Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Box Set 3 Page 9

  “Who does she suspect did it, then?” Elsa-May asked.

  He shook his head. “She doesn’t know.”

  “If you believe us, could you have a talk with Detective Kelly?”

  Crowley chuckled. “It won’t make a difference—it’s evidence we need. What you or I think, or even what Kelly thinks, won’t affect anything.”

  “Did you look into the accidental shooting you mentioned? The one that Cameron George was involved in years ago when he was a police officer?” Ettie asked.

  “Yes. I should hear back about that soon. I’ve got a friend looking into that for me.”

  “Good!” Elsa-May said.

  “Ronald, have you thought any more about becoming a private detective like you mentioned before?”

  He rubbed his chin. “I’m still thinking about it, Ettie—still thinking.”

  Chapter 14

  When Ettie and Elsa-May woke the next morning they decided to visit Paula in the hospital.

  “What makes you think they’ll allow us in when not even her parents have been allowed to see her?”

  “I don’t know, Elsa-May, but we have to do something and this just feels right.”

  “She’s in Ward B room 3, but she’s not allowed visitors,” the nurse behind the front desk said.

  “She isn’t?”

  The nurse shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s okay. I might sit here and rest a while.”

  The nurse looked back down at the work in front of her.

  Ettie and Elsa-May sat for some time and when the nurse left her station, and another nurse took over, Ettie said, “Let’s go.”

  “I’m right behind you.”

  “Ward B is on the second floor,” Elsa-May said when she pushed the button on the elevator.

  “When we get out we must look like we know where we’re going so no one stops us.”

  “Okay,” Elsa-May agreed.

  When the doors opened, both ladies headed right. Before long they were following signs to ward B and when they turned a corner, they saw an officer seated outside a door. They knew it was the door of Paula Peters' room. They walked up to him.

  “Are you ladies trying to see Paula Peters?”

  “We were hoping to,” Ettie said.

  “She’s a member of our community and we’re here to pray for her,” Elsa-May added.

  “I’m sorry, but like I tell that lady who comes here every day, no one’s allowed in.”

  “Did you say a lady visits her every day?”

  “Every single day.”

  “What does she look like?”

  “She’s a tall slender woman with short black hair, kind of cropped off at the chin. She says she's a friend of Paula.”

  “Did she tell you her name?” Ettie asked knowing the description matched Cameron’s business partner.

  “No.”

  “Can’t we go and stand by her?” Elsa-May said.

  “You can come into the room too,” Ettie said.

  He shook his head. “I’ve got my orders. There are only two nurses allowed in and the two doctors that have been attending her. Other than those four people, no one is allowed in.”

  “Have you been here every day?” Ettie asked.

  “Yes. I’ve been doing the days and two other officers split the nights.” The officer smiled.

  “We’ll have to wait until she wakes up then.”

  “That would be best.”

  They turned to walk back to the elevator. “Ettie, we’ll have to go and tell the detective that the woman has been trying to get in to see Paula.”

  “Jah, we will. It sounds like it’s Cameron George’s business partner from the description. There can’t be too many women around here with black cropped hair.”

  As they approached the station to speak with the detective, they saw Cameron George’s business partner, Casey Campbell, walking down the front steps.

  “Look! She’s right there. I wonder what she was doing at the police station,” Ettie said.

  “Possibly Kelly had her in for questioning and it’s about time too.”

  They hurried inside the station, spoke to the officer at the front desk, and then sat and waited for Detective Kelly. It was some time before he came out.

  Instead of bringing them into his office, he crouched down in front of them. “I’m sorry, I’m strapped for time. We’ve just been blown away. Casey Campbell told us that Cameron George admitted to her that he framed his wife—tried to frame her for murder. We’re in the midst of getting a warrant for his arrest.”

  “He told her that?” Ettie asked.

  “Yes, and she was horrified. But Casey has agreed to testify against him. Not only that, but we did some checking into the accident that Crowley mentioned the other night.”

  “The gun accident where someone was killed when Cameron George was a police officer?”

  “Yes. They let him off—gave him the benefit of the doubt, but there was no evidence that he didn’t kill a fellow officer. He left the force soon after.”

  “Does that mean you’ll set Nora George free?” Elsa-May asked.

  “Yes. Casey said Cameron told her last night, and she came in to tell us as soon as she could.”

  “Isn’t that what we’ve been saying all along?” Ettie asked him.

  “I know. I know, but until we had a witness or evidence, our hands were tied.” He stood up. “We’ll just have to hope that Paula pulls through.”

  “Although, I had started to wonder if it were Casey Campbell who was the guilty party.” Ettie pushed herself to her feet. “We were just at the hospital. A woman fitting Casey’s description has gone there every day trying to get in to see Paula.”

  He stared at Ettie. “According to my officers, there have been quite a few people who’ve tried to talk their ways into see her. They do know each other, Casey and Paula. They both worked together at the furniture store.” He looked at the two of them. “Is that all?”

  “That’s all we came to tell you.”

  Elsa-May stood up. “When Paula wakes, she’ll be able to say who did this to her.”

