Amish Winter Murder Mystery Read online

  Ivy took a deep breath. “Would you rather—”

  “There’s the taxi now.” Elsa-May pointed into the distance.

  Ivy turned around and had a good look. “Where? I don’t see it?”

  “Oh, my mistake. Anyway, how old are you now, Ivy?”

  “Seven. I just had my birthday. You were there at the haus for my birthday dinner.”

  “That’s right, I was.”

  “Did you forget that already, Mammi?”

  “When people get old their memories sometimes fade,” Elsa-May said.

  “You can remember back to when you were a girl, Mammi, and that was way back in the olden days. Who’s the oldest, you or Aunt Ettie? It’s you isn’t it, Mammi? And how old are you?”

  “Very old,” Elsa-May said.

  “I know that, but what number are you?”

  “It’s a very large number,” Ettie said.

  “Well, what is it? And what about you, Aunt Ettie? You’ve got to be really old too.”

  “Ah, here’s the taxi,” Ettie said, never more pleased to see one and it wasn’t because the December wind was biting into her cheeks.

  On the way to Ruth’s place, Ivy forgot her questions, and only remembered them when the taxi drove through the front gate of the property.

  “Who’s the oldest out of you two?” Ivy asked once again.

  “Your great grossmammi’s the oldest.”

  “That’s right. That’s what mamm told me.”

  “Where was your mamm going today?” Ettie asked.

  “She said she needed some peace and quiet.”

  Elsa-May said to Ivy, “I only hope Ruth’s home after all this. Ivy, you can’t talk while we're here. We’ve got some important questions to ask Mrs. Esh.”

  “What if she asks how I am, or asks me if I’m having a nice day? Oh, and everyone always asks me how old I am and how I like schul. I’d rather not talk about that.”

  “You can answer those kinds of questions. Wait a minute. Why aren’t you at schul?”

  “I felt a little off.” When a smile twigged around Ivy’s lips, Ettie knew she had just wanted a day without school. “What if—”

  Ettie cut Ivy off. “You can answer anything Mrs. Esh asks you. But with short answers only. How’s that?”

  “Okay.”

  “You two stay here in the warmth of the car, and I’ll see if Ruth’s home.” Ettie looked up at the driver. “Is that okay?”

  “Sure.”

  Ettie didn’t have to wait long after she knocked on the door. Ruth pulled it open, and stood there smiling. “It’s nice to see you! Come in out of the cold.”

  “Denke. I have Elsa-May here with Ivy. We wanted to ask you some questions about Ebenezer.”

  “Jah, bring them in.”

  Ettie stepped to the edge of the porch and beckoned them in.

  Chapter 7

  Ivy walked alongside of Elsa-May as Ruth ushered them into the living room and sat them in front of the fire. Ettie was nearly overwhelmed by a musty odor and figured it was coming from the boxes that lined one wall of the living room. “What’s in the boxes?”

  “All my records for this community. I have everything my grossmammi passed down to me. I had it in the other room, but when we had that storm weeks ago, the roof leaked onto some of the boxes. I had Jacob help me move them all here. The fire will help dry them out.”

  “That’s dreadful. They could’ve all been destroyed.”

  “I know, but they weren’t and they’ll dry off. Only the boxes got a little damp. You all look like you need a hot drink. What about some hot milk and cookies for you, Ivy?”

  “Denke. I’d like that.”

  “Nee, don’t go to any trouble, Ruth.”

  Ruth shook her head. “It’s no trouble. I’ll make us a pot of hot tea too.”

  “I’ll help you,” Ettie said, pushing herself to her feet.

  * * *

  “Is there anything you can tell us about Ebenezer?” Ettie asked once they were all seated with tea and cookies.

  “It was a dreadful thing to happen.”

  “What happened?” Ivy said with cookie crumbs spilling out of her mouth.

  Elsa-May frowned at her and brushed the crumbs off her face. "Mind your manners, Ivy."

  “It’s best you don’t know,” Ettie told Ivy, knowing she would’ve already heard about it.

