Look Always Forward (Bellingwood Book 11) (27 page)

"His parents weren't anything like them," Henry said. "I only knew them superficially, but they were good people. No one's sure why Heath's aunt and uncle are so bitter and mean, but they are. The court assigned them to be his guardians since his parents hadn't made any plans for him if they died. It was either that or foster care and Heath's older brother begged them to take him in."

"Do you have any idea what he was like before his parents died?"

Henry looked off into space and finally shook his head. "No. He was just a kid. Maybe you should ask some of the teachers at the elementary school. They'd remember him."

"What do you think we should do?"

"What I think is that you and little girl back there have already made up your minds. I can either get on board or beg for a life preserver."

"That's not true," Polly said. "If you think this is a bad idea, I don't want to disrupt the life we've started here. We have to think of Rebecca now. Will he make things rough on her?"

"Our Rebecca?" he asked. "That child will make things more difficult on him than he can ever imagine. The first time he gets out of line, he won't have to worry about answering to anyone but her." He reached over and took Polly's hand. "Did you hear what she said?"

"The whole 'us' thing?" she asked, a grin creasing her face. "Wasn't that great? And a family meeting. I was almost giddy when she said that." Polly glanced over her shoulder to make sure Rebecca wasn't in the room with them. They were going to have to watch themselves. That girl was much too quiet when she wanted to hear what was going on.

"I don't want to make this kind of a decision tonight," Henry said.

"Neither do I. And maybe Heath wouldn't even be interested," Polly observed. "But what about him staying here for a while until things settle out."

He nodded. "I can agree to that. He needs a safe place while all of this comes together." Henry released her hand. "If he chooses to stay here and Aaron approves, don't worry. I'll go get his things from his aunt and uncle. Neither you nor he should have to put up with abuse from them. It won't bother me. I'll take Dad. He can talk to anybody."

"I love you, Henry Sturtz," Polly said, brushing her fingers across his face.

"I'm not going to be a teacher," he said, nodding toward the book.

"You already are. You might not teach history, languages, math and science, but you teach simply by being a good example."

Polly took out her phone and texted Aaron
. "Heath is staying with us tonight unless you have other plans. Have you met his aunt and uncle? They're horrible."

"In that case, we'll bring him upstairs,"
Aaron texted back
. "We'll discuss the Harveys another time. Thank you for doing this."

"Are we taking care of his legal issues, too?" Henry asked.

Polly smiled up at him. "If he stays here for a while, yes. Otherwise, that's someone else's trouble."

"After I talk to Aaron, I'll get hold of Al tomorrow. I had no idea we'd be keeping him this busy."

Al Dempsey was an old friend of Henry's and a lawyer. He'd advised the two of them after Polly's kidnapping several months ago and when it came time later this fall for her to be in court, he agreed to prepare her for whatever might come.

Henry was in the living room by the time Aaron knocked on their front door. He escorted a quiet young man in and Polly invited them to sit down.

"We've talked to Heath and I called Ken. They should be pulling Ladd Berant out of the old shoe store any minute now," Aaron said. "Stu has gone to Andy Otis's house to make sure he's safe. I guess that just leaves Heath's immediate future up in the air. He's made it quite clear that going back to the Harvey's house is a bad idea and I tend to agree."

He looked at Polly, who, in turn, nodded at Henry.

"Heath," Henry said. "We'd like to invite you stay with us."

The boy's eyes shot up. "Here?"

"We have plenty of space. Rebecca is making the bed up in the front room. For tonight at the very least, we hope you'll stay."

"Why would you do that?"

"Son, this is a good offer," Aaron said. "I'd rather not have to take you to Boone and meet up with someone from child services. Especially if you refuse to go home."

"It's not home," Heath said. "It's never been home."

"That's an issue for another day," Polly said, moving closer to Heath on the couch. "Will you stay where you're safe tonight? I don't want to worry about you."

"I can take care of myself," he said gruffly, glancing toward the door of the front bedroom.

Rebecca chose that moment to open the door and come out. "No you can't," she said. "You can't take care of yourself. You've screwed everything up for yourself and now you're here."

"Who's she?" Heath asked, turning to Polly.

