Secrets Come Home (6 page)

Chapter 11.

Once the funeral was over, Elsa-May asked, “Are you coming home tonight, Ettie, or staying at the new
haus?”

“I’ll stay at Agatha’s
haus.
Ava’s a little worried about being on her own. She feels safer with me there.”

“Very well. Jeremiah’s driving me home. Are you going home with Ava or shall I have Jeremiah take you?”

“I’ll go with Ava,
denke.”
Ettie looked around to see if Mr. Settler was still there, but his car had gone. Turning back to see Elsa-May walking away, Ettie called after her, “I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Are you ready to go?” Ava asked.

“Oh, there you are, Ava. Did you see Bill Settler standing by his car?”

“Nee
. Where was he?”

“He parked his car just behind that white one. He watched from a distance for a few moments before he disappeared.”

“Are you sure it was him?”

“Pretty certain.
Jah.
As certain as I am that I'm looking at you right now.”

Ava walked toward her buggy and Ettie walked alongside. “I’ve been thinking about a few things, Ettie. How was the body wrapped exactly? Was it only in plastic? They said they couldn’t get any DNA material from the skeleton or something of that nature. So does that mean he was only a skeleton?”

“I took it that they meant they wouldn’t have any DNA material from the killer because he had rotted away so much.”

“How could we find out?” Ava asked.

Ettie chuckled. “I’m not going back near Detective Kelly anytime soon.”

“Would Jeremiah know?” Ava asked. “I’m mean, since he was there at the time?”

Ettie drew her eyebrows together while she thought. “Elsa-May was outside when the police came. She didn’t talk about it, though. I wonder if she knows more about the body. I’ll ask her when I go home tomorrow. I’m going to Agatha’s tonight and tomorrow I’ll visit Elsa-May.”

“It must be confusing. I guess you’ll have to pick a place soon, where you want to live.”

“All in good time. I’ve come to learn that when you give things time, the right decisions become obvious. I used to make quick decisions when I was younger – I was always in such a rush – but now that I'm older and moving more slowly, I realize that things always have a way of sorting themselves out.”

“I guess that makes sense. If you live a little bit in both places, you’ll soon know where you’re happiest.”

“Something like that, dear, something like that.”

Ava dropped Ettie by her front door and then continued on to the barn to tend to her horse.

Ettie pushed her front door open, and she didn’t go more than two steps when she saw something was wrong. She gasped and walked two more steps. The whole living room had been destroyed. Every floorboard had been taken up. She walked farther and looked down at the dirt below the house. Only the cross joists remained.

She hurried out the door to fetch Ava. “Ava, come quick.”

“What is it?” Ava said as she jumped down from the buggy she’d just stopped near the barn.

Between gasps, Ettie said, “All the boards in the main room have been taken up. Go call the police. Try to speak to Detective Kelly; tell him it’s urgent.”

“The floorboards?”

“Jah,
Ava, hurry – go now.”

While Ava raced to the end of the road to call the police, Ettie sat on the front steps of her new home. It was an uncanny feeling, knowing that someone had entered uninvited and violated what had been a peaceful home for her friend of many years. She looked down the road to the nearest neighbor, now grateful that she and Elsa-May had people living close on either side. If there had been people living closer to here, they would’ve been sure to hear some noise. But Agatha had liked her large parcel of land, which allowed her to keep a few animals and have a large barn.

If Elsa-May hadn’t gotten those new glasses and seen the marks on the floor, they might never have known that Horace was under the house. Pulling herself to her feet, Ettie decided to walk around the house to see what she could see. The disruption that had come to the house since it had been given to her made her wonder if she should continue to live with Elsa-May. It was nice to have family around in emergencies.

“Are you all right?”

Ettie looked over to see that Ava had returned.

“Jah,
I’m okay. Did you talk to the detective?”

Ava nodded. “They’re coming soon. Wait in my place while I put the horse and buggy away.”

Ettie walked into Ava’s
grossdaddi haus
and put the pot on the stove. A cup of tea always made her feel better. When she sat at the table, Ava came through the door. “Ava, I know you said you talked to the detective, but did you speak to Detective Kelly directly?”

Ava shook her head and slumped into a chair. “Nee, but I told them my message the other day was not passed on. I insisted they tell him, and they said they would. They told me someone would come out straight away.”

“Tea?” Ettie asked.

“Jah,
that would be nice.”

Ettie and Ava sat drinking tea while they waited for the police.

“They take a long time.” Ettie looked up at that moment, and heard a car pulling up outside. “Ah, that must be them. Let’s go.”

