Out of the Shadows (Bellingwood Book 12) (9 page)

Lydia wrote that down on a notepad. "Question for who?" she asked.

"Both of you. I thought about Andy because she lives near the cemetery, but you probably know as much about it as anyone. What can you tell me about the Springer House?"

Andy stepped away from the flats and smiled at Polly. "How long have you lived in Bellingwood? Nearly three years now? I can't believe this is the first time you've heard about it. Things get wild and spooky every October. Kids tell the story of the haunting and there are always a few who insist they've seen a ghost on the second floor. Some of them are certain that the ghost has chased them off the property."

"Why hasn't it ever been lived in since they left town?" Polly asked. She looked at Andy, who in turn looked at Lydia.

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. There are a few stories from when I was a kid about people who tried to buy it, but got scared away before the sale closed. It's a beautiful old house, but it's tucked back in there and nobody ever thinks about it."

"It's creepy enough that people put it out of their minds," Andy said.

"There are houses right across the street," Polly reminded them. "Are those people bothered by the ghost?"

"Who lives there?" Lydia asked. "The Dexters and Walters are the two houses right across the street..."

Andy interrupted. "Burnsides and Thierrys are in that neighborhood. They've never said anything."

"So it's a hoax," Polly said.

Lydia smiled. "Of course it is. Nobody believes in ghosts." She gave a slight shudder. "But you wouldn't catch me spending any time in that house."

"So you do believe in ghosts?" Polly asked.

"No, of course not. But I'm not foolish enough to test that belief either," Lydia replied. "Why are you asking?"

"Rebecca, Kayla, and Andrew were there on Saturday. They broke a window trying to see in. Rebecca insists there was a ghost. Henry shut the story down, but she hasn't slept well the last few nights. It was better last night. Maybe she's letting it go. You're right, though, Andy. The kids are talking about the story again. And then, Grey told me that there was a young man in town who was here investigating stories of hauntings around the area for a book he was writing."

"People want to believe," Lydia said, nodding. "Those ghost hunter television shows are popular." She grimaced. "As if real life weren't haunting enough for people."

"It's across the cemetery from you, Andy," Polly said. "You've never seen anything weird at the house?"

Andy pursed her lips. "I don't look. I've never looked. If there is something going on over there, I don't need to know about it. My kids think it is strange enough that my yard backs on to the cemetery. If they thought I was interested in a haunted house, I'm pretty sure they'd make me move."

"But the cemetery is a beautiful place," Lydia said. "It's not dark and scary at all."

"That's what I tell them. Mr. Tanner takes good care of the grounds. It is always lovely and it's very peaceful." She gave them a wan smile. "And I know that it sounds odd, especially since I'm married to Len, but it's nice to know that Bill is so close. Sometimes I talk to him. He's right there and..." This time, her grin turned wicked. "And he can't contradict me, so I always get the last word."

Lydia paused, giving Andy time to collect her memories and then asked, "Why are you so interested?"

"I don't know for sure. Yeah, some of it has to do with the kids messing around up there. Some of it is just plain curiosity. I can't believe I'd never heard of it either. Henry knows all about it. But that house is absolutely gorgeous and it seems such a shame that it just sits there."

"At this point," Lydia said, "it would take a lot to restore it. With a history like that, there aren't too many people who want to invest their money that way. Are you thinking about it?"

Polly shrugged. "I don't know. Henry and I haven't talked about it, but I caught him over there looking at it yesterday morning. I don't know if he was there because of the broken window or something else."

"Your family is getting bigger," Andy said with a smile. "And people used to talk about how big that house was. There were five or six bedrooms upstairs and then there's that solarium off one of the rooms. It would make a nice home for all the kids you're going to take in."

"Stop it," Polly said. "Heath is only going to be here for a couple of years."

"Uh huh," Lydia taunted. "In one short summer, you added two more members to your family. This might be only the beginning."

Polly scratched her head. "I'm so not a mommy. This is the strangest thing I've ever done."

"And this coming from the woman who renovated an old school house in a town where she knew no one," Andy said.

Lydia grinned. "Or the woman who finds dead bodies."

"Okay, okay, stop," Polly said. "I'm a weird person who does weird things. Maybe I should investigate purchasing that house."

