Free Popcorn Thief by Leah Cutter

did.”
    “When’d you get to be so smart?” Franklin asked, amazed at
his cousin.
    Darryl grinned at Franklin. “Had it beat into me by the
school of hard knocks.”
    “Didn’t know they could get anything through that wooden
block sitting on top of your shoulders,” Franklin teased back.
    They sat on the stoop in the cooling night, the crickets
bringing up their chorus.
    “So, you want to go out hunting?” Darryl finally asked.
    “No,” Franklin said, confused. “I don’t really hunt.” After
Lexine had shown him how the spirit of an animal stayed near its body when it’d
been wounded, not killed outright, he hadn’t had the heart.
    “No, idiot. I mean hunting. Like tracking this thing that killed Lexine.”
    “Oh!” Franklin said.
    “I figure it’s an animal-like thing, right? So let’s go out
into the woods, behind Lexine’s cabin. Let’s see if I can’t track this thing.”
    For the first time in a week, Franklin had hope. “And I’ll
bring some of my special lard. As bait.”
    “See, Cuz? I knew you weren’t completely useless. Just
mostly.”
    “Same to you,” Franklin replied.

Chapter Five
    FRANKLIN WAS GLAD THAT CHARLENE was
understanding about family when he went in to ask her about taking more time
off.
    The command center screens showed the produce section, the
two checkout lanes, the beer and wine cooler, and the outside of the store.
Charlene wore her usual uniform, sitting with her feet on a small stool,
flicking through the displays.
    “Hey, honey,” Charlene said. “How you holding up?”
    “I’m okay,” Franklin said. “But Aunt Jasmine asked us to
come over this afternoon. Evidently there’s a will, and we all need to be there
when it’s read.” Which was sort of the truth. There was a will, and they were
gathering that night at dinner to read it.
    “I understand,” Charlene said, nodding. She put her feet on
the floor and turned to face him. “You go be with your family this afternoon.”
    “Thanks, Charlene. You’re the best,” Franklin said.
    “You doing okay?” Charlene asked, the warmth in her voice
coming through loud and clear. “You look tired.”
    Franklin nodded, not sure what else to say. Darryl had
stayed way too late, making Franklin miss his Ab-Buster workout as well as
snooze his alarm twice that morning.
    “Losing Lexine like that. Quite a shock. You go ahead and
take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, too, if you need it. Just call.”
    “Thanks, Charlene,” Franklin said, relieved. “You’re the
best. I’ll work double shifts next week, or volunteer for the whole time we’re
doing inventory.”
    Charlene chuckled. “I may just hold you to that. Now, take
care of yourself. Go be with your family.”
    “I’ll tell ’em you were asking about them,” Franklin said as
he left. He only felt a little guilty for taking the afternoon off—he was
going to be spending time with his family.
    Darryl counted as family, right?
    Franklin rode home, changed out of his uniform, picked up
another jar of lard, then rode out to Lexine’s.
    Sun blazed down on the blacktop road. The air was sticky and
wet, and smelled like hot tar. Even the shade under the trees brought little
relief, though at least it smelled more like pine there. Franklin was soaked
through by the time he rode up the path to Lexine’s cabin.
    Darryl’s big black truck was already there, parked a bit
down the road. Yellow police tape—just like what Franklin had seen on
TV—was strung across the road, blocking the driveway. The businessman’s
SUV no longer sat parked there.
    The door to Lexine’s cabin had more police tape over it in
an X. The police had passed along the name of a company who would come out and
clean the cabin, once they released it. Right now, it was still a crime scene.
    Sweet Bess showed up as Franklin got off his bike. Shit . Darryl might be a bit more
friendly right now, but he’d tease Franklin mercilessly if he ran away from a
spirit.
    The big sow