  “Oh, that man.” Ivy nodded solemnly.

  “That’s right,” Elsa-May said. “Now put that right out of your mind.”

  Ivy reached forward and took another cookie, having finished the first with haste.

  Ruth continued, “He came to this community when he was …he had to have been in his mid-twenties I’d say.”

  “Do you know where he came from?” Elsa-May asked.

  “He came from Divine Creek community. It no longer exists. All our friends have moved on to live elsewhere. He was one of the founding members. That’s what he told me when I asked him. I remember it as clear as you’re both sitting here.”

  “Any family?”

  “Nee, but I haven’t finished yet. There’s something else I must tell you, something odd. Back at the time, I wrote to the bishop from Divine Creek because a good genealogist verifies everything and he said he didn’t know anyone by the name of Ebenezer Fuller.”

  “That’s odd. Very odd. Didn’t you find that strange at the time?”

  Ruth shook her head. “I thought he’d been shunned and that it was the bishop’s choice to deny knowledge of him until he was back in the fold.”

  “Did you say anything to our bishop about that?” Ettie asked.

  “Nee. It wasn’t my business to interfere. I try to stay out of trouble. You can’t hide from Gott. If Ebenezer had done something, our bishop would’ve found out sooner or later.”

  Elsa-May eyed Ettie. “I think some of us could learn from that attitude.”

  “Is there anything, anything at all, you can tell us about Ebenezer? You see, we don’t know much about him and Elsa-May even thought he’d died because we hadn’t seen him around in so long.”

  Ruth turned and swept a hand toward her boxes of notes and papers. “All I know is what these tell me, and there’s nothing there about Ebenezer. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

  “Denke, Ruth. You’ve been more help than you know.”

  “I try. I’m not used to turning people away without answering their questions. I’ve failed to do my job.” She bit her lip. “I should’ve delved into things further back then, but nothing like that had happened before, and I didn’t want to make any trouble for Ebenezer. I thought he was trying to make a new start for himself. If he was turned away from this community, he might’ve fallen by the wayside.” She stared at Ettie. “Nearly everybody in this community has been traceable back many generations and even back to the old country.”

  Elsa-May patted her on her shoulder. “You’ve done a good job and you continue to do so.”

  “Do you think so?”

  “We do,” Ettie said. “Now we must go and leave you to your record-keeping in peace.”

  “I do have quite a bit of correspondence to get through today.”

  “I'll call for a taxi, and then we'll leave you to it.”

  When they heard a car arrive, they donned their coats and bonnets, said their goodbyes and walked out to their taxi.

  Elsa-May said to Ettie. “I know that look. What were you thinking about? Did she say something I missed?”

  “Divine Creek, Elsa-May.”

  “And? Should that mean something to me?”

  “Our cousin, Deirdre once lived in Divine Creek.”

  “Where’s she living now?”

  “Walnut Creek. I got a letter from her a few weeks ago. I haven’t written back yet, but I shall do so tonight. I’ll ask her about Ebenezer and see what she says.”

  “Good idea, Ettie.”

  “Denke. It’ll be interesting—if she remembers him.”

  “Should we
tell Kelly what we learned just now?”

  “Nee. We learned nothing.”

  “Then we should call and tell him that.”

  Ettie sighed and then had to agree with her sister.

  * * *

  “Can I talk now?” Ivy asked once they had gone a short distance in the taxi.

  Elsa-May smiled. “Of course you can, and you were very well-behaved back there.”

  “Denke. Now, Aunt Ettie, would you rather be stabbed or shot?”

  Ettie opened her mouth in shock and regretted having had Ivy around talk of Ebenezer.

  Elsa-May said, “Ivy, you’ll have to stop asking those questions.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’re gruesome.”

  “And you don’t give very good choices. One’s just as bad as the other,” Ettie said.

  “Not really. Depending on where you get shot.”

  “Enough, Ivy!”

