The Mysterious Death of Aunt Mimi

By William Mitchell Ross

In the summer of 1976, in Monroe, Wisconsin, a straightforward cash purchase of farmland by Doris Abley to Mimi Schultz turns tragic. The purpose of the sale is to expand a horse ranch operation, Sunrise Riding Stables, owned by Ms. Abley. The horrific sudden death of Mimi Schultz at the signing is totally unexpected and shocking, negating the sale.

Monroe Police Chief Brandon Johns and Det. Samantha Gates immediately launch an investigation into the death. It is a baffling case compounded by many layers of dysfunctional relationships surrounding the two families. Lies, deception, and distrust are woven into the fabric of the crime. Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together to find the killer proves to be a very difficult challenge. As they get deeper into the investigation, their frustration grows. They seem to be missing that one piece of evidence that is hiding in plain sight. Will they find it and solve the case?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781669803393

William Mitchell Ross

William Mitchell Ross lives in Monroe, Wisconsin, with his wife, Marilyn. Bill is retired from his day job in the dairy industry. He is also the former mayor of the city of Monroe, having served for eighteen years. After finally making it to retirement, he enjoys being one of the docents for city tourism, puttering with home projects, and writing mystery novels. Last year, he teamed up with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and is currently the docent for the “Monroe Mystery Tour” that identifies six scenes of the crime as well as gives visitors a brief historical sketch of Monroe and Green County. The tours run June through September.

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THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH

OF AUNT MIMI

WILLIAM MITCHELL ROSS

Copyright © 2022 by William Mitchell Ross.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/15/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Epilogue

Books by William Mitchell Ross

in Monroe Mystery Series

Deceived by Self

All Passion Denied

Love’s Obsession

Echoes Screaming in the Night

A Greedy Vengeance

Murder for Malice

Who killed Fritz Zuber?

Swirling Shadows of Guilt

The Curse of Burr Oak Farm

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

M y special thanks to professional photographer Marissa Weiher, Madison, Wisconsin, for the book cover photo; Lucien Knuteson Photography, Seattle, Washington, for the author photo; Suzanne Koch and Jeff Moorman for using their historic home for the scene of the crime; my wife Marilyn, whose continuing support, patience and understanding that I have imaginary friends is very much appreciated; and the Monroe readers who take great pleasure and amusement in trying to identify my fictional characters who, I insist, have never been issued birth certificates.

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CHAPTER 1

B rian Schultz sat behind his highly polished walnut Biedermeier-style lawyer’s desk, looking at the antique pendulum clock hanging on the wall, tapping his fingers on his leather-bound chair, thinking. In forty-five minutes, he had an appointment. He was a relatively new lawyer to the Newcomer, Pahnke, and Fouts Law Firm, located on the east side of the historic square in Monroe, Wisconsin.

His office featured a small polished conference oak table and two comfortable cushioned chairs sitting directly across from his desk. A framed pictured of his wife, Cheryl Kubly-Schultz, was on display in an oval antique gold picture frame and sat prominently on his desk. Brian’s black-framed law degree from the University of Wisconsin hung on the west wall of his office. Book shelves containing various law books adorned the walls. He was wearing a button-down blue Oxford shirt open at the neck and khaki pants. Brian’s physical appearance reflected his Germanic roots—blond hair, blue downturned eyes, a rectangular face, a straight nose, and a wide jaw.

He had an appointment at Margaret Mimi Schultz’s home at three o’clock to have papers signed deeding over 120 acres of farmland to Doris Abley. Mimi was a relative of his, and he had recently made a new last will and testament for her in March after the death of her sister, Jean Hartwig. Mimi left all her worldly possessions to Ruth Soddy, her sister’s only child, her niece. Mimi told Ruth about the will, explaining that the land and family home were rightfully hers in the event of Mimi’s death.

Today was Friday, August 27, 1976. Doris was bringing a certified check to complete the transaction. Peggy Jordan, a friend of Mimi, was going to sign the land transfer as a witness. Brian questioned why Mimi’s niece, Ruth, wasn’t the witness, but Mimi told him that Peggy was her choice. Brian knew Peggy’s parents as they were clients of the firm. Peggy was twenty-four years old and worked at the First National Bank as a teller. She was wicked smart in math, so her aunt Violet Stamm, the head bookkeeper, got her the job after high school. Peggy loved working at the bank and was looking to advance when the opportunity presented itself. After the signing, Brian would go to the title company to register the deed—a straightforward cash sale.

