That phone call was useless, to say the least.
She plugged her phone into the computer and dropped the audio file from last night into her cloud drive so it would show up in several places if necessary, then spent some more time wandering aimlessly around the internet. Finally she turned the computer off and flipped the lid closed. She stowed it in the cupboard and pulled out a couple of large bowls, filling them with candy and setting them out on the counter. Polly pulled the casserole out of the oven and checked it. Practically defrosted. It would be perfect for the boys' supper tonight.
"Doug? Billy?" she called into the hallway.
The guys came in wielding their light sabers. "Aren't these cool?" Doug asked.
She smiled. "Those are way cool. The force is definitely with you." Then she pointed at the oven and said, "I've got a Shepherd's Pie casserole in here. I’ve set the timer, so take it out and eat the whole thing if you want. Okay?"
"Okay." Doug walked over and watched her set the timer, then pulled his phone out and set his alarm for the same time. "Just to make sure we hear it. Thanks."
With them set for the night, Polly left and went to Lydia and Aaron's house. When she pulled in the driveway, Aaron was outside with a plate of steaks sitting beside the grill.
"How do you like your steak, Polly?" he asked, brandishing a large grill fork.
"I think I've spent way too much time out east, Aaron. Medium-rare to rare is perfect. Not quite bloody in the middle, but close."
He shuddered. "Alright, yours goes on last. Lydia is upstairs getting things ready for dinner. I'll be up in a bit."
Polly went inside and up the stairs. Funny how this house was beginning to feel so familiar. Lydia met her at the top of the steps; hands filled with vegetables.
"I'd hug you, but I might crush tomatoes down your back and that would look like a bloodbath. Not something we want the neighbors to see," she laughed.
"Can I help?" Polly asked.
"Sure. Here, I was going to chop these up for the salad. It's all ready to go." Polly began chopping things up into bite-sized pieces and tossing them into the salad bowl while Lydia continued putting things out on the table.
"It's a simple meal tonight. Aaron doesn't grill steak that often and when he does, I take the evening off from heavy cooking. I've got baked potatoes and a broccoli dish in the oven. Will that be enough for you?"
"That will be wonderful, Lydia. Thank you,” Polly assured her.
They set the table and when Aaron brought the steaks up, Lydia pulled the dishes out of the oven.
It didn't take long for conversation to turn to the events of the night before. Lydia took great joy in telling Polly how Joey had sat there in obvious shock for a few minutes after she strode out. Soon he picked up his phone, put it in his pocket and looked around, then left.
"What did you get from his phone, Polly?" Lydia asked.
"Oh, I got his mother's phone number and maybe a counselor's number, too.
She went on, "I called his mother today to see if she would be any help. Guys, I think she is as delusional as Joey. She told me I needed to tell him I didn't want to be with him, as if I haven't been doing that over and over. Then, she told me I would be a welcome addition to her family. I don't think she heard a single word I was saying. And if she heard the words, she certainly didn't understand them."
"I'm sorry, Polly,” Lydia said. “You're going to figure this out and you know we’ll do whatever we can to help you."
"I know. I want to drop him off a bridge somewhere and stop all of this. Last night he sounded insane when he was talking to me. I got some of it recorded on my phone and before I came over here, I put it on my computer too. Just in case I ever need it. At this point, I don't know how I'm going to get him out of my life." Polly sighed and dropped her hands in her lap.
Then her phone rang. She looked at it and saw that it was Billy. When she answered it, she heard his panicked voice. "Polly, you've got to get over here and bring the Sheriff. Some guy, it was probably your boyfriend, beat the hell out of Doug. He's lying on the gravel and I'm worried about him."
Aaron's phone rang at that moment and he picked it up, listened, then looked at Polly.
"Billy, is he still there?" she asked.
"No, he's gone. I hit him with the light saber and a car drove by and he got in his car and left. I called 9-1-1 and they're sending someone. Get here quick!"
She jumped out of her chair and Aaron was right behind her.
