Read Online The Suspicious Mr. Greenley by Rebecca Jacobs - Free Book Online
Authors: Rebecca Jacobs
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Chapter One
Cinder, Ohio
May 1950
“Kady Jo, don’t you go wandering off, now. I want you to make a salad for supper,” Elsie Rogers called out as she heard the kitchen screen door slam. She sighed, knowing perfectly well her daughter would claim later that she hadn’t heard her. Kady was about to graduate from high school, but still preferred to run wild rather than take on any responsibility at home. And ever since Steven Greenley returned home, her daughter had taken to spying on the man. Kady had some idea that the man was up to something, and she was determined to find out what it was. Elsie sighed once again, and once she’d finished nursing her youngest, she tucked him back in his crib and went to check on her other little ones who were supposed to be playing in the back yard. She counted each precious head and smiled when they were all accounted for… except for Kady, and that young lady was nowhere to be seen. As much as Elsie hated it, she was going to have to speak to William and let him deal with their daughter. It was time Kady realized she had to grow up.
* * *
Kady just knew that Steven Greenley was up to something and it would spell trouble for the town of Cinder. He’d already caught a group of her friends swimming on his property and made it clear they weren’t welcome. Why else would he run off people unless he was up to no good? Besides, the man never smiled. Mama said he’d been a POW in the Pacific and had had a hard time of it, but the war was over five years ago. Why did he wait so long to come home?
She heard the whine of a saw and decided she could sneak in a bit closer and take a peek in the window of his workshop. The cover he had over the window was torn and she was positive she could see something that would incriminate him, and then her Daddy would believe her and call the Sheriff, and they could do something about Mr. Greenley before he caused trouble.
Kady was pretty fearless, but it was much easier to spy on the man from the relative safety of the woods she knew like the back of her hand. If she crawled under the fence and sneaked across the pasture, and Mr. Greenley stopped working and came outside, he would see her! She could always think of something to say, Kady told herself, bolstering her courage. She wiggled under the fence, snagging her worn jeans on the fence and tearing a hole in them. Using a word or two her Mama wouldn’t approve of, Kady jerked her pants free and went about her business. Even if no one else suspected the former soldier, she did!
She made it to the workshop without being seen. The saw was still running and she stood on tiptoe, trying to see inside. She was too short! Kady cursed again, wishing she was taller. She spotted a crate behind the building and dragged it over to the window. Now she would see what the suspicious man was up to. She looked in the window, right through the tear in the fabric he had pinned up to hide from prying eyes. Steven Greenley seemed to sense he was being watched and he shut off the saw and turned to look at her, his dark eyes narrowed in anger.
Kady gasped and tried to duck out of sight, but the old crate tipped and she fell to the ground. She heard Steven Greenley’s growl of rage, and she immediately jumped to her feet to run. She made it nearly to the fence at the edge of the property before he caught her. Kady kicked and tried to twist away when he lifted her off her feet, but he held on tight and refused to release her. “Let me go!” she yelled loudly.
“I’m tired of you kids coming around here and messing around. It’s time I made an example of one of you!”
“You let me go!” Kady hollered again as he made his way back to the crate. “I’m not a kid!”
“Yeah, right! You aren’t a day over fifteen, and you are going to get exactly what you deserve, little girl!” Steven knelt on the ground beside the
Cinder, Ohio
May 1950
“Kady Jo, don’t you go wandering off, now. I want you to make a salad for supper,” Elsie Rogers called out as she heard the kitchen screen door slam. She sighed, knowing perfectly well her daughter would claim later that she hadn’t heard her. Kady was about to graduate from high school, but still preferred to run wild rather than take on any responsibility at home. And ever since Steven Greenley returned home, her daughter had taken to spying on the man. Kady had some idea that the man was up to something, and she was determined to find out what it was. Elsie sighed once again, and once she’d finished nursing her youngest, she tucked him back in his crib and went to check on her other little ones who were supposed to be playing in the back yard. She counted each precious head and smiled when they were all accounted for… except for Kady, and that young lady was nowhere to be seen. As much as Elsie hated it, she was going to have to speak to William and let him deal with their daughter. It was time Kady realized she had to grow up.
* * *
Kady just knew that Steven Greenley was up to something and it would spell trouble for the town of Cinder. He’d already caught a group of her friends swimming on his property and made it clear they weren’t welcome. Why else would he run off people unless he was up to no good? Besides, the man never smiled. Mama said he’d been a POW in the Pacific and had had a hard time of it, but the war was over five years ago. Why did he wait so long to come home?
She heard the whine of a saw and decided she could sneak in a bit closer and take a peek in the window of his workshop. The cover he had over the window was torn and she was positive she could see something that would incriminate him, and then her Daddy would believe her and call the Sheriff, and they could do something about Mr. Greenley before he caused trouble.
Kady was pretty fearless, but it was much easier to spy on the man from the relative safety of the woods she knew like the back of her hand. If she crawled under the fence and sneaked across the pasture, and Mr. Greenley stopped working and came outside, he would see her! She could always think of something to say, Kady told herself, bolstering her courage. She wiggled under the fence, snagging her worn jeans on the fence and tearing a hole in them. Using a word or two her Mama wouldn’t approve of, Kady jerked her pants free and went about her business. Even if no one else suspected the former soldier, she did!
She made it to the workshop without being seen. The saw was still running and she stood on tiptoe, trying to see inside. She was too short! Kady cursed again, wishing she was taller. She spotted a crate behind the building and dragged it over to the window. Now she would see what the suspicious man was up to. She looked in the window, right through the tear in the fabric he had pinned up to hide from prying eyes. Steven Greenley seemed to sense he was being watched and he shut off the saw and turned to look at her, his dark eyes narrowed in anger.
Kady gasped and tried to duck out of sight, but the old crate tipped and she fell to the ground. She heard Steven Greenley’s growl of rage, and she immediately jumped to her feet to run. She made it nearly to the fence at the edge of the property before he caught her. Kady kicked and tried to twist away when he lifted her off her feet, but he held on tight and refused to release her. “Let me go!” she yelled loudly.
“I’m tired of you kids coming around here and messing around. It’s time I made an example of one of you!”
“You let me go!” Kady hollered again as he made his way back to the crate. “I’m not a kid!”
“Yeah, right! You aren’t a day over fifteen, and you are going to get exactly what you deserve, little girl!” Steven knelt on the ground beside the
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