Brian steepled his fingers and closed his eyes, thinking back over the contentious history between the Schultz and Abley families, which started during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Being a Schultz, Brian was well aware of the family history and learned about it during numerous family gatherings of his relatives in his youth, where the subject always came up. It was a betrayal of trust that many attributed to the untimely death of Edward Schultz and never forgotten.

In the 1860s, both German families immigrated to the United States after the Civil War to take advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862. They settled in Green County, Wisconsin, and each homesteaded 160 acres north of Mings Road, a mile or so south of Monroe. Both families met for the first time on a steamship ocean liner, the SS Adolphine, that sailed from Liverpool, England, across the Atlantic Ocean to Ellis Island in New York Harbor. The fact that the families were from the same country aboard a ship of multinational immigrants gave them a sense of trust and comfort as they planned their new farming adventures together. The Schultz family had a friend who was already homesteading in Green County and writing encouraging letters to them, so their destination was clear from the get-go. The Abley family joined them in this enterprise.

After they claimed the land and settled in, both families worked hard to survive by clearing the land, planting wheat, learning English, and helping each other prosper. The farms were worked, managed, and handed down from generation to generation. After the wheat boom failed in the 1870s, both families turned to dairy farming, sending their milk to nearby homestead cheese factories.

In 1925, George Abley, a first-generation immigrant, aged forty-five, grew tired of farming. He learned that Chicago people were paying good money to stable and board horses in Illinois and Wisconsin. He made a risky decision, much to the chagrin and consternation of his wife, Althea. He plowed ahead with all the passion and fortitude needed to realize his dream. With financial help from the bank and his entire savings, he built a red ten-stall barn big enough to give riding lessons and to exercise horses. He got permission from the adjacent landowners to create a riding trial along fence lines. He had enough pasture to sustain twenty horses: ten boarded horses and ten riding horses.

The horse ranch looked impressive from Mings Road. East of the stables was a white freshly painted two-story farmhouse with a big front porch, and east of that was a small Jonathan apple orchard. Two years later, after all this prep work ended, he advertised in the Chicago Tribune, and his horse ranch was an immediate success. His wife named the ranch Sunrise Riding Stables. George was making more money boarding horses and giving riding lessons than he ever did farming. He desperately wanted to expand his business to increase his wealth. To do that, he needed to acquire more land. The only logical place to expand was to buy adjacent farmland from his neighbor, Edward Schultz.

Ed Schultz—along with his wife, Helen—watched with interest as George Abley built his horse ranch business. He tried to remain on friendly terms with George, but George got too cocky and prideful with his success and never let Ed forget what a genius he was. When George approached him about buying some of his land, Ed refused him. He told George that it was a business decision, nothing more. Ed needed the land to sustain his farm, and if he let any of it go, it could ruin him financially. George refused to listen and kept raising the price he was offering, even when it exceeded market value. An underlying resentment set in that fractured a relationship between the two families going back over fifty years.

When the Depression took the nation into an economic tailspin in the 1930s, Ed Schultz was in danger of losing the farm. In 1935, at the height of the Depression, he tried negotiating with the bank to extend his mortgage but to no avail. Times were tough. George approached Ed with a lifeline proposition. George would buy forty acres with the understanding that after the Depression, he would sell the acreage back to Ed plus interest. Ed had no other choice and sold off the forty acres, which George immediately turned into pasture so he could board more horses. What surprised George was that the Depression didn’t seem to deter the rich people from Chicago, and he personally prospered when his neighbors were losing their farms.

After the Depression ended, Ed Schultz got back on his feet financially. He saved enough money to buy back the forty acres. When he approached George with the money, George refused to sell him the land. Ed got white-hot mad over the betrayal and tried to sue him, but without the proper documentation, a handshake agreement was worthless. The whole experience took its toll on Ed’s health. He died in 1950 from heart failure, aged sixty-two. His whole family blamed George Abley and the mistreatment he received at the hands of the Abley family.

