Death of a Solitude Gypsy

By Saundra McKee

Fannie and Dana are at odds when a Gypsy fortune teller sets up shop in the tranquil western Pennsylvania village of Solitude. When the fortune teller's husband is killed by an Amish buggy, the sleuths join forces to uncover the shocking truth behind the grisly death. 25th in the Amish Country Murder Mystery Series

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saundra McKee
• Release date: Apr 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311823182

Saundra McKee

I am a retired educator. I taught in the public schools for 15 years and at the university level for 22 years. I love to travel the world. I enjoy politics, dogs, mysteries and water sports. I am a lay speaker in the United Methodist Church.

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Death of a Solitude Gypsy by Saundra McKee

Smashwords Edition. Copyright 2014. Saundra McKee

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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All characters and events in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. While some of the places mentioned actually exist, they are used in an entirely fictional manner.

Chapter 1

Late April

Monday

Oh the devil is dancing tonight, sighed Fannie as she tied Daisy’s reins to the hitching post in front of her close friend Dana’s Victorian style home in the quaint community of Solitude, PA.

It’s just entertainment, not devil worship, insisted Dana. I’ve spoken with her several times at the bakery, nice lady. I finally went to have my fortune told last week. Miss Sophie is around our age and just trying to make a living by providing folks with some insight. She told me that Larry and I have many more wonderful years ahead of us. She also said that I had a childhood friend who was going to make some startling revelations in the near future.

Oooooh, said Fannie hugging herself appearing to fight off a shiver. Get thee hence Satan! I don’t want Miss Sophie talking about me.

The two women headed into the warmth and cinnamon and vanilla aromas of Dana’s cozy kitchen. Both aware that they’d have to agree to disagree on the new fortune telling business that had opened in the midst of the many quaint shops in Solitude. Dana set out cups and a plate of fresh scones. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? These one cup brewers are great. Everyone can have the beverage of their choice. Look at all the flavors of coffee!

Fannie who had never made coffee with anything electric shook her bonneted head. Just regular coffee…black. She sat down at the beautiful oak table that her husband had crafted several years before. It always surprises me how we can both be Christians and see things so differently. I think having a Gypsy fortune teller in town will hurt business for everyone. It’s just not the kind of image our town should have."

Dana ran her fingers through her curly dark brown hair. I guess we’ll see. She’ll only be here for six months or so. Her husband’s work in construction takes them all over the place. He’s working with the crew revamping the bridge over Big Bass Creek. They live in an RV at the Corps of Engineers campground. How did you know she was a Gypsy?

Fannie shrugged. Aren’t most fortune tellers Gypsies? Someone told me they liked to be called Roma these days. We were talking about her at our quilting bee the other day. My daughter-in-law Elizabeth ran into her at Thelma’s store. Elizabeth said she wore lots of jewelry, had long black hair and wore a colorful skirt and fancy black boots. So I just figured. I guess it was you who told me about the Roma name, after you made that mission trip to Serbia to work with the Roma children.

Dana sat down with her steaming mug of tea. Yeah that really opened my eyes to all the prejudice and discrimination that they face in Europe. It’s not nearly so bad here, but there are still lots of unfortunate stereotypes. The Roma and the Amish actually share a common history of persecution and coming to this country for freedom. Miss Sophie told me that she’s a Christian. They go to that Pentecostal Church a few miles from town….Full Gospel Chapel or something. It’s changed names several times.

Fannie rolled her eyes. I hear they really carry on there…speaking in tongues and dancing around. Next thing they’ll be handling snakes.

Dana smiled at her long time friend. Well I know our churches don’t do that, but it is in the Bible. I guess some of the speaking in tongues can even be tied to the gift of prophecy.

Fannie was about