“Wow. Omaha. Tell me they’re putting you up somewhere nice.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. We’ll be downtown. I would love to take you with me, but I’m going to head over, crash, get up and do the meeting. I’ll be back in the afternoon.”
“Are you taking your computer?”
“Sure.”
“Then we’ll video chat tonight after you get settled. No worries.”
“That would be great. But now comes my next question. If I give you keys to the trailer, could you open it tomorrow morning before seven? Ben and Leroy are going to start setting it up, but I haven’t gotten keys for them yet. Would you mind?”
“Of course not. Do I have to wait for them or just unlock it?”
“Just unlock it. I’ll call Leroy and tell him that it will be open.” He handed her a key. “Thank you. I feel terrible asking you to do this.”
“Don’t you dare. Of course I will. Are you leaving now?”
“Yep. I won’t get in until after nine as it is, and I’m exhausted. I’d better get on the road.”
“Did you talk to your dad?” Polly followed him back down the steps.
When he got to the bottom, he turned around and reached up to her, then pulled her in for a kiss. “He’s flying to Des Moines on Friday. He was so excited. He’ll go back next Friday and drive Mom north.”
“I’m glad. Andy said Len would love to work with your Dad if you want him.”
Henry took a deep breath. “It’s really going to be okay, isn’t it.”
“I think so. Okay. You go. Call if you get tired on the road. I’ll talk you in.”
He kissed her again. “I love you so much. Thank you for taking care of me.”
“You take care of me every day. Be safe and call me.”
She followed him out to his truck and watched as he drove away.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Right on time! Good morning,” Polly said when she answered her phone. She stretched her legs under the blankets, pushing the cats away. “Are you ready for the meeting?”
“I don’t plan on having to do anything except nod and smile, but yes, I’m ready.”
“Did you sleep well?”
Henry laughed. “I suppose I did. The boys paid for a very nice hotel room. After we hung up last night, my head hit the pillow and I crashed. How about you?”
“I slept well enough that I don’t want to get out of bed. These animals like it when I can’t move.”
“Do I need to call you back in ten minutes? I can be your human snooze button.”
“No, that’s fine. You have a meeting and I’m just whining. I’m glad you called, though. I prefer your voice to an alarm any day.”
“Thanks for opening the trailer for me. I’ll let you know when I’m on the road.”
“I’ll be out at the hotel. I’m going to finish emptying that basement as soon as I can. I’m tired of looking at it.”
“I love you, pretty girl. Talk to you later.”
Polly pulled her legs out from under the blankets and sat up in the bed. “Obiwan, do you want to take a ride?”
His entire body came alert when he heard his name. He jumped to the floor and headed for the back steps.
“Just a second, bud. I need to put some clothes on.” She got dressed and pulled a pair of boots on. The latest warm up created muddy puddles from melting snow and ice. “Come on. I’m ready.”
Obiwan followed, jumping into the truck when she opened the passenger door. Polly shut the door and went back inside to grab a leash. The vineyards were new territory and she didn’t feel like chasing him this morning. Dawn crept over the horizon when Polly turned to go south past the hotel. Lights were turning on in homes as people got ready for the day.
She stopped in front of the trailer. “You stay here. I’m just going to be a minute,” she said to the dog. He wagged his tail and tried to crawl over her to get to the door.
Polly pushed him back into his seat. “No. I meant, ‘you stay here.’ Not there.” She laughed and slipped out of the door and shut it before he could follow her. His pitiful face at the window made her laugh even more.
After unlocking the trailer, Polly looked around. The ground had been cleared last fall in preparation for building. There were a few piles of trees and brush that needed to be taken out, but it was ready. She had seen the original plans for the building and tried to imagine it in place … warm light coming from its windows, people sitting on the large porches enjoying wine and music in a cool autumn evening. This was a perfect spot and the boys had a great idea. She hoped it would be successful and that they would stick around long enough to see it through. Lydia’s words worried her. Bellingwood was waking up again and this could become a wonderful draw for people around the area.
She glanced back at Obiwan. He was still standing in her seat, wagging his tail, ever hopeful.
“Okay, okay, you silly dog. You can play. We’re not in a hurry.” She went back to the truck, snapped the leash on his collar and let him out. Polly wanted to walk around the ground before everything changed. The long rows of the vineyard stretched out to the south of the lodge. She was standing on one of the higher hills, so it all lay out in front of her. She could see for miles. Iowa’s open fields felt like they went on forever, only broken up by a few silos and barns, trees and creeks. The sun rose and lit the empty fields beyond the vineyard. Green would soon become the predominant color once again.
Obiwan pulled her along as he sniffed the ground. He marked a branch or two and continued to pull forward. They circled behind the construction trailer and he headed for one of the piles of branches, picking up speed.
“I know, I know,” she said. “You need to get into the woods so you don’t make a mess people will walk in. I’m coming.”
Obiwan approached a pile of branches very carefully, then surged forward, his nose skittering across the ground. Polly didn’t think anything of it until she saw color - blue to be exact. Blue jeans.
“What did you find, Obiwan? Why would someone leave their jeans here?”
