The River Rolls On (Bellingwood Book 10) (14 page)

"Do you want to walk your dogs first? As long as you don't leave the property, I'm all for that."

"Are you teasing me?" Polly wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

Tanya chuckled. "There are four of us here to protect you now. I think we can give you a little freedom. As long as one of us is with you and you don't run off on your own, this will be easy."

"I want to hug you," Polly said. "All of you. I'll be good. I won't run away. I'll stick close. I'll do whatever you tell me to do, as long as you let me live a normal life."

"Normal it is," Tanya said. "What do you want to do first?"

"I want to take my dogs for a walk." Polly looked at the time. "This is perfect. Then I want to call my friend Sal and ask her to meet us at the diner for lunch. And then I want to go over to where my husband is working and see what they're doing."

"Gerry will meet us at the diner in, say, twenty minutes?" Tonya said. "Will that be enough time?"

"Seriously. Hugging you," Polly said and grinned when Tanya backed up. "Okay, hugging you from afar. You made my day!"

She stopped at Stephanie's desk and the girl looked up at her with a big smile. "You're leaving us for a while?"

"It's the best thing ever!" Polly said. "I don't know when I'll be back."

"Have fun."

"Come on," Polly said to Tanya. "I'll introduce you to my animals."

While she stood outside in her back yard watching Han and Obiwan chase each other and play, Polly drew in a huge, deep breath, savoring the smell of freshly cut grass. Then she took out her phone and swiped a call to Sal.

"How're ya doing?" Sal asked. "Are those gorgeous boys still hanging out in your space?"

"They are and they brought in reinforcements. But Sal, they're letting me escape today. Can you meet me for lunch in fifteen minutes at the diner? I get to go out!"

"Well..." Sal hesitated.

"No," Polly said. "I don't care if you've already eaten. I don't care if you're in the middle of the best paragraph you've ever written. I don't even care if you haven't taken a shower. You have to come have lunch with me. Please!"

"I can do a shower in five minutes," Sal said. "How did you know?"

"Because I know you. Please?"

"Fine. I might be a few minutes late. Order an iced tea for me and I just want a cheeseburger with fries. I need to put the dogs outside and then I'll be on my way."

"I'm outside with my dogs right now," Polly said. "It's the best day ever. I can't wait to see you."

"Honey, it hasn't been that long."

"Stop talking to me and go take your shower. I will not be denied!"

"You are bossy."

Polly ended the call and looked up, wondering where the rest of the team was hiding. She assumed they had to be close. She still wondered where Jon and Ray had gone. Maybe they were tired of her, too. She'd been awfully whiny lately. Anybody could be tired of that.

"Come on, boys," she called out to Obiwan and Han. "Do your thing and let's go in."

Obiwan trotted over to stand beside her and she whistled for Han. He looked up from the tree he'd been sniffing, gave it a quick soaking and ran to join them.

Tanya was driving a silver Taurus and she pulled around to the garage to pick Polly up. Even though it was just a few blocks to the diner, she insisted they take the car. She parked and they walked across the street to the diner. Polly nearly fainted with joy at the familiar scents and sounds when she opened the door. It had only been a week, but she was beginning to wonder if she would ever get out of Sycamore House again.

Lucy smiled and bumped her as she walked past with a large tray filled with plates. She nodded her head toward the side where Gerry was already seated at a table. She and Tanya joined the young woman.

"This is great," Gerry said. "I love small-town diners." She turned to her teammate. "We need to take more jobs in small towns. I could get used to this."

"There's no gym. You'd beef up and be no good to us."

Gerry gave her friend a look. "You're a horrid person, saying that to me."

"Hey. You're the one who's always complaining about every little ounce."

"I do not."

Polly watched the two of them banter as they looked over the menu. She already knew what she was ordering. It was her favorite thing and she was having it.

Lucy stopped in front of their table and said, "Water? Pop? Coffee?"

"Sal's joining us. I have her order, too," Polly said. "Dew for me. Tea for her."

They both looked at Gerry and Tanya. "Water's good here," Tanya said and Gerry nodded in agreement. Tanya continued, "But we're going to need a few more minutes. She's trying to decide whether to enjoy herself or be good."

"Oh girls," Lucy said. "I wave out all the calories as I walk the food out to you. Don't worry about that."

Gerry finally gave in and ordered a patty melt and Lucy left after taking the rest of the orders.

"This is what I'm talking about," Gerry said, sitting back in her seat and stretching her legs out to the side. "Things are just nicer in small towns. People move slower and nothing much gets to them."

Polly thought about it. It had been nearly three years since she'd left Boston. She'd forgotten how insane the pace of life could get in the city. There was no time to ever stop and just be at peace. She hoped she never took this for granted again.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Eventually they'll have to stop peering over at us," Gerry said.

Since Polly had her back to the rest of the diner, she couldn't turn and look, but she knew what was happening. "They're trying to figure out how you're related to me. Are you my bodyguards? Maybe friends they haven't met yet. Or maybe I'm entertaining business guests."