Ettie was pleased to see Detective Kelly. At last he was taking things seriously. She showed the detective and the two officers with him the destruction to her house.

“What do you think, Detective?” Ettie asked.

The detective got as close as he could and looked at the damage. “I’d say it was some crazed souvenir hunter. We’ve had them before; very often they try to find something to auction online.” He looked back to Ava and Ettie. “They wouldn’t have found anything. I had my men comb the area the day after we found the body.”

“They didn’t find anything?” Ava asked.

“No.”

“Shouldn’t you take fingerprints or something?” Ettie asked.

The detective looked at Ettie and then walked toward the front door. He leaned down and said, “No sign of forced entry.” He directed the two officers to walk around the house and find the point of entry.

“I didn’t lock the door,” Ettie said.

The detective’s mouth fell open. “Why not?”

Ettie pulled a face. “I never do when I go out during the day. No one locks their doors around here.” When Ettie saw the detective looking at her in disbelief she added, “I lock it at night when I go to sleep.”

Detective Kelly shook his head. “I know you trust your neighbors and you’re surrounded by your Amish people, but anyone can come into the area.”

Ava said, “They could’ve just as easily come up through the floorboards, couldn’t they? If they were looking for something under the house?”

The detective ignored Ava, kept looking at Ettie, and took a deep breath. “I suggest you find yourself somewhere else to stay tonight.”

“Stay with me, Ettie.” Ava placed a hand on Ettie’s shoulder.

“I might as well since I’m here already. Will you have the fingerprint team go over the place for evidence?” Ettie looked up at the detective who towered above her.

He shook his head. “Trespassing and damage to property are crimes, but Mrs. Smith, you left your front door open.”

“Unlocked, Detective. The door was closed.”

Kelly heaved a sigh. “I’ll see what the men have found and I’ll make a report.” He looked back over his shoulder at the loose boards that had been thrown in a corner. “Do you have someone to fix this?”

“I’ve got my great nephew, Jeremiah. He’s a builder.”

“He’s the one who found Horace,” Ava said.

“Ah, yes. I met him the other night. Well, very good.” He looked at Ava. “And you’ll look after Mrs. Smith tonight?”

Ava nodded. “I will. She’ll be fine with me.”

The detective walked out the door.

Ava put her arm around Ettie’s shoulder. “It’s nearly dinnertime. I’ll heat us up some soup.”

“Tomorrow morning do you think you could tell Jeremiah what happened and have him come as soon as he can? I don’t like to leave it like this for too long.”

“Jah,
I will. Don’t worry about another thing. You can sleep in my bed tonight and I’ll take the sofa.”

“Nee,
I can’t put you out like that.”

“I won’t hear another word, Ettie – you’re taking the bed.”

Ettie smiled and nodded, then tried to remember if she’d told Elsa-May she’d be back that night, or whether she told her she’d be staying at Agatha’s house.

Chapter 12.

Ettie woke to hammering coming from the main house. When she saw how light it was she knew she’d slept in. The noise had to be Jeremiah already at work fixing her floor. She got up and looked around for her dress. Ava had been good enough to loan her a nightgown. She closed the bedroom door and saw her dress hanging on a clothes peg. After she changed into her dress and
kapp
, she looked around the
grossdaddi haus
for Ava. When she realized Ava wasn’t in any of the rooms, she peered out the window and saw Ava’s horse was gone, too.

Ettie went straightaway to see how Jeremiah was getting along with the work. She pushed her door open and saw Jeremiah leaning over, placing the boards back. He looked up when he saw her.

“Aunt Ettie, I found something.” He placed his hammer down, stood, and stepping on the joists, made his way over to the side of the room. Ettie stepped forward to see what it was. Jeremiah picked something off the windowsill and made his way over to hand it to her. “There’s a key inside.” Jeremiah wiped his sweaty forehead with the sleeve of his shirt.

Ettie examined the small, rectangular envelope in her hand. It seemed brittle and she was almost afraid to handle it. It was undoubtedly old from the yellowing of the paper. The number 157 was printed on the outside.

“There’s a key inside,” Jeremiah said.

“Yes, I heard you, but I’m still looking at the envelope. From the look of it, it’s been here for some time. Where exactly did you find it?”

“It was taped flat to one of the boards inside a strip of brown paper. At first I didn’t see it because it was the same color as the wood.”

Ettie opened the envelope and dropped the key into the palm of her hand. It was unlike any key she’d seen before. “I think the detective needs to see this.”

“Does it open something around here, do you think?” Jeremiah asked.

“Nee
, Jeremiah. I would say most certainly it doesn’t.”