He nosed a branch out of the way and Polly realized that she was also seeing a boot. She yanked him back, then took another step back with him firmly in hand.
“I really want to curse out loud,” she said to the dog. “Every foul word I know wants to come out of my mouth right now. Why in the hell does this keep happening?”
Obiwan tried to reach the pile of branches and she pulled him away again. “Sit. Stay.” she said and waited until he obeyed. “I mean it, Obiwan. Stay.” He looked up at her and stayed where he was while she went back to the pile and got closer to the boot and jeans. Sure enough, there was the body of a man. He had been covered with branches and brush and when she touched his hand, it was cold. He wasn’t alive.
“More curse words,” she told the dog, leading him back to the truck. “I could scream them all, but they won’t do me any good. I don’t want to make this phone call.”
She made it anyway.
“Polly Giller, there can be only one reason you are calling me at six thirty in the morning.”
“Don’t you dare start with me, Aaron. I swear to you that if you give me any trouble about this, I’m going to program a cell phone with “Bad Boys,” hide it in your house and call it fifteen times a day.”
She heard him chuckling on the other end of the phone and then he said, “Where are you and what did you find?”
“I’m out at the vineyard with Obiwan. I found a man’s body in a pile of brush. I didn’t dig him out or anything, so I don’t know who it is. I’m sorry, but Obiwan and I were there before we knew what it was. I hope we didn’t mess anything up for you.”
“That’s okay. Can you stay until I get there? Don’t let anyone else go near it. Is Henry planning on a crew today?”
“Leroy and Ben were going to set up the trailer.”
“Would you mind driving your truck out and stop them from coming in? I don’t need any more people in there.”
“I’m on it. I’m sorry, Aaron.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong and I haven’t left town yet. I’ll be right over.”
“Thanks.”
Polly tossed an old blanket onto the passenger seat to protect it from Obiwan’s muddy feet and then let him jump in. She went back to the driver’s side and got in, backed down the lane and stopped at a cross street. Hopefully Aaron would arrive before anyone else.
Eliseo was expecting her back at the barn, so she called him, “Good morning, Polly. Is everything okay?”
“I’m not going to make it this morning,” she said. “I am out at the vineyard and you aren’t going to believe what Obiwan and I found.”
“A dead body,” he deadpanned.
“Yep.”
“Oh, you’re not joking? I’m sorry. I wasn’t serious.”
“No, it’s okay. I have to wait for Aaron to show up.”
“Do you know who it is?”
“I don’t. I didn’t want to disturb things too much before Aaron got here and the person was covered with brush and branches.”
“Don’t worry about the animals here at the barn. I’ve got it.”
“Thanks. Will I see you at the hotel later today?”
“You will. Take care of yourself, Polly.”
“Thanks.”
Polly was still trying to compose the text to Henry when Ben’s truck pulled in behind her. She got out and walked back to him, “You’re not working here today,” she said after he rolled his window down.
“What’s up?”
“The Sheriff is coming over. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“Don’t tell me.” He grinned at her.
“I won’t, but if you could call Leroy and head him off, that would be great.”
“Do you know who it is?”
“Nope. I didn’t want to move things to figure it out.”
“Do you suppose it’s one of the boys?”
“I don’t think so. They should be in Omaha with Henry.” She glanced back toward the vineyard. “It could be anyone, I guess.”
“Henry’s got his hands full with you.” Ben took his phone out. “I’ll let Leroy know. We’ll work at the hotel today.”
“I’ll see you later,” she said and walked back to her truck. When she got back inside, she said, “They aren’t even surprised anymore, Obiwan. If anyone is going to die in three counties around here, I’m going to find them.” She slumped down in the seat and laid her head against the back rest. “I don’t want to tell Henry about this. He’s never going to leave town again.”
But she started entering characters into her phone.
I had to call Aaron. You aren’t going to be able to start at the construction site today. Leroy and Ben are working at the hotel. Call when you’re free.
“There,” she said. “That ought to stir him up.”
Aaron’s SUV pulled in to the cross street behind her and he got out, coming over to her truck.
“I’ve called everyone in. Can you tell me where you found him?”
Polly explained where it was located and said, “I think I should blame Lydia for this one,” Polly said.
Aaron looked at her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“She’s the one who had a party about a murder at the winery. This is on her!”
“I’ll let her know,” Aaron said. “I’m sure that will make her very happy.” He glanced around. “I guess we’re going to get to know those three boys a little better than we thought.”
“Did you know them when they were in high school?”
He grinned at her. “Of course I did. J. J. Roberts was always in trouble. He never did anything that could be considered criminal, but he put his parents through hell.”
“Were you working in Boone back then?”
“I wasn’t the Sheriff, but yes I was a young deputy in those days. Bellingwood police handled most of the trouble those boys got into, but every once in a while, they’d try their hand in the big city and my boss thought it would be good experience for me to deal with them.”
“What do you mean?”