"You should put on your best 'I'm a Marine' look," Tonya said. "That'll scare 'em."

"I don't think so," Gerry said, glancing around. "Some of these boys, hell, some of the women don't look like they'd scare too easily."

Lucy came back and Sal dropped into the fourth chair as she set the last drink on the table.

"The place is checking you girls out," Sal said. "No one paid any attention when I walked in."

"That's different," Lucy said with a laugh.

"You might as well tell them that these are my bodyguards," Polly said with a smile. "At least then everyone can relax and eat."

Lucy put her hand on Polly's shoulders. "I'm so sorry about what happened to you. I should have called to see if you needed anything, but I figured you had plenty of folks taking care of you." She looked at Gerry. "You're really bodyguards?"

"We are this week," Gerry replied. She put her hand out to Sal, "Gerry Moberly and this is Tonya Adkins."

"Sal Kahane."

"We're glad you girls are here, then," Lucy said. "Folks have been wondering what we can do. They're scared about a serial killer in the area, but Chief Wallers says his focus is on Polly and the rest of us are safe. Is that true?"

Tonya looked up and winked, "It's true. No worries. And as long as we keep an eye on Miss Giller, hopefully that will give law enforcement time to find these fellows and lock them up."

"You girls come on in any time. We'll fix you up," Lucy said. "My name is Lucy. Let me know if you need anything. We're glad you're here taking care of this one. She's some of our biggest entertainment." With a laugh, she walked away and stopped at another table.

"Entertainment?" Tonya asked Polly.

Sal interrupted. "She finds dead bodies. It's kind of her thing. What's your count now, girlfriend?"

"Shut up," Polly said, deadpan. "Not talking about it."

"Are you serious?" Gerry asked, leaning in toward Sal.

"Yes I am. The local police haven't found a single dead body since she moved in. Polly's done it all. From what I understand there used to be a pool down at the Elevator about who she'd find next. Your husband won it once, didn't he?"

"Seriously," Polly said. "Shut up." She chuckled. "You're a brat."

"Do Ray and Jon know about this?" Gerry asked.

Polly shook her head in mock disgust. "Yes. But they've known me for a long time. Their sister is one of my friends."

"That makes sense," Tonya said. "You're
that
friend of Drea's."

"I'm what friend?"

"This guy with the serial killer - he's the one you kicked in the balls after Ray dropped him at the airport." Tonya chuckled. "That was awesome. Ray was so proud of you."

"He talked about it?"

"Yeah. You're kind of a hero to him. You didn't panic, you didn't lose your head, you just did what you had to do and then let them take care of things. When it was over, you unleashed hell on the poor guy. You'd be great in law enforcement."

"Don't let Sheriff Merritt or Chief Wallers hear you say anything like that," Polly said with a laugh. "I stress them out."

"From what I heard, you handled yourself well last week, too," Gerry said.

She was going to say something else, but Lucy came up behind Polly and began putting plates on the table.

Lucy pulled a ketchup bottle out of her apron pocket and looked around the table, "Anything else?" she asked.

Everyone shook their head in the negative and she said, "Your check's been paid for today. Don't worry about it."

Polly looked up at her. "Who did that?"

"I can't say, but I wasn't joking when I said that you should stop in any time while you girls are in town. It's been covered. Come in for pie or coffee, breakfast or lunch. We've got your backs, okay?"

Polly nodded and turned back to her plate. She looked down quickly so no one could see that she had tears in her eyes. It took a few moments for her to choke back a sob.

Sal saw what was happening, though and said, "Thank you, Lucy. And tell whoever has done this, thanks. It means a lot."

"That's pretty cool," Gerry said quietly. "Who
does
this?"

"Small town Iowa, that's who," Sal responded. "I haven't been able to get used to it yet."

Tonya shook her head. "It just can't be real."

"They're as normal as everyone else," Sal said. "There are mean, nasty people here and some are selfish and stingy. Mark and I've talked about this. He's from Minneapolis and I'm from Boston." She chuckled. "We believe that because people here actually have room to breathe, it's easier to be nice."

"Are you okay over there?" Gerry asked Polly, taking a bite of her patty melt. "I hope so, because I need to concentrate on this sandwich. This is a taste of heaven. I can't eat here every day. It will kill me."

Polly looked up and smiled. "You know, probably one person said he'd get our meal today and then someone else chimed in and then someone else. I think for me it's all about seeing the best in people and letting that be what you know about them. The rest doesn't have to be the most important thing."

"But a whole town of that?" Gerry asked.

"The whole town isn't like that all of the time. Just Polly," Sal said. "She doesn't let them get to her."

"Yeah I do," Polly said. "Henry has to hear me complain when we're alone at night. But, for the most part, it's a good place to live. And I know that people want to do the right thing. If you give them the opportunity, they will."

"And she's always giving them the opportunity," Sal said.

