Looking For You All My Life Part 31

all know he was old as the hills, but if anyone sent him out

before his time it was Snider and Tanner."

"Thanks. You're probably right."

"You bet I'm right. And we won't let them off the hook

now, will we?"

She unlocked her car door, then turned to face Clyde,

noticing how his brow was furrowed with concern. "No, we

won't!" The words came Out with fresh resolve, and then she

nodded firmly. "Somehow, we're going to make them sorry

they ever got into this land development business in the first

place."

He grinned. "Now that's my girl!"

Jeanette stopped by the newspaper office on Monday and

Maggie took her directly to her office and invited her to sit

down. She had given this conversation much thought and

even more prayer. She began speaking slowly, in a gentle

voice. "Jeanette, I know you loved your grandfather very,

very much. And just for the record, I think he was a won-

derful, dear old man. But I also know that you think my

article caused his-"

54Melody Carlson

"I didn't come to talk about that," she snapped back.

Then she abruptly stood, switching her purse to her other

hand with impatience. "I only came here to discuss

Grandpa's dog."

"Yes, Lizzie's a delight. We've enjoyed having her."

Jeanette appeared slightly surprised, almost as if she'd

suspected Maggie to be the type of person who might poison

or torture a poor, homeless animal whose master had died.

Maggie continued, once again using a calm, gentle voice.

"I will understand perfectly if you want to take the dog with

you. However, you should know that Lizzie and I hit it off

the day I first visited your grandfather. In fact, although I

only knew him briefly, I was quite fond of him." She picked

up the figurine and turned it around in her hands. "And I felt

absolutely horrible to find him like that-"

"You found him?" Jeanette's eyes narrowed. "I thought

it was Rick."

Maggie looked directly into the woman's eyes. "Look, I

have absolutely no reason to lie to you about anything. And

if I hadn't come to care so deeply about your grandfather, I

wouldn't even bother trying to convince you of the truth."

She set down the figurine and picked up an edition of last

week's paper, holding it out toward Jeanette. "And if you're

half the person your grandfather believed you to be, I'd think

you would want to read this article for yourself. He spent a

lot of time telling me his side of the story, all of which is

included here."

Jeanette reluctantly took the paper. "Rick Tanner says it's

just a bunch of lies."

"Why don't you read it, and then judge for yourself?