Free The Missing Book by Lois Gladys Leppard Page B

young man gasped for air. “I’m looking for my mother’s cousin.”
    â€œAnd who might that be?” Mr. Miller asked suspiciously.
    â€œMr. Al Conley,” the young man replied. He ran his fingers through his mussed dark curly hair.
    â€œMr. Al Conley? Why, he’s been dead for years,” Mr. Miller replied.
    â€œOh . . . I didn’t know that,” the young man said, his face falling.
    â€œExactly how did you know about Mr. Al Conley and not know he was dead?” Mr. Miller asked.
    â€œMy mother used to talk about him a lot. I’m sure she didn’t know he had died. She had not seen or heard from him in years when she died back in December,” he replied.
    â€œWho was your mother? Where are you from?” Joe asked.
    â€œMy mother was Alicia McLendon. I’m Paul McLendon, and we lived in Kentucky, near Louisville. I don’t have any other relatives,” the man explained.
    â€œMr. Conley willed this place to Mrs. Chapman and her granddaughter, Faith. He was Mrs. Chapman’s cousin,” Mandie told him. “Are they related to you also?”
    Paul scratched his head, frowned, and said, “Not that I know of. Al Conley’s mother was my mother’s aunt.”
    â€œThen you and Mrs. Chapman aren’t related, because she was kin to him on his father’s side,” Mandie said with a big grin as Paul smiled at her.
    â€œAccording to rumor, you’ve been hanging around here awhile,” Mr. Miller said. “What have you been doing for food?”
    â€œI met up with some friendly Cherokee people a few miles back up in the mountains. I’ve been staying with them, coming over here now and then hoping to find Al Conley,” Paul explained.
    Joe suddenly looked at Mandie. “School! We’re going to be late for school.”
    â€œLet’s all get in the cart. I’ll drop you all off at school, and I’ll take this fellow here on to your father’s house,” Mr. Miller said.
    â€œAnd whose house is that?” Paul asked.
    â€œJoe is the son of the local doctor, Dr. Woodard, and I work for him,” Mr. Miller explained. “Let’s go.”
    â€œIf this house was willed to those people you mentioned, why is it no one is ever here? I’ve watched and watched and never could find anyone home,” Paul replied, following them to the cart.
    â€œThe men in the community have been doing work on this house and Mrs. Chapman and her granddaughter have been staying elsewhere until it’s completed,” Mr. Miller replied.
    Mr. Miller drove down the road, and Mandie and Joe arrived at the front door of the schoolhouse just as the bell was being rung. Jumping down and running, they waved goodbye and stepped inside the door as the bell stopped ringing.
    Mandie was disappointed to see that Faith was not there. She looked across the room at Joe and motioned toward Faith’s empty desk. He frowned and nodded.
    The day dragged as Mandie kept hoping Faith would come to school later. She never did.
    When Mandie got home after school, she found her father working on the split-rail fence. She hurried to speak to him.
    â€œDaddy,” she called as she approached. “Have you heard about the man we found at Mrs. Chapman’s house?”
    Mr. Shaw stopped working and straightened up. “Yes, I heard. I told you, Amanda, I didn’t want you poking around that old house,” he reminded her.
    Mandie bent her head. “I remember, Daddy, but I had to go because Joe was in the cart and had to go by and get Mr. Miller and we thought it would be safe with Mr. Miller there.” She paused for breath. “Have you met the man we found over there?”
    â€œNo, I haven’t,” her father replied. “I only heard about him through Mr. Knight, who had stopped by the Woodards’ this morning.”
    â€œDo you know if he is going to stay with the Woodards?” she