Misty's True Love (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 2) by Ruth Hartzler

all about, but you’re more than welcome to search
anything of mine if it might clear up this matter.” Misty knew that
she had nothing to worry about since she was innocent of any
crimes, but what was he searching for?
    Without hesitation, the sheriff nodded
and accepted her permission. “Did you bring anything with you to
the meeting earlier, anything at all?”
    “ I do not believe so,” she
replied, trying to remember if something was slipping her mind.
“Wait. I did take my purse, my purse.”
    As soon as the words had left her
lips, Sheriff Baker’s eyes grew wider. “Interesting. Would you
allow me to look inside it?”
    Misty wasn’t sure if ‘yes’ was the
correct response, so she glanced over at Indiana. Indiana smiled,
nodding to let her know that it was okay to give him permission.
Clearly she knew that it had to be a misunderstanding as well.
“Yes, of course. Anything you need,” she said.
    “ May I ask where it is?” he
asked.
    Misty believed that the sheriff would
find nothing out of place and leave if she willingly handed her
purse over to him. He was being very polite despite the seriousness
of the situation—but at the end of the day, he was there for the
wrong reasons, and the only way for her to send him on his way
without further issue was to prove that she was innocent of any
wrongdoing. “It’s right here,” she said, her hands trembling. She
picked up the purse that sat beside her leg and extended it toward
the sheriff.
    “ Thank you,” he replied,
studying the object closely. He paused briefly before opening it,
looking at both Misty and Indiana before doing so. Then, after he
had peered inside and moved a few things around, his face
immediately turned several shades paler. His hand slowly pulled a
foreign object from the purse, revealing it to be a lavish necklace
of sorts.
    “ What is that?” Misty said,
as her heart fell to her stomach. “How did it get in there?” Frozen
in fear, she looked back at Indiana, hoping she could somehow
explain what was going on. Instead, her friend seemed just as
confused and panicked as she was.
    The sheriff was silent for a few
moments as he closely examined the necklace. It shone brightly in
the light as he held it, its diamonds sparkling amongst the
emeralds that joined them. When his eyes met Misty’s once more, he
frowned and spoke softly. “May I ask where you got this
item?”
    Misty could feel the beads of sweat
trickling down her forehead as she thought about his inquiry. How
could she answer such a thing, considering that she had no idea? “I
wasn’t aware that I had it…”
    Suddenly, Indiana let out a long,
drawn-out sigh, interrupting the discussion temporarily. She then
leaned forward, glancing at Misty with an encouraging nod.
“Sheriff, we would be more than happy to discuss this matter, but
could you please tell us what this is all about? What is the
problem, and to whom does that necklace belong?”
    Sheriff Baker appeared reluctant to
pursue the matter, but his reluctance meant nothing in terms of the
law. “This necklace was reported missing earlier today by Miss
Rosamund Swire. That is where you were earlier today, is it not?”
he asked, his question clearly aimed at Misty.
    “ Yes,” she replied, nodding
as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.
    “ Then it’s as I had feared.
Miss Swire informed us that Miss Fields was at her house earlier
today for tea and was acting very peculiar the entire time.
According to the report, she acted suspiciously during the visit,
but it was only afterward when Miss Swire discovered that her
prized possession was missing.”
    “ Sheriff, are you implying
that she stole something from Miss Swire?” Indiana asked, standing
to her feet.
    Sheriff Baker followed suit, standing
up as he tried to calm her. “I understand your frustration, but I
am only regarding the evidence as I see it right now.
Unfortunately, it seem as if a theft might have
occurred.”
    “ A theft?”