Free A Plain Malice: An Appleseed Creek Mystery (Appleseed Creek Mystery Series Book 4) by Amanda Flower

the pickup, she gripped the handles of her roll bag as if her life depended on it.
    Pearl and I entered the lobby that was also decked out in spring flowers. By the door, a bouquet of pink hyacinths sat in a bowl-shaped vase. A massive river stone fireplace was the focal piece and dominated one wall. The walls were butter yellow and the carpet was cream and charcoal. The carpet repeated the silhouette of an Amish buggy within a two by two diamond. I was afraid that if I stared at it for too long the buggies on the carpet would begin to spin and cause motion sickness.
    A plump Amish woman with strawberry blonde hair peeking out from under her bonnet and reading glasses hanging from her neck smiled at us from behind the curved wooden registration desk. Beside her was an Amish girl close to Ruth’s age. The girl held an enormous orange Persian cat in her arms. Chief Rose was on the other side of the counter and jabbed a fist into her left hip. “Are you a mind reader, Humphrey?”
    “No,” I replied.
    “I was just about to call you and ask you bring Mrs. Kennerwell to the inn.”
    Pearl tightened her grip on her roll bag. “Do you need me for something, Officer?”
    The chief’s face softened when she looked at Pearl. “I do. Officer Riley is upstairs searching Dudley’s room. We would like to go into your room and search Ruby’s things with your permission.”
    Tears gathered in Pearl’s eyes. “Yes, I suppose that will be all right.” She swallowed. “I am in number eight just down the hall.”
    “Can we go there now?” the chief asked.
    Pearl looked to me.
    “Do you want me to come with you?”
    She nodded.
    I followed Chief Rose and Pearl down a short hall to the left of the lobby. The elevator binged and opened as we passed it. I blinked , the teenaged Amish boy, whom I saw at the Troyer farm that morning stepped out of the elevator, carrying a basket of folded towels. I stopped, and the boy looked at me quizzically.
    Chief Rose and Pearl were halfway down the hall.
    “Didn’t I see you at the Troyer farm this morning?” I asked the boy.
    He stared at me but said nothing.
    “Humphrey, are you coming?” the chief asked.
    I turned to look at the chief. By the time, I looked back at the teenager, he and his basket were gone. I hurried to catch up with Pearl and the chief.
    Officer Riley stood outside of Pearl’s door.
    “Pearl,” the chief said. “Can you unlock the door for us?”
    Pearl’s hands shook as she put the old fashioned key into the lock. The end the key slipped off the metal.
    I took the key from her hand and unlocked the door. The door swung in. The room was a simple and clean space with white cotton curtains, two twin beds, and small attached bathroom. The highlight of the room was the tiny patio off the back that led to the garden. The patio faced west, so Pearl could watch the sunset over the Kokosing.
    Chief Rose and Officer Riley entered the room first.
    “Which bed and suitcase belonged to Ruby?” Chief Rose asked.
    Pearl pointed to the far bed, closest to the French doors.
    Officer Riley pulled latex gloves out of his back pocket and set Ruby’s suitcase on the bed. He unzipped the back and began to methodically rifle through the contents.
    Pearl wrung her hands. “I ’ll wait in the lobby. This is more difficult for me than I thought it would be.”
    “No problem,” the chief said and looked at me.
    I curved an arm around Pearl’s shoulders and led her from the room.
    Pearl sniffled. “Thank you, Chloe. You are very kind.”
    When we reentered the lobby, the Amish woman, girl, and cat were still behind the registration desk. The teenaged boy was nowhere to be seen.
    I parked Pearl on the sofa in front of the fireplace and approached the desk. “ Would it be possible to get Pearl a cup of tea?”
    The woman with the strawberry blonde hair nodded. “Ivy,” she said to the girl, who I assumed was her daughter because she had the same color hair, “Go make Mrs.