, and you would be back here by now.”

  “Gal? Since when have you used that word?”

  “You’re always deflecting what I say. I told you what I’m unhappy about and you have nothing to say. I resent the fact that you’re not working and I’m having to spend an absolute fortune on the ridiculously expensive wedding planner. So, what do you think about that? There, I finally said it. I’ve been holding back.”

  “I have to go. I’ve got another call coming.” She hung up on him and threw her phone at the wall. It bounced from the wall and landed on the carpet. If he’d been a decent fiancé, she could’ve shared what was going on in her life.

  A few minutes later, he called her back.

  “I’m sorry, Selena. I didn’t mean those things.”

  “So, now what—you're holding back again? What am I supposed to believe? All I ask is that you respect me and treat me as an equal.”

  “Okay, we’ll not fight when we can’t kiss and make up. I didn't call you to have a fight. Just relax and try to have some fun.”

  “I’ve only met Amish people.”

  He chuckled. “Well, that means you’ll be staying out of trouble. Have a rest in your hotel room and read one of those books you like.”

  “I’m at a bed-and-breakfast. I emailed you the address when I made the booking.”

  She was pleased that he was talking softer and kinder to her now. “I might read a book. I brought a couple with me.”

  “We’re both stressed and we just need to take a breather.”

  She was still hurt by all the things he had said, but she didn't want to talk about it now. “I have things to tell you.”

  “I'll look forward to hearing them. I do love you, you know.”

  “Yes, I know. And I love you too.”

  “I really do have an incoming call.” Again, he hung up without saying goodbye. That was something she was used to by now.

  Ettie and Elsa-May waved at Ava’s mother as she left Ava's house in her buggy when they approached in the taxi.

  When they reached the house, Ettie said, “That's good timing. It looks like we’re getting to see Ava by ourselves without sharing her with visitors. There are no buggies here.”

  They left the taxi and Ettie pushed the door open and stuck her head in. “Hello.”

  “Come in,” Ava called out from somewhere within the house. “Don’t make me stand up.”

  Elsa-May giggled. “Nee, you stay there.”

  They walked in and found her on one of the couches looking uncomfortable.

  “How have you been?” Ettie said as they sat on either side of her.

  “Fat and useless. This boppli’s already five days past the due date and I'm impatient and sick of waiting. I can’t do this any longer, but I have to. I feel bloated, cranky, and talk about kicking!” She shook her head. “It hurts. He drags his heel down the side of my ribs. I’m sure it’s a boy.”

  Ettie and Elsa-May laughed.

  “How about trying some knitting to pass the time?” Elsa-May asked.

  “Oh, she doesn’t want to knit boring old squares, Elsa-May.”

  Elsa-May’s lip curled at her sister’s words. “Knitting is not boring, Ettie. It gives one a sense of purpose. It’s a way to measure the days, and it’s an achievement. I’ve got so much to show for my days. What do you have?”

  Ettie’s lips turned down at the corners.

  Ava interrupted the exchange, “The kettle’s just boiled. Would you like hot tea?”

  “Not for us, we just had one. We can get one for you,” Ettie said.

  “Nee denke. I just had one too. Tell me what's going on with you two?”

  “Well, we've lots going on, if you're up for a long story.”

  “I'd love it. I need to take my mind off everything.” She placed both hands on her belly.

  Ettie and Elsa-May filled her in on what was happening with Selena and the crime her grandfather had admitted to. Ava gasped when she learned who the real father was. Then she was told to keep that information to herself.

  “Oh, that's dreadful for the poor girl, thinking someone else was her father for so long.”

  “Jah, she put on a brave face but inside I’m sure she’s got mixed feelings about it.” Ettie shook her head.

  “More than that, Ettie. She said that her whole life was a lie.”

  Ava nodded. “Kate would’ve done it for the best reasons. For one thing, Selena’s real father was dead by then and she would’ve wanted her daughter to think that the new husband was the father.”

  “Well, it might take Selena some time to see that point of view,” Elsa-May said.

  “I wish I knew something that would help you find out who did it,” Ava said.

  “Ettie had the idea of asking the bishop to make an announcement at the meeting for anyone who might know anything to talk with us.”

  “Jah. That's a good idea.”

  “I hope someone knows something. The detective thinks that it wasn't accidental because Wayne was walking out on a lonely stretch of road rather than driving his car. Kelly has the idea that someone called him, or met with him, and asked him to meet them there. There were no witnesses or anything.”

  “What about his phone records or something?”

  Ettie breathed out heavily. “Nothing was found.”

  “Maybe someone at the bar did come into contact with him and had arranged to meet him on that lonely road.”

  “I do hope we get to the bottom of things. Selena is so upset and then that makes me sad to continue this investigation.”

  “Where's Jeremiah?” Elsa-May asked.

  “I sent him to the stores to get some things, so we don't have to shop for the first few weeks after the birth. Just a few last-minute things. Oh, have you tried going to the bar and asking around? Did you ask at the bar he was driven home from?”

