Greedy Bones by Carolyn Haines Page B

death of her parents.
    "I'll check into it." He didn't sound real enthused, and I knew he doubted that events so far in the past could help unravel what was happening now. But I'd come tounderstand that the past was the soil that sprouted the seed of the present. While I clung to my personal past, everyone carried a bit of theirs around with them.
    The sun warmed the night from the front porch and for a moment I sat in the glow, glancing from Coleman to Reveler. I considered warning Coleman about Bonnie Louise's predatory nature, but I couldn't risk that he would misconstrue my interest. A breeze kicked in from the west and ruffled Reveler's mane and tail. Draining the last of my coffee, I stood.
    "I'd better head home," I said. "I'm going to do some more digging into the Carlisle past. Cece's working on Jimmy Janks. If she finds anything, I'll let you know."
    "Bonnie Louise may give us some answers."
    "Yeah." I handed him my cup and turned to walk down the steps when I felt my knees weaken. Dizzy, I grabbed at the porch railing and missed. Before I could even yelp, I was tumbling down the steps. I slid into the cool grass still damp from the night's dew.
    "Sarah Booth!" Coleman knelt beside me, his hands moving over my arms and legs, checking quickly for breaks. "Can you talk?"
    "I haven't stroked out." I hid my embarrassment with gruffness. I wanted to sit up, but he held me down with one hand against my breastbone.
    "Hold on a minute and give your blood pressure time to adjust. Unless you like kissing the ground."
    I wiped the dew and dirt from the side of my face. "I'm okay. For a moment I was a little dizzy."
    "Dizzy enough to fall and break your neck." He held out a hand and helped me to my feet. He half-assisted, half-propelled me into his house and sat me on a leather sofa. "What's going on with you?"
    "I didn't get much sleep. I haven't eaten since . . ." I couldn't remember the last time I really ate a meal. "And I rode horse back for miles."
    "I'll make you some toast."
    A protest wouldn't do any good. If I wanted to ride my horse home, I'd have to eat something before Coleman would release me.
    As the bread toasted, my stomach grumbled with hunger. That was all it was. I was light-headed because I'd failed to feed the furnace.
    When he handed me the saucer, I ate like I'd been starved for weeks. Four bites--toast gone.
    He made another two slices. "Want some jam?"
    "Got any scuppernong jelly?"
    He laughed. "It just so happens Mabel Donovan dropped some by a few weeks ago. Her teenage son ran away and Gordon and I tracked him to Memphis and brought him home."
    While he loaded the toast with butter and jelly, I studied his bachelor digs. Clean, orderly, some nice furniture, but sparse.
    He brought the toast, and we munched in companionable silence.
    At last I stood, confident that I wouldn't topple over again. "I'd better get back. There's work to be done."
    He walked behind me to the door. "I'm glad you came by, Sarah Booth. I've been worried that we might not be able to maintain our friendship."
    "Me too," I said. "If I find anything, I'll let you know."
    I rebridled Reveler, mounted, and turned south for home. Reveler wanted to canter, and I didn't see a reason in the world not to let him.

10

    Probated wills are recorded in the chancery clerk's office, and I wanted a peek at Lana and Gregory's. Erin's story was interesting--and at conflict with what Luther had implied. The truth might be found in the terms of inheritance.
    Clean, dressed, and ready for action, I hurried inside the court house. Chancery Clerk Attila Lambert, a man who'd overcome the nearly insurmountable political handicap of his name, greeted me with a smile.
    "Miss Sarah Booth," he said, "how can I help you?" With his white hair, blue eyes, and pink cheeks, he had nothing of the demeanor of his namesake. Instead of rape, pillage, and burn, he played Santa each year in the Christmas parade.
    He led me back to the records, where I could look up