Free All Roads Lead Home (Bellingwood) by Diane Greenwood Muir

steps. "Lydia,
I told her you wouldn't let her stay anywhere but our house. Was I right?"
    "Oh, you know me so well, punkin '," she said. "Come on, Polly, we're taking
your truck. And Aaron promises to tell us everything when he gets home for
supper, doesn't he!"
    He chuckled, then sobered as he
said, "I'm sure I already know who it is, Lydia. You aren't going to like
it."
    Her face fell, "You're serious, aren't you,
Aaron."
    "Yes, I think I am. I'll know more when we get information
from DCI, but that's what I'm thinking. It looks like we've finally found them."
    "Oh dammit, Aaron. Everyone was normal again. It took thirty years for
that family to start living. I don't know whether this will help or make them
miserable."
    Then her face brightened up. "Be on time for
dinner, tonight, Aaron. Remember, we have company!"
    He stopped them
as they got to the door. "Polly? Do you have an extra key?"
    "OH!" She said. "There are a few extra
keys in the newel post over here." Polly walked over, gave the newel post
a quick turn and revealed a small pocket. There were four keys in there and
Aaron took one. "I've already checked them. Everything works."
    He took a second key. "I'll give this to Boylston
and we'll get it back to you
when this is over."

Chapter
Six

    Enjoying Lydia’s commentary, Polly followed
her directions as they drove through the
streets of Bellingwood.
    "Now that you've made the drive with me, do you
think you can get to my house on your own?" Lydia asked.
    "I hope so. That's one of those things I haven't
done yet," Polly said. "I haven't taken the time to drive around town
and get familiar with all the streets and what we've got here."
    "It's not a very big town," Lydia said.
"If you were able to drive around Boston in this truck, I bet you'll be
able to get around this place."
    "Oh, I sold my car in Boston, Lydia. This was
Dad's truck. I don't know why I didn't sell it when he died, but he'd just
gotten it and loved it so much, I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. ”
    Polly could no longer contain her questions. “ What in the world were you and Aaron talking about? Do
you know whose bodies those were in my ceiling?"
    "I'm afraid so. I really am afraid I do. It's so
horrible. No one is going to want to believe they've been here all this t ime, hidden away in the school,” Lydia said.
    "Okay, you have to tell me more than this. You're
killing me!" Polly gasped at her obvious faux pas, "I mean. I'm dying
here." She stopped again. "I'll shut up. It seems like you knew them
and I'm not helping."
    "Turn left here at this corner and you'll see the
house," Lydia said. "Once we get inside and get you settled in your
room, I'll tell you the whole story. Then, when Aaron gets home tonight, we'll
see if I'm right."
    Polly turned the co rner
and saw Lydia's home. Now she knew where
she was. She turned into the driveway and went around back, like they had done
the night of the slumber party. Lydia climbed out of the truck and waited while
Polly grabbed her bag and jumped out to follow her. Rather than using the
entrance through the laundry room, Lydia pushed open a sliding glass door and
they walked right into the family room.
    "Come on upstairs," Lydia said.
    Polly followed her up the stairs and into the kitchen.
The back windows looked over the garages and out onto a grove of trees. The
kitchen was done in country blues and was quite warm and homey, exactly what
she would expect from Lydia.
    "This way, Polly. I've got a couple of rooms upstairs you can choose
from."
    Polly followed her through the dining room, past the
formal living room, to the steps . Upstairs there were four bedrooms and those doors were all standing open.
    "The back bedroom is ours, but any of the others
would be perfect for you," she said. "There's a bathroom here,"
and she opened a door, "or the two bedrooms on this side share a bathroom.
Since no one else is here, you might want one of those rooms."
    Polly looked in the first room and it was