“Has Hudson been in a foul mood the entire trip?”
She thought about this for a moment. “No, I wouldn’t say that. In fact, our last night in Lancaster he seemed almost giddy. I had wondered if maybe he’d taken a nip.”
“A nip?” I asked.
“Drank liquor,” she whispered.
“Ahh.” I nodded. “What did he do that made you think that?”
“He was just so cheerful I couldn’t imagine what else could have made him so happy. Hudson is a grouchy soul. It’s hard for me to understand those types of people. Life is too short to be in a bad mood, you know?”
“What made you think he was in a good mood?”
Her false eyelashes hit her cheekbones when she blinked. “Well, he said hello to me with a big smile and then held the elevator for me. Hudson is not the sort of man who holds the elevator for a lady.” She tipped her chair forward again. “And he whistled while we were in the elevator. It was a bright cheerful tune. I was relieved when the elevator reached my floor. Hudson’s cheerfulness made me uncomfortable.” She shivered.
“Did you see Hudson with anyone that night?”
“No. When he wasn’t on the bus, he was alone. He never joined us on any of the excursions, but I imagine he had seen them all before on other trips. I think I remember Dudley saying the Amish Country tour was one Blue Suede did three times a year.”
“Did you know Ruby before coming on the trip?” I asked.
“Ruby?” She cocked her head. “I never met her before the day the bus left Mississippi. Tupelo isn’t that big of a city, but it’s large enough not to know everyone.” She frowned. “She was a kind lady. It’s a real shame what happened, but I know she had a heart condition.”
It was my turn to tip my chair. “You did? How did you know that?”
“She told us. She told everyone who would listen. Ruby was a talker. You know the type. She never met an ear she didn’t want to yap in.”
I settled back into my chair. “When you said, she told everyone, who do you mean?”
“Everyone on the bus. When you get old sometimes all you feel you have to talk about are your ailments and your grandchildren. Ruby didn’t have any grandbabies, so I guess that left her only with her ailments. You’ll understand when you’re older.”
Something to look forward to.
“What did she say about her heart condition? Did she go into a lot of detail?”
“Oh my, yes, I can’t say I remember what she said about it other than she had one.” She lowered her voice. “I tuned her out after a while.”
“Ellie, thank you so much for mailing those packages,” Raellen said as they appeared in the hallway. “I don’t know what I could have done if I had to leave that set of Depression glass here. I’ve been a collector for years.”
“It should be waiting at your doorstep by the time you’re back home.” Ellie patted her arm. “I hope you all enjoy your visit in our little county.”
“It’s been lovely,” Raellen said. “Discounting the tragedy, of course.”
Ellie’s eyes slid my way. “Of course.” She said her goodbyes and left me with the two southern women.
LeeAnne stood. “Ready to eat, Raellen?”
Raellen slowly stood from her rocking chair. “I’m starved.”
I checked the read out on my cell phone. It was exactly two o’clock. “You two haven’t eaten yet?”
“Shopping before snacks. That’s our motto,” Raellen said.
“That’s right,” LeeAnne agreed. “Would you like to join us, Miss Chloe?”
I shook my head. “I should go check on Hudson and the other guests.”
LeeAnne smiled. “You’re such a wonderful hostess. I wish we could have had you from the beginning.”
Raellen nodded. “Dudley was the worst.”
Whoever killed him must have agreed.
Chapter Ten
“Chloe!” Becky ran up to me just outside of the dining room. Tears were in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I didn’t have to ask her what she meant. “Becky, I—”
“I deserve to know.” She stood in front of me in her Young’s uniform: a plain navy blue dress and black apron with white stitching with the restaurant’s name on one of the apron pockets. She looked every bit the sweet Amish girl from the neck down. Her white-blonde hair brushing her shoulders belied the decision she made to leave the Amish way. “It’s my family.”
“I know, I know. I’m so sorry. I wanted to call you. I thought of it, but then I got caught up with Chief Rose…” I knew it wasn’t an excuse.
“So I have to hear about it while I’m waiting tables?” A tear slid down her flawless cheek. Becky was a good five inches taller than me and had the frame of a prima ballerina. She had no idea how beautiful she was. Aaron, who I spotted over her shoulder watching Becky from the host’s podium, did.
“I’m sorry, Becky.”
“I could have been there to help.” Another tear rolled down her cheek.
I winced. Becky coming out to the farm was precisely why I didn’t call her. I didn’t want her father to associate her with the incident. Their relationship was already rocky enough. I knew it would heal. If I could mend my relationship with my father, then I knew there was hope for Becky and Mr. Troyer.
“Is it true? Do the police really believe my father could have killed those people?”
A couple waiting in line to be seated at the restaurant gasped and shuffled away with their two children in tow.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and guided her to a quiet corner of the gift shop where oak shelves held packages of dry Amish noodles and popcorn kernels.
“He would never do that,” Becky insisted.
We sat on a bench beside the noodles. “Shh, shhh,” I said. “The guests are watching you.”
She raised her voice. “I don’t care if they are.”
