Secrets Come Home (5 page)

Chapter 9.

Ettie’s eyes fell on the right box immediately – the years were written in large black letters on the end. She pointed at the box, knowing Horace had worked there in the mid-seventies.  “There.”

Chad pulled the box out for them. He leafed through the files until he found the ones with the employees. He handed some folders to Ettie.

Ettie leafed through them. “Here he is, Horace Hostetler. Write down these names, Ava.” Ettie handed Ava a stack of papers. Each page contained an individual employee’s name and address.

“That’s going to take some time,” Chad said. “Why don’t you photocopy them?”

“Do you have a photocopier?” Ava asked.

“In my father’s office, but he probably won’t let you use it. You can take them with you and bring them back when you’re done.”

“Your father seemed protective of these records. I daren’t take anything,” Ettie said.

Chad shook his head. “We’re only required to keep records for so many years – I think it’s seven or something like that. We don’t need to keep all these ancient ones.” He flung his hand toward the rows of boxes. “I’ll copy them for you, and I’ll bring them by when I finish work.”

Ettie looked at Ava. “What shall we do?”

Ava looked down at all pages in her hand. “Well, there’s an awful lot here, Ettie.”

“We’ve had a lot of people work here. People come and go all the time, always did. I don’t mind doing it. Just tell me your address.”

“It’s on the other side of town.”

“That’s okay. I just got my license and I need the practice.”

“That’s awfully kind of you. Ava, why don’t you write down our address for Chad?“

While Ava wrote, Chad asked, “What are you trying to find out?”

“The police think that Horace was killed by our friend who died recently. We know she didn’t do it,” Ettie said.

“You’re trying to find out who really did kill him? Aren’t you scared?”

“No, not a bit,” Ettie admitted.

Chad’s eyes widened. “You think one of these people killed him? Someone who used to work here?”

Ettie shook her head. “No, we just want to talk to someone he knew back then. You see, he left our Amish community briefly on what we call a
rumspringa
– that’s when young people can leave our community for a time and they are free from following our rules. Anyway, we want to talk to people who knew him, people other than our Amish folk.”

“I know, my father told me about the Amish. I hope you find something out. Why do the police think your friend did it, then? Surely they’d have to have some kind of evidence to suspect her.”

“Someone told the police about an argument our friend had with him,” Ava said.

Chad nodded. “I read about how the body was found under the floor of the house. Funny that the body was there for so long without anyone knowing. You’d think that a body would smell after a while. It would rot or something, wouldn’t it?”

“He was wrapped up,” Ava said. “In plastic.”

“That’s awful. I’d hate to have that job – the job of unwrapping the body. Who had to do that?”

Ettie pushed out her lips. “I don’t know. I stayed inside when they were doing that.”

“You were there?” Chad asked.

“Oh yes. It’s my house.” Ettie realized the boy didn’t know the full story. “My friend left me the house, and my sister noticed something wrong with the floorboards so she had her grandson come take a look. He’s a builder – my sister’s grandson, my great nephew.”

“Go on,” Chad urged, his eyes wider still.

Ettie continued, “He lifted up a board, then went under the house and he found the body directly under the boards – the ones that weren’t right.”

“And did he – your sister’s grandson – unwrap the body?”

“No, that’s when we called the police.”

“I read in the paper he was covered in plastic, but I thought he’d still stink. And wouldn’t someone have looked for what was causing the smell? If I wrapped a dead animal in plastic, I’d reckon it would stink after some time.”

“I don’t know anything about that. I didn’t know my friend very well back then,” Ettie said.

Chad pushed his dark hair away from his face. “What did they find with him?”

Ettie frowned. “Like what?”

Chad shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I just think it’s odd that he was under the house like that. The paper said he had no identification on him, nothing.”

“That’s right. Well, we better go now. Thank you for being so helpful,” Ava said, handing him their address.

“I’ll have these to you later on.”

“Thank you, Chad. Where might we go to call for a taxi?” Ava asked.

He pulled a cell out of his pocket. “I’ll call one for you.”

“We’ll wait outside.” Ava put her arm through Ettie’s.

When they were out of the front gates, Ava said, “What a strange young man.”

Ettie had to agree. “What do you make of him asking all those questions?”

“I don’t know, but I didn’t like it.”

“I think he might be right about the body having an odor even though it was wrapped in plastic. I wonder why Agatha was never bothered by the smell?”

“Maybe she just didn’t know what it was,” Ava suggested. “Do you think that might be partly the reason the police think she did it?”

“Possibly. I know she wasn’t the kind of woman not to look into something like a strange smell.”

“Shall I see what I can find out? I know someone who works at a funeral home. I could ask him some questions and find out what would be expected in a situation like Horace’s.”

“Jah,
do that,” Ettie said.

“Okay. Do you think that young man asked too many questions?” Ava asked.

“Murder doesn’t happen often around these parts. You know what people are like; he was probably just curious with it being in the newspaper and all.”

Chapter 10.

Ettie was alone in Agatha’s house when Chad knocked on the door to deliver the photocopies as he’d said he would. When Ettie opened the door she was pleased to see him.

“There you go.” He handed the pages to Ettie.

“Thank you. It was so kind of you to do this for us.”

“No problem.” He pinched the front of his loose white shirt and shook it. “It’s so hot. Do you think I could have a glass of water?”

“Yes, come in.”

Ettie headed to the kitchen with Chad close behind her. She placed the papers down on the kitchen table and proceeded to the sink. “I’m sorry I can’t offer you chilled water.” She turned away from the sink and was surprised to see him right behind her.

