Leftover Dead Read Online Free PDF

right. Nobody should get away with killing a girl like that.” He paused. “But if somebody went to this much trouble to cover it up and put a halt to the investigation, that means somebody with some power around this town was involved. And if you go digging it up now, well, the you-know-what could really hit the fan.”
    “We’re prepared for that,” Jack said, after glancing at Wanda Nell for her approval. She nodded. “That girl deserves to have a name, and to have justice done for her sake.”
    Elmer Lee grinned. “Damn right she does.”
    Wanda Nell thought that grin of Elmer Lee’s didn’t bode too well for someone. He was like an old hound dog. Once he got the scent, he’d follow it as far as he could, and then some.
    “You’ll back us up if we need it?” Wanda Nell asked. She wanted to be absolutely clear with Elmer Lee.
    “I will,” Elmer Lee responded, his voice firm. “I’m going to be doing some digging into this myself. And I’m gonna trust you to share anything you find out with me. This case ain’t closed, as far as I’m concerned, and if we can find out who did it, that person’s going to pay for it.”
    “We’ll be glad to cooperate,” Jack said, “but you’re going to have to do the same with us. Share information, I mean.” His tone was as firm as Elmer Lee’s.
    “Sure,” Elmer Lee said. “I understand that.”
    “Then is it okay if I have a copy of what’s in that file?”
    “Yeah.” Elmer Lee stood, the folder in his hands. “Y’all hang on a minute.”
    As soon as he was out of the room, Wanda Nell turned to her husband. “Well, that went a lot better than I thought it would.”
    Jack smiled. “It did. But I’m not really surprised. I knew Elmer Lee would want to get to the bottom of this as much as we do.”
    “Yeah, I guess so,” Wanda Nell admitted. “I sure do wish there had been more to go on in that file, though.”
    “I do, too,” Jack said, “but I guess I’m not all that surprised it’s been tampered with. Seems like Gus was right about the whole thing being covered up.”
    “Since there’s not much to go on in that file, what are we going to do next?” Wanda Nell asked.
    “First, I guess we’ll go and talk to Miz Culpepper,” Jack said. “We might as well find out what she remembers about it. She might have some kind of lead for us.”
    “And if she doesn’t?”
    Jack grinned. “Then we go to the library, of course. I want to look at back issues of the local paper. There’s bound to be something from back then.”
    “You don’t think somebody got at the newspaper, too, do you? Maybe anything that was in the paper got taken out, too.”
    “It’s possible, I guess,” Jack said, “but I’m betting there’ll be a little information, at least a couple days’ worth, before the investigation got shut down.”
    Elmer Lee came back in the room, and Jack and Wanda Nell stood. Jack accepted the two sheets of paper Elmer Lee held out. “Thanks again, Sheriff. We both really appreciate this.”
    “Just be careful, Pemberton.” Elmer Lee’s face was stern. He nodded toward Wanda Nell. “And keep an eye on that wife of yours. Don’t let her go off chasing some wild hare and get us all in trouble before we make any progress.”
    Jack coughed, and Wanda Nell cast her husband a suspicious glance. He’d better not be laughing. She looked hard at Elmer Lee. He wasn’t smiling, but she was pretty sure she could detect a glint of humor in his eyes.
    “I’ll be sure and let you know if I find any wild hares that need chasing, Elmer Lee,” Wanda Nell said sweetly. “Or maybe I should just start calling you Elmer Fudd .” She walked out of the office without waiting to see how the sheriff responded to that.
    Jack was close on her heels. He was trying hard not to laugh as he put an arm around her. “Honey, what am I going to do with you? I swear, you and the sheriff sound like siblings who are always squabbling.”
    “Just what I need,”