Read Online The Litter of the Law by Rita Mae Brown - Free Book Online Page B

glutton for punishment, he married you.” Harry smiled so sweetly.
    “Well, I think this meeting is over, unless there’s more discussion concerning the roof,” the Reverend Jones said, enjoying the banter between the two old friends.
    The committee members zoomed toward the kitchen, some heading straight for the bar. The vestry board enjoyed getting together after the meeting, catching up on one another’s news and listening to Reverend Jones, who had an appropriate Bible quote at the ready for just about any topic of conversation.
    Lucy Fur wove between people’s legs.
“Do drop something, will you?”
the cat urged the thoughtless humans munching away on ham biscuits.
    Elocution, the senior cat, curled up in Reverend Jones’s lap.
    Cazenovia picked out Susan for her victim. Susan couldn’t take a step without Cazenovia sticking right next to her, meowing.
    “Suffer the little kitties to come unto you,” the reverend joked.
    Libations in hand, all sat in chairs around the coffee table, books pushed to the middle.
    “Harry,” Wesley said, “you’ve known Buddy Janss longer than I have. Why won’t he sell the one hundred acres behind the old abandoned schoolhouses? Be very profitable for him.”
    “More to the point,” BoomBoom interjected, “why doesn’t the county finally do something about those schoolhouses? Old well-built buildings can still be useful. Instead, the county blows millions on new construction. Everything has to be new.”
    “Plans for repairs tend to languish in the county budget.” Reverend Jones’s deep voice rumbled. “But it’s much as you say, BoomBoom, everything has to be new and, to my way of thinking, antiseptic. Those three wooden buildings, with their big tall windows, beckon one to learn.” He smiled. “Can’t you imagine sitting at one of the old desks with the flip-top lid we all used, staring out the windows on an early spring day? If nothing else, might make you want to learn about the environment.”
    The group laughed.
    Harry answered Wesley’s question as best she could: “Buddy fears development, and for good reason. The school buildings and those acres are in a prime spot.”
    Wesley tried not to sound too judgmental, even though he was. “He would make so much money. At least three point two million. These are hard times. That profit would allow him to buy or rent much more land farther west in the county or he could invest it in bonds or something.”
    “Buddy isn’t averse to profit, but like I said, he fears development,” said Harry. “He thinks good soil, good farmland, should stay farmland. Wesley, he isn’t going to sell.”
    “Mmm.” Wesley heard Harry’s words but he still hoped he could find a way to pry those one hundred acres from Buddy.
    “Don’t forget, Wesley, the schoolhouses could create a problem for any development.” Susan Tucker kicked off her shoes. “Sorry, my feet hurt.”
    “Yeah, you guys should be forced to wear heels just once in your life,” Harry said. “Torture,” she declared, grinning.
    “Well, these are low heels but I’ve had enough.” Susan rubbed her right foot. “Okay, the problem: County land remains county land. And those school buildings might be considered historically significant. Now, the county can elect to sell its land. There must be a public hearing advertised in the newspaper each week for a month. These days the announcement has to go on the county website, too.”
    Neil spoke up. “You think the fear is that if the one hundred acres go, whoever purchases same will have no use for the schoolhouses and demolish them. That’s jumping the gun, I’d say.”
    Harry’s mouth fell open a little, then she said, “I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but I guess it could be a real concern.”
    “Those schoolhouses would make welcome living quarters for the aged,” said BoomBoom, thinking out loud. “Nice setting, pretty grounds, easy access from the state road and not really far from Route