with.”
Although I didn’t think I was a bit funny, I was halfway up the stairs before he quit laughing. Holding it down to a mere chuckle, he called out, “Rudd told me that you’re a psychologist. I was wondering if ‘daft’ is a professional term?”
I turned. “No,” I growled. “The professional term for daft is the Latin,
non compos mentis”
Then I managed to flounce the rest of the way up the stairs and into Aunt Connie’s apartment, slamming the door behind me.
I threw on jeans, sweatshirt, and hiking boots. As I went back downstairs, I decided that I was not at all amused by Mr. Freedom Crane.
“Where are we taking the body?” I asked as we took off down the alley in his beat-up old truck.
“I was out by Calley’s Spring hunting for wood not long ago. Seems like that would be a good place.”
“That’s about five miles past Uncle Rudd and Aunt Nissa’s farm. I used to go swimming at Calley’s Spring in the summertime when I was a kid. Why there? Why not just run around the block a few times until Peggy leaves?”
“Because we don’t know how long it will be before Peggy leaves, and we can’t take the chance that she’ll see us with Scott’s body in the truck. Pink cellophane is pretty hard to miss. We don’t want anyone else to see us, either. It would be safer justto take him out to the cave near the spring and leave him there all night. I figured we’d stop by Bender’s Service Station and get some ice. Between the ice and the temperature in the cave, Scott’s body will be okay until we can bring him back tomorrow. Then we can go back home and get some sleep.”
“I know what cave you’re talking about. In fact, everyone in the county knows about that cave! Not only is that spring a great swimming hole in the summer, it’s the year-round make-out place for every teenager in a fifty-mile radius. Don’t you think some teenager would either see us putting the body in the cave or find the body later on?”
Freedom shrugged. “It’s Sunday, it’s late, I think there is less chance of someone seeing us at the cave than driving around with a dead body in the back of the truck. Unless you’ve got a better idea, it’s a chance we’ll have to take.”
The only better idea I could think of would be to drive right up to Sheriff Otis Beecher’s house, knock on the door, and come clean. But it didn’t look like that was going to happen anytime soon.
Up ahead I saw the large, well-lit sign advertising Bender’s All Night Service Station and thought of a few other problems. “Aren’t we going to have to get a lot of ice, and won’t that look suspicious? And have you even thought about how we are going to find the cave, haul all that ice, and get Aaron’s body in there?”
“I understand the problems. It probably won’t be easy getting Scott’s body and all the ice we’re going to need intothe cave. But as for getting the ice in the first place, that won’t be a problem. The ice machine is on the side of the station, no reason for anyone to see us, and it’s pay by the honor system. I’ll just get what we need and stick the money in the jar.”
I knew about the jar and Mr. Bender’s honor system, but had forgotten about it. I asked Freedom how he knew about Bender’s honor system policy with the ice.
“Rudd and I went fishing the other night and stopped here to get some ice for the coolers. Your uncle has been real good to show me around and make me feel welcome here in town.”
Of course he has—we need new blood. Everyone else knows us and is afraid to get tangled up with the Tanner clan.
“You know, we’ll be going right by Rudd and Nissa’s place anyway, it might be a good idea to stop and get Rudd to help us out,” Freedom said.
“Bad idea. They’re asleep by now and have had enough turmoil.” I certainly didn’t want to encourage stopping by my aunt and uncle’s. I had enough to deal with at the moment, and the last person I wanted to face was
Although I didn’t think I was a bit funny, I was halfway up the stairs before he quit laughing. Holding it down to a mere chuckle, he called out, “Rudd told me that you’re a psychologist. I was wondering if ‘daft’ is a professional term?”
I turned. “No,” I growled. “The professional term for daft is the Latin,
non compos mentis”
Then I managed to flounce the rest of the way up the stairs and into Aunt Connie’s apartment, slamming the door behind me.
I threw on jeans, sweatshirt, and hiking boots. As I went back downstairs, I decided that I was not at all amused by Mr. Freedom Crane.
“Where are we taking the body?” I asked as we took off down the alley in his beat-up old truck.
“I was out by Calley’s Spring hunting for wood not long ago. Seems like that would be a good place.”
“That’s about five miles past Uncle Rudd and Aunt Nissa’s farm. I used to go swimming at Calley’s Spring in the summertime when I was a kid. Why there? Why not just run around the block a few times until Peggy leaves?”
“Because we don’t know how long it will be before Peggy leaves, and we can’t take the chance that she’ll see us with Scott’s body in the truck. Pink cellophane is pretty hard to miss. We don’t want anyone else to see us, either. It would be safer justto take him out to the cave near the spring and leave him there all night. I figured we’d stop by Bender’s Service Station and get some ice. Between the ice and the temperature in the cave, Scott’s body will be okay until we can bring him back tomorrow. Then we can go back home and get some sleep.”
“I know what cave you’re talking about. In fact, everyone in the county knows about that cave! Not only is that spring a great swimming hole in the summer, it’s the year-round make-out place for every teenager in a fifty-mile radius. Don’t you think some teenager would either see us putting the body in the cave or find the body later on?”
Freedom shrugged. “It’s Sunday, it’s late, I think there is less chance of someone seeing us at the cave than driving around with a dead body in the back of the truck. Unless you’ve got a better idea, it’s a chance we’ll have to take.”
The only better idea I could think of would be to drive right up to Sheriff Otis Beecher’s house, knock on the door, and come clean. But it didn’t look like that was going to happen anytime soon.
Up ahead I saw the large, well-lit sign advertising Bender’s All Night Service Station and thought of a few other problems. “Aren’t we going to have to get a lot of ice, and won’t that look suspicious? And have you even thought about how we are going to find the cave, haul all that ice, and get Aaron’s body in there?”
“I understand the problems. It probably won’t be easy getting Scott’s body and all the ice we’re going to need intothe cave. But as for getting the ice in the first place, that won’t be a problem. The ice machine is on the side of the station, no reason for anyone to see us, and it’s pay by the honor system. I’ll just get what we need and stick the money in the jar.”
I knew about the jar and Mr. Bender’s honor system, but had forgotten about it. I asked Freedom how he knew about Bender’s honor system policy with the ice.
“Rudd and I went fishing the other night and stopped here to get some ice for the coolers. Your uncle has been real good to show me around and make me feel welcome here in town.”
Of course he has—we need new blood. Everyone else knows us and is afraid to get tangled up with the Tanner clan.
“You know, we’ll be going right by Rudd and Nissa’s place anyway, it might be a good idea to stop and get Rudd to help us out,” Freedom said.
“Bad idea. They’re asleep by now and have had enough turmoil.” I certainly didn’t want to encourage stopping by my aunt and uncle’s. I had enough to deal with at the moment, and the last person I wanted to face was
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