Bill Crider - Dan Rhodes 09 - Death by Accident Read Online Free PDF Page B

streets.  Rhodes would have a little talk with him.  He might not be able to arrest him, but he could discourage him from cheating anyone else.
    “I’ll see what I can do,” he told Brother Alton.  “But I came here to talk about something different.”
    “All right, we can talk about my call.  I know you understand why I can’t sit still and allow a pagan dance at a celebration of the people who settled this county.  It’s not right.  It’s an abomination before the Lord.”
    “The dance might not be one that’s part of any religious ceremony,” Rhodes said.
    “It’s still a pagan dance.  I won’t sit still for it.”
    “Do you ever go out to the Old Settlers’ Grounds?” Rhodes asked.
    Brother Alton didn’t seem to understand the relevance of the question.  “What?”
    “Do you ever pay a visit to the grounds, just to look around or see what’s been done?”
    Brother Alton turned to look out the window, apparently realized that the new curtains, though thin, obscured the view, and turned back to Rhodes.
    “Why do you ask?”
    “I was just curious.”
    “I may have been out there a time or two,” Brother Alton said.  “I’m interested in our county’s history.”
    Rhodes wondered about that.  There was always the chance that Brother Alton had been out at the Grounds for less honorable reasons.
    “Did you ever climb a tree while you were there?” he asked.
    Brother Alton looked even more confused than he had earlier.  “I’m not sure I follow you, sheriff.  Why would I want to climb a tree?”
    To tie a rope in it, Rhodes thought, but he said, “Do you know a man named Pep Yeldell?”
    Brother Alton gave it a moment’s thought.  “He’s not a member of my congregation” he said, as if anyone else wasn’t really worth knowing.  “Why are you asking these questions?  They don’t have anything to do with my call.”
    “Yeldell drowned this morning, out at the Old Settlers’ Grounds.”
    Brother Alton sat up straighter.  “In one of the swimming pools?”
    “Yes,” Rhodes said.  “How did you know that?”
    “I didn’t know.  It was only a guess.  Where else would he drown?  The river?  No one would swim in the river.  Those pools are a menace.  They should be drained and covered over.”
    “The river feeds them,” Rhodes said.  “There’s not really any easy way to drain them.  Ty Berry has already suggested it.”
    “There might be another tragedy, then,” Brother Alton said. “I think the grounds themselves should be closed to prevent the possibility.”
    “That would solve your problem with the dancers, wouldn’t it?”
    Brother Alton sat back.  “I don’t think I like the way you said that, Sheriff.”
    “I didn’t mean anything by it,” Rhodes said, but of course he had.
    “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” Brother Alton said.  “It may be that the death of this unfortunate man — what did you say his name was?”
    “Pep Yeldell.”
    “It may be that the death of Pep Yeldell is the Lord’s way of telling us that the Old Settlers’ Grounds are unsafe and that there should be no celebrations there.”
    “It may be that Mr. Yeldell was drunk and didn’t know what he was doing.  There won’t be any liquor served at the celebration.”
    “And thank the Lord for that,” Brother Alton said.  “But there will be liquor there, you can be sure of that.  People will bring it in themselves if they can’t buy it.  There are always those who try to get around the law.”
    “My deputies and I will do our best to see no one gets around it during the celebration.”
    “And I’ll do my best to help you,” Brother Alton said.
    Rhodes wondered just what he meant by that.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    I t was nearly noon when Rhodes left Brother Alton’s office, so he decided to go by the insurance office where Ivy worked and see if she wanted some lunch.
    When he opened the door of the office, he thought about how different it looked