Catch a Falling Star by Lynette Sowell Read Free Book Online Page A

try to find them. Whoever made this book cared a lot about it and probably still does. There are memories inside these pages.” Justine cleared her throat. “I know if this were mine, I’d be upset if something happened to it. Man, but it’s dusty in here.”
    “I supposed Mart might have a phone number for them. Unless they've moved or changed it. Sometimes people will change their phone numbers and never bother to notify anyone.”
    “Is Mart in that office we passed on the way in?”
    Azalea nodded.
    Justine picked up the scrapbook “I’m going to see him right now.”
    She hobbled from the storage unit. By the time she reached the office, she wished she hadn’t been so enthusiastic. Her leg burned. Perspiration stung her eyes. She pulled open the office door and gasped at the sudden burst of cold air.
    An older man with gray hair and glasses with thick lenses stood behind the counter. He sett the phone down and looked up at her.
    “Hi, I’m looking for Mart,” Justine said.
    “I’m Mart.” The older man stepped closer to the counter.
    “Well, I’m working with Mrs. Bush on the storage unit 5B, and I had a question for you.”
    “Is she about done with that?”
    “Almost.” Justine smiled her best smile at him. “But I wanted to find out if you had any contact information for the people who last rented it. I found something that they’d probably like to have back.”
    The man grunted and typed something at the computer by the counter. “They owe me almost six hundred dollars, and they’re not getting anything back until I get my money. I don’t care how much they want it back.”
    “Six hundred? Is that all they owe you?” Justine fanned her face with her hand. “And they walked away from a unit full of their property?”
    “Happens all the time.” Mart shrugged. “I’ve got an address for them here in town, but no one’s responded, and they’ve left no forwarding address. No one’ll answer the cell phone number I have, either.” He typed a few more keystrokes, and the printer whirred to life.
    “I’ll give it a try for you.”
    “Good luck on that. It’s getting so bad I’m going to change my policy to pre-pay only.” Mart took a paper from the printer and handed it to Justine.
    “Why’d they put their things in storage, anyway?”
    “The husband—usually the husband—gets deployed, and things go south for the wife here, and so she takes the kids home. Sometimes she’ll leave him, or he’ll leave her. Or they start blowing their money.” Mart scowled at Justine.
    If he only knew how much she’d paid for her favorite purse. Way more than the six hundred he was growling about. She swallowed hard under his dark gaze. “That’s a shame. The families give up so much for their country.”
    “Ah, whatever. These kids nowadays don’t know the meaning of sacrifice. They want life to be cushy. The big babies don’t know commitment either, or the value of keeping their word.” Mart waved at her. “So until the Tremontes get me their money, they don’t get a thing back.”
    “I’ll pay their bill.” Her own words surprised her. They surprised Mart, too, by the look on his face. “Because I’m going to find the Tremontes and give them their family treasures back.”
    “You’ve got more money than sense.” But he didn’t complain when she paid him the full amount due just before she and Azalea left the storage center.
    Funny, for a few minutes she’d forgotten about the eighty thousand dollars she still had to come up with.
    As Azalea and Justine drove away from the storage center, Justine looked down at the scrapbook on her lap. “I’m going to find them.”
    “I’m sure you will, dear.” Azalea frowned. “I wish I knew about them, because I've already sold some of the things in this unit. But now it doesn’t seem right to be selling the rest of their items at the flea market this weekend.”
    “Well, you didn’t know. At least until now, anyway.” If only