The sound of a buggy outside told Ettie that Ava was back. Ettie hurried out of the house to Ava, who had just pulled up outside the barn. When Ettie reached her she said, “Ava,
denke
for fetching Jeremiah this morning.”

“That’s fine, Ettie. I went early and stopped by the markets on my way home. Is something wrong?” Ava stepped down from the buggy.

“Ava, Jeremiah found something. He found a key. I’m sure that’s what the people were looking for.”

“The ones who ripped up the floor?”

Ettie nodded. “I’m certain that they were looking for this key.” Ettie passed Ava the key and she turned it over and studied it carefully.

“Why weren’t the police able to find it? They were under the house for some time looking for evidence.”

“It was taped flat, Jeremiah said, hidden by brown paper that matches the boards. They might not have been looking for things like that. They were most likely looking for things in the ground, or under the dirt.”

Ava nodded.

“Can you drive me to show Detective Kelly?” Ettie asked.

“Jah,
okay. Can I have breakfast first? I’ve brought us some fresh baked bread from the markets.”

“Wunderbaar,
and I’ll see if your chickens have laid eggs.”

“They aren’t my chickens, Ettie.”

“They aren’t? Are they mine?”

Ava laughed. “I don’t know, Agatha didn’t say who she wanted to have the chickens.”

“I’m too old to look after chickens, and I know enough people who give Elsa-May and me eggs all the time. You can have them if you want them.”

Ava smiled. “
Jah,
I’d like them.”

“That’s one thing settled,” Ettie said. “Hopefully by the end of the day we’ll have a few more things settled around here.”

* * *

“It’s just a key, Mrs. Smith. I’m sure if you dig under any house in this county you’d find a key or two,” Detective Kelly said. He barely looked at Ava or Ettie. By the way his mouth was clamped tight and his cheeks sucked in, Ettie knew that he was severely annoyed they’d come to see him. He hadn’t asked them into his office, but with an armful of files clutched to his chest, spoke to them at the front desk in earshot of everyone nearby.

Ettie offered the yellowed envelope to the detective so he could inspect it and the key. “This doesn’t look like just any key, and it was hidden, taped onto a board – underneath the floor. This might be what they’d come back to find.”

The detective slammed down the folders he was holding onto the front desk. “Look, Mrs. Smith, we do like the support of the community, but you’re crossing the line and bordering on being obstructive. You seem to think that we’re doing nothing. I’ve had our evidence technicians comb the area and we’ve taken samples of dirt from under your house. The matter is heavily under investigation.” He leaned his body forward and stuck out his lower jaw. “You’re not being helpful, you’re being a hindrance.” He straightened up and tipped his head to the side and stared at Ettie. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do.”

Ettie pushed out her lips.

“C’mon, Ettie,” Ava said tugging at her arm.

“Do you want to take it in as evidence, at least?” Ettie asked. “It’s an unusual shaped key. Won’t you just take a quick look at it?”

The detective rolled his eyes before saying, “I’m done.”

Ettie and Ava stood there watching as the detective walked away. The two seated policemen staring at them from behind the front desk caught Ettie’s attention.

Ettie stepped back and whispered to Ava, “It’s time to do our own investigations.”

Ava raised her eyebrows. “How?”

“That name the detective gave us the other day – Terence something.”

“Terence Wheeler?”

“Jah,
that was it. Why don’t we start by looking up that name on the library computer? You can look up the Internet, can’t you?”

“Jah,
of course I can, but what about the key?”

“The key isn’t going anywhere for the moment.” Ettie stuck the envelope containing the key up her sleeve.

Ava nodded. “Let’s go then. The library’s only down the road.”

“I’ve used the computer at the library before, but I’m sure you’ll be faster and more capable.”

Ava giggled. “Ettie, you’re full of surprises.”

* * *

Ava punched some things into one of the library computers and read what was on the screen. “Terence Wheeler was incarcerated numerous times for robberies. He specialized in jewelry and diamond theft.”

“It pays to specialize, they say.” Ettie peered over Ava’s shoulder.

“He’s dead,” Ava announced suddenly.

“Really? What else does it say about him? When did he die?” Ettie sat down in the chair next to her.

“In 1975 he was arrested for the Tonkins jewelry heist, but charges were dropped. He was identified as being at the scene of the crime, but the jewelry was never recovered.”

“That was around the same time Horace disappeared. Look up the Tonkins jewelry heist, see what you can find out,” Ettie ordered.

