It was dark when they pulled into the driveway of Sycamore House. The street lamps were on and threw shadows across her home. Polly stopped and turned the lights on from her phone. She triggered the lights in the front room where Sal would be staying and as the place lit up, she smiled. A lot of good work had been accomplished this last year.
"Wow," Sal said as Polly parked the truck. "You really did it, didn't you? This is great!"
"Come on in. I want to introduce you to my animals and we'll eat supper."
They grabbed Sal's bags and Polly opened the front door, pointing out her office and gesturing around the back of the stairway to the kitchen, auditorium and classrooms.
"I'll show you around tomorrow morning, but let's go on upstairs."
Polly was glad Obiwan decided to be polite. He'd been getting much better about jumping up on people.
"If you bend to his level, it helps him realize he doesn't have to jump up to your level," she told Sal, who knelt in front of him and rubbed his ears.
"We all think it's hilarious that you named your animals after Star Wars characters," Sal laughed. "No one was surprised by it, though. Do you still have your collection?"
"Everything is down in the office. It's nice to finally have it all on display. I am a little worried about my friends here. Once they saw it, I watched their minds click and figure out how to make it increase. They're going to have a great time with this from now on. Henry might have to build more shelves for me."
"Your apartment is wonderful. Did your Henry do all of this work?"
Polly giggled, "My Henry. That sounds funny. But, yes. He did everything. I think you'll like the room you're staying in, too. He did all of the woodwork and the wood on these floors is from a barn that was torn down south of here. In fact, that's where I got the cats."
"A barn?" Sal asked.
"Sure. A young couple pulled down an old barn. The wood was still in good shape, so they salvaged it and we had it milled and then Henry and his crew laid it for me. Don't you love it?"
Sal bent over and ran her hand across the floor. "I've never seen anything like it. There's so much character." She stood back up, "Only you would think of doing something like this."
"Don't give me too much credit. It's done all the time and it was Henry's idea, not mine. All I did was say yes when he mentioned it and I'm glad I did."
Sal took in the apartment, running her hand across one of the beautiful built in bookshelves. "I'd say that finding a carpenter and falling in love with him definitely has its benefits."
Polly had the decency to blush, "Wait. I haven't said anything about falling in love with him."
Sal walked toward the kitchen and held her hand up, stopping Polly's words. "Whatever," she smirked. "Are you telling me that he did all of this beautiful work and he didn't get anything extra special from you as payment?"
"Hey!" Polly said, her voice a little strident. "No! That's not how it was and it's not how it is and I'm offended by that."
Sal spun around, "I'm sorry. I was only kidding you. But, really?"
"Really! I like being my own person and having some independence. This is all mine. I'm in no hurry for all of that."
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I don't even know why I said it. You've never been that person."
"And besides, Henry does good work because it's the right thing to do, not because I'm sleeping with him."
"I thought you said you weren't sleeping with him."
Polly dropped the bag of food on the table and ripped it open, setting the containers out, trying not to slam them. "I'm not. We aren't."
Sal grinned, "You're so easy."
"That's not fair," Polly complained.
"I know. But, you have missed me, haven't you." Sal moved in and gave her friend a hug. "I know your buttons and I shouldn't have pushed them. I’m doing that a lot tonight. You're different than you were a year ago. It's good on you, but it's ... well ... it's different."
"Well, I hope it is all good different," Polly said.
They ate supper and Polly took Sal across the hall to the front room, then showed her the spa bathrooms. They stayed up and talked until Polly's eyes were watering from yawning so much.
"You have to get up early in the morning, don't you?" Sal asked.
"I probably should. But, Eliseo will probably start with the horses, so if I don't get out there at the break of dawn, I'll still be alright."
"Well, I'm going to bed. I want to see everything tomorrow. Will you take me to lunch at the diner downtown? I can't wait to try one of those pork sandwiches you talk about."
"When I come back up in the morning, I'll wake you and then we'll go from there."
Polly walked across the hallway and gave her friend a hug, "I'm so glad you are here."
Sal hugged her tightly and said, "I'm sorry I sounded insulting earlier about your friends and especially about your relationship with Henry. I should have known better than to say anything. How could you be friends with anyone but great people? I look forward to meeting them."
"No worries," Polly assured her. "Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning."
Polly walked back to her apartment and snapped the leash on Obiwan, "One quick run outside and then I have to sleep!"
When she finally dropped into bed, she didn't bother to set her alarm, knowing that the cats would wake her with the sunrise.
The next morning, that was exactly what happened. Luke went bounding across her to get to the ledge of the cat tree so he could look out the window. Leia soon followed and they began talking to the world. Polly looked at the time on her telephone. Six forty-five. Time to get up and get moving. She got up, pulled her clothes and boots on and went outside with Obiwan. Once they got in the gate, he took off for the pasture, sniffing the ground and playing with tufts of grass.
The main door to the barn wasn't open and when Polly got inside, she was surprised to see that the horses were still in their stalls. They hadn't been fed yet and there was no sign of Eliseo.
