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“Let’s hit the bricks and take everything into town. I want to jaw with this nephew of Henry’s and get the lowdown on what led to the cockamamie morning we’ve had. We need to keep this close to the vest though.  Dummy up, everybody.”
    “That’s the same thing Jimmy said.” Mikey glanced at the flatfoot.
    Doc smiled while he listened to Chris. Jimmy appeared confused, for the most part. Mikey grinned from ear to ear. He knew when Chris took on his Bogey persona that things were about to happen.
    Everyone waited while I ran into the house and found my purse. I locked up the house and our little caravan took off, headed for town and what I hoped would be a story worth hearing.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    I could hear the dogs whining from inside the farmhouse when we pulled away. They wanted to go with us, but this wasn’t a trip for them. I’d left them food and water and knew they’d be fine until we came home.
    Jimmy led the way with Doc following , and we brought up the rear. It was about a twenty minute ride into the small town of Serenity, and when we passed a diner I realized I was hungry, which meant Mikey and Chris were probably hungry, too.
    “Maybe we should eat before we meet Mr. Kimball,” I said hopefully.
    “Good idea, Mom.” Mikey sat in the back seat and leaned forward as far as his seatbelt would allow.
    “I know we’re all hungry, but let’s at least stop and introduce ourselves to this guy first. It’ll only take a minute.” Chris sounded a bit cross, which was funny since our surname is Cross.
    I blinked, realizing sometimes my thoughts could be a little silly.
    “I think we should meet this guy and get our photocopy of the will before we do anything else.” Chris looked at me, apparently hoping for confirmation.
    “You’re right, Bogey Man. Business first, then dinner.”
    Jimmy pulled into the parking lot next to Kimball’s Groceries. We followed him into the lot while Doc drove on past, ready to unload the bones.
    The copper stepped out of his patrol unit and waited for us to join him. “Stu is one of the good ol’ boys around here. There’s nothing he likes more than talking about his uncle and local history, so prepare yourselves. He’ll talk your ear off.”
    “That’s okay. We love a good story.” Mikey glanced at Chris to see if he’d said the right thing.
    Chris smiled and nodded. Turning to Jimmy, he said, “Have you got the will?”
    Jimmy held up the pouch in reply.
    When we first arrived on vacation, we’d passed through Serenity and I picked up a few groceries to take to the farmhouse with us. We were tired after the long drive so I hadn’t taken in my surroundings. This time I took a better look around. It seemed like a nice little Mom and Pop store, neat and clean with a somewhat limited selection, but since it was small I didn’t expect much more. Walking past the produce section, I saw signs indicating most of the produce was locally grown. I took that to mean the produce was vine-ripened and flavorful. I’d have to pick up more supplies while we were in town.
    Jimmy nodded at a pleasant looking man and waved him over. The man lifted his hand in acknowledgment and headed toward us. He was probably in his late sixties or early seventies, but his step was quick and sure, not that of an old man. His hair was gray and thinning on top, and he wore gold-framed glasses. Although not overweight, he had the paunch that so many men have at his age. When he stopped in front of us I saw clear blue eyes watching us from behind the glasses.
    “And who are these folks?” Stu asked, holding out his hand to Jimmy for a shake.
    “Well, Stu, these are the Crosses. They’re visiting out at the Perry farm.” He pointed at Mikey. “This is Mikey – and hold onto your hat – he found your Uncle Henry this morning.”
    Chris and I turned to Jimmy in surprise. His revelation hadn’t been exactly subtle or gentle. Of course, Stu was too young to