“This is fine,” he said taking the glass from her. He drank quickly and handed her the empty glass. “Thank you. I hope you find what you’re looking for. I’ll leave you to it.” He turned and walked toward the front door with Ettie close behind. When he was in the middle of the living room, he stopped. “Where exactly did they find him?” His gaze swept across the floor.

Ettie thought it macabre that he would want to know, but like she’d said to Ava, he was probably just curious. “Around this area,” Ettie said with a sweep of her hand. She had moved the rocking chair to the side of the room.

The boy pulled a face then looked up at Ettie. “A terrible way to go.”

Ettie nodded, then walked past him to the front door, hoping he would follow. She opened the door and he walked out. “Thank you once again, Chad.”

“Bye, Mrs. Smith.”

Once he was gone, Ettie wasted no time in flicking through the stack of papers. Something about Chad struck her as odd. What if he’d left some names out? But why would he do that? Now Ettie regretted taking up his offer of delivering the copies to her home. He’d acted strangely and she was certain that she couldn’t trust him.

Before long, Ettie heard Ava calling to her from the back door.

“Door’s open, Ava.”

Ava joined Ettie at the kitchen table. “I see Chad’s been here?”

Ettie looked up from the pages. “Yes, and he asked where the body was found.”

Ava shivered. “Weird.”

“Anyway, did you speak to your friend from the funeral home?”

“Jah.
Myles said that the body would still smell even though it was wrapped in plastic. He told me about a murder victim last year. The people living in an apartment block complained of a dreadful smell coming from one of the apartments. That’s how the authorities were notified – because of the smell. And that body had been wrapped in layers of plastic.”

“So the smell would’ve been bad. Well, there are no close neighbors here, and back then it was just Agatha living in the house by herself with no one living in your
grossdaddi haus.”

* * *

Elsa-May and Ettie arrived at the cemetery for the funeral of Horace Hostetler. The bishop was getting ready to give the message at the graveside when Ettie saw two cars amongst the buggies. She had to find out who the
Englischers
were.

“Ettie, are you looking at the cars?”

Ettie turned around and saw Ava, who continued, “Do you think that they might be some friends he had from all those years ago when he was on
rumspringa?”

“How would they know about his funeral?”

“It was in the local paper. I’ve got a copy of it in my buggy. There’s another article that came out in the paper this morning along with a picture of Horace as a young man – must’ve been taken when he was on
rumspringa.
It gives the whole story and gives the address of your
haus.”

Knowing the Amish didn’t read the
Englisch
papers, Ettie asked. “How did you know it was in there?”

“I didn’t. Myles, my friend from the funeral home, told me. He came early this morning and asked if I wanted him to come with me today. I said no, but he did give me a copy of the paper if you want to see it.”

“I’ll have a look at it later,” Ettie said. The outsiders were never hard to spot amongst the Amish. Ettie’s gaze swept over the crowd. “Ava, there are two
Englisch
men standing over there. Why don’t you go talk to them?”

“Why me?”

“Because I want to have another talk with Sadie.”

Ava looked around as though she were looking for Sadie. “Here?”

“Jah,
now go. We’ve no time to waste.”

While Ava went off in the direction of the
Englischers,
Ettie caught sight of Sadie. Ettie walked toward her then stood close to her until she caught her eye.

“Hello, Ettie.”

“Hello, Sadie. I see your cousins from Ohio are here?”

“Jah,
the whole
familye
have come.”

Ettie nodded. The look of sadness in Sadie’s eyes deterred Ettie from asking her anything regarding Horace or Agatha.

Ettie was all too familiar with loss. She’d lost her parents, then her husband years ago, and two weeks ago she lost her constant canine companion; her loving dog, Ginger. Ettie rubbed Sadie’s arm in an affectionate manner and Sadie smiled sweetly. Her talk with Sadie could wait for another day. Today was her time to say goodbye to her brother. There were other people heading over to talk to Sadie, so Ettie walked on and stood to the side where she’d get a good view of the people attending the funeral.

Ava appeared deeply involved in a conversation with the two men who looked like they knew each other. Could they be two men that Horace had worked with at the building company? Even though Horace would’ve known many more people when he was living as an
Englischer,
the building company was the only place they knew that he had worked.

When Ava came back, Ettie asked, “What did you find out?”

“One’s a reporter and the other is an off-duty policeman.”

Ettie was disappointed that they weren’t people who knew Horace.

The bishop stood by Horace’s grave plot, and then coughed loudly to draw everyone’s attention. Four Amish men carried the coffin to the graveside. Ettie admired how fine they looked in their black suits and hats. They rested the coffin by the freshly dug grave while the bishop gave a lengthy talk about the meaning of this life and the life hereafter. Ettie stood next to Elsa-May, and while Ettie was being careful to appear as though she was listening to what the bishop had to say, she studied everyone in the crowd. She knew most of the Amish folk with the exception of Horace’s Ohio relations.

Ettie’s attention was drawn to a car that had just parked nearby. She strained her eyes to see who was getting out of the car. It was a man dressed in a dark suit and when he leaned against his car, Ettie was certain it was Bill Settler.

Elsa-May followed her sister’s gaze. “Who’s that?” she whispered.

“It’s Bill Settler from the building company where Horace once worked. He’s Horace’s old boss’ son.”

“Hmm. It’s awfully nice of him to pay his respects.”

Ettie nodded and wondered why Bill stayed a distance away, and on further thought wondered why he’d come at all.