Bought the Farm Read online

  “Farmer Griffith had dirt on his face, yeah, I kinda figured,” Mitch finished for Mary.

  Mary patted Mitch’s shoulder and let silence fall as her mind began to study many different questions. A few minutes later, she spotted Sheriff Mables racing down the driveway toward the farmhouse with Betty inside. Agent Green was following close behind in his own car. “It’s time to go home, Mitch,” she said.

  Mitch stood up, nervously brushed at his pants, and sighed. “I sure hope my daddy isn’t going to take the belt to me. I’m plum tuckered out and too tired to get a whipping.”

  Mary put her arm around Mitch and walked him out to the driveway as the late evening began to turn purple in the west.

  Dave Anderson grabbed his son and hugged him before the boy could say a word. “Mitch!”

  “Mitch? Is that Mitch?” Marla cried and raced outside. When she saw her son she burst into tears, ran to Mitch, and grabbed him from her husband. “Oh, Mitch!”

  “I’m sorry, Mom.” Mitch began to cry. He wrapped his arms around his mother and planted his face on her shoulder. “I was only trying to protect you and Dad, honest. Mrs. Holland told me to go home but I got scared for you, honest as the sky is blue.”

  Dave put his hand on Mitch’s back. He looked at Mary with tear-filled eyes. “Thank you for bringing us our son, Mrs. Holland.”

  Mary smiled. “He’s a fine boy, Mr. Anderson.”

  Mitch lifted his head. “Mrs. Holland, you ain’t leaving, are you?” he asked.

  Mary lifted her head and studied a clear night sky filled with beautiful, shining stars. “No, Mitch, we have a meeting in about ten minutes.” Mary looked at Dave. “Thank you for changing the meeting time for me.”

  Dave patted Mitch’s back. “I—” he began to speak but stopped when he saw a black car appear and park behind Mary’s car. Mary looked at the car and spotted Agent Green sitting behind the steering wheel.

  “That’s the snake,” Mary warned Dave and Marla. “Marla, please get Mitch inside.”

  Marla hurried Mitch into the house and closed the front door as Agent Green pushed the driver’s side door open and stepped out into the night. He locked a pair of angry eyes on Mary.

  Before Agent Green could walk two steps, Sheriff Mables raced up behind his car and parked. He eyed Agent Green with caution. So far Agent Green had not broken any laws or harmed anyone, so Sheriff Mables was powerless to force the guy to leave town. All he could do was become Agent Green’s shadow, which was beginning to annoy Agent Green to a great extent.

  “Nice night, isn’t it, Agent Green?” Sheriff Mables said, stepping out of his car.

  Agent Green snatched a Lucky Strike out of the pocket of his suit and lit up. “Sheriff, I’m beginning to wonder why you’re following me,” he said in a low growl.

  Sheriff Mables looked at Mary and Dave and then pulled a silver pocket watch out of his front pocket. He snatched the watch open and checked the time. “I have business here,” he told Agent Green. “What are you doing here?”

  “A little bird told me there was going to be a meeting here tonight,” Agent Green told Sheriff Mables, taking a draw from his cigarette. He pointed at Mary. “It was…lucky…that Mrs. Holland found the missing boy, wasn’t it?”

  Sheriff Mables put his pocket watch away and rested his right hand on the gun sitting on his hip. He wasn’t much for gunplay, but he sure wasn’t going to let the likes of Agent Vince Green spook a good woman like Mary Holland. “I don’t want you bothering Mrs. Holland anymore, do you hear me?”

  Agent Green snarled. “Sheriff, I have the full authority to question whoever I deem necessary. Mrs. Holland’s name was found on a note written by a dead man. I want to know why. Until I find the answers I need, I will continue to question Mrs. Holland. Is that clear?”

  Sheriff Mables shook his head. “No, pal, it’s not clear,” he barked. “Now you listen to me and listen close, you slimy piece of river scum. You asked Mrs. Holland your questions and she answered you. If you continue to harass her I’m going to chase you out of town. Is that clear?”

  Agent Green locked eyes with Sheriff Mables. The sheriff wasn’t bluffing, nor was he prepared to stand down. The man meant business. “Sheriff, don’t push me.”