"I think Joey beat Doug up at the school," she said to Lydia. "He's gone now, but I have to go make sure they're okay. Aaron? Are you coming?"
"I'm right behind you,” he said. “and if you don't hurry, I'll be right in front of you."
The two of them ran down the stairs and out the back door to their cars.
Chapter Nineteen
Tearing through the streets of Bellingwood seemed overly reckless, so Polly let Aaron lead the way. After throwing the truck into Park, she jumped out and ran to Doug, the siren of the ambulance coming down the highway, its mournful wail echoing her concern.
"Doug!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! Billy, how are you doing?"
Doug looked a little chagrined. Billy had wadded up his brown robe and put it under Doug's head, and thrown the blanket from the back of his car over him. He was wiping blood off Doug's face.
"Billy isn't going to let me get up until the EMTs get here," Doug said. "I told him I would be fine. It's just that my head really hurts."
Aaron knelt down beside him. "They're nearly here. You've been beaten up pretty badly. This wasn't what I meant to have happen, boys."
Polly gave a weak giggle, "Yeah. Way to take one for the team!"
Aaron asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"
Both boys started to talk and Polly put her hand on Doug's shoulder. He stopped talking and waited.
Billy started back up again. "Well, we were in the hallway messing with our light sabers, acting all Jedi and stuff. There were a few trick-or-treaters. They thought we were cool. We handed out a lot of candy.
"Then we heard another knock on the door and when we opened it there was a guy standing there. He took one look at us and started yelling for Polly. He accused us of doing bad things with her. Both Doug and me, we were pretty upset at that and told him there was no way we would ever do anything that nasty with Polly.
He stopped and said, "Not because you aren't pretty or anything, Polly."
"It's okay, Billy. Go on."
"He pushed past us into the school and went upstairs, screaming your name and flinging doors open. We thought he was going to open up the bathroom where the crime scene tape was and we told him he couldn't do that. That made him even madder. He ran into your room and I'm sorry, Polly, he started tossing your stuff around. Doug told him to stop it and get out, that he was going to call the Sheriff.
"Well, that made him even more mad and he rushed Doug and smacked him in the face. Doug fell down and I realized I still had my light saber, so I hit him in the head.
"Dude, that didn't even phase him! He went back downstairs and I helped Doug stand up. We followed him and he was in the kitchen, throwing things and pulling stuff out of the cupboards. Screaming about how you were his and he wasn't going to let you live in some stupid little town and you deserved better than this. On and on.
"Then, he saw us standing there and it was like he took crazy to a new level. He came running at us and before we could get our wits, he pushed Doug to the ground and started beating on him. When I went after him with the light saber, he grabbed Doug and started running and dragging him. He pulled him outside, then down the steps and onto the gravel. Finally I caught up with him and wailed on him with my trusty saber here a couple of times.
"A car pulled out of the entrance down the road and he saw the lights and something must have clicked, because he dropped Doug, ran to his car and drove off.”
An ambulance, a fire truck and another sheriff's car pulled into the lot. Two EM
Ts got out and rushed over to where Doug was on the ground. They took his vital signs, then began checking him over for breaks. The poor kid moaned a couple of times as one ran her hands over his arms. She looked up, "I don't think anything is broken here, but he's been beaten badly and has some nasty cuts and scrapes from being dragged across the gravel. We're going to take him in, get him cleaned up and x-rayed."
Billy looked down at his friend, "Dude. You're getting to ride in the ambulance. They can go really fast, you know."
"Uh huh. This is so cool," Doug's cynical look dampened Billy's enthusiasm.
"No worries," Billy said. "I'll go tell your parents and see if they want a ride to the hospital. I got this."
Aaron stopped Billy, "Son, you go on home. I'll go talk to the Randalls and we'll make sure they get to Doug tonight."
"But?"
"Dude," Doug said. "I'm fine. You did great. You're my best friend and you had my back. Take my car to your house and come down to Boone tomorrow when I'm all cleaned up and in a pretty hospital gown. You can laugh at me and help me hit on the nurses."