After Ed Schultz passed, his wife and two young daughters rented out the remaining 120 acres of farmland and the farmhouse and moved into Monroe. Ed and Helen had two daughters, twins, Jean and Margaret, who was also called Mimi after a distant cousin. With the money Ed had saved to buy back the acreage, his wife bought a house in the 700 block of Twenty-First Avenue. It was a gabled three-story exaggerated Queen Anne–style house built in 1905 for Judge J. L. Sherron. The Schultz family lived there comfortably. Helen filled the house with antique furniture, a passion of hers.

The twins, both excellent students, graduated from Monroe High School. Jean attended the University of Wisconsin, Platteville. She married Bob Hartwig and lived in Monroe, working at the First National Bank. They had one daughter, Ruth, born in 1950, the same year her grandfather died. Mimi attended the University of Wisconsin and received her RN in nursing. After graduation, she relocated to Milwaukee and worked for the Deaconess Hospital. Mimi never married. Helen died in 1964 from cancer. In her will, Helen left the homesteaded farm and house to both girls with the stipulation that if one of the girls died first, the property would go to the surviving child. Jean and Mimi rented out the house on Twenty-First Avenue and continued to receive the farm rental income, which they shared on a fifty-fifty basis.

Then in February of this year, 1976, Jean and her husband were tragically killed in a black ice multi-vehicle accident on State Highway 69, north of New Glarus. Mimi immediately left Milwaukee to comfort her niece, Ruth, through this difficult period of putting her life back together. To everyone’s surprise, Mimi decided to stay in Monroe, and the renters of the family home moved out. The furnished house was filled with antiques that survived in good shape during the rental. Mimi was grateful for good renters who respected the house and its furnishings. She had been living there now for six months.

George and Althea Abley had only one child who survived, a daughter, Doris. The other pregnancies never made it to full term. They thought of baby Doris as a gift from God. Doris grew up around horses, and George doted on her and taught her the business, being that she was his only heir. Doris attended grade school and high school with the Schultz twins and competed against them academically and in extracurricular activities. The rift between the two families played out with the competitiveness of the girls. Bragging rights were very important. Much to the dismay of Doris, she never bested the twins in anything. Mimi was the valedictorian of her graduating class, and her sister, Jean, was the salutatorian. Doris’s class ranking was embarrassing low.

During this time, George Abley constantly pressured Helen Schultz to sell him the remaining 120 acres. Helen wouldn’t speak to him and never returned any of his phone calls. After her death in 1964, George tried to coerce Jean into selling him the land. Just like her mother, Jean talked it over with Mimi and refused to sell. If George had only attempted to be contrite about the way he had treated Ed Schultz and the family in the original land deal, he may have had a chance to buy the acreage, but his stubborn pride prevented him from doing so. Mimi said he had a diseased ego.

The tension between the two families accelerated over the years, to the point that they wouldn’t even acknowledge one another when meeting on the historic courthouse square. After George died from alcoholism in 1966 and Althea’s death from a heart attack the following year, Doris inherited the horse ranch and continued to run it. Doris was briefly married and had a daughter, Mary, born in 1952. Doris reverted back to her maiden surname of Abley after the divorce. Mary never forgave her mother for ending the marriage and her father moving to Colorado, where he remarried and started a new family. In fact, Doris and Mary didn’t see eye to eye on much of anything. They both had very strong opposing opinions and personalities.

Then in early August, Mimi came to Brian to draw up a transfer deed of the 120 acres to Doris. Brian was astounded, to say the very least, given the family history. Mimi was actually selling the land to Doris after all this time. What changed? The price of the land that Mimi was asking was reasonable. He called Doris, and she confirmed that she had agreed to the terms. Never in his lifetime did he expect this outcome after so many years of hard feelings. After Jean died, Mimi had the sole power of attorney to sell the land. So he contacted Mimi’s niece, Ruth, as to what she thought, and she was okay with the sale. He researched the title abstracts and got the necessary paperwork together for the sale. The whole transaction was coming together this afternoon at three o’clock at Mimi’s house.

