The Cracked Pot Read Online Free Page A

microwave. He stabbed a meatball, ate it with rel ish, then asked, "Do you want one?"
    "How can you eat at a time like this?"
    "I can eat anytime," he said, "And if you want any of these, you'd better grab them now."
    "I've lost my appetite," I said as I stared out the back window. I could see bobbing lights in the yard, and from the look of things, the sheriff had every deputy in the county searching for the lost potter. I just hoped when he did turn up, he'd be able to tell us what had happened, and why.
     
     
    An hour later there was a tap on the door, and I jumped up to answer it. Sheriff Hodges looked upset, and I wondered what he'd found.
    "Is he dead?" I blurted out. Probably not the best thing to
    ask the sheriff, but it had been weighing heavily on my mind.
    "I have no idea. We couldn't find him."
    Bill was right behind me. "If you want to search the house, you're going to have to get a warrant."
    Hodges asked, "You'd actually make me do this the hard way? What are you hiding, Bill?"
    I wanted to intercede, but I knew from the set of my hus band's jaw that the best thing I could do was get out of the way.
    He wasn't even trying to keep his voice reasonable now. "I'm not hiding; I'm standing on my constitutional rights, and I'm telling you to your face. I'm not about to let you or anybody else bully me into doing something I don't want to do."
    "Fair enough. Then we'll have to do this my way. I'll be back in half an hour with a search warrant, and in the mean time, there will be a deputy sitting in your living room."
    "He can wait outside," Bill said.
    This had gone far enough. "You both need to grow up. Come in and get it over with," I said.
    "No," Bill snapped. "He's not going to parade in here acting like he owns the world."
    "Hang on a second, Sheriff," I said. "We'll be right back." I closed the door and looked at my husband. "What has gotten into you? It's a reasonable request."
    "I didn't like bullies in school, and I don't like them any better now. Carolyn, I'm surprised at you. I thought you de spised that man."
    "I'm the first to admit that I'm not his biggest fan, but he's got a job to do, and for once, it looks like he's actually trying to do it. If we get stubborn about this, we're costing the police time to make a more thorough search of the area. What if Potter is hurt, and he dies because nobody found him sooner just because we were posturing? How are you going to be able to sleep at night then?"
    Bill returned my stare, then lowered his gaze. "Let him in, then."
    "Not unless you agree to it, too. It's just as much your house as it is mine." I rubbed his shoulder gently. "I promise, you can chuck him out as soon as he looks through the place."
    He grinned slightly. "I guess that's something."
    He opened the door. "Come on in." As a deputy started to follow, Bill added, "Just you, Hodges."
    The sheriff must have decided not to chide Bill about his means of address, or his demand. He turned to his deputy. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
    "I should go in with you, sir."
    The sheriff snapped, "What you should do is obey or ders. In case you didn't hear me the first time, I said to wait outside until I'm finished."
    Properly cowed, the deputy took a few steps back and Hodges came inside. After a quick but pretty thorough search of the place, he nodded once we got back to the front door. "Thanks for letting me cross this place off my list."
    "Just let us know when you find out what happened to him," Bill said, the snap gone from his voice.
    "Will do," Sheriff Hodges said as he left.
    Once the door was closed again, I turned to my husband. "What happened? I thought you were going to rub his nose in the fact that Mr. Potter wasn't here."
    "You were right. It would have been petty, and I'm a big ger man than that. What? I am."
    "I never said a word," I said, trying to suppress my grin.
    "Woman, are you looking to pick a fight with me?"
    "Me? Not on your life. What are you going to do now?"
    "What else is