Honey and Leonard Read Online Free Page A

out to the empty house, "this sounds like something out of The National Enquirer !"
    Little did she know how true that comment would become.
    The story read:
    Leonard Atkins was rushed to Wabash Memorial Hospital yesterday as technicians searched the home of Honey Waldrop for clues in an apparent case of poisoning.
    Mr. Atkins is a retired farmer from Wabash County and Ms. Waldrop is a highly regarded community leader in North Manchester. Mr. Atkins had been placed in the nursing home for memory issues, but The Herald has learned that the two have been living together in Ms. Waldrop's home for several months. He is 76 years old; she is 77.
    "They just had to put the ages in," Honey grumbled. She had always loved to see her name in the paper and it had been printed many times over the past fifty years as she led one charity event after another. This was the first time anyone had revealed her age. She knew the whole town was a-twitter over two older folks getting romantic, but this was really too much. Having the world know her age was almost as bad as being accused of attempted murder.
    The story continued:
    Wabash County Prosecutor, Karen Lindvall, said no charges have been filed in the case and stated Ms. Waldrop is not a suspect, but does remain a person of interest. Lab results from food and medicine and cosmetics removed from the home will not be available for at least two weeks, Lindvall stated.
    Wabash County Detective David Perkins would not comment on what kind of poisoning is involved in the case, nor would he comment on any possible motive.
    "Two weeks," Honey howled at the newspaper. "I'll be lynched in the town square by then. And Davey makes it sound like I've got some motive he can't talk about."
    Honey threw down the newspaper and got up to make herself some tea and oatmeal. All she could think about was Leonard. His favorite saying was, "Be happy with what you got." She could hear him saying it in her mind. She could see him too, handsome devil that he was. She could even smell him in her mind. He always smelled like Old Spice deodorant. Honey loved everything about that man.
    "Be happy with what you got," he loved to say. "That's the only way to be happy. Some folks, you could give them a million dollars and all they'd want is another million dollars. They can never be happy. The only way to be happy is to be happy with what you got.
    "Well, I'm not happy with what I've got," Honey said as she paced back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, wondering what in the world she was going to do.
    She paced until 8 a.m., plotting her next move. She knew what it would have to be. It was probably too early, but she dialed the number anyway.
    When the going gets tough, the wealthy call their stockbrokers.
    Surprisingly, she got Jim Tech on the phone and immediately poured her story out, beginning with, "They took Leonard away," and ending with, "I'll do anything to get him back."
    Tech knew something was seriously wrong as soon as Honey launched into her tale of woe without the usual social small talk as an introduction. She was a misplaced Southern belle, after all. Somewhere in her rambling and excited story, he heard the words "police" and "search warrant" and "poison."
    "Honey, slow down, please," he said. "Are you telling me the police got a warrant and searched your home because they think you might have poisoned Leonard?"
    "Yes," Honey sighed. "That's what I'm telling you."
    There was a long pause on the line. Honey waited for Tech's analysis, amazed he could so quickly get to the heart of her problem with one question.
    "Did you read the paper this morning?" she asked.
    "I don't take the North Manchester paper," he said. "Was it bad?"
    "Was it bad?" Honey cried. "I'm front page news like some triple-ax murderer."
    "Honey, Honey," Tech tried to calm her. "Settle down. It's going to be okay. You didn't kill anybody, did you?"
    "Jim, I can't take this. After all I've done for this town. How can they treat