  “That’s what we’re hoping, as long as she remembers and hasn’t suffered any permanent brain damage. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a million things to do. I need to split myself into three people to get everything done. I’ll talk to you ladies later.” Detective Kelly turned and walked away leaving Ettie and Elsa-May staring after him.

  “What do you make of it all, Ettie?”

  Ettie sat back down and Elsa-May sat down next to her.

  “It bothers me that the woman visited Paula. Why would she?”

  “My thoughts exactly. They can’t have been friendly, either, if they both had wanted the same man.”

  “They've had an officer on the door because the person who did this to her might come and try to finish her off,” Elsa-May said.

  “Are you thinking Casey Campbell did it?”

  “Do you?”

  “It’s possible,” Ettie said. “But why would Casey say Cameron had confessed to her?”

  “As a payback. She must have been mad that she’d been involved with him for a whole year and then he still hadn’t left his wife.”

  “So she framed Nora, to get his wife out of the way?”

  “Jah, and what better victim than someone else who once had an affair with Cameron? Especially if she found out Cameron was still visiting Paula. He must’ve still had feelings for Paula in some way or another.”

  “That wouldn’t have gone down well with Casey Campbell if she’d found out about that,” Ettie said.

  “It might have been Casey who made that search on his computer. Since she was his business partner, she might have known his password.”

  Ettie pressed her lips together. “Do you think we should tell Detective Kelly?”

  Elsa-May shook her head. “He doesn’t like to look like a fool, and if we’re right, that’s exactly what he’ll look like. First he arrests N
ora, now he’s going to arrest Cameron, but what if we’re right and it was Casey all the way along?”

  “You know what he’s like about us interfering.”

  “He’ll thank us if we’re right, though,” Elsa-May said.

  “But are we?”

  “Surely Kelly will figure it all out sooner or later. He’ll bring Cameron in and question him.”

  “He said he was going to arrest him and set Nora free.”

  “Jah, but when he brings him in under arrest, he’ll have to question him and Cameron will know that Casey Campbell either lied about him or betrayed his confidence. If he’s innocent he won’t confess and he’ll tell Kelly that Casey lied.”

  “Kelly might not believe him.”

  “Think about it. If Cameron were guilty and his mistress had sold him out, that would be his time to confess. Remember when we talked about it before? It’d be better for him to confess.”

  “So, we don’t tell Kelly, is that what you’re saying?”

  “Jah. We don’t tell him our suspicions because we have no evidence.”

  “Let’s go and find some, then.”

  “Okay.”

  “Are you still waiting on Detective Kelly?”

  Ettie and Elsa-May looked up to see an officer.

  “No, we’re on our way out. We’ve already spoken with him.”

  The officer smiled, and nodded before he continued on his way.

  On the way down the front steps of the station, Elsa-May asked, “How are we going to find evidence that Casey Campbell did it?”

  “I thought you had an idea,” Ettie said.

  “I don’t.”

  “You usually do.”

  “Well, this time I’ve drawn a blank. We don’t even know where she lives.”

  “A phone call to Ava will remedy that,” Elsa-May said.

  “I know, but we don’t even have a plan.”

  “One step at a time. We’ll find a phone, call Ava, then she can call her friend at the DMV and then we’ll have her address in no time. Then we’ll figure out what to do.”

  Ettie nodded. “There’s a phone up this way.”

  Half an hour later, Ettie and Elsa-May had Casey Campbell’s address in their hands.

  “We don’t know anything about this woman.”

  “Ava said to call her again this afternoon. She’s finding out what she can about her.”

  “Gut!”

  “What good will following her do?”

  “I don’t know, but we have to do something.”

  Not long after they got Casey Campbell’s address, they had a taxi drive past her house.

  “She doesn’t appear to be home.”

  “How can you tell?” Ettie asked.

  “It’s daytime, wouldn’t she be at work?”

  “I guess she would be.” Ettie leaned over and gave the taxi driver the address of George’s furniture store.

  When the taxi stopped at the store, Elsa-May opened the door, but Ettie yelled out, “No!”

  “What, Ettie?”

  Ettie ordered the driver to take them back to the station. “I’ve got it all figured out, Elsa-May. I’ve got to see Detective Kelly urgently.”

  Chapter 15

  A day later, Ettie was sitting in Paula’s hospital room behind a screen when she heard the door open. Ettie quietly stood up and peered through a crack in the screen. It was Nora George. Nora walked over to Paula’s bedside and from her bag she pulled a syringe.

  “Stop right there!” Ettie said.

  Nora swung around while pushing the syringe back into her bag. “It’s you.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “I was just coming to see how she’s doing.”

  “She woke up earlier and said you were the one who attacked her.”

  “She did? Then why haven’t the police come to get me?”

  “Admit it. You did it and tried to make it look like your husband framed you.”

  Nora glanced down at Paula and then slowly put her hand into her bag. “Now why do you think that?”

  “I know it’s the truth. I admire how clever you are.”