Polly had yet to identify Rebecca to anyone. This was her next risk. She didn't want to upset or offend Rebecca and wasn't sure which way she should go. "She's our daughter," was what came out of her mouth before she could think any further.

"You need to say yes and thank you," Rebecca said. "Polly and Henry are great people. They'll take care of you and if you let them, they'll love you. And when you can take care of yourself, they'll even back off. Don't be stupid."

"I'm not stupid," he said. "And you're pushy."

Rebecca smiled at Polly. "I'm learning." She turned back to Heath. "I might be pushy, but I haven't said anything yet that is wrong, have I?'

He turned away. Rebecca put her hand out and took his. "Come on. Let me show you around. I know you don't have any clothes here, but maybe you can sleep in one of Henry's t-shirts tonight and we'll wash your clothes. Tomorrow we'll get you some more. It's going to be okay. I promise." She took him into the front bedroom and Polly could hear the girl chattering away.

"That child is a little scary," Aaron said. "She's just like you."

"I don't think so," Polly responded "She scares
me
. But it looks as if Heath is spending the night."

"I told Polly I'd get his things from his aunt and uncle tomorrow" Henry said. "He'll be safe here for a while. Are there going to be any charges that we need to deal with?"

Aaron stepped forward and looked into the bedroom. Polly followed his eyes. Rebecca was pulling the comforter back and patting the pillows. "I doubt it. He's just a scared kid. But he needs to stay out of trouble for a while. That's a lot to expect of the two of you. Are you sure about this?"

Henry laughed. "We haven't even fully decided if we're jumping in. His staying here is temporary."

"Uh huh," Aaron said. "That sounds about right."

Polly pushed him toward the front door. "Go home to your wife and tell her what insane thing I've done tonight. She and I will talk tomorrow."

"We have some of Jim's old things that would probably fit him," Aaron said. "I'll call Lydia on my way home and come back with a bag of things so he doesn't have to live in his old clothes tonight. Why don't I just put it downstairs and you can pick it up. That way I won't bother you any longer."

"You're never a bother, Sheriff," Henry said, reaching out to shake his hand. "Thanks for everything."

They shut the door and stood there looking at each other. Finally Polly burst out laughing. "What have we done?"

Henry reached forward, kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. "What you always do. We're rescuing the world."

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

One last time before going down to her office, Polly checked on Heath. He'd been unable to sleep the night before and she'd finally fallen asleep on the sofa while he watched television. He woke her about three thirty to tell her that he was going to bed and she dragged herself into her own bed, disturbing all of the animals.

Rebecca and Henry had gotten up about the same time and made French toast. Rebecca intended to mother this poor boy until he couldn't take any more. She assured Polly that they'd be fine and when he finally woke up, she'd make sure he ate something.

There wasn't much to do in the office today, but Polly felt like she needed to make sure the world was spinning in the right direction. After last night, she just wanted normal. Rachel was in the kitchen when Polly stopped at the counter to get coffee.

"You look tired," Rachel said.

"I am. It was a long night."

"Word is you had the Sheriff here because you know who killed those girls."

"It was Ladd Berant."

Rachel grimaced. "He was always a brat. Maybe he's Caleb's age or a little older. I can't believe he killed someone, though. That's crazy."

"It is. Kids just don't realize how they throw their lives away because they can't control their anger," Polly said. "Do you know Hayden Harvey? Was he about your age?"

"I think he plays basketball at Iowa State." She made a quick connection and said, "His brother got caught up with Ladd. I saw them in town with another younger kid. That boy is a mess. After their parents died, I think he went to live with his aunt and uncle. And they're really weird."

"What's Hayden like?" Polly asked.

"He's okay, I guess. He nearly quit at Iowa State to take care of his brother. I think he works construction around the state in the summer. That's why he's never around. It's the only way he can afford to live in Ames. He's a good kid, I think. And a pretty good basketball player. He's got a scholarship for it." Rachel smiled. "He used to date a friend of mine. He wanted to be a doctor. He's pretty smart."

Polly took a drink of coffee and enjoyed the moment. "Did you know their parents?"