“Becky, I don’t think Chief Rose believes your dad did anything wrong. She put me on the bus with the people from the bus tour. Their guide was one of the two people who died. The other person was an elderly woman.”
She wiped at her face. “So, she wants you to drive them around town in a bus?”
“I’m not driving.” I dropped my voice to a whisper. “Chief Rose wants me there more to gather information.”
“Oh.” Her mouth formed a circle, and some of the hurt in her eyes cleared away. “What does Timothy think about that?”
I frowned. “He didn’t argue against it.”
“I know my brother. He’s against it,” she said. “How can I help? Do you think I should go to the farm?”
I didn’t know, but I knew from my own experience sometimes staying away was worse because it’s so much harder to reach out to someone after hours, days, or even weeks have passed. “If you want, I will go with you.”
She gripped my hand. “Thank you, Chloe.”
“So you really are friendly with the locals,” a voice said from behind.
I turned to find Hudson glowering at us.
I gritted teeth. “Becky, this is Hudson. He’s the bus driver. Hudson, this is my friend Becky.”
Hudson folded his arms. “We leave in thirty minutes. The geriatrics are shuffling back to the bus. You’d better get over there to supervise.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
He waited.
“You want me to come right now?”
“I’ll meet you on the bus.” He stalked away.
“You have to stay on the bus with that guy?” Becky asked.
I gave her a wry smile. “Are you envious of me of being stuck on the tour bus with him?”
She giggled.
“You said you heard about the incident while waitressing. Was the staff talking about it?”
She shook her head. “A couple from the bus was discussing it. When they spoke of the two people dying on an Amish farm, I asked where the farm was.” She frowned. “I know Ellie doesn’t like me to spend t
hat much time chatting with the guests, but they enjoy it. When I asked, I never thought, I never imagined, it was my farm. I knew you were going there today for a bus tour, but I didn’t put it together until they said it was a dairy farm. They said dad’s milk killed those people.”
I scooted away from her on the bench, so I could have a clear view of her face. “Did they say anything else?”
She thought for a moment. “They said the two women bickered a lot during the trip.” She nodded. “Yes, they said that, and Pearl—I think they said the name Pearl—was probably sorry she didn’t have someone to bicker with any longer.”
“Did the couple say who they were?”
Becky shook her head.
“What did they look like?”
“They were a black couple.”
Most of the passengers on the bus were white, but there were three African Americans, one being LeeAnne. I pulled the itinerary out of the back pocket of my jeans. On the backside of the itinerary there was a list of all the guests’ names. I had met everyone on the list except Earl Kepler and Duke and Doris Kite.
I patted Becky’s arm. “I’m sorry. I messed up. I should have called you right away.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“Why don’t you talk to Ellie about going home early?”
She shook her head.
“All right. Then, I will see you later I had better go see about the bus passengers.” I removed Timothy’s pickup keys from my pocket. “Timothy is around here somewhere. Can you give them to him?”
She dropped the keys in her apron pocket.
At twenty until three, Hudson had the bus at the curb in front of the restaurant. All of the passengers were already aboard.
“What took you so long?” he asked.
I guessed it was Hudson’s idea of a greeting. “I told everyone to be back on the bus at three. They’re early.”
“This is an early to bed, early to rise crowd. Always assume that they need less time than you give them. They want to go to the inn and take off their orthopedic shoes.”
“Thanks for the advice,” I muttered.
Hudson smiled. “You’re welcome.” He handed me the mic. “Now, hit it and entertain the masses.”
I took the microphone from his hand with a grunt.
At the inn, Gertie handed me her roll bag as she disembarked. “Careful with that. It has my jerky.”
Melinda shook her head as she took the bag from me.
I consulted the itinerary again while they made their way to the entrance. “You will have dinner here at the inn tonight at six in the dining room.”
Fred scowled. “Why doesn’t this place have cable? I want to watch the game. We got in too late last night for me to complain.”
I wondered if there was a specific game Fred wanted to watch or any game would do. I couldn’t remember if I even saw a television in Pearl’s room earlier in that day. “It’s an Amish inn.”
“It’s ridiculous.”
His wife Nadine trilled in laughter. “Oh, Fred, don’t be such a grumpypuss.”
To me, it looked like Fred was a professional grumpypuss.
Jane answered questions at the desk, and Ephraim stood nearby, alert and ready to help the guests with their every need. When he saw me, he slipped away again. I frowned and debated too long about going after him.
I slipped away to check on Pearl before I left. I knocked on the door. There was no answer. “Pearl? It’s Chloe. I just wanted to say good-bye. I’m leaving for the day.”
Still nothing. Was she asleep?
I hurried down the stairwell to the first floor to find Fred arguing with Jane about the lack of televisions in the inn. “Do you have cable in your part of the inn?”
Jane’s friendly smile waned. “Cable?”
“Yes, for a tele-a-vision.” He said the word extra slow as if he thought she didn’t know what he meant.
I balled my hands into fists.
Jane’s smile resurfaced, and her Pennsylvania Dutch accent became more pronounced. “What is this television you speak of? I don’t know what you mean?”
