Leftover Dead by JIMMIE RUTH EVANS Read Free Book Online

at Wanda Nell. “You don’t mind, do you, Wanda Nell? Juliet’s no trouble at all, none at all.”
    “Of course I don’t mind.” Wanda Nell smiled at her daughter. “I’m real proud of her for wanting to help her grandmama like this. Do you have something to wear to church tomorrow, though?”
    “Yes’m. I have a dress here that I can wear. It’s in the closet in my room upstairs.”
    “That’s settled, then,” Jack said. “We can pick you up after church tomorrow, if you like.” He stood up and held out his hand to Wanda Nell. She grasped it and stood beside him.
    “I can just come with T.J. and Tuck. They won’t mind coming by here to get me when they head out there for dinner.” She paused. “Unless you need me to help with dinner or help clean the house, Mama.”
    “That’ll be fine,” Wanda Nell said. “I don’t think there’s anything you really need to do about cleaning tomorrow, honey. So we’ll see you tomorrow evening.”
    Juliet came to her mother for a goodbye kiss, then gave Jack a quick hug. He smiled fondly at her.
    Belle went with them to the front door while Juliet scampered up the stairs, heading for her room on the second floor. “Don’t y’all worry about a thing,” Belle said. “Lucretia’s going to be just fine.”
    “Thanks, Belle.” Wanda Nell gave the older woman a kiss on the cheek. Jack did the same, and Belle blushed a little.
    “Call us if you need anything,” Jack said on his way out the door.
    “I sure will,” Belle answered.
    Wanda Nell waved goodbye before she got in the car, and Belle waved back. The front door shut as Jack started the car and turned on the air conditioning. Mrs. Culpepper’s driveway was heavily shaded, and Wanda Nell was thankful. The car cooled quickly, and Jack backed down the driveway into the street.
    “You mind if we go to the library?” Jack asked as he drove down Main Street.
    “Of course not. I’m as curious as you are to see if we’ll find anything. There’s got to be something .”
    “I sure hope so,” Jack said, “or this book isn’t going anywhere very fast.”
    “Elmer Lee might turn up something, too,” Wanda Nell reminded him.
    “True.” Jack turned the car into the parking lot at the library. He glanced at his watch. “It’s three-thirty, and I think they close at five on Saturdays. So we should have time to find something, if there is anything, in the back issues of the paper.”
    There were only a couple of other cars in the parking lot, and the library was very quiet when they walked inside. A teenager was looking through the shelves in one section, and a mother with two young children in tow was browsing the shelves in another area. Wanda Nell and Jack walked up to the front desk.
    “Afternoon, Miz Lockett,” Wanda Nell said to the librarian. Mrs. Lockett had worked at the library since Wanda Nell was in grade school, and Wanda Nell suddenly realized just how young Mrs. Lockett had been in those days. She was only in her mid-fifties now, so she probably hadn’t been long out of college when Wanda Nell went to the library for the first time.
    “Why, hello, Wanda Nell.” Mrs. Lockett smiled. “How are you doing? And Jack. What a pleasure to see you both. Congratulations, by the way. I read about your wedding in the paper.”
    “Thank you,” Wanda Nell said, and Jack echoed her.
    “Now what can I do for you?” Mrs. Lockett asked.
    “We need to look at back issues of the newspaper,” Jack said. “From thirty years ago or so.”
    Mrs. Lockett nodded. “They’re all on microfilm, I’m afraid. I keep hoping somehow we’ll get the money to digitize them and get them online, but probably not in my lifetime.” She gave a quiet chuckle. “So we’re left with outdated technology.”
    Jack laughed. “That’s fine. I think I remember how to use a microfilm reader.”
    “Good,” Mrs. Lockett replied. “The local paper is in cabinets in that second room down the hall, and there are a couple