Page 43 of Promise Keeper

"Oh. Hmm... JLA... JLA..." I drummed my fingers on the table, thinking through all the last names in town, all the founders, all the business owners-- "Adkins! Will Adkins's dad was James Adkins III. Ben, it's one of Will's ancestors."

"How do you know Will's dad's name?"

"Brenda was talking about it. Does it matter? His name was James and he was the third, so there was definitely a James Adkins one hundred years ago."

Ben shoved his chair back and stood. "This could be it. It fits. We might have found our man. I'll call Reins and we'll talk to Will first thing tomorrow. Cam, this case would've never come together so quickly if it wasn't for the work you've done."

"You did plenty of work, too, you know. And there's more to come, like sneaking that journal back into the train depot."

He scrunched up his nose. "Let's recruit Roy for that task."

"Or Johnna. She'd just say she borrowed it and nobody would think twice about it."

"Johnna doesn't return the things sheborrows." He made air quotes around the word borrows.

"That's true. Her bringing it back would raise suspicion."

"I'm sure an opportunity to return the journal will come up."

"If not, I'll dump it in the trash can beside the gazebo. It seems to be the thing to do."

"You could always toss it in Fiona's back yard."

I snorted a laugh, not expecting him to joke about his mom's escapade. It was good to know he still had his sense of humor.

19

Will's Schoolhouse Antiques opened next door at ten A.M. Mia and Ben were long gone to work and school, and Johnna and Roy were on their second cup of coffee at my kitchen table as we whiled away another half hour until we could barge in the antique shop.

"I hear that mother-in-law of yours threw her best friend under the tires of an eighteen wheeler," Roy said, sipping his coffee.

"Under the bus, Roy," Johnna said. "The expression is she threw her under the bus."

"Same difference."

"I don't think she thought through the consequences," I said. "For Fiona or for herself."

Roy sat bolt upright. "Is Ben gonna toss her in the hoosegow?"

"No," I said, hoping I didn't start another rumor to get me in front of her tribunal again. "No, no."

"He'd have Reins do it," Johnna said. "Ben's a mama's boy. He'd never cuff her and drag her downtown."

"Bet you'd love to see that though, wouldn't ya?" Roy laughed, pointing at me.

"No! Stop trying to bait me. I'm not saying anything that will get me in trouble with those women again."

"Close your ears, Johnna," he said. "Since you can't close your big trap."

"I did not bring up Cameron's name! I told you, I'm innocent!"

"Innocent, my Aunt Francie."

"Your Aunt Francie was a lovely woman," Johnna said, "so I take that as a compliment."

"She stole the money for a new church roof. She was the black sheep in the Lancaster lot."

Johnna banged her knitting needles and yarn on the table. "She was a kind and generous teacher and used that money to buy school supplies and lunches for poor little kids whose parents couldn't afford it."

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