Room With a Clue (Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Not the pretty silver one? But, darling, the jewels in that handle are priceless. Perhaps we should go through everything. Heaven knows what that nasty little thief might have taken.” She hurried over to the dresser. “What on earth is the Pennyfoot coming to, hiring such riffraff? It never used to be like this when James was alive. Just goes to prove that women have no business trying to do men’s work.” Furiously she began sorting through her jewelry.
    *     *     *
    Phoebe stared at the empty basket, willing herself not to faint. It couldn’t be. Surely not. Henry was eighteen feet long. How could he have slithered across the yard without someone seeing him? Who had left the door open? Most important of all, where was Henry now?
    She felt a cold wave of panic sweep over her, and she swayed to and fro. No, she couldn’t faint. She had to find Henry before he found someone to feed on. Great merciful heavens, what was she going to do?
    Turning, Phoebe grabbed hold of the doorjamb to steady herself. She should tell someone. She couldn’t do this all alone. Cecily. No, Cecily would kill her. Mr. Baxter? No. She was terrified of Mr. Baxter. Besides, he’d insist on telling Cecily. Oh, God, Cecily would never trust her again.
    She began trotting across the yard, looking left and right, not really knowing where she was going. To make matters worse, a drop of rain plopped on her nose. Her best silk gown would be ruined, not to mention her hat. But that was the least of her worries for now.
    What if Henry actually ate someone? Would Phoebe be arrested? How would that look? The vicar’s mother, in prison for allowing a dangerous animal to escape. Oh, good Lord, she had to find that snake. And she needed help. Urgently.
    She needed to go to the lavatory. She didn’t have time to go to the lavatory. She’d have to hold it. She just hoped the rain would hold off.
    She reached the rose garden and let out a sigh of relief. There, crouched under a bright yellow rosebush, knelt the one man who could help her, the one man she could trust to keep her secret.
    With one whisper that a full-sized python was on the loose in the hotel grounds, pandemonium was assured. She had to find the dratted thing before anyone discovered her mishap.
    A low growl of thunder prodded her into action. She hurried forward, calling out the groundskeeper’s name in an urgent, fierce whisper. “John.
John!
You have to help me. Oh, please, you must help me.”
    He lifted his head as she approached, regarding her with anexpression of wary dismay. John Thimble tended to be reticent around people. He’d spent the better part of his sixty years avoiding women entirely.
    “John!” Phoebe gasped, clutching the sleeve of his shirt, “I really don’t know what I’m going to do. Oh, my. This is so bad for my heart. I hope I don’t faint.”
    John jumped to his feet so fast he nearly lost his balance. His look of alarm suggested he, too, passionately hoped she wouldn’t faint.
    Phoebe summoned her strength and held out pleading hands. “You simply must help me find him. I have no one else I can turn to.”
    He focused his eyes in the region of her large, flower-bedecked hat. “Now hold on, missus, hold on. What be the trouble, then?”
    “It’s Henry. He’s escaped!” The last word came out as a shriek, and Phoebe made a desperate attempt to calm herself. “We must find him. Heaven knows what he’ll do if someone treads on him. Mr. Sims assured me he was sluggish, but I mean, how docile can you expect him to be with a foot on his stomach?”
    John blinked. “Henry? I don’t think I be acquainted with him, missus.”
    Phoebe tilted her upper body forward and peered up at him from beneath the wide brim of her hat. “Henry is a snake,” she hissed. “A very big snake.”
    That got his attention. “A snake?”
    “Yes.” For heaven’s sake, did he have to repeat everything? “If we don’t find him right away, he could bite