  Nora chuckled. “It was a good plan and it worked, but I’m afraid you should’ve kept your mouth shut because now I’m going to have to kill you and then I’ll finish her off.” She lunged forward and grabbed Ettie.

  “Wait! Before you kill me, tell me how you did it. You framed your husband to look like he was framing you?

  She laughed. “Clever, don’t you think?”

  “No! I figured it out, so it won’t be long before the police figure it out, too.”

  “Ha! That bumbling detective? I doubt he’d have the brains to work it out.”

  “I have to admire you for planning such a clever murder—except for the part that the victim wasn’t dead when you left her.

  Ettie jerked out of Nora's grasp and backed away from her. “What’s in the syringe?”

  “Insulin.”

  “You’re going to kill me with insulin?”

  “Yes. They won’t suspect a thing. Might not even do an autopsy because you’re so old.”

  “My sister wouldn’t let them do an autopsy; neither would my children if they have a choice.”

  “Your sister. That’s where I’ll be heading next.”

  “Won’t that be a little too suspicious if my sister and I both die?”

  “No! Not at her age.”

  “Why did you do it? Your husband’s affair with Paula ended over a year ago.”

  “I’ve got a long memory. Once they find my husband guilty of Paula's murder, and they will find him guilty, then I’ll deal with his other mistress.”

  “Casey Campbell?”

  Nora laughed. “No. She helped me plan this whole thing.”

  Ettie inquired, “Who then?”

  “There was another.”

  “You mean you’ll kill her, too, like you tried to kill Paula?”

  “Just like I’m going to kill you now.”

  Kelly stepped out from the bathroom. “I’ve got all I need, Mrs. Smith.” He held a tape in his hand. Nora made a lunge for the tape, and two uniformed officers rushed out from behind Kelly and slapped Nora in handcuffs.

  “This was a trap?” She turned as far as she was able and stared at Ettie.

  Ettie raised her eyebrows. “It wouldn’t have been a trap if you’d had nothing to hide.”

  “I hope she dies.” Nora nodded to Paula.

  “I won’t,” Paula said as she opened her eyes.

  Detective Kelly said, “Paula regained consciousness this morning and told us everything.”

  “Just like I told you,” Ettie said.

  “I was making it all up,” Nora said.

  “And that’s not insulin in that syringe?” Kelly asked.

  “I found it on my way into the hospital. I don’t know what’s in it.”

  “Tell it to a jury,” Kelly said as he led Nora George out the door.

  Ettie stood and made her way over to Paula. “How are you feeling after all that?”

  “I’m fine, Ettie. I’m just sorry I’ve put everyone through all of this.”

  “We’re happy you’ve recovered and you were able to tell the police everything. Your parents are on their way to see you.”

  “The community are my familye now.”

  “I know that, but they were terribly worried about you. Elsa-May and I visited them and spoke with them.”

  “Denke. Will you stay with me for a while, Ettie? I don’t want to be alone.”

  “Of course I will, for however long you want.”

  “The doctor said he wants to run some tests on me this afternoon. All I want to do is go home.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be home soon enough.”

  Chapter 16

  The Very Next Night

  “Well, Mrs. Smith, you were wrong and I was right,” Detective Kelly said as he sat in the living room at Elsa-May and Ettie's house along with retired detective Crowley.


  “About Nora George?”

  “Yes.”

  “It seems so.” Ettie frowned, disappointed that she'd been wrong at first about Nora.

  “She was so convincing,” Elsa-May said.

  “That’s true, she was. I even thought her husband was guilty at one point,” Detective Kelly said.

  “The only thing he was guilty of was being a liar and a cheat,” Elsa-May said.

  Crowley asked, “And the car that was seen all the time at Paula’s house?”

  “Paula admits that Cameron George visited her, but only to see if she was okay. They weren’t carrying on an affair,” Ettie explained. “And Paula’s brother has a similar car.”

  “But, Nora had followed her husband there and wouldn’t have known the purpose of his visits,” Kelly explained

  “What did Nora think was happening when she got to the hospital and no guard was on the door?” Crowley asked.

  “She would’ve thought, once her husband was arrested, that they thought they didn’t need the police officer on her hospital door,” Kelly said.

  “Where would she have gotten that insulin from?” Elsa-May asked. “You can’t get that over the counter at a pharmacy, can you?”

  “No. Casey Campbell is a diabetic. She confessed that she gave the insulin to Nora and she also gave us a full confession of her part in the attack on Paula.”

  “Will she be charged with murder as well?” Ettie asked.

  “Casey will most likely be charged for conspiracy to commit murder and for obstruction of justice. She might not get as long a sentence as Nora, but she’ll get a pretty long time I’d suspect.”

  “We were right about Obadiah Lapp not being guilty,” Elsa-May said.

  “Yes, you were,” Crowley said.

  “I’m just thankful that Paula pulled through without any ill effects.”

  “It’s a miracle, and that’s what the doctor told me,” Detective Kelly said.

  “Well, we believe in those,” Ettie said.

  Elsa-May pushed herself to her feet. “Anyone for coffee and cake?”