"Eliseo? Are you here?" she called out.
He'd said he would be back this morning. She hoped everything was alright.
"Well, I'm sorry you had to wait this morning,” she said to the horses. “I certainly didn't expect to find you alone. I'll get breakfast right now."
When she went back to gather the feed, she noticed spots of something on the floor leading to the ladder which had been pulled down. She didn't think they were there yesterday, so she scuffed at one with her boot. It was wet. The horses were making a lot of noise, so she hurried and dropped feed for them, then opened up the doors to the outside. When she walked back to one of the spots, she bent over and rubbed her index finger in it and then sniffed it. If she didn't know better, it might be blood.
"Oh no. I wonder," she mused and quickly went up the steps into the hayloft.
"Is someone here?" she asked. "Are you alright?"
She thought she heard something coming from the front of the barn and made her way across the bales of hay, where she came upon a hollowed out space. Looking down, she saw Eliseo, curled up with blankets covering him. He moaned as she moved toward him and she saw that there was blood covering his face and hands.
"Eliseo, what happened? Are you alright?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Giller. So sorry. Just give me a little time and I'll get to work."
"Don't worry about that. What has happened to you?"
"I'll be fine."
"You don't look like you are going to be fine at all. I need to call the EMTs."
He reached out and touched her. "No, no doctors please. I'll be alright."
"Have you been sleeping here, Eliseo?"
His eyes closed and he appeared to sink further into the bed of hay he'd created. "Yes. If you want me to leave, give me time and I'll be gone."
"I don't even know where to start right now, but that's certainly not it. Tell me what has happened to you?"
"I can't."
"
Then tell me where you've been hurt."
He lifted his head and she saw that both eyes were blackened and there was a cut on his right cheek. His hands were scraped and cut up and he had wrapped some cloth around his right forearm. She pulled back the blanket and there was blood on his jeans around his knee and more scrapes and cuts were bleeding through his t-shirt.
"What in the hell? You've been beaten very badly!"
"I know," he acknowledged. "But please, no doctors."
"How did you get up the ladder?"
He chuckled and then grimaced. "Very slowly."
She sat up and puffed out air in a sigh. "I need to think a minute," she said.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"It would be a lot easier for me to take care of you if you weren't up here, you know."
"I don't expect you to take care of me. I didn't intend for you to find me."
"Well, blood drops on the floor of my barn made me curious. So, have you been sleeping up here all along? It's been pretty cold at night."
"I stayed warm enough. And when it got too cold, I moved in with Demi. He was the quietest of the lot."
"So that's why my horses liked you so much. You've been around them for a while."
He tried to smile. "They've gotten to know me."
"And that's why Obiwan knows you and that's why my stock of hay downstairs has been kept in such good shape."
"Yes."
"Well, at least that little mystery is solved. But, you won't tell me what happened to you last night?"
"I got beat up?" he said, looking up at her.
"Alright. I deserved that. But you won't tell me who did it or why?"
"I can't."
"Do you want to stay up here or would you be able to come over to my apartment to get cleaned up and let me get those cuts cleaned out?"
He tried to lift himself to a sitting position and after some struggle managed to pull himself erect.
"If I don't come to your apartment, you're going to keep coming up that ladder to take care of me, aren't you."
“Yes," Polly acknowledged.
"Will you go away and let me come down by myself in my own time?" he asked.
"Can't I please get you some help?"
"I'm not going to negotiate that ladder with you watching me."
"Then, I'll go outside and make sure the horses have hay and do a quick cleanup of their stalls."
"If I'm not down by the time you're finished, don't panic, alright?"
"It's not alright. I'm going to give you half an hour. If you aren't out of here and down that ladder by then, I'm calling for help. So, you figure it out or let me, got it?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you get a little bossy?" he laughed, then grimaced again.
"Not lately, but I'll let it go since you're not yourself."
Polly crawled back across the bales to an aisle and stood up. "Half hour, no more."
She went down the ladder and wondered how in the world he would get himself down, but set it aside and dragged a bale of hay outside. The four horses were waiting for her to get there and Nan nudged her.
"I know, I know. Everything is in an uproar. I'm going to fix it. I promise," Polly said as she broke the bale up.
She grabbed the muck rake and wheelbarrow and quickly picked up the big chunks from the stalls and scattered enough hay to keep them quiet, then went outside and dialed Henry.
"Good morning," he said.
"You know. I never know who to call when I need help, but your phone number keeps coming to the top of my list," Polly replied.
"Not even a Hello or a Hi there, hotstuff?" he asked.
She giggled. "Hi there, hotstuff. Did you sleep well?"
"That's better. I certainly did sleep well. I had a cute girl ask me about children yesterday. I think there might be something to our relationship after all."
Polly laughed until she snorted, then sighed. "I have another problem and I need your help with this one."
"Well, if you had found another body, I am confident you would call Sheriff Merritt, so did you break something?"
"I found a live body. Does that count?"
"You what?" Henry sounded a little exasperated.
