Chapter 41

Ed Rollins retired Sheriffs deputy sergeant.‭-132 Divorced with one son
John Rollins Ed’s son who graduated from law school. A bookworm.
Lynne Rollins Ed’s ex-wife who never married again
Alma Bishop widow of Amos Bishop and owner of old country store.
Sally the widow Bishop’s daughter.
David the contractor
Son Perkins a moonshiner from the hills of Tennessee
The stove man MIKE liquor supplier.
Jesse orange he was a shiner in Arkansas
Linda, Barry, and Megan the family Abrams Ed babysat.
Lois Smyth detective 1st class
Jeremy Ed former partner
Patrol Deputy Patty Purcell
Michael Everheart bar manager lucky13
JD enforcer
Clive McMasters known money man.
Porter John law partner and maybe lover.
Chief Deputy Malloy second in command
Jen social worker for the county.
Sam Delray head of child protective services.
Lucinda mercer volunteer.
Tommy Simpson another volunteer
Mary Beth Williams the third vol
Michael Williams Mary Beth’s very gentle husband also helped.
Amos sheriff’s researcher.
Gerome videographer.
Jamie our first star and Tommy grandson\\
Maurine Thomas friend of Mary Beth’s friend from her days working in the county social services office.... Maurine had a son named Eddie enrolled in Old Miss univ.
Rufus and his daughter the owner of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane
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After Jen at the social services office, I had to meet with lucinda and an old farmer name Rufus Brown. I had his house programmed into the Hyundai’s gps. I tried to drive the econ-box at least a couple of times a week. Mostly I drove the Soul. Mostly because the Soul was easier for me to enter and exit.

Farmer Brown’s home was a rambling old farm house. It needed at least a coat of paint. It was 11AM, but we still had our meeting with Rufus and his daughter Louise in the kitchen.

“Mr Brown my name is Ed Rollins and this is my friend Lucinda. We would like to talk to you about a piece of land you own down near the Yazoo river,” I explained.

“You’ll have to do better than that. All the land I’ve got is on the Yazoo. It’s all on in the flood plain. It’s all my daddy could afford,” he explained.

.

“Well first of all I don’t want to buy or steal it from you. I just want you not to do any work on this field between April 1st and July 1st.” Lucinda had Gerome’s tiny laptop. She showed Mr. Brown pictures of the field and the border with the river.

“What would you normally plant in there?” I asked.

“Probably soy beans. If my daughter decided to plant it this year, her old man would be preparing the field in April and May. We would plant in May or June latest or we would lose the whole crop,” he answered.

l that field is three acres of cleared ground. Soy beans are about $10 a bushel at this time. That is transported to the auction house and ready to sell price. We figure if you get the maximum of fifty bushels per acre on the three acre plot that is one hundred and fifty bushels. One hundred and fifty bushels at $10 each is S1,500. The profit on that will be somewhat less. I will sign a lease with you to pay one thousand dollars not to start work in that field till after July 1st. After that you can grow your crop or do anything else to the land.

“If you did want to sell? What kind of price you looking at?” I asked.

“I think, if I wanted to sell and I don’t. The price would be $10,000,” Rufus said.

“We are way too far apart to come together on a sale,” I said.

“Just for the asking, what do you think it’s worth?” he asked.

“Five maybe six, but that’s reaching. It is in the flood plain. It floods there every couple of springs,” I said.

“If we was dickering, which we ain’t, how would you feel about $8,000?” he asked.

“I’d feel like I wasn’t going to be able to walk tomorrow,” I said. “You are at eight and I’m at six how about we meet in the middle. If you decide you want to sell it?”

“I’ll ask my kids and see what they think,” he said.

“Tell them I have to know whether they want to lease it, or sell it. I also need to know by Friday.” I demanded.

Lucinda and I walked out to my Hyundai before she spoke to me. We didn’t talk about buying the land,” she said.

“I know, but I can buy it. then lease it back to whatever entity you guys decide to set up. Seven years it will pay for itself and I’ll have three more acres on the Yazoo,” I informed her.