  Ivy shuddered at Elsa-May’s reprimand. “Sorry.” Then she looked out the window for the rest of the journey. Ettie felt sorry for young Ivy, but she couldn’t go around asking people those sorts of questions.

  “We’ve got a little time before we take you back home, Ivy. How about a treat for you?”

  “What kind of a treat?”

  “We’ll take you to a café and you can have a chocolate milkshake and whatever else you’d like to eat.”

  “For real?” The light was back in Ivy’s blue eyes.

  Elsa-May chuckled. “Jah, for real.”

  “I’d love that. Mamm never goes to those places. She says that we eat at home and it costs too much to eat at those places and she always says we have food at home. I’m sure everyone else has food at their homes too. Maybe they can’t cook. Or, maybe they can’t be bothered.”

  “That’s why it’s a treat,” Ettie said.

  * * *

  Once Elsa-May and Ettie were at their favorite coffee shop, Ivy picked up the edge of the tablecloth. “This is nice. Do we have to wash the dishes after we eat?”

  “Someone else does that.”

  Ivy’s eyes widened. “I’d like to eat here all the time.”

  Ettie and Elsa-May chuckled. “It is nice to get a rest from the chores,” said Ettie.

  “When I grow up I’m going to come back and eat here all the time.”

  “It might get a little expensive.”

  “We’ll see.” Ivy’s face beamed.

  When they were home after Ivy had been delivered back to her mother, Ettie set about writing to their cousin, hoping Deirdre might recall Ebenezer. Ettie hadn’t gotten far into her letter, when she looked across at Elsa-May. “Divine Creek and now she lives in Walnut Creek.”

  “Perhaps she’s following all the creeks.” Elsa-May chuckled. “She might have a boat.”

  “Possibly.” Ettie giggled at the thought. “I hope this letter brings news of Ebenezer.”

  “It would be her letter returning that would bring news because your letter is asking the questions.”

  Ettie clamped her lips together and kept quiet. Elsa-May was overly precise at times, annoyingly so. It was a trait she’d gotten from their father.

  Chapter 8

  “Ettie, they’re here!”

  “Coming!” Ettie was in her bedroom putting pins into the plaits against her head. After she anchored the last pin, she carefully placed her white prayer kapp on her head and tied the strings under her neck. When she walked out of her room, she saw Elsa-May at the front door, fuming.

  “Why are we always waiting for you on a Sunday morning?”

  “You’re not.”

  Elsa-May was already dressed in her black coat and over-bonnet. “You don't even have your coat on.”

  Ettie grabbed her coat. “See? Now I’m ready. You start walking to the buggy and I'll be there before you.”

  Elsa-May shook her head once again, and walked out of the house. When she’d gotten to the first step, Ettie passed by her and then reached the gate before her.

  “You'll end up slipping on the path if you don't be careful,” Elsa-May called out.

  Ettie reached Ava and Jeremiah’s buggy first, and greeted them as she slid into the back seat. To make room for Elsa-May, she moved closer to the baby who was asleep strapped into his seat.

  Elsa-May sat beside her and no sooner said hello to Ava and Jeremiah than, she said to Ettie, “You keep me waiting, Ettie, and then you’re first to the buggy to make it look like I was the one who kept Ava and Jeremiah waiting.”

  Jeremiah had already moved the buggy away. “It doesn’t matter. No one needs to argue.”

  “It's not me it's her,” Ettie said.

  “And you sat next to Aaron when you knew I wanted to,” Elsa-May whispered to Ettie.

  Ettie ignored Elsa-May. “You two heard about Ebenezer?”

  “We sure have,” Ava said swivelling to face them.

  “Don't start gossiping,” Jeremiah said.

  “We’re not,” Ava answered. “We’re just talking.”

  “Talk to you about it a bit later then,” Elsa-May said smugly.

  “Do you know who did it?” Ava asked.

  “Not yet, but there was a nurse who came to his haus when we were there.”

  “After he died?” asked Ava.

  “Jah, the day after.”

  “What were you doing at his haus?” Jeremiah asked. “I didn’t know you knew him well.”