  “I’ll push as hard as I need to,” Sheriff Mables warned Agent Green. “Now why don’t you stop the game you’re playing and start answering some of my questions. What are you doing in my town and how did you end up on Farmer Griffith’s farm?”

  Agent Green looked away from Sheriff Mables. “Sheriff, my purpose for being in this part of the country is confidential. Your ears are not privileged to hear certain information.” Agent Green studied Mary and then looked back at Sheriff Mables. He decided to try to pull the sheriff onto his side instead of making the man his enemy. “Sheriff, we’re both on the same side of the law,” he said. “Maybe I’m being too strict…maybe certain protocols can be…stretched a little.”

  “Maybe?” Sheriff Mables replied, keeping his hand on his gun.

  Agent Green nodded. “You see, Sheriff, I believe it’s possible that Mrs. Holland could be working for the communists.”

  “What?!” Sheriff Mables exploded in rage. “Why, that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. John and Mary Holland are decent folks. Why, John Holland is risking his life as we speak. He’s flying bombing missions over Europe and—”

  Agent Green held up his left hand. “Why did Farmer Griffith write down Mrs. Holland’s name on the note I found on his body?”

  “Why…I…” Sheriff Mables tried desperately to answer Agent Green’s question. Only, he couldn’t.

  Agent Green grinned. “Precisely, Sheriff,” he said in a stony voice. “Now you understand why I have to be…aggressive…in my investigation. Mrs. Holland is hiding certain answers from me, Sheriff…answers I need to protect our great country from the communists.”

  “But Mary Holland isn’t no communist,” Sheriff Mables declared.

  “Are you certain?” Agent Green asked, taking a draw off his Lucky Strike. “Are you aware that her husband spoke with Mr. Hoover in the past?”

  “Sure,” Sheriff Mables told Agent Green. “Mr. Hoover passed through Pineville on his way to Memphis. He stopped and had lunch in the diner the same time John was having lunch. John managed to get a few words out of the guy and that was that.”

  “So it appears,” the agent told Sheriff Mables. “Sheriff, nothing is what it appears to be.” Agent Green pointed at Mary. “That woman’s name was found on a note written by a man who was harboring a wanted spy. I want to know why.”

  “A wanted spy…Farmer Griffith…why, you’re crazy!” Sheriff Mables yelled at Agent Green. “Farmer Griffith was a close friend and a decent man.”

  Agent Green backed off. He had filled Sheriff Mables with enough information to force the man to begin doubting his own truth. Now it was time to use the same tactic on the parents who were due to arrive for this late-night meeting. Mary Holland had to be marked with a black label. Only then, Agent Green knew, would he be able to force the woman to talk. By destroying her life, he would cripple her will to fight. Playing nice had failed. Now it was time to get tough with a woman who was refusing to cooperate; it was time to break the will of the people.

  “Sheriff, think over what I told you. In the meantime,” he said, nodding at an approaching car, “the meeting is about to begin.” Agent Green threw down his cigarette, stamped it out, and walked up to Dave and showed him his credentials. “I want to attend the meeting you’re holding in your home tonight, Mr. Anderson. Actually, I’m afraid I must insist.”

  Dave stared at Agent Green, who pasted a phony but believable smile on his face. “Uh…of course, Agent Green.”

  “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Anderson,” Agent Green replied, putting away his credentials. He looked at Mary. “Mrs. Holland, it was very good of you to find the missing boy. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are very relieved to have their son safely back h
ome.”

  Mary stared at Agent Green. The man was a true snake. “Why don’t you pack sand,” she snarled. “Your kind makes me sick.”

  “Mrs. Holland,” Dave said in a shocked voice.

  “No, no,” Agent Green said, putting on a phony voice, “Mrs. Holland has every right to speak her mind. After all, we are living in the land of the free and brave, Mr. Anderson.” Agent Green grinned at Mary without Dave spotting him. “In America, a person is free to speak his or her thoughts, isn’t that right, Mrs. Holland? And it’s my duty to protect that freedom, Mr. Anderson. It’s my duty to protect the very foundations this great country was founded on.”

  Mary nearly vomited. She looked over her shoulder and saw a car parking on the opposite side of the street. A man and woman climbed out of the car with their son. “The Lawsons are here,” Dave told Agent Green. “Excuse me, please.”

