Plain Murder (Amish Romance Mystery): Clean Mystery series (Amish Secret Widows' Society Book 8) (3 page)

Chapter 4.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.

Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,

for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Sabrina was pleased to have some silence in the taxi ride from the police station to her home. She went over the events of the day, beginning at seeing Mr. Caruthers’ body to needing to leave her
schweschder
at the police station. She wasn’t looking forward to informing Bailey that Silvie was being questioned by the police. Once the taxi stopped outside the house, Sabrina rushed inside to find Bailey.

“Sabrina, you’re home early,” Bailey said, looking around for Silvie. “Silvie said she was off to visit you at work, but she hasn’t come home yet. I half thought she’d come home with you.”

Sabrina knew the meter of the taxi was ticking over while it waited to take Bailey back to the police station, but Sabrina had to find the right words. “Silvie’s not with me, Bailey.”

“Why? Where is she?” Concern instantly creased his brow. “Is she okay?”

“
Jah
,” Sabrina was quick to respond. “When Silvie came to visit me at work this morning she found my boss in the stables and he had been murdered.”

“What?” The color rapidly drained from his face. “They think my Silvie did it, is that why she didn’t come home with you?”

“
Nee.
Not really, they just needed to keep her for questioning since she was the one who found him.”

“Then why did they let you come home, but not her, if they don’t think she did it?” Bailey’s voice increased in volume as he spoke.

“I don’t know, Bailey. I’m sorry, but I’ve got a taxi outside waiting to take you there.” Rubbing her temples, Sabrina attempted to will away the migraine that threatened to creep in.

Bailey grabbed his coat from the hook beside the door and dashed out slamming the door behind him.

Watching Bailey bolt out of the door, Sabrina finally gave in to the grief that had been trying to get the better of her since she first saw Mr. Caruthers’ lifeless body in the stable. Sabrina fled to the couch and collapsed. Her tears flowed and showed no signs of stopping. Her sobs deafened her to the sound of the front door opening. She looked up when she felt that there was someone in the room with her. It was May, Mr. Caruthers’ daughter. Feeling a slight sense of relief at seeing a friendly face, Sabrina left the comfort of the couch and flung her arms around May’s shoulders.

“I heard that your sister found him,” May whispered through the silent moments between Sabrina’s sobs. “I’m so sorry, it must have been awful.”

Unable to form a coherent reply straight away, Sabrina simply kept her arms wrapped tightly around May until she was able to compose herself. “Who...who told you?” she managed weakly.

“John Steele told me. I arrived at work, and I saw all the police cars, and John Steele told me what happened and he drove me home. I hope you don’t mind me just walking in like this, Sabrina, but I saw a man outside who said his name was Bailey and he said that it would be alright if I came inside. He said that the police are holding your sister, is that right?”

“No, not at all,” Sabrina replied, forcing the response through her tears. “They just wanted to speak to her about what she knows. She found the body, so I would imagine they have more questions for her. I’m so sorry about your father, May. You must feel dreadful.”

May wiped away her tears. “I do; it all doesn’t seem real. It’s as though this is all happening to someone else.” May slumped in the couch and Sabrina joined her. “I hope you don’t mind me coming here, but I don’t really have any other friends to talk to,” May said.

“I’m glad you came. You’re shaking, would you like me to make you a drink? A strong cup of tea, perhaps?”

May gave a nod and rubbed her eyes.

“Are you here alone?” May asked when Sabrina came back into the room with the tea.

“Yes. It’s only Bailey and Silvie who live here, and me of course. I’m so glad you came here, May.”

May took a sip of tea. “Don’t come to work tomorrow if you don’t feel up to it, Sabrina.”

“Are you going?”

“The auction must go on. We need the money; the business needs the money. No one is going to take kindly if we cancel the auction.”

“I’ll go too. I’m so sorry about your father, May.” Sabrina bit her lip when she realized she’d already said that.

“Thank you, Sabrina.”

“How’s your mother doing?”

“I’ve left her with her best friend – halfway through a bottle of whiskey. She’ll be okay.”

May left after a second cup of tea. Sabrina stood in the doorway and watched her drive away. Sabrina thought it strange that May was comforting her and did not seem that shocked or upset that her father had just been murdered.

* * *

"So you're absolutely certain you didn't see anyone else enter or exit the stable grounds when you visited your sister?" the officer asked Silvie.

