Missing with Bonus Material: The Secrets of Crittenden County, Book One Read Online Free PDF Page B

catch your death.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he murmured, glad for a little more time to collect his thoughts.
    And to throw out the detective’s card. The detective might want more information, but Walker knew one thing for certain—if he never talked to the man again . . . why, it would still be too soon.

Chapter 4
    “Sure, I’d thought Perry had jumped the fence. Where else would I have thought he’d gone?”
    J ACOB S CHROCK
    O ne of the best things about her parents, Lydia decided, was that they always gave her time to relax after work. When she walked into the house after spending most of the day on her feet in a warm greenhouse, her mother would greet her. And here she was now, with a plate of chocolate chip cookies, a tall glass of lemonade, and her book.
    “Go rest for a while, dear. I heard you had a busy day at the greenhouse.”
    “I sure did,” she said around her first bite of cookie. Looking at the kitchen, with the smooth wood plank floors and the butcher-block table that had once been her grandmother’s, Lydia tried to concentrate on happier things instead of the detective’s visit. “Everyone was coming in for seedlings. Daed and I must have sold forty perennials before noon.”
    Her mother picked up a bowl of sugar snap peas and started shelling them. “That’s gut news, jah ? We worked hard to get those seeds to do their jobs. I’m thankful to them.”
    Lydia couldn’t resist smiling at her mother’s soft look of pleasure. “Oh, Mamm. You always do talk about the plants as if they have feelings.”
    “Oh, I know they don’t have feelings,” her mother retorted quickly as she shelled another peapod. “But I know they are workin’ hard for us. I want to give them their due. It’s only right, jah ?”
    “Of course. I just wish I’d inherited your gift for coaxing the best out of plants. I’m afraid my talents only revolve around selling them.”
    Her mother stilled, a funny look on her face. “What ‘gift’ are you talking about, Lydia?”
    Lydia down the half-eaten cookie. “You know what I mean. Everyone is supposed to inherit traits from their parents. For some reason, your green thumb skipped me and jumped right to the other kids.” When her mother looked at her strangely, Lydia began to grow uncomfortable. “I’m just teasing ya, Mamm.”
    “My talking to plants is just a silly habit. It’s certainly nothing to wish for.”
    She didn’t understand why her mother was so touchy about the subject. “Oh, I know,” she said airily. “It was just an observation.”
    “You’d do better to observe other things, child,” she said as she carried the bowl to the sink. “I think you must be shlayfadich . Go outside and rest.”
    Lydia wasn’t the least bit sleepy, but she didn’t argue. “All right. I’m on my way.” Pausing at the door, she added, “I’ll promise to do my best to listen to the plants while I’m sitting out here. Maybe even report back to you what I hear.”
    “Oh, you. You are a terrible daughter,” her mother said, her cheeks turning rosy, the hint of a smile on her face. “I should know better than to talk to you about the plants.”
    Lydia was still chuckling as she left her mother at the stove, then walked out of the kitchen.
    “Enjoy yourself, maidle, ” her mother said as Lydia opened the screen door and walked outside.
    Because the ground was so wet and muddy, she carefully took the steppingstones toward the back garden. They were spaced a little far apart for her stride, so she stepped slowly. The slower pace let her breathe deep and find peace in the glory that surrounded her.
    Why, in another month, the garden would smell like heaven and be full of vivid colors. At the moment, however, it was merely a sunny spot with the barest rosebuds on the bushes.
    Lydia sat down on the damp bench and sipped her lemonade. Little by little, she pushed aside the conversation with her mother and let a true sense of peace filter through her. As much