  Dave walked down the driveway and greeted his friends. “You’re a snake,” Mary told Agent Green. “I’m going to see to it that these people know just what kind of snake you are, too.”

  Agent Green grinned. “Mrs. Holland, tell me why your name was on the note and I’ll walk away right now. If you refuse, I’m going to be forced to play…outside of the safety lines.” Agent Green nodded toward the house. “Also, I want to know how you knew the missing boy was at the farm.” He looked back at Mary. “Your name was found on a note written by a dead man. And then you somehow manage to find a missing boy on a farm I ordered you to stay away from. I’m sure some people in this little town might find that mighty curious, wouldn’t you think?”

  “Listen—”

  “No, you listen,” Agent Green snapped. “You visited Farmer Griffith and questioned him about his barn burning down. Shortly after, I found the man dead. Perhaps you killed him, Mrs. Holland. Perhaps I should arrest you for murder.”

  “Farmer Griffith’s note proves I didn’t kill him!” Mary snapped.

  “Perhaps you forced him to write the note before he died,” Agent Green snapped back. He snatched a Lucky Strike out and lit up. “The shadow of suspicion is weighing heavy on your shoulders, Mrs. Holland. I expected it would. That’s why I followed the sheriff out of the diner and gave you enough rope to hang yourself. I knew you were up to something.”

  Mary stared at Agent Green. She wanted to slap the man back into time. Instead, she slowly began to understand that the guy was speaking the truth. The shadow of suspicion was tied to her back and creating a very long trail. She had interviewed Farmer Griffith before he died. Her name was found on the note he had written before being killed. And, Mary thought miserably, she had returned to the farm and found Mitch, which meant people might ask why she even returned to the farm to begin with. On top of that, Mary thought, she had seen the spy who was loose in Pineville, she knew where the secret briefcase was hidden, and she knew Farmer Griffith had been harboring the spy in his farmhouse. All Agent Green had to do was simply make those secrets known to the fine people of Pineville and her trustworthy reputation would be destroyed—her entire life would be destroyed. And what would John say? What would he do?

  Oh boy, Mary thought, was she ever in a mess. “I went back to the farm to look for clues.”

  “Is that what you’re going to tell these fine people?” Agent Green asked Mary.

  “I’m going to tell them about the note Farmer Griffith left and warn them to protect their children,” Mary fired at Agent Green. “Is that so horrible, Agent Green? Is it so horrible to care about people?”

  Agent Green grinned. “People are worthless unless they can perform a reasonable function for the greater cause,” he said and walked away toward the front door.

  Sheriff Mables strolled up to Mary. “I heard every word that skunk told you, Mary,” he said in a worried voice. “He…has you in a bind, I’m afraid.” Sheriff Mables rubbed the back of his neck as other worried parents began to arrive. “I’m sure glad you found Mitch, but going back to the farm sure didn’t help matters much.”

  “I know, I know,” Mary fussed. She wanted to tell Sheriff Mables about the strange woman she saw and about the briefcase and be done with the entire mess. But Mary knew if she confessed the truth she might look guilty in the eyes of the man she had trusted all of her life—and that was exactly what Agent Green wanted; the man was intent on injecting distrust among the people Mary was closest to. “I wish John was here. He’d handle Agent Green and run that snake out of town.”

  Sheriff Mables stared at Mary. “Mary, forgive me asking you this, but…why did Farmer Griffith write your name down on the note Agent Green found on his body?”

  Mary sighed. “He was warning me to protect the children, Sheriff.”

  “Sure, sure,” Sheriff Mables said as he watched Agent Green let himself inside the Andersons’ house like a snake sneaking into a chicken house, “but why you? Why would Farmer Griffith specifically name you out? Why didn’t he write down my name if the children are in danger? I am the sheriff, after all.”

  Mary looked down at her purse. She didn’t know how to answer Sheriff Mables’ questions. “Sheriff, I don’t know why Farmer Griffith wrote down my name. All I can honestly assume is that my name was the first name that came to his mind because…maybe my face was the last face he saw before he died.” Mary knew her explanation sounded cheesy and fishy.

  Sheriff Mables tapped his gun belt with his right hand. “Well, Mitch Anderson is home safe and sound, and that’s something,” he said and walked away.