Mimi’s home was located only four blocks from the law office, so Brian decided to walk. It was a picture-perfect day, with the temperatures in the mid-eighties, low humidity, slight northwest breezes, and clear blue skies with a few wispy clouds. He stopped in front of the house and admired the unique architectural design. The house faced west on Twenty-First Avenue. Climbing up the steps to the covered front porch, he rang the door chimes, eager to get an inside view of this remarkable home.

Peggy Jordan answered the door and invited him in. He stood briefly in the entrance foyer and then followed Peggy into the reception hall. This was where Judge Sherron greeted and consulted with his clients seventy years earlier. The hall was big enough for his desk and a couple of comfortable chairs. Nine-foot ceilings and white oak hardwood floors extended throughout the house. A maple staircase along the north wall climbed to the second floor, where four bedrooms and a bathroom were located. Polished oak trim was everywhere, crown molding, wainscoting, and hot water radiators giving the historic home the cozy feeling of a posh, elegant, turn-of-the-century house. To the right, through an arched doorway, was the living room. A velvet curtain divider was hung there when needed to lend privacy to the reception hall.

Peggy led Brian into the living room, and Mimi offered him a cup of coffee and freshly baked rhubarb muffins that she had made earlier that morning. She had a small garden with lots of pie plants, the early pioneer settlers’ name for rhubarb. Peggy told him that Doris called and said she would be twenty minutes late. Mimi went upstairs to her bedroom to get ready. Brian asked Peggy how her parents were.

They are doing well, she responded. Thanks for asking.

Brian seated himself on a flowered antique sofa and watched Peggy as she left him to retrieve what she called the fika, a Swedish term for coffee and treats that she had learned while touring Sweden with her church group. Peggy was twenty-four years old, petite, with long chestnut-colored hair tied up in a bun and average looks with a sweet smile. She had the body of an adolescent child—small breasts and barely standing five feet and four inches tall.

Glancing around the living room, he noticed a fireplace in the northeast corner of the room with framed family photos sitting on the mantel. The walls were covered in faded wallpaper with bird designs. The walls were slightly curved in, keeping with the architectural design of the house. The tall open windows had lace curtains covering them that gently moved with the breeze. An antique Victorian lady’s chair covered with gold-colored floral brocade upholstery sat opposite Brian in all its finery. A chiming pendulum clock hung on the south wall with a pleasant tick-tock sound as it announced the passing minutes and hours. A marble bust of Abraham Lincoln stood on top of an antique painted pillar that was located on the opposite wall from the fireplace.

Peggy returned with the coffee and muffins on a silver serving tray and placed it on the coffee table in front of Brian. Brian thanked her and added a splash of cream to his cup of coffee. He took a sip. Peggy took hers black and sat down in a high-backed cushioned chair across from Brian.

Suddenly, Mimi rushed into the room. Where in the hell is Doris? she exclaimed.

No one said anything. They both stared at her. Mimi was fifty years old, tall with short blonde hair parted on the side and blue eyes. She was wearing a light green cotton summer dress and open-toed sandals. A look of disgust crossed her face. There was a radio sitting on a sideboard table on the south wall, and Mimi turned it on. The station was playing rock ’n’ roll music, which seemed to calm her down.

Peggy spoke up. Remember, Mimi. Doris called, and I answered the telephone. She said she would be late.

Mimi had a disgusted look on her face. After all this time, she finally got her lifelong wish to buy the rest of the land her father cheated us out of, and she is late! Did she say why she would be late when she telephoned? Mimi asked Peggy.

Peggy shook her head. No, only that she was running late.

Brian was totally focused on Mimi’s face. This isn’t going to go well, he thought. Where are we going to sign the papers? he asked.

Mimi pointed to the dining room table located through a pocket door east of the living room. We can sit at the dining room table. There is plenty of room there, and we can be quick about it.

Would you like a cup of coffee? Peggy asked her.

Mimi shook her head and paced around the living room like a caged animal.

How did you and Mimi get acquainted? Brian asked Peggy to soften the atmosphere in the room.

After Jean’s funeral, we went to Baumgartner’s for a couple of beers and talked for hours about the Abley family. I knew them quite well, being that my former boyfriend married into the family.