Fred’s mouth fell open. “What kind of backwoods place is this?”
Jane forced a smile. “You are staying at an Amish inn, and our life is plain.”
He pointed a finger at her. “Who are you kidding? This place is lit up like a Christmas tree with electric lights. How Amish is that?”
“Would you like me to turn the lights off, Sir?” Jane asked.
Gertie poked her head between Fred and Nadine at the counter. “Make due, Fred. I don’t have Wi-Fi.”
Nadine placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Oh, Fred, she knows what a television is. She’s just teasing you. Aren’t you, Jane?”
Nadine and Jane shared a conspiratorial wink, and my fists unclenched at my sides. “I’ve seen them at Wal-Mart,” Jane said.
Fred picked up his roll bag and stomped away from the desk. Nadine shouted out apologies as she hurried behind him.
I placed my hands on the counter. “Do you know where Pearl is?”
She looked confused.
“The lady who I brought here earlier today. I went upstairs to check on her and she didn’t answer her door.”
Jane stacked papers on the counter. “I know who you mean. You can’t find her because she’s checked out.”
I flattened my hands on the dark wood countertop. “Checked out?”
The travelers waiting for the elevator stared at me in concern.
I lowered my voice. “How could you let her do that?”
Jane blinked at me. “What do you mean I let her? She paid for her night here even though she didn’t stay. It wasn’t like I could tie her down and tell her not to leave. If a guest pays, I don’t ask questions.”
“Where did she go? She doesn’t know anyone here and could get lost?”
She slid the papers in a manila folder. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
“How did she leave here? On foot? She didn’t have a car. We are still a few miles from town.” Worry for Pearl’s safety grew in the pit of my stomach.
“I called her a cab.”
“A cab. Appleseed Creek has a cab?”
“The cab company was from Mount Vernon.”
“Can I see her room?” I asked.
Jane frowned. “It’s already been cleaned for the next guest.”
“Humor me, Jane. This elderly woman just lost her closest relative and doesn’t know a soul in Ohio. She’s traveling alone and scared.”
“Maybe I should have stopped her. She was determined to leave. I have to stay here while the other guests have questions. Can you check the room yourself?” She went to the back wall and selected one of the keys. She dropped it in my hand.
“Did she take her luggage with her?”
“Yes.” She pointed at her feet. “She left her cousin’s though. She asked me to have it loaded on the bus. It’s down here.”
I leaned over the counter and saw Cheetos sleeping on top of Ruby’s suitcase.
I held up the key. “I’ll bring this back as soon as I check the room.” I spun around and dashed down the hallway.
At Pearl’s room, I slid the key into the lock. The door swung open. The room was just as it appeared when Pearl and I arrived a few hours ago. Everything looked exactly the same as it had before with the exception of the absence of Pearl’s and Ruby’s luggage.
It should have occurred to me that this might happen. I kicked myself for leaving her on her own. Where would the cabby take her? All the way to the Columbus airport?
I slipped my Smartphone out of my jacket pocket, knowing what I had to do next. Chief Rose would not be pleased.
Chapter Eleven
“She left?” the police chief bellowed. “You shouldn’t have left her alone!”
I stood in a small corner of the lobby and held my phone away from my ear to avoid bursting my eardrum. “You told me to return to the bus.”
There was a pause. �
��Oh, right.” She ground her teeth. “She couldn’t have gone too far, and there are two taxis companies in Mount Vernon. I’ll have Nottingham track her down.”
“Do you think she ran out of guilt?” I hated that my voice sounded so hopeful, but someone to divert the investigation’s focus from Mr. Troyer was welcome.
“Nice try. Troyer’s father is still a suspect.”
I sighed. It seemed the chief had me figured out. I said good-bye and slipped my phone into my pocket. Now, all I wanted to do was go home. My car was still at the Troyers’ farm where I left it that morning, which seemed so long ago. I called Timothy.
There was a smile in his voice. “You need a lift?”
“Yes,” I said relieved.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
I waited in the flower garden to the right of the building, the early spring flowers: tulips, small Dutch irises, and more daffodils were in bloom. By June, the garden would be awash with colorful annuals and perennials. I touched the petal of a bright red tulip. It was hard to believe in August I would have lived in Appleseed Creek for one year. Originally I’d planned to be in and out of the rural town within that time. I took the job at Harshberger College because the position padded my résumé, which was heavy on degrees and low on work experience, and Harshberger was the only place that would hire me. Then, I met Becky and her brother Timothy, and my life changed. The thought of leaving made my heart ache.
A twig snapped to my left. I turned, grateful for the distraction from my black thoughts. A shadow moved near the corner of the inn.
Angry voices floated in my direction. “You’d better not be lying to me.” A male voice said.
I edged along the side of the building with only the tiniest needle of guilt tickling the back of my mind. I eavesdropped, yes, but I did it with the Appleseed Creek police chief’s blessing.
“There’s nothing to worry about. What happened won’t mess anything up,” the same voice said.
A Plain Malice: An Appleseed Creek Mystery (Appleseed Creek Mystery Series Book 4) Page 8