Greedy Bones Read Online Free PDF

tragedy," he said, settling me into a chair in front of his desk. He had a carafe of coffee, and he served me without asking. I took the cup, noting the delicate china that was obviously a family heirloom. Luther Carlisle was a strange blend of things.
    "Oscar's been very good to the Carlisle family." He gracefully held his coffee cup and saucer. "He's made certain the plantation was well managed. Mississippi Agri-Team leases the land, and while the lease is a pittance of the value of the land, MAT pays on time."
    "Do you mind if I ask who wants to buy it?"
    Luther cleared his throat. "Janks Development. They got a big-time plan."
    "They want to build what? A planned community?"
    "A staged subdivision and a shopping center. Ultimately there'll be close to five thousands homes and all the stores necessary to support it. Jimmy Janks is certain this area's about to grow. Lots of foreign interests are rebuilding the downtowns of Clarksdale and Greenwood. There's talk of some big corporations moving industry here and training a workforce. The Delta's going to shine again."
    "That's less than a fifth-acre per home." I wasn't a math whiz but I was good at figuring out the economics of land rape.
    "Folks don't want a lawn to maintain." He jerked his head to indicate the trailer park behind him. "No one here has time to mow or tend a lawn. I figure all of that into the lot rental fee. Why should folks spend all that time and energy on a lawn? When was the last time you saw a kid outside playing?"
    He had a point. Where I'd grown up blazing trails and concocting adventures in the woods and fields, kids
    today were wired to computers and televisions. "Did your sister agree to the sale?"
    "Erin won't agree to anything, but she's not here dealing with it. I filed in court, and when I get that document, the sale will go through and her share of the money will be banked."
    Luther Carlisle was a bit on the defensive side. And well he should be if he intended to sell the land out from under his sister. From what I'd learned, Erin Carlisle hadn't been seen in Sunflower County in years, but to force a sale was extreme.
    "Has Erin left the States?" I lobbed out a test.
    Outside, a pickup truck, radio blaring, eased past. "No."
    "Did you hire someone to look for her?"
    "No."
    "Do you have any idea where she might be?" He didn't want to find her.
    "My lawyer's taking care of all these details. Far as I know, she may be dead."
    "I need to speak with her. Where is she?"
    He took a breath, and I could tell he was weighing his response. "She doesn't answer her mail or return my calls. My lawyer says I can file to move forward on the land sale. It'll be settled in the courts. I'm not doing anything illegal."
    I crossed a leg. It wasn't the first time one sibling tried to roll over another where land or money was involved. But if Erin truly wanted to know what Luther was up to, she could easily find out. "How old was Erin when she left your parents' home?"
    "She'd graduated high school. My parents were devastated by the whole ugly mess. Erin never thought of anyone but herself."
    He was more than willing to talk about old family scandals--if it painted his sister in a bad light--and I was ready to listen. "What was the problem with Erin?"
    "For one thing, she refused a full scholarship to Ole Miss. She was a heritage Zeta Zeta Phi, and she told Mother she'd rather live on the streets than pledge to that sorority. Or any sorority."
    "That hardly sounds like a reason for a family split."
    "It broke Mother's heart. She gave up her home and family to live here in Sunflower County. Zeta Zeta was her sisterhood, and Erin acted like it was some kind of cult."
    I had personal experience in this area. "Maybe she simply wasn't a sorority girl. Surely that's not a reason to disown a daughter."
    He watched me carefully. "Oh, the sorority thing was the proverbial straw. The real trouble came when she told Mother that Father was screwing the maid." His mouth