Free Diane Greenwood Muir - Bellingwood 06 - A Season of Change by Diane Greenwood Muir Page B

on in the lane and you have lights all along the back there.”
    Polly walked over to the light on the other side of the garage door. It had been unscrewed as well. That one she left alone, hoping that the vandal had been foolish enough to leave fingerprints. At this point, it was all they had.
    “I don’t know when I’m going to get to your house. I need to deal with this,” she said.
    “Don’t worry about me. Make your calls.”
    “Thanks, Henry.”
    “Are you okay?”
    “I’m pretty much at ‘whatever.’ I don’t have a lot of emotion left for this.”
    “Do you still love me?”
    “I really do, but could you do me a favor?”
    “Anything.”
    “Don’t call me pretty girl for a while.”
    “I promise. I love you, Polly.”
    “I’ll call later. Love you too.”
    She hung up and called the police station, while walking through the kitchen into the offices.
    “Bellingwood Police Department, may I help you?” asked the bright voice on the other end of the phone.
    “Hi. It’s Polly Giller at Sycamore House. I’ve had more vandalism.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry, Polly. What happened?”
    “It’s just spray paint on my garage door in the back. Do you need to send someone?”
    “I’ll have Ken come over. He’s out in his car right now. Will you be in the office?”
    “Probably.”
    “I’m sorry, Polly. I hope we find whoever is doing it soon.”
    “Me too. Thanks.” She hung up and went into Jeff’s office.
    He looked up from his computer. “Hey! What are you doing here today? I thought your email said you were going to be gone this morning.”
    “The vandal spray-painted my garage door. Ken Wallers is coming over.” Polly dropped into a chair.
    “You’re kidding! Wow, I’m sorry, Polly.”
    “Me too. I’m just tired of it. So far it hasn’t been anything dangerous, but this wears me out.”
    “I know. What can I do?”
    “Let me sit here and whine for a minute. Actually, I’m going to call Aaron first. I’ll be back to whine in a bit.”
    He smiled at her. “Let me know if I can do anything else.”
    Polly went into her own office and called Aaron.
    “Hello?” he asked tentatively.
    “I have no more bodies,” she chuckled. “But the vandal hit my garage door last night. Ken is coming over.”
    “What happened?”
    “He spray painted the words Pretty girl deserves this and unscrewed the light bulbs on either side of the door. I had hoped that having lights on everywhere would help, but they managed to get in and do it anyway.”
    “What can I do for you?”
    “Well, I’m feeling just rotten enough that I’m going to make you tell me what you know about Bruce Victor.”
    “We don’t have much yet. I was going to go see the coroner this morning to see if she’s had a chance to get started.”
    “Does he have family here in town?”
    “Yes. He had a wife and a little boy.”
    “Oh, Aaron. That’s horrible!”
    “It really is.”
    “Can I do anything?”             
    “Lydia is taking a meal over and she might like some company.”
    “Did you talk to the boys and do you know when he was killed?”
    “I’m still waiting on the details.”
    “So it wasn’t like a gun shot?”
    “Polly,” Aaron warned. “I don’t know anything yet.”
    “Aaron Merritt, you’ve been doing this for a long time. You know if a man’s been shot.”
    “He wasn’t shot.”
    “Was he stabbed?”
    “Well, yes.”
    “Was that what killed him?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “What do you mean you don’t know?” Polly was exasperated.
    “Because that wasn’t all that happened. There are some strange bruises on him, too.”
    “Like he was beaten?”             
    “I don’t want you to say anything to anyone about this, do you hear me?” Aaron demanded.
    “Aaron, do you know what you’re telling me?”
    “Apparently too much. You are going to be the death of me.”
    “Aaron, those were the two methods of murder from Lydia’s murder mystery Sunday