Doug turned his eyes up to the EMT. "My keys are in my pocket. Are you going to let me get them or do you want to go after them."
"Which pocket?" she asked.
"The right front pocket of my jeans."
She reached in, pulled them out and handed them up to Billy.
"See what I mean, Dude? I got girls already checking me out. Tomorrow will be great."
Polly caught the EMT rolling her eyes. She had to be Polly's age and stood up to confer with her partner. They got Doug onto the gurney and into the ambulance. Aaron spoke with the officer who had accompanied the team, then turned to Polly.
"Polly, can you tell me what hotel your friend was staying at in Boone?" he asked.
"It was the one out on the highway. I don't remember the name."
"That's fine, it's the only one down in that area. You don't know what kind of car he was driving, do you?"
"I'm sorry, Aaron. I don't. I don't think I ever saw it."
Billy piped up. "He was driving a maroon Taurus. Probably this year's model. I didn't see the number, but it was a Polk County plate."
Polly interjected, "He rented it in Des Moines at the airport."
"Alright, thanks guys.” Aaron said, “That's helpful."
Billy asked Polly, "You aren't going to stay here alone tonight are you? I could call some of the other guys and I guess we could come hang out."
Aaron Merritt stepped back into the conversation. "No Billy, she's coming home with me. She can stay at our house tonight."
"Oh, whew,” he said. “I wasn't going to sleep at all if you were here alone with that psycho on the loose."
"Because I'm only thirty-two years old and have lived on my own for the last fourteen years. Good heavens." Polly sniped.
"Quit muttering and go in and pack a bag." Aaron said to her. "You know you'd never sleep anyway if you were here all by yourself, so you might as well come let Lydia take care of you."
"I'll mutter all I want. You people seem to think I'm incapable of taking care of myself," she huffed.
Billy said, "I'm leaving now. If she gets up another head of steam, I want to be behind my own four walls."
The sheriff laughed at him, "Thanks, Billy. We'll get Doug set for the night. If all he had were some bad scrapes and cuts, he'll be home tomorrow sometime, I'm sure. Call his parents before you head down to see him, alright?"
"Sure, Sheriff. Goodnight."
Polly waved at Billy as he drove away and went inside and up the stairs. Her room was completely ransacked. Bedding had been stripped off and tossed around, things were pulled out of her bags and the laundry baskets. Her box of books was turned upside down and books were scattered across the floor. She didn't even want to look at the kitchen, so figured she would save all of it until tomorrow and deal with it in the light of day. She scrounged around and came up with some clothes and gathered her travel kit, jammed them in the bag and zipped it shut and then turned all the lights off upstairs and went back down to find the sheriff waiting for her.
"I've turned everything off down here and checked the doors," he said. "You're going to want some help in that kitchen. He might have gone a little crazy."
"That's what I figured. I'll check it out tomorrow." She sighed, "Alright. I guess I'm ready to go back to your place. This is kind of getting to be a habit."
"I've already called Lydia and she knows what's going on. I'll follow you to our house and make sure you get inside safely, then go over to the Randalls and let them know what has happened. I'll be home in a bit."
He watched her get in her truck and followed as she pulled out onto the highway, then followed her to his own house. Once she was safely down the driveway, he headed off to deal with Doug's family.
Lydia was waiting for her at the back door. "Aaron said you were driving in. I'm so sorry, Polly."
"You know, Lydia," Polly said as she walked into their basement, "I'm getting tired of things happening around me. I can't fix anything or make it right. All I can do is stand by while everyone else has to clean up my stuff. I didn't ask for any of this, but the splatter keeps making me hide."
"I know, dear." Lydia put her arm around Polly's shoulder. "Sometimes life stinks. You're in that 'just stinks' phase right now. It will get better one of these days. I promise."
She flipped the locks closed on the door behind her and they walked upstairs and ended up in the kitchen again.
"It seems like I was here only a few minutes ago," Polly said.
"Well, it wasn't that long ago, but I put your plate in the oven. Aaron's is in there as well. Are you hungry or is your stomach too upset to eat?"
