It’s not much more than a collection of houses, a few stores, and a nice school that’s grown with the influx of kids from the surrounding areas. Railroad tracks run right in front of the school, and Johnny Payne lives on a street parallel to the school gymnasium. It’s a nice little house, snug and pretty with red brick and a yard with a white picket fence. Small town America. As we got out of the SUV, a train rattled down the tracks with a terrific noise.“Are you sure he’ll be here?” I raised my voice to ask Rayna, and she nodded.“He works second shift at the Walmart distribution center in New Albany. He’s a manager now.”After his arrest and time in prison for kidnapping, Johnny Payne had spent years trying to get a decent job. Felons have very few choices. I was sure he regretted his impulsive decision to abduct Dixie Lee. Sometimes adolescents do foolish things.A blue painted metal glider sat on the front porch, shifting slightly in the breeze as we waited for someone to answer our knock.
