Lie Down in Green Pastures Read Online Free PDF Page B

going to protest the planned burn yesterday?" Paul asked.
    She shook her head violently. "No, he would never have done that. Not after what happened a few years ago. He managed to keep the fire department from doing the burn on time and a real fire started and several people lost their houses and everything they owned. A lot of people blamed Randall for that, but not any more than he blamed himself. He locked himself in his house for three weeks. He wouldn't even see me.There's no way he would have done that."
    "Are you sure?" Mark asked.
    "Positive. He wasn't even supposed to be here Thursday morning. He was supposed to be going up to that church camp that the land developer is trying to buy. He wanted to see it for himself before trying to rally the community in opposition to the proposed purchase."
    Mark and Paul exchanged quick glances. "You wouldn't happen to know the name of the camp, would you?" Mark asked.
    She squeezed her eyes closed. "It sounded like that old TV show Green Acres . . . Green . . . Green Pastures."
    "Green Pastures?" Paul repeated.
    "Yes. He was planning on protesting the sale."
    Two victims and both of them having something to do with the church camp. Mark didn't like it.
    "Is there any reason you can think of that he would have done that down in the burn area?"
    "No."
    Mark flipped through his notes, not really looking for anything, but just thinking about the implications of what she had said. "Do you know if your brother had approached anyone involved with the sale yet?"
    "I'm not sure. I left Wednesday morning. I don't think he had talked to anyone at that point."
    "So you think he chained himself to a tree to protest the purchase?" Paul asked.
    She half laughed. "I know it's cliché. He liked the image.He thought it was powerful."
    "Could you describe for us the method your brother used when he tied himself to a tree?"
    "He always used cable ties."
    The detectives shared another quick look.
    "Always?" Paul questioned.
    "Yes."
    "Why cable ties?" he pressed.
    "Because even if he fell asleep or someone tried to pull him away the plastic couldn't hurt the tree like metal from a chain or something else could."
    "So he wouldn't handcuff himself to a tree?"
    "Never. That would risk damaging the tree if the metal rubbed against it."
    "Did your brother have any enemies?" Paul asked.
    "You don't become a crusader for any cause without making enemies. That's what he used to tell me."
    "Any that would want to see him dead?" Mark asked.
    "I—I don't know. I mean, there hasn't even been anything really happening for at least a year. He's been spending most of his time trying to write a book."
    "Anything in there that could make people angry?"
    She shrugged. "I don't know. He wouldn't let anyone read it until he was finished."
    "We're going to need to get a copy of the manuscript," Paul said.
    "It should be on his computer at home."
    They stayed with her until her friend was able to come over and be with her and then they left. Once they were in the car Mark looked at the clock and groaned. His wife, Traci, was not going to be thrilled that he was home so late on a Friday.There was no help for it, though.
    "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mark asked.
    "That Traci's going to kill you? Yes."
    "Wonderful."
    "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Paul parroted.
    "That this was no accident," Mark said grimly. "It was murder."
    "Green Pastures again. Think Kelly's death has anything to do with Dr. Tanner's?"
    "Let's not go there until we get something more on cause of death for the doctor. I'm hoping we can leave him in the accident column and chalk it all up to coincidence."
    "Yes, because we see so many coincidences every day," Paul said sarcastically.
    "You're always so comforting."
    "I'll send someone over to Kelly's house to get a copy of the manuscript and I'll start reading through it. You should go home."
    "I hate to agree with you, but it sounds like a plan to me.We should also call up to Green