“I suppose you haven’t met any of their parents yet.” Aaron took a deep breath. “The Roberts’ family are good folk. J. J.‘s dad is a farmer north of town. But the boy hated farming and his mama didn’t have the wherewithal to make him do something he didn’t want to do. His daddy finally gave up on him and just let him do what he wanted. Ryan Williamson. Well, his family is another story. That boy had to work hard to come out of that family with any sanity. I’ll give him credit. He did more with his life than any of us expected. You probably know Millie and Van Stephens, don’t you?”
Polly shook her head.
“Well, Van is a good man. He’s a farmer and a professor down at Iowa State. His wife brought money into the family. Let’s just say that Patrick married his mother all over again. She’s always held that family out to be more than they are and has a tendency to look down her nose at anyone who works for a living. Patrick was a bit spoiled. He has a younger brother and an older sister. They’re not much better.”
She’d never heard Aaron gossip like this and didn’t know what to make of it, so she kept her mouth shut and waited, but couldn’t contain the grin on her lips.
“Oh stop laughing at me,” he said. “I pay attention to what’s going on around here, even if it’s Lydia who talks to everyone.”
“I’m not saying a word.”
“Don’t tell my wife, she’ll yell at me. She tells me that gossip isn’t very nice.”
“She doesn’t let us do it either, but Beryl never really listens to her.”
“Beryl’s awful. I think the only person she ever listens to is Lydia.”
“And you, Aaron.” Polly said. “She listens to you. If she didn’t have you and Lydia in her life, she’d be miserable.”
“She’s a good woman, even if she does make life entertaining.”
“Do you need me to stick around?” Polly asked.
“Would you mind staying until more of the team arrives?” he asked. “I’d hate for someone else to get onto the property before we can process it.”
“Sure,” she said. “I can wait. Are you going to let me know who it is and what happened or do I have to bribe your wife?”
“I’m afraid of the unknown cell phone ringing in my life, so I promise to tell you what I can.” He laughed and walked on down the road into the vineyard’s property.
It didn’t take much longer for more emergency vehicles to arrive. Polly backed out and turned onto the street so they could pass through. Two more vehicles from the sheriff’s department pulled in and she waved at Stu Decker as he walked past her truck. She called Aaron.
“Is that enough people? Can I leave now?” she asked when he answered his phone.
“Thank you, Polly. We’ve got it from here.”
“Do you know who it is yet?”
She heard him take a deep breath. “I told you I would let you know who it was. But you can’t say anything to anyone. Promise me that? We need to contact his family and talk to the boys.”
“The boys are in Omaha with Henry this morning. They had a meeting at six thirty. So, is it someone I know?”
“I doubt it, but he was associated with the winery. It was one of the fellas hired to care for the vineyard and make wine - Bruce Victor. Whoever killed him did a terrible job of covering things up. They must have wanted him to be found.”
“Was he killed here?” she asked.
“I’m not willing to say anything about that yet,” Aaron said. “Let me do some more work and the next time you can trap me, you can interrogate me. Does that sound fair?”
Polly laughed. “I guess I can’t ask for more than that. So, you won’t let me tell Henry?”
She heard him sigh in the background. “You make my life much too difficult, Polly Giller. Don’t tell Henry. Please?”
“He’s not going to like it.”
“I don’t want him saying so
mething to the boys before I can talk to them.”
“How about if I wait to tell him until he gets back to Bellingwood? Or maybe when he’s on the road and driving back. He won’t be around the boys at that point.”
“Polly, just be careful, okay?”
“Got it. If he were my husband, you couldn’t make me keep this from him,” she teased.
Aaron laughed out loud. “If he were your husband, I’d stop worrying about getting phone calls from you informing me of the dead bodies you’ve found!”
“Thanks for that,” she said. “Remember, first chance I get, you are at my interrogation desk.”
“I know. I know. Now let me get to work.” She heard him giving directions to his deputies before he turned his phone off. She wasn’t sure why she had so much fun pressing his buttons.
“Okay, Obiwan. It’s time to get you back to Sycamore House. I have a lot of work ahead of me today.”
CHAPTER SIX
“Ow!” Polly exclaimed as she pulled the hand truck up from the basement of the caretaker’s house at the hotel. She’d caught a heel on one of the steps and it nearly pulled her shoe off. Her phone rang. That had to be Henry. He could wait. The phone stopped ringing and then started again. Yep, Henry. By the time she got to the top of the steps it had stopped and started once more.
“Hello hot stuff,” she said. She tucked it between her ear and shoulder and pushed the cart to the dumpster.
“Hello yourself. What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything.” Polly lifted a box into the dumpster and said, “Just a second, let me finish this.”
She heard him yell, “No!” as she slipped the phone into her jacket pocket and heaved things into the dumpster.
“Are you still there?” she asked.
“Where in the hell else am I supposed to be? Now tell me what happened!”
She wheeled the cart back to the staircase and bounced it down the steps, then sat on a pile of wood. “Aaron says I can blame this one on Lydia, but I think I’ll blame it on you. If you hadn’t asked me to unlock the trailer, I would have been safely ensconced in the barn with my horses and donkeys. Instead, you have me out chasing down dead people.”
Diane Greenwood Muir - Bellingwood 06 - A Season of Change Page 5