Silvie was frustrated; how many ways were they going to ask that exact same question? She looked straight into the dark eyes of the officer who was asking her questions. He seemed to think she had some involvement. The other officer in the room was a woman. Silvie had no idea what rank she held, but it appeared that the man asking her all the questions out ranked her. She glared at Silvie and Silvie looked away.

“I’ve already given you an answer and I see no sense in repeating it.”
Hurry up, Bailey
, Silvie shouted in her head. If they knew her husband was a former FBI agent they might lighten up a little.

"And you didn't notice anything strange about Sabrina's behavior up until you discovered the body?" The tone in the officer’s voice led Silvie to believe that he saw nothing wrong in his line of questioning.

"No, of course not; she seemed perfectly fine. You’re not thinking that she had anything to do with it, are you?”

“We’ve got to ask a range of questions.” The officer dropped his eyes to the list in front of him.

The room Silvie sat in seemed small when she first entered, and with each passing minute she remained it seemed to be closing in on her.
Keep calm, breathe, it won’t be much longer.

"When you arrived, you said Sabrina sent you to the stables ahead of her as she said she wanted to finish some work. Why do you think she did that?"

"It’s obvious isn’t it? She wanted to finish off some paperwork." Resting her head within her hands, Silvie wondered how much longer this was going to continue. “I told Sabrina that my husband was looking for a new horse and I wanted to see where Sabrina worked. We’ve been over and over it. What more can I possibly tell you?”

Constable Fowler looked at the female officer behind him and gave her a brief nod. Hoping this was an indication that they were now finally satisfied that she did not know anything else Silvie breathed a sigh of relief.

Hearing the interview room door open, Silvie swung her head around to see Bailey enter the room.

“Bailey!” Silvie said.

“Bailey.” Constable Fowler stated while rising from his seat, echoing Silvie. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to see my wife,” Bailey replied coolly. “I hope that’s alright with you?”

“Of course. We’re finished now. You can go, Mrs. Rivers.” Fowler addressed Bailey, “If I could have a brief moment with you?”

“I’ll be out in a minute, Silvie.”

Silvie and the female officer left the room. Bailey knew Constable Fowler from the times he had worked with Detective Crowley.

“I’m sorry, Bailey, but your wife was the person who found the body. We have to make sure we know everything.”

“I’m sure she’s helped you all she can. Is Detective Crowley going to be involved in this case?”

“Yes, he’s in charge of the investigation. I have to get everyone’s preliminary statements. We never thought that your wife was guilty, but she did find the body. You understand that, don’t you?”

“I do, I understand all too well. You’ve just told me twice in two minutes that my wife was the one to find the body.”  Narrowing his gaze at Fowler, Bailey wondered how tough they might have been when they questioned Silvie. She looked as though she had been through quite a lot. “I’ll be taking my wife home now.”

“Of course.” Fowler gave a nod of his head, ending the conversation.

Bailey stepped out of the room and hurried to Silvie. “I’m taking you home.” Placing a quick kiss on top her forehead, Bailey took Silvie by the hand and led her away.

“I’m so glad you came when you did.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner. You should have waited until I got here before you answered any questions,” Bailey said.

“I didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to go home.”

Bailey stroked her shoulder. “We’ll be home soon enough.”

They made their way toward the reception area of the police station, which was just before the exit.

“That was the most awful thing, I....”

“Well, you don’t need to worry. It’s over now.”

Silvie knew that Bailey was trying to calm her down, but Silvie knew that it was far from over and would not be over until the killer was found. 

Chapter 5.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

Bailey and Silvie were just about to leave the police station when Bailey noticed that the police officer who had interviewed Silvie was walking quickly behind them.

Bailey stood still and waited for the officer to catch up to them.

“Bailey, Detective Crowley would like to speak to you before you go.”

Detective Crowley was the local detective who had helped the widows with their investigations on more than one occasion.

“Tell him that I’ll come and see him in the morning. I need to get my wife home; she’s just been through a terrible ordeal.”

“I’m alright, Bailey. I’ll get a taxi and go home to be with Sabrina. Take your time and just come home when you finish.”

Bailey frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Silvie got in first. “I’m okay.”

With Silvie safely in a taxi, Bailey returned to the police station and waited for Detective Crowley in his office. Bailey paced around the room, flexing and fisting his hands, annoyed and frustrated in equal measure. It was obvious what Crowley would want; he’d want him to help him sort through the evidence to try and figure out who might have killed Sabrina’s boss.