"I don't want anything right now. Thanks, Lydia." Polly cursed. "I feel so bad for that kid. And his parents are going to be so upset. This is all my fault. How in the world could I have let this happen? Helen Randall trusted me with her son. All he did was take a job installing electricity."
"Stop it, you silly girl. This isn't your fault. You didn't invite that boy to come to Iowa. You didn't raise him up to be a crazy person. You didn't put those bodies in the ceiling of the bathroom and you didn't collect all that junk into crates. There is no way anyone will believe it's all your fault, so stop with the pity party."
"Wow!" Polly blinked her eyes at Lydia. "You don't let much wallowing happen around here, do you?"
"Not if it's useless," Lydia chuckled. "My kids didn't get to take opportunities for it and I'm not going to let a 32 year old woman do it either. Especially when the only purpose is to make you feel badly about yourself.
"It occurs to me that if you really don't want any supper, we might need to shock your stomach into realizing things are going to be okay." Lydia pulled the lid off a container filled with pumpkin bars. "Would you like some milk with this?"
It was too much. Polly threw her head back and laughed. "Wow. There will be no wallowing around here, will there."
"Not as long as my oven works and I can get to my recipes. You know, my grandmother always cooked and baked when stress was happening around her." Lydia paused. "Actually, my grandmother cooked and baked when there was happiness and joy around her too. I guess she taught me that families and love and kitchens and good food all kind of blend together. So, milk?"
"Sure. That sounds great."
Aaron walked into the kitchen and saw what was happening at his table. "Oh, you pulled out the big guns, didn't you Lydia?"
"What do you mean? I only baked something with cinnamon in it so the house smelled good."
"Yeah. I recognize this. It's the big guns. Did you save my dinner?"
"Of course I did. I haven't been married to you this long without knowing what to do. Polly, are you sure you don't want dinner?"
"My stomach is fully on board now," Polly said. "Dinner would be awesome."
"I knew it would work. I didn't raise five kids without learning a few tricks." Lydia put their plates in front of the
m and pulled the salad out of the refrigerator and then took the broccoli and potatoes out of the oven.
They sat down and Aaron looked around the table. "Tonight, I'm grateful that everyone is alright. May the good Lord keep us and save us."
"Amen," Lydia responded.
After eating a few bites, Polly said, "Aaron, I don't know how we're going to stop Joey. His mother isn't willing to deal with him. I haven't called his counselor, but probably couldn't get through until Monday anyway. I can't believe there is no one else in Boston who sees what I see in him."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Polly. I guess I was hoping there might be some help there,” Aaron responded.
"Well, if it's help you're wanting,” she said. “there is a family of Italian boys who are ready to take care of him. But, maybe that's not what you're talking about."
"No, not yet anyway. We've got people out searching for him tonight. It's like he dropped off the face of the earth and that makes me nervous. He checked out of his hotel this afternoon and when we called the rental agency, they said he had rented the car for two weeks. They have no idea where he is. It's not like they ask for an itinerary. We've alerted the surrounding departments to keep an eye out for the vehicle, but who knows which way he might have gone. He had a bit of a head start on us before we got the information.
"I know you don't want to think about this, Polly, but I'd like you to spend nights here with us until we know what he’s doing."
"Do I have a choice?" she asked.
"I suppose you do, but I'd like you to make this one." Lydia took his hand at the table in support. Polly recognized it was a losing battle against the two of them.
"Alright,” she acquiesced. “Until we know where he is, I'll spend nights here. But, I am going to work there during the day."
"That sounds fair." Aaron replied.
He went on, "Oh, I stopped by Doug Leon's place today. He wasn't answering his door and I don't have a good reason to break in yet. I talked to his landlord and it seems like we might have a hoarder on our hands. Old Doug won't let anyone into his apartment, and neighbors have started complaining about bugs. I'll wait until Monday to open it up, but I want to try one more time tomorrow to see if I can talk to him."
All Roads Lead Home (Bellingwood) Page 20