  Elsa-May shook her head. “It was too long ago. Around twenty-five years ago. I doubt the same people would be there.”

  “It’s worth a try,” Ettie said.

  Elsa-May frowned as she stared at Ettie. “You want me to go into a bar?”

  “We’ll go together. It’s worth a try. What do we have to lose?”

  “Only our reputation if someone sees us.”

  Ettie giggled. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

  Elsa-May frowned. “I never had one.”

  “Oh, I wish I could go with you. You will tell me what happens with all this, won’t you?”

  “Jah, of course we will.” Ettie patted her hand. “Now, Elsa-May, are we going to that bar, or not?”

  Elsa-May sighed. “We’d have to find the name of it. I’m not going from bar to bar looking for the right one.”

  “I’ve got it written down in my notebook, along with the name of the bartender.”

  “How did you get that?” Elsa-May drew her eyebrows together.

  “From Kelly’s computer. I remembered it and wrote it down. I’ve got the name of the bar and the man’s name. I hope he still works there. All we have to do is find the address of t
he bar from the phone book.”

  “All right. I’ll have to go with you to keep you out of trouble.”

  Ettie smiled. “Denke, Elsa-May.”

  Later that afternoon, Ava’s husband drove Ettie and Elsa-May home. Just as he drove away and Ettie and Elsa-May were nearly inside, Stacey from next door ran over to them.

  They stopped and waited. Ettie was the first to speak. “Hello. We haven’t seen you around, Stacey. Is everything okay?”

  “Everything's okay now, but Greville has had to stay in the hospital.”

  “What's wrong with him?” Ettie stepped closer to her.

  “He had pains in the stomach and they found out it was food poisoning.”

  “That's dreadful. How long has he been in the hospital?” Elsa-May asked.

  “Five days, and I don't mind telling you I’ve had a nice rest from him. He can be very overbearing at times.”

  “In what way?”

  “I shouldn't say. I suppose he’s good most of the time. He does fly into rages of temper, though, and he is very aggressive.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” Elsa-May said.

  Ettie stepped away from her. “I hope Greville gets better.”

  “He is better, but they just want to keep him in for observation. You can visit him if you’d like.”

  Ettie and Elsa-May looked at one another.

  “Um, we would under other circumstances, but we’re quite busy.”

  “With what?” Stacey peered into Ettie’s face.

  “We have a visitor in town and she’s taking up a lot of our time.”

  Elsa-May turned toward the house and pulled on Ettie’s sleeve. “Excuse us, Stacey. We do hope your husband fully recovers.”

  “Yes, he will.”

  They both smiled at her and hurried into the house. Once they were inside, they made sure they shut the door behind them.

  “What do you think that was about, Ettie?” Elsa-May whispered.

  Ettie hurried to the window and peered out. “I don’t know, but she’s walking back to her place now. Maybe she’s lonely. Remember she said Greville wouldn’t allow her friends to the house?”

  “We can’t be her friends. She’s an Englischer for one. And two, I just feel she can’t be trusted. There’s something odd about her.”

  Ettie nodded and then sat down on her chair by the window watching Stacey until she went into her house and closed the front door.

  Chapter 19

  Ettie and Elsa-May waited until dark and then headed to the bar.

  When they walked in, everyone turned around and stared at them. Ettie pushed Elsa-May forward to ask for Chuck Danecomb.

  “Excuse me, would a Chuck Danecomb still work here?” Elsa-May asked the young bartender.

  “Yeah, he owns the place. He’s out back.”

  “Can we talk to him? It won’t take a moment.” Ettie sat down on a barstool until she got a filthy look from her sister.

  “I’ll fetch him.” The bar tender hurried off.

  “Don’t look too comfortable, Ettie. We don’t belong in a place like this.”

  Ettie got off the barstool, and they both stood at the bar waiting. A minute later, a large bald man, with colorful tattoos on his neck and both arms, walked toward them.

  “You want to see me?”

  Ettie said, “Yes, we’re wondering if we might have a quick word with you about a man who used to come in here, Wayne Robinson.”

  He slowly nodded. “Sure. Let’s sit over here. Would you ladies like a drink of soda, or something?”

  “No thank you,” Elsa-May said quickly.

  Chuck walked them to a booth, slid in one side, and the two ladies sat opposite.

  “Chuck’s an unusual name,” Elsa-May said.

  “That’s the name they christened me with.” He smiled at them. “What would you like to know about Robinson?”

  “He came here a lot?” Ettie asked.

  “Yeah. He was here the night he died. That’s going back in time. Those were the good days.”

  “Who was he talking to that night? Do you remember?”

  “No, I can’t say I do. Why do you wanna know?”

  Elsa-May took over. “It’s a long story. His daughter is asking about him.”

  “Daughter? I didn’t know he had one.”

