Deaths of the Solitude Missionaries

By Saundra McKee

Two Mormon missionaries go missing near the peaceful community of Solitude, PA. Amateur sleuths Dana and Fannie stumble onto the bodies of the young men and begin to uncover secrets and set off a chain of events that on one could have predicted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saundra McKee
• Release date: Sep 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301495351

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.

Book preview

Deaths of the Solitude Missionaries by Sandy McKee (17th in the Amish Country Murder Mystery Series)

Published by Saundra McKee at Smashwords. Copyright 2012. Saundra Mckee

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.

Fall

Chapter 1

Monday

Solitude’s annual fall festival had depleted the refrigerated shelves at Sharon Switzer’s cheese shop. Her closest friends, Fannie and Dana, came by to help her restock. They agreed to enjoy some hot coffee and scones before getting to work. The three women had known each other since childhood and each knew everything that was worth knowing about the others. To say they were close was like saying that Barbara Streisand could sing. But to say they agreed on everything was another matter.

Dana noticed that Sharon had recently touched up her dark roots while admiring the impact of her latest Botox injections. Sharon still looked like the high school prom queen and seemed to fear old age more than most. Dana was grateful that good genes kept her dark curly hair from graying and her tanned skin from displaying many wrinkles except for the laugh lines around her kind blue eyes. As a member of the Old Order Amish, Fannie looked twenty years younger than her actual age. She attributed it to having a lot of kids and a loving husband who made every day a joy. Plus she claimed that never painting her face kept it more natural looking. Sharon disagreed while Dana was indifferent.

Sharon’s husband Bob was a retired state policeman who kept in touch with the local barracks and usually had the inside story on the infrequent crimes that took place in the scenic and peaceful western Pennsylvania hamlet. So, have you two heard the latest? asked Sharon while refilling the coffee mugs with her special roast. Bob said that a couple Mormon missionaries based in Pittsburgh haven’t been seen since Friday. Supposedly they were planning on going door to door in our area Friday morning.

Dana and Fannie shook their heads, waiting for Sharon to continue. She picked up a paper from the counter. Here’s a photograph that someone faxed to Bob. They are such handsome and clean cut guys and so young. They remind me of my grandson Tommy. Her voice caught, and then she continued. I really don’t know much about the Mormons, do you?

Fannie blew on her hot coffee before taking a sip. I know a little bit. Believe it or not, some people think that the Amish and Mormons are the same. We’ve both suffered persecution for our beliefs, but we like to stay apart from the outside world. Some of us like to call those outside our faith, English. I guess some Mormons use the term Gentiles for outsiders. The Mormons seem to be out there trying to recruit new members. I read that their numbers are surging due to their proselytizing. Our numbers grow because we have plenty of children and they tend to stay put.

Dana nodded. "I recently read that they are one of the fastest growing and largest religions. Supposedly, they convert over 60,000 people a day, but that’s hard to believe. I spent some time out in Salt Lake a few years back. Nice people, but some very unusual ideas about God, at least to me. I do hope they find those young men. I imagine they could get lost on some of our rural roads. After all these years, I