  “Well enough,” Elsa-May answered.

  “What about the nurse?” Ava asked.

  “Ettie thinks there’s something funny about her,” Elsa-May said.

  “Like what, Ettie?”

  “I can't quite put my finger on it.” She didn't want to talk much in front of Jeremiah.

  “Let’s talk about something else, shall we?” Jeremiah said. “Let the police look after it.”

  “We are,” Elsa-May said.

  “Have you got new neighbors yet?” Jeremiah asked.

  Ettie chuckled. “Don't get Elsa-May started talking about that.”

  “Me? You’re the one worried about it. I didn't mind if we never get neighbors. Only thing is, it’s a waste to see it empty.”

  “The King family is looking for a new place, I heard,” Jeremiah said.

  “Nee, it’s not big enough for them. They need a big home."

  "You had a nice man living next door to you before, and he gave you Snowy from the animal shelter,” Ava said.

  “That's true. We’re praying for some nice neighbors.”

  “It could be possible. But what kind of person would want to live in a place where someone's been murdered?” Elsa-May asked.

  “There are people who wouldn't be bothered by that,” Jeremiah said. “It wouldn't bother me. They got the person who did it, didn't they?”

  “That's right. They did. It’s a story to tell you on another day if you don’t already know it.”

  Jeremiah made no comment.

  When Jeremiah parked the buggy at the house where the meeting was being held, they unbuckled the baby and lifted him out of the car seat. He didn’t wake, and Ava took him in her arms and walked with Ettie and Elsa-May to the bishop’s house while Jeremiah secured the horse and buggy.

  “Tell me quickly now, what's really going on?” Ava asked as they walked.

  “I didn’t want to say this in front of Jeremiah, but the day we were there the house had crime scene tape around it.”

  “I heard he was found outside behind his barn.”

  “He was, but still, they had the tape around the haus too as well as the yard.”

  Elsa-May added, “We knew the detectives had already been looking for their clues and whatnot.”

  “So, we slipped under the tape and went into the house looking for something they might’ve missed. We wouldn’t have, if we hadn’t seen them leave.”

  “And what did you find?”

  “It wasn't so much about what we found. We were only there five minutes when the nurse arrived. We watched her from th
e window and she slipped straight under the tape and into the house.”

  “What happened?”

  “Not much. Ettie opened the door, we said hello, and she didn't even say why she was there.”

  “That is a little weird.”

  “It immediately made me suspicious of her. I wondered if she wasn't a nurse, but apparently she is a real one. We saw where she worked. And she came to see him every few weeks, she said.”

  “She drove us into town. She wanted to know when the funeral was. I suppose someone will tell her when it’s arranged.”

  “What's her name?”

  “Patricia Stuart.”

  “I'll see what I can find out about her from the local library. I'll go onto the computer.”

  “Don't trouble yourself with that. I'm sure Jeremiah wouldn’t like you helping us now that you've got the boppli to look after.”

  “I don't mind. I truly don't mind and anyway Mamm insists on looking after him two days a week and then I'm free to do whatever I want.”

  “I’d rather you not get involved if you don't mind, Ava.”

  “Jah,” Ettie agreed. “We don't want to upset Jeremiah.”

  They had arrived at the front door of the bishop’s house. “We’ll talk later,” Ava whispered.

  * * *

  When the preaching was over, and it was meal time, Ettie sought out the bishop.

  “Hello, Bishop John. I have a question for you. How did you know how to reach Ebenezer’s nurse?”

  “You spoke with her?”

  Ettie nodded, hoping he didn’t ask where, or when.

  “Last time I visited him she was there and I took down her phone number. I thought it was best.”

  Ettie slowly nodded. “It was good that you did.”

  “It was a precaution in case he fell ill. He wasn’t a well man.”

  “We didn’t know he was ill.”

  “Perhaps he wasn’t, but he didn’t seem vibrant. He was always sorrowful about things and I’ve noticed that people who feel that way get ill more often.”

  “Do you know when the funeral will be?”