Popcorn Thief Read Online Free Page B

she’d do their jobs so much better,
if only she’d gone into law enforcement instead of business.
    “I promise I won’t tell a soul,” Franklin assured her.
    “So this guy—Jackson, I think his name is—came
here to see about building a resort.”
    “Here?” Franklin scoffed. “There’s nothing here.” Katherinesville
was a historic town. It had its share of colonial buildings, and the third
floor of the eye clinic had been the old opera house and still showed plays.
But it wasn’t as fancy or preserved as the bigger towns, like Bardstown or
Harrodsburg. The countryside was pretty enough, but so was most of
Kentucky.  
    “Ah, but what if he diverted Wolf River?”
    “Could they do that?” Franklin asked, astonished. What would
happen to his taxes if the town became prosperous? Could he still afford to
live there, or buy the property next to his? “I sure hope they don’t.”
    “Well, that’s just the gossip,” Charlene said with a grin.
“Anyway, he met with some of the local bigwigs, like the Sorrels and the county
governor and the mayor. Then he wanted to poke around, get some of the ‘flavor’
of the area.”
    Franklin snickered. “Flavor. I’ll say.” Why did city folks
think places like Katherinesville were so quaint? When Charlene didn’t go on,
he added, “So what happened to him?”
    “He disappeared. Never made it to his plane. His rental car
wasn’t returned. He hasn’t checked his email, or called into his office.”
    “Couldn’t they find him on his phone or something?
Triangulate?” Franklin asked.
    “You been watching too many cop shows on TV. That only works
if there’s a signal. Can you get reception out in the middle of your field?”
    Franklin shook his head no .
He didn’t have a fancy, smart phone—as Mama had said, those things made
you dumb. But he did have a cell phone that he could use, when he remembered to
charge it. But Charlene was right—it was useless out in the middle of his
field.
    “So they can’t find him. Or track him. He’s just fallen off
the face of the earth. People are speculating that the deal he wanted to make
went bad.”
    “Or maybe not,” Franklin replied. “If he’s really that busy
and important, maybe he just wanted to take some time off.”
    “Maybe,” Charlene said, nodding. “But I bet there’s been
foul play.”
    “Now who’s been watching too much TV?” Franklin teased. He
stood up and gathered their bowls. “I appreciate the news,” he added. “But my
break’s about over.”
    As Franklin headed out, Charlene called after him, “You want
me to tell you if they bring a fancy crew out just to track one man?”
    “Sure thing,” Franklin said, though he had a better tracking
device than any of the equipment he saw on those shows on TV.
    He had his cousin Lexine.
    * * *
    Franklin tugged on his gloves and reached for the first head
of red leaf lettuce. Stocking lettuce wasn’t as bad as cleaning out the wet
rack where the lettuces was displayed, even if he didn’t like trimming leaves
off the heads, particularly when they were slimy. He kept his knife sharp, so
it was a bit easier.
    But he’d forgotten to turn off the sprayer, so of course,
the next time he reached back to set a head of lettuce in the wet rack his
glove and arm all got wet.
    “Dang it,” Franklin said under his breath so no one else
would hear. He didn’t have any paper towels on his cart, either. He marched
down to the end of the display and turned off the sprayer, then went back to
break room to pat down his arm.
    By the time he came back, Gloria stood there, smirking, as
two brothers, Mark and Louis, flung stringy, slimy lettuce cuttings at each
other.  
    “Mark! Louis!” Franklin bellowed.
    The boys stopped mid-throw and looked guilty. “We’re sorry
Mr. Kanly, sir,” Mark said as he realized that there were bits of slimy lettuce
on the floor, as well as dripping off the front of the vegetable case.
    “Don’t tell our mom,” Louis