“Okay, let’s see now.” Ava pressed the keys on the computer while Ettie leaned back in her chair. “The Tonkins were a wealthy couple visiting from England. They had jewelry and diamonds they’d just purchased in an auction. Until they left town they were kept in a safe at the hotel where they were staying. Just before they booked out, two of the hotel staff were taking the jewelry back to their suite when two men wearing black masks held them up at gunpoint. Some of the hotel staff recognized Wheeler as being in the hotel that morning.”

“Hardly grounds for arrest, I would think,” Ettie said.

“A huge coincidence, though. Why would he have been at the hotel when he had a home in the area?”

“He could’ve been visiting someone, or having a meal. Does it say anything else?”

Ava scrolled down the screen. “That’s all it says. The jewelry was never recovered and they had to drop the charges against the man.”

“I wonder if Crowley was around back then…”

“Your old detective friend?”

“That’s the one. I think it’s time to pay him a visit.” Ettie wrote down a number for Ava. “Here, phone this number and tell Crowley that I’d like him to come to my place this afternoon. Give him my new address.”

“Okay.” Ava took the number from Ettie and headed to the public telephone in the foyer of the library.

Minutes later, Ava returned. “He’ll be there at two.”

“We best get back to the house.”

* * *

Ava left Ettie to talk to Crowley alone. He’d been retired a while and she looked forward to seeing him again. She sat in the living room until she heard a car, then she opened the front door for him.

“New house, Ettie?” Crowley asked as he walked toward her.

“A good friend left me this house. It’s a long story.”

“Elsa-May’s well, I hope?”

“She is.” Ettie patted Crowley on his arm. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Likewise.”

“Well, come in.” Ettie walked inside and when Crowley followed she closed the door after him. “Come through to the living room.”

When Crowley sat, he said, “It seems bigger than your old house, but it looks as though there are lots of repairs needed.” He frowned as he looked around the room.

He was right; both the inside and the outside sorely needed painting, the gutters needed fixing and judging by the uneven floor, the footings – or at least some of them – needed attention.

“Your friend said you wanted to see me urgently?”

Ettie told Crowley everything about Horace and Agatha and then what had happened to her floor.

“Wheeler was a known criminal. He was often arrested but we weren’t able to make any of the charges stick. I helped work on one of his arrests, but I’d only just joined the force, so I was only shuffling papers on the case. We were going after Wheeler and another criminal, Settler. They were adversaries. The two of them hated each other, that was well known.”

Ettie handed him the small envelope. He tipped the key into his hand.

“This is what my great nephew found when he was nailing my floorboards back. He’s a builder, you see, and he’s Elsa-May’s grandson.”

He held the key up. “This is a safe deposit box key.”

“Good. And what’s that?” Ettie asked.

“If someone wants to keep something safe, they can lease a box from the bank. Many people keep important paperwork or private things in their boxes.”

“Jewelry?”

“Certainly. Coins, jewelry, gold, all those kinds of things.” He turned the envelope over. “With any luck, the number on this envelope will correspond with the number of the box. They don’t normally have the number on the key.”

“You’ve seen these keys before?” Ettie asked.

Crowley nodded. “They’re all usually square like this, with these flat grooved edges.” He ran his finger along the key to show Ettie what he meant.

“I think the person who destroyed my house was looking for this key.”

“You mentioned Terence Wheeler before – what did Detective Kelly say about him?”

“He asked if we’d heard his name. We said no, and that’s all that was said.”

“We?” Crowley asked.

“Ava was with me. Ava lives in the
grossdaddi haus
attached to this place. It’s like a small apartment. Anyway, Ava and I went to the library to look up Terence Wheeler and we found out that he might have been involved in a big robbery.”

Crowley nodded. “Yes, the one involving the English couple who were robbed at their hotel.”

“Do you think this might be Terence Wheeler’s key? Maybe Horace knew something and was killed because of it.”

“Did Horace know Terence Wheeler?”

“I don’t know; Detective Kelly didn’t say. All he said was that his name had come up in his investigations around Horace.”

“You said the key was taped to one of the boards?”

Ettie nodded. “So it was unlikely that it was dropped – it was hidden deliberately.”

“It seems so, Ettie.”

“Why would Wheeler hide the key under my house?”

“He could’ve been coming back to get it. He died not long after his arrest, and from what you’ve said that corresponds with the time that Horace went missing.”

“Do you think Wheeler killed Horace?”

Crowley shook his head. “From what you’ve told me so far, there’s not enough evidence to say anything of the sort.”

“Tell me more about these boxes. If someone loses the key can’t they just go to the bank and say they’ve lost it? And the bank opens it for them?”

“It’s not as easy as that. The person would need to sign a stack of paperwork; it would take about two weeks before the bank could arrange to have the box drilled open. Not the best way for someone to hide stolen jewelry.”