Bailey had left investigations behind him when he’d joined the Amish, and he had benefitted from doing so in leaps and bounds. He could not go backwards after he'd come so far.

Crowley would not understand, how could he? Instead, he would make Bailey feel guilty for refusing and he would most likely urge him to change his mind. Now, guilt gurgled in Bailey's chest.

"Hash it." Bailey stepped out of Crowley’s office and looked up and down the corridor. Crowley was nowhere in sight. Bailey walked to the vending machine in the waiting room and got himself a black coffee. As he knew it would be – the coffee was terrible, barely drinkable.

With coffee in hand, he walked back to Crowley’s office and resumed his pacing, worried over what request Crowley might have. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that Crowley would want him to help with the case.

Nerves began to eat away at his stomach.
This is not my past; this is my present. I'm in control.

“Bailey Rivers?”

Bailey looked up to see a uniformed policeman. “Yes?”

“Detective Crowley can see you now; it’s the second door to the left.”

Bailey repeated this mantra in his mind all the way to Crowley. Crowley was not using his personal office; he was using one of the interview rooms.

"Ah, Bailey. Thanks so much for agreeing to come and share your experience with us. We could sure use a trained eye." Crowley approached Bailey and grabbed his hand firmly.

Bailey shook his hand. "I’m glad you’re in charge of the case. Well, if I can help I will be glad to, but I wasn’t involved in many murders while I was with the FBI. I was in charge of the Stolen Arts Division, as you know."  Bailey hoped that would get him out of it, but no, that was not to be.

"Excellent, excellent." They released hands.

Crowley sat at the desk, and Bailey sat in a chair on the opposite side of his desk.

"How's your wife?" Crowley asked.

"Silvie is very well considering all that she’s been exposed to today. I’ve just put her in a taxi. She was anxious to see her sister, Sabrina. Sabrina lives with us and she’s pretty shaken up as well.”

Crowley breathed out heavily. “Must be nice to be involved in a close family unit.”

Bailey smiled, though still felt anxious. "How's bachelorhood treating you?"

"Oh, you know." Crowley grinned. "Not as good as marriage to the right woman, I’d wager. That's something else you have superior experience with than me, Rivers, but it's this evidence I need your opinion on, not marriage." He grunted and flung a file in front of Bailey. "Take a look."

Bailey opened the flap and pulled out a few photographs and his mind switched from civilian to FBI agent automatically. "Let's see what we have." He looked up at Crowley. “Should I be doing this since my wife was the one who found the body?”

“We both know she didn’t do it. She’s not a witness to a murder. If she were that would be an entirely different scenario. Besides, this is all off the record.”

Bailey nodded and continued to study the evidence.

“We’ll know more tomorrow when we get more reports back from the forensics team; this is all we have so far,” Detective Crowley said.

* * *

As soon as Silvie arrived back home, she felt the sudden need to get inside quickly to see Sabrina. Silvie paid the driver and rushed toward the
haus.
Before she reached the two front steps, the door opened and Silvie saw Sabrina’s silhouette in the doorway, framed by the soft glow of the gaslights.

"Silvie!" Silvie could hear in Sabrina’s voice that she was stressed.

"Sabrina, I'm so glad you're okay." Silvie rushed to Sabrina and wrapped her arms around her.

“I’m fine. May came here and we had a talk.”

“May? Mr. Caruthers’
dochder
?”

Sabrina nodded.

“Why is she visiting on a night such as tonight?”

“She said she had no other friends and her mother had drunken half a bottle of whiskey, so she didn’t want to be at home and oh – her
bruder
would be of no help to her. I saw him at the police station and he only seemed worried about the business.”

Silvie took her coat off and the two of them sat down on the couch. “Well, they do have an auction on tomorrow and I guess they’ll still have to go ahead with it. From what you say they need all the money they can get, especially with opening the new place.” Silvie looked at Sabrina and wondered if she should be speaking of such things at a time like this. “Will they still go ahead with their plans of expansion now, under the circumstances?”

“They might have to; I think a ten year lease was signed on the land for the new premises. At least, that’s what I heard,” Sabrina said wiping her eyes.

“Surely, under the circumstances they wouldn’t hold the company to such a thing.”

Sabrina dropped her head down.

“I’m sorry to be speaking of these things, Sabrina.”

“It’s alright.” Sabrina sniffed.

“Is May okay? She could’ve stayed here the night if she wanted to.”

“Thanks, Silvie. I didn’t even think to ask her.”