"Eliseo Aquila has been beaten up and he's been living in the hayloft of my barn," she said. "He won't let me call the EMTs and he won't tell me what's going on and he won't let me help him down, but he will let me clean him up once he is down. I think I need you. Do you have time this morning?"
"Of course I have time. I'll call Sam and let him know where I am. They can work on the cabinets for the studio without me. What are you going to do with him?"
"I figure the first thing I'm going to do is get him up to my apartment and clean the blood off him, get him in some warm clothes and deal with his cuts and scrapes. Then I'll feed him and make sure nothing is broken or needs serious mending."
Henry chuckled. "You get quite the assortment of people and animals at Sycamore House, don't you! However, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you playing nursemaid to this guy."
"Do you have a better idea?" Polly asked.
"Not really. But, I will be there to keep an eye on things. If you haven't seen my naked body, I'm not ready for you to see his."
She giggled again, "You are strange and twisted. I'll see you in a bit?"
"I'll be there."
She turned around to see Eliseo limping down the alley of the barn toward her, so she ran to him. He was carrying a backpack and she took it from him, shrugging it onto her shoulder, then slipped her arm around him, offering support. She glanced back at the horses as they walked toward Sycamore House and whistled for Obiwan. He met them at the gate and followed them to the side door, waiting patiently while she opened it, then walked beside her as they went inside.
"Are you going to be alright going up these steps?" Polly asked.
Eliseo sighed. "Can I sit here for a minute?" gesturing at a bench.
"Of course!"
Jeff walked in the front door and saw the two of them as Eliseo was lowering himself to the bench.
"What in the hell?" he asked, rushing over to Polly.
She shrugged and nodded at Eliseo, who looked up and said, "I'm sorry, boss. I'm not going to be any good today."
"What happened to you? Polly, what happened to him?"
"He got beat up, isn't it obvious?" she asked, gritting her teeth and smiling at Eliseo. "That's all he will tell me."
"You have to tell us more than that. Who did this to you?" Jeff demanded.
"I can't tell you that," Eliseo responded.
"You can't or you won't tell us?" Jeff demanded.
"I won't tell you. I don't want there to be any more trouble."
"There can be more trouble than this?" Jeff asked, pointing at Eliseo.
"There probably could be," Eliseo affirmed.
"Have you called the EMTs?" Jeff asked Polly.
"He wouldn't let me, so I'm going to try to get him upstairs and cleaned up. Henry is coming over to help. Can you deal with things down here today?"
"Well, of course I can. Good god, man. You haven't even been here a week and people are beating you up?"
"This has nothing to do with me being here. I promise you that," Eliseo said.
"Well, fine, then. Do you want some help getting up the steps?"
Polly looked up as she heard the front door open and felt relief when she saw that it was Henry.
He took in the situation immediately and joined them, saying, "Just a second. Polly, can I talk to you?"
She looked at him and he said, "Over here?" pointing to the stairway.
"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, alright?" she said and followed Henry.
"What is it?"
"You don't want to make him go up those steps if he is going to have to come down again. He can't stay in your apartment."
"I know that, but I haven't been able to come up with a better idea."
"Why doesn't he come to my house? I have plent
y of room and he can stay with me until he decides what he wants to do."
"Are you sure? I don't know what's going on or why he was beaten and I don't want you involved if it's going to bring you trouble."
He took her arm, "Do you think I would rather the trouble show up here?”
"I didn't think about that. I wanted to make sure he was cleaned up and safe."
"I love you, Polly, but having him in your apartment isn't a good decision."
"Alright, but I'm coming over to help you get him settled."
"I knew that. Don't you have a friend upstairs you need to deal with, though?"
"Oh, I forgot! She has to be wondering what is going on."
"She really is wondering," came a voice from the stairway. "I knew you'd forgotten me!"
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Uggh!” Polly ran over to her friend. "I'm so sorry! I found Eliseo in the barn and he's been beaten up and I need to take care of him and I left you alone and Henry wants to take him home and you don't know any of these people." She took a breath. "I'm sorry."
Sal smiled and said, "It's okay. Tell me what I can do to help."
At that moment, Sylvie walked in the front door. When she saw Eliseo on the bench, she put her bags down and rushed to him, "What happened to you? You look terrible."
She flashed on her friends, "Why isn't someone helping him? Are you all standing around waiting for him to heal on his own?" Then she saw Sal and said, "Whoops. I'm sorry. I'm Sylvie Donovan. You must be Polly's friend from Boston."
Polly moved over to Sylvie and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, "He doesn't want a doctor and we're trying to figure out where he'll be the most comfortable. He doesn't need to go up and down the steps and Henry thinks that it would be better if we took Eliseo to his house."
"Well, why are you all still standing here? Let's get moving. He needs to be cleaned up and bandaged. What are you thinking?" demanded Sylvie.
"Whoa!" Jeff exclaimed. He put his hands up in defense and backed up. "We've only been here a couple of minutes. Slow down!"
Treasure Uncovered (Bellingwood #3) Page 17