"They were okay. Nice enough. I don't think they were real involved. Except basketball games. Mr. Harvey is nothing like his brother. Like I said, those people are weird. Nobody could believe they took Heath in." She shrugged. "Like it did him any good. He'd probably have been better off in a foster home. Hayden couldn't take care of him. He works all the time that he isn't practicing or studying."

"You wouldn't know how to get hold of Hayden, would you?"

"I guess I could call Tam. She might still have his cell number. Why?"

"I just need to talk to him. If you get his number, would you let me know?" Polly refilled her coffee mug and went to the office.

"Good morning," Stephanie said. "Your mail's on your desk and Jeff is at the coffee shop. He said he'd be back before noon."

"Thanks. Anything else?"

Stephanie turned the computer monitor so Polly could see it. "Grey figured out how to get me all of the registration information at the hotel. It's nearly real-time. He knows how to do this stuff." She turned the monitor back. "He said he was coming over, that nearly everyone is checked out. I like him. He's a good listener."

"Yes he is," Polly said. "And I'm glad you two are working well together." She rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. This was going to be a long day if she didn't get a nap and right now there was no hope for that.

Polly had barely sat down at her desk when Rachel came in. "Here's the number," she said. "Tam says his Fridays are pretty free, so you should be able to get him."

"Thank you," Polly said, taking the piece of paper. She waited until Rachel left, then punched in the numbers and swiped to make the call. She might as well deal with this while she was thinking about it.

"Hello?" a young man's voice said.

"Hayden Harvey? My name is Polly Giller. I own Sycamore House in Bellingwood. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Uh, yeah?"

She felt herself relax. He really was just a kid. "Hayden, your brother is staying with my husband and me. I don't think your aunt and uncle want to deal with him any longer. They as much told me so last night when I spoke with them."

"Yeah, I know. But they didn't tell me where he was. He's at your place?"

"Yes, he is. I'm glad you talked to them. Your uncle told me he wouldn't speak with you until Sunday."

"Whatever," he said with anger in his voice. "They couldn't wait to tell me that they were kicking him out."

"We need to make some decisions for Heath."

"They said he was in trouble, that he helped murder someone. I've been sick to my stomach and he won't answer his phone."

Polly hadn't seen a phone on Heath. "I don't think he has his phone."

"That old hag probably took it away from him." He took a deep breath. "I guess I can put him on my plan. This is really fast, though. I have to move if he's going to live with me. And then I have to figure out how to get him registered for school. Damn, I can't believe they did this to us."

"Hayden," Polly said, interrupting his flow.

"Wait. Maybe I should be talking about getting him a lawyer. Did he really help murder somebody? Is this one of those girls that was killed in Bellingwood?"

"It is. Julie Smith. But he didn't do it. He came here last night and after some convincing, told me and then the Sheriff what had actually happened. It was Ladd Berant..."

Hayden's guttural growl stopped her. "That jackass. I told Heath that he shouldn't be hanging out with him, but it's my fault. I wasn't there to stop him or give him any guidance. I thought my aunt and uncle would take better care of him."

"Hayden," Polly said. "We need to talk. All of us. You, Heath, my husband and me."

"Why?" he asked. "What do you have to do with this?"

She sighed. "I know this won't make any sense to you, Hayden, but I think Heath showed up here for a reason and I think that I'm supposed to be involved in his life."

"Who are
you
?" He was suspicious and she didn't blame him.

"I'm nobody. But when I see that someone needs help - and Hayden, both you and your brother need help right now - I tend to stick my nose in and do what I can."

"We can take care of each other," he said, but he didn't sound terribly sure of himself.

"You're right. But you need to take a few minutes to think about this practically. Can you take care of a high school kid and still get yourself through college? And can you help him be everything he should be?"

"I'm not giving him up. There are only a few more years until he's eighteen. We can make this work."

Polly knew he was right. They could make it work, but it didn't have to be difficult. "Would you consider coming to Bellingwood and meeting me? I'm not trying to take your brother away from you. I promise you that. If you want guardianship of him, those are the papers we will prepare for you. If you want to take him back to Ames and figure out all of those logistics, you know what? I'll help you do that."

He interrupted again. "But why? Who are we to you?"

"You're a couple of boys who lost their parents and had your lives turned upside down. You're working your tail off so that you can finish this part of your education. You haven't let your parent's death destroy your dream."