  Ettie licked her lips, and hoped a member of their community wouldn’t see them. “Was there someone, anyone, who might have wished him harm?”

  “Well, this is just a rumor. It was said Wayne knew someone who had pulled a bank job and got away with a lot of money. Others say it was Wayne himself. Whoever it was, they supposedly got away with millions.”

  “Millions?”

  “Yes. They robbed safe-deposit boxes, so there was no telling exactly how much they got away with. Many around here say Wayne was in on it with someone else. There were lots of stories going around.”

  Ettie stared at the man. If Wayne knew about the robbery, he could’ve been killed to silence him. Or if he’d been one of the robbers, maybe someone had wanted a larger share of the money. Then she recalled that Wayne’s sister had mentioned something about a robbery and mentally kicked herself for not inquiring further.

  He looked at them both in turn. “I don’t want to get involved with the cops. Okay?”

  “We won’t say anything.” Elsa-May leaned forward.

  “I know he was involved in some way. He had more money than usual, but I don’t know that he had millions. Maybe he drove the getaway car or something.”

  “Do you know who he was involved with?” Ettie asked.

  He leaned back slightly. “Why are you asking all this? Why didn’t his daughter come?”

  “It’s a long story, but she’s also trying to clear her grandfather’s name. You see her grandfather confessed that he was the one who killed Wayne.”

  He shook his head. “Can’t help you, sorry. I don’t know who Wayne was in it with, but he was an opportunist. He’d pick up work wherever he could, whether it was an honest day’s work or the other.”

  “Dishonest work?” Ettie asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”

  Elsa-May slid out of the booth, and the man said, “Stick around have a drink.”

  “We should go,” Ettie said, “But thank you.”

  When the sisters were traveling home in the taxi, Ettie was very upset.

  “Kelly would’ve known about the robbery, surely,” Elsa-May whispered to Ettie in the backseat.

  “You’d think so. Jah, he definitely would’ve.”

  “Why did he keep it from us?”

  Ettie was silent while she thought for a moment. “I don’t know, but why don’t we keep it to ourselves for the moment and not let on to Kelly that we’ve found out?”

  Elsa-May stared at her sister. “Why?”

  “I don’t know yet.” Ettie sighed.

  “Did you believe the man, or do you think he was just having fun with a couple of old ladies?” Elsa-May asked.

  “Do you remember that Terrence also said something about a robbery, or it could’ve been Jill? Someone said something about a robbery.”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “Well, I know one way to find out if he was or wasn’t telling us the truth.”

  “How?”

  “The public library. We’ll go there tomorrow, look on the computer, and see if there was a robbery around that time like he described.”

  Elsa-May said, “Jah, we’ll go there first thing tomorrow. After that we’ll stop by and see if Ava’s had the boppli yet.”

  “Good idea. We’ll have to wait until Monday, though. And, we’ll be seeing Ava at the meeting because tomorrow’s Sunday.”

  Elsa-May chuckled. “I forgot what day it is.”

  Chapter 20

  Selena was still upset over her day and even more upset about Eugene. She’d refused a dinner invitation from Gabriel and now she regretted it. Gabriel was always happy and
right now she needed her mood lifted.

  Before she talked herself out of it, she got in her car and started driving toward Gabriel’s house. Several minutes later, she stood at his front door. She was just summoning the courage to knock, when the door opened. He stood there smiling at her. “Is that dinner invitation still open?” she asked.

  “It certainly is.”

  “Please don’t tell me you were thinking of cooking it?”

  He laughed. “No. I know a nice restaurant run by a friend of mine. I’ll take you there.”

  “Okay, but only if I can drive you.”

  He frowned and looked over at the car. “All right. We’ll go in your car.”

  He closed the front door.

  “Are you ready?” she asked him, noticing he didn’t even lock the door.

  “Yes. Unless …” He looked down at his clothes. “You wanted me to wear something better?”

  “No. You’re fine as you are. It’s just a casual restaurant, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. You’ll be the best dressed woman there and the prettiest.”

  She giggled. His compliments were welcome change. “Now that you talked me into this, what sort of restaurant is it?”

  “It's an Amish food restaurant.”

  She giggled as they both got into the car. “That's kind of obvious. I don't know why I didn't think it was. I had my mind fixed on something else.”

  “No. Just good old-fashioned Amish food.”

  “Good. I’m quite hungry. Which way?”

  “To the left and follow that road into town.”

  As they drove, she was happy she hadn’t stayed alone in the room. Once they were in the main street of town, he directed her down a back road.

  “Here it is.” He pointed to a building that was well lit, with people coming and going.

  “Oh, it looks like a house.”

  “It once was. It’s much bigger when you get inside.”

  They found a parking space nearby, and headed to the restaurant. When they walked in, the woman at the front greeted him by name and then a man called out and waved at him from across the room. When they walked further in, the aroma of the food greeted Selena’s nostrils, it smelled like her home used to when she was a child.