  Mary raised her eyes and watched Sheriff Mables let himself inside. A few seconds later, Dave walked up to her with Matt and Carla Lawson and introduced his friends to Mary even though Mary knew Carla Lawson very well. Carla owned the local dress shop in town.

  “I’m grateful you could come,” Mary told the Lawsons. She looked down and spotted a blond-headed boy with freckles studying the driveway with guilty eyes. “Hello, Chuck,” she said.

  Chuck kicked at the driveway and mumbled a hello. Matt Lawson nudged his son with his right arm. “You say hello the proper way or it’s the belt again.”

  Chuck raised his eyes, looked at Mary, and said hello.

  “Well, I guess we better get inside,” Carla told Mary and walked away with her husband and son.

  Dave watched his friends walk inside his home and then turned to Mary. “You were right,” he whispered, “that Agent Green is as sour as they come. You better be careful of him, Mary, because he’s up to no good. I know these things because I teach college students.”

  Mary looked at the house. Inside lurked a snake preparing to strike at her. “Oh, John, why do you have to be so far away?” she whispered in a scared voice and then walked back to her car and looked in on Betty. Betty was munching on a piece of blueberry pie, carefully chewing each bite the required number of times. At least there was still Betty…good ol’ Betty.

  Chapter 6

  Agent Green methodically placed his hands behind his back, like a general preparing to give a long speech, and searched the faces of worried parents. The living room was jammed full of worried faces, cigarette smoke, and coffee cups.

  “I’m very grateful that you decided to attend this meeting at such a late hour,” Agent Green began and threw an eye at Mary. Mary was standing in the living room doorway next to Sheriff Mables. “As you all know by now, Farmer Griffith is dead.”

  “Oh dear,” Melinda Harnnette gasped and chugged down a cup of coffee. The woman looked pale and on the verge of fainting. Melinda Harnnette worked at the bank and never was the type of woman who took bad news very well. Her plump face was one that preferred a cozy evening in a warm bakery rather than sitting in a stuffy living room digesting bad news.

  Agent Green nodded. “That’s right,” he said, “Farmer Griffith’s death is a very serious matter.”

  Jim Harnnette folded his arms over his chest. He was a short man, but his temper was one of a giant. Every citizen in Pineville knew the short man who owned the local feed and seed store was someone you
didn’t run your mouth to. Of course, Mary thought, staring at Jim, the man did look a bit silly in a pair of overalls that was one size too large, and poor Melinda looked like an overdressed queen. But opposites did attract, and love was love. “My boy had nothing to do with Farmer Griffith’s death, Agent Green. I’m here at this meeting because I was told my boy’s life is in danger and I want to know who threatened him.”

  “That’s right,” Jack and Marion Weber said. Jack stood up from the couch, straightened out the gray suit he was wearing, checked his smooth gray hair, and cleared his throat. “Agent Green, my wife and I demand to know who threatened our son. As you can see, there are some very concerned parents present tonight.” Jack was a lawyer who was used to difficult courtroom dramas. Only now his voice was a little shaky and his face strained with worry instead of confidence and control.

  “Please,” Marion pleaded. She stood up next to her husband. “Agent Green, we need answers.”

  Agent Green glanced at the dark blue dress Marion was wearing. The woman, in his view, looked like a silly blueberry with graying red hair; in reality, Marion was a lovely woman who was aging gracefully. “At the moment, Mrs. Weber, I don’t know who has threatened your son. But perhaps Mrs. Holland does. After all,” Agent Green threw his eyes at Mary, “her name was found on a note Farmer Griffith wrote before he was killed. And as of now, Mrs. Holland has refused to tell me how or why her name ended up on that note.”

  Gary Matlock looked at Mary with hard, angry eyes. The man resembled a tough lumberjack who was always looking for a fight. The white sleeves on the white button-up shirt he was wearing were rolled up and his face was snarled into a knot. “Yeah, what about that?” he demanded of Mary.

  Mary watched Gary slap his thinning brown hair away from his eyes and then throw his arms together. Amy Matlock looked down at her hands with nervous eyes. She was a small woman who was obviously trained to speak only when allowed. But her son’s life was in danger and she wasn’t about to let her tongue remain locked. “Mrs. Holland, what my husband means is that we, like every parent here tonight, need answers. Please.” Amy lifted her hands and pulled on a yellow and white shawl. Even though the night was warm, she felt very cold.