"If I make good money, I can take care of Heath."

"Hayden, by the time you are making good money, Heath will be on his own. This is an immediate issue and all I want to do is help."

"I don't understand that," he said.

Polly let out a small breath of air, "I know. I guess I'll never fully understand how the world got so twisted up that we can't help each other out without there being an agenda. People have been helping me since I moved to town and every once in a while I find a person who needs me, so I do what I can."

"You're that lady that finds dead bodies, aren't you. I just realized that."

"That's me. It's my other superpower."

"Did you find the girl that Berant killed?"

"I did."

"Okay. I can be there about three thirty. I have an appointment that should be done by three. Will you be around?"

"I will. And can you stay for the evening? We'll have dinner and there's a street dance up town."

He laughed. "I'd forgotten about those. Yeah. I'll stay. Don't you have a hotel in town? Maybe I could rent a room there tonight and Heath and I will go get his stuff. Gah, I don't want to see those people. They'll just yell at us. I can't believe they let Heath out on his own."

"I've stuck my nose in it again," Polly said. "My husband is going out there today to deal with them. He was so mad I'm surprised he didn't wake them up in the middle of the night. But he'll force them to give him everything that belongs to Heath."

"If he'd gone last night, my uncle would have turned a gun on him. But I can't believe you're doing this for us. You don't even know us."

"Henry does. You know, everybody I've talked to feels terrible that this happened to your family. Nobody knows how to help. But I do, if you'll let me. It will be up to you and Heath, but we'll talk this afternoon. Okay?"

"Lady, you're strange. Can I talk to Heath?"

"He's upstairs, still asleep. Do you want me to wake him up? He's had an awful couple of weeks."

"This is probably the safest he's felt in a year," Hayden said. "Leave him alone. I'll see him later. Thanks."

"Goodbye, Hayden. It's going to be okay. I promise."

She put the phone down and took another drink of coffee. It didn't surprise her that Hayden was wary of this. It made so much sense to Polly, but he didn't know her at all.

"Hello, Miss Giller."

Polly looked up to see Grey standing in her doorway. "Hi there. What are you doing here today?" she asked.

"I'm spending time with your guest."

"Heath?"

He tilted his head and furrowed his brows. "No, Master Sutworth. He and I are building an interesting relationship."

"You are," she said. "We haven't taken the time for you to explain why you're in Bellingwood working at my hotel and not as a therapist somewhere."

Grey sat down across from her. "I closed my practice earlier this summer. Some horrendous things happened and I escaped while my own sanity remained somewhat intact. But if someone is in need of my skills, how can I stand by and not offer to help?"

"That sounds right," Polly said, smiling at him. "I just had the same conversation with another person." She creased her brows. "Do you think you can help Denis?"

"While Mrs. Morrow helps to heal his body, I have agreed to work with his therapy team to bring healing to his mind and heart. There is no reason that young man can't find wholeness."

Polly was skeptical. "Have you met his mother?"

"Ahh, yes I have," Grey said with a smile. "She agrees to be part of the healing process in a positive manner. And while we take care of the son, we will care for the whole family."

"That's quite a goal you've set for yourself," Polly said.

"Without goals, what would life be?" He stood back up. "I don't want to be late. There are many things that need to be accomplished in this day." Grey stepped to the door and then turned back to Polly. "I'm going to speak with your groundskeeper about finding a sturdy branch. I miss my walking stick. Do you know anyone who carves wood?"

"I think I do," Polly said. "Let me ask some questions."

He smiled as he turned to Stephanie. Polly didn't hear what he said, but soon he was on his way, his limp still noticeable. She'd talk to Bill Sturtz this weekend about carving something for him.

~~~

Polly sat back in her lawn chair and smiled across at Henry. He was helping Gina and Bean Landry tie a balloon to Gina's wrist. Darla tried not to hover over her son, even though she couldn't keep her eyes off him. He had two brand new bandages on his knees. Gina couldn't wait to tell Polly that he'd tripped going up the steps that afternoon and skinned his knees. Polly shook her head. Having a klutz in her life might drive her nuts. She was glad he was someone else's son.