Peggy’s voice trailed off. Brian immediately realized he was treading on thin ice and remained quiet. Mimi wasn’t listening to their conversation.

Ah, there she is, Mimi suddenly announced, looking out the front picture window.

She saw Doris pull up and park in front of the house. She bounded up the steps to the porch and rang the doorbell. Peggy jumped up to answer it.

I am so sorry I am late, Doris said upon entering the living room. I got held up at the bank.

She took a check out of her purse and waved it at them. Brian could see that she was nervous and slightly trembling. A certain awkwardness permeated the room. Mimi just stared at her, saying nothing. Doris was fifty years old, but from the wrinkles in her drawn face, she looked much older. She was short, stocky, and overweight, with gray accents in her brown hair. She was wearing a light-colored yellow cotton dress that looked one size too small.

I am ready to sign, Doris said to break the silence.

Brian and Peggy stood up, getting ready to go into the dining room.

Mimi remained silent. The only sound in the room was the radio blaring rock ’n’ roll songs. I have just one more thing to clear up before I sign, Mimi said above the noise of the radio. Doris, I want to talk to you privately. Come with me to my bedroom for a quiet talk.

Mimi turned and walked to the reception hall and climbed the staircase leading to her bedroom. Doris had a quizzical look on her face but followed her.

Brian looked at Peggy. What is that all about? he asked.

Peggy shrugged. They sat down.

Brian grabbed a muffin and took a bite. Delicious, he told Peggy.

They waited in silence.

The next sound they heard was Doris flying down the staircase in a huff. Her face was red; she was sweating and profusely cursing. Without stopping to retrieve her purse, she shoved open the front door, ran to her car, jumped in, and sped off, squealing her tires. Brian and Peggy hurried to the porch and watched her car disappear around the corner.

What the hell? Brian exhaled.

They waited for Mimi to come down with an explanation. After a few long moments, when she didn’t come down, they went upstairs to Mimi’s bedroom. The door was closed. Brian knocked on the door—no response.

Mimi, are you okay? Brian shouted through the door.

There was still no response. He turned the door handle and looked in.

Oh my god! he exclaimed and rushed into the room.

Mimi was lying prone on the floor in a puddle of blood under her right ear. Brian felt for a pulse. She was dead. Brian jumped up and raced downstairs and called the police. Then he went outside on the porch and waited for them to arrive. He nervously paced around on the front porch. Peggy joined him. They didn’t say anything to each other. They were both in shock.

CHAPTER 2

M onroe Police Chief Brandon Johns had just returned to his office after meeting with the Cheese Days Committee. The meeting took three hours and was exhausting for him. He sat comfortably behind his desk, reflecting on his afternoon.

The meeting took place in Monroe’s historic courthouse, located in the middle of the square. The Cheese Days weekend celebration was the third weekend in September, only four weeks away. The anxiety was already building with the different committee chairs. Since this was the country’s bicentennial year, the parade marshal thought it appropriate to lift up a patriotic theme with the parade floats. Everyone agreed. The promotions committee had ordered tea towels, beanies, buttons, coins, and wooden Swiss dollars for sale as souvenirs. A replica of the White House in miniature would be available for viewing at the telephone company. Tours of the Chalet Cheese Factory were scheduled. The Cheese Days king and queen had been out touring and promoting the weekend celebration that began in 1914, lifting up the proud tradition of cheese making in Green County and Monroe.

Chief Johns reported on the security measures that his department were taking to ensure a safe and fun-filled weekend. He estimated that a crowd in excess of one hundred thousand visitors would descend on Monroe—an eye-popping number, to be sure. Over a hundred volunteers had been enlisted to make sure the weekend was a huge success. The meeting was long but productive. Johns didn’t see any questionable issues in the planning and hoped that Mother Nature would cooperate with sunny blue skies and moderate temperatures.

Except for the anticipation and planning for Cheese Days, things in Monroe had been relatively quiet and peaceful from a public safety point of view. Det. Samantha Gates had taken the afternoon off to be with her daughter, Karin, three years old. It was hard to believe that Karin was already three. Time certainly flew. It seemed like only yesterday that Sam announced to the police department that she was pregnant. Sam was married to Drew Nelson, a physical therapist at