Polly picked her tenderloin up and bit part of the breaded loin that was hanging over the side of the bun. She chewed it until she could speak and said, "I'm not supposed to talk with my mouth full, so I'm going to eat. You shut up."

~~~

Gerry left the restaurant before Polly and Tonya, who were heading to the coffee shop with Sal. She wanted to see what Polly thought of the work that had been completed.

Henry and his crew had gutted the entire main level and started from scratch. Cabinets and bookcases were in place, the floor was finished and the interior was really shaping up. It felt like they could be ready to go any time.

Sal was quite proud and even though she complained about not having time to write, she spent day after day in the shop, watching the guys work and talking to people from Bellingwood as they came by to check things out.

It had given her a new outlook on the community and Polly wasn't at all surprised to find that she was beginning to do more and more of her shopping in town. People recognized Sal and she knew their names. It was surprising when Sal introduced the owner of the new Mexican restaurant to Polly a few weeks ago.

Polly, Sal, and Tonya walked in the front door. A man Polly didn't recognize, who was working on framing the window into the kitchen, gave a wolf whistle.

Henry snapped, "Dale, that's my wife."

"You can't have all three of them," the man said.

"I'm not kidding, Dale. Be respectful." Henry walked over to them and hugged Polly, then shook hands with Tonya and Sal. "What are you three doing?" he asked.

Polly was brimming with excitement. "I'm free," she said. "I just ate at the diner and now I'm here."

He chuckled. "You look happier. I'm glad you're out. Do you want to see what we've got going on this week?"

"You have no idea how much," she said.

"We've been working on the counters and cabinets in the kitchen. Come on back."

They followed him through the main room and into the kitchen. The cabinets weren't much more than boxes hanging on the walls, but the room was beginning to take shape.

"This is great," Polly said. "I'm beginning to see it finally come alive. When do you think the bar will be done for the coffee shop?"

"Dad and Len are working on that right now. Len said they might be able to install it this week."

Polly tugged on Sal's sleeve. "We're going to have to start buying those tables now. We still have room in the storage unit where we're holding the bakery equipment."

"I saw two tables that I want over at the antique store," Sal said. "He told me that he'd let me have them for a steal since they're coming here. He also said that he'd keep an eye out for chairs."

"He's a good guy," Polly said. "That's a great connection."

"What else are you doing today?" Henry asked.

Sal shook her head. "I have to work this afternoon." She looked at her phone. "And the dogs are probably wondering why I'm not home yet. I should go."

Polly hugged her. "Thank you for meeting me for lunch."

"I wouldn't have missed your debut outing! Welcome back to the world," Sal said with a laugh. She shook Tonya's hand. "It was nice meeting you. Take care of our girl."

Tonya nodded and smiled.

"Well?" Henry asked.             

"I don't know," Polly said. "I thought we could drive around. I'd like to see what's going on with the old school in Luther. I still have trouble believing they tore it down."

Henry nodded. "You did a good thing with Sycamore House."

"You know Steve talked to me about that school building, too," Polly said. "It was cheap to buy, but would have been a bear to bring back to code."

"And you never would have met me." Henry leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You go enjoy your freedom and I'll see you tonight."

Tonya and Polly stepped back out into the main room and Tonya stopped. "Let me make a quick call before we leave," she said. She stepped away from Polly and spoke into her phone for a moment and then came back.

"We're good to go."

"Am I screwing things up by leaving town?" Polly asked.

"Nope. That's okay. I just needed to let Ray know what we're doing. You're fine."

"What made you want to go to Luther?" Tonya asked, once they were in the car. "Is this what you do all the time?" She tapped through the GPS system and programmed it for their destination.

Polly shook her head, "No, I watched the old building come down earlier this year and from what I hear, new construction is supposed to be starting now."

"What's going in there?"

"You won't even believe it," Polly said with a laugh.

"Why?"

"It's called Portable Pro Iowa."

"What's so funny about that?"

"Porta potties."

"I guess someone has to do it," Tonya said and laughed. "But you never think about that." She gave a quick shudder. "I'm glad I'm not in that business. Can you even imagine what they deal with?"

"Not thinking about it," Polly said, waving her hands in front of her face. "I'm not thinking about it at all."

Even though the GPS was leading them, Polly pointed Tonya through a couple of shortcuts around Boone and soon they were driving into the tiny town of Luther. The lot where the school had once stood was cleared and flattened.

"What are the Ledges?" Tonya asked, pointing to a sign.

"A state park. It's difficult getting in and out when things are flooded, but it's pretty cool. There are some Native American mounds there." Polly pulled up information on her phone and said, "Yeah. Like 4,000 year old archeology. Oh!" she said. "It was the first state park in Iowa. I guess I didn't know that."

The road they'd used through Luther wound round and round as they wove their way back toward Boone and Tonya turned into the park.

"It would make sense for Joey and Allendar to have found their way in here," Polly said quietly.

"But didn't the Sheriff and his men go through this place?"