CHAPTER NINE

Sucking in a deep breath, Polly answered the call from the elementary school Thursday afternoon. She still wasn't used to being a parent. Anything could go wrong and some days it felt like she was just waiting for the world to fall apart around her.

"This is Polly Giller," she said tentatively.

"Ms. Giller, we're calling about your ..." the receptionist paused. "We're calling about Rebecca. We'd like you to come to the school. There's been an incident."

"An incident?" Polly asked. "Did Rebecca do something? Has she been hurt?"

"She'll be fine, but we'd prefer it if you could come speak to us in person."

Polly was scrambling to gather her things so she could run out the door. "I'll be right there."

"Just come straight to the office, please," the woman said.

She ran for her truck and backed out of the driveway, forcing herself to look both ways. Her brain was barely functioning. Why would she be called to the office for Rebecca? Of all people. Polly tried to maintain a sense of calm as she pulled into the school parking lot and looked for a place to park. Of course it was as far away from the front door as possible, leaving her even more time to worry about what had happened. She took a deep breath at the front door, pulled it open and strode to the office. When she opened the door, two boys and Rebecca were sitting on chairs - Rebecca with a clump of bloody towels held in front of her nose.

"Honey, what happened?" Polly asked, rushing to Rebecca and crouching down in front of her.

"Miss Giller?"

Polly stood up to greet the principal. She hadn't spent much time with Mrs. Bickle, but had never liked her. She was a sharp-tongued elderly woman who held some antiquated ideas about education. Why she'd been hired by the district, many parents didn't understand. Mrs. Bickle had only been here for a year since the previous principal had moved out of state with her husband. People hoped the woman was only a temporary replacement until they could hire someone better, but she didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"Mrs. Bickle." Polly put her hand out to shake the woman's hand. "What happened and why does Rebecca have a bloody nose?"

"Would you and Rebecca please come into my office?" Mrs. Bickle indicated that they go through her door and then spoke to the receptionist. "If Master Evans's parents arrive, please interrupt me and send them in."

Polly had done everything in her power to stay out of trouble when she was in school. But today, at the age of thirty-five, she suddenly felt as if she were ten years old and in trouble. She took a deep breath. This wasn't about her. It was about Rebecca who looked like she'd gotten the wrong end of a very bad deal.

She and Rebecca had taken their seats in two of the four chairs directly in front of Mrs. Bickle's desk. When the principal rounded her desk to sit down, Polly did her best not to chuckle. She'd raised her chair so that she would look down on those in front of her. Not difficult to do with elementary students, but this was meant to be intimidating even to adults. Polly's hackles went up. She wasn't going to be bullied by anybody. Rebecca was under her protection.

"Your ward was part of a fist-fight this afternoon. Each of my students and their parents and guardians were informed at the beginning of the school year that fighting is unacceptable behavior in my building," Mrs. Bickle said.

Polly looked at Rebecca, waiting for her to protest. The boys in the other room didn't look as if they'd been in a fight. Rebecca was the only one with a visible wound.

Rebecca simply looked at Polly, gave a negligible eye-roll and shrugged her shoulders.

"Exactly what happened?" Polly asked, glancing back and forth between Mrs. Bickle and Rebecca. When Rebecca demurred, Polly turned her gaze on the principal.

"We have not been given all of the details regarding the fight as of yet. We are still in the investigation phase," Mrs. Bickle said. "But nonetheless, she was part of the altercation and that is grounds for, at the very minimum, a one-day suspension. You will take her home this afternoon and she will not be allowed to attend classes tomorrow."

"Wait," Polly said. "She's being suspended simply because she got hit? That isn't fair. Why don't you wait until you know what happened?"

"I will not tolerate any type of violent behavior among the students in this school. If she was part of the altercation, she is responsible for her actions."

By now Polly was furious. She wanted to talk to Rebecca and find out what had actually happened, but didn't want to do it in front of this woman. Every bit of trepidation she'd had when she first walked in was long gone. She stood up, reached for Rebecca's free hand and said, "We'll be back in a moment. I'm going to speak with my daughter and find out what has happened. If she carries no responsibility for what has happened, I will ask you to reconsider."

Rebecca's eyes had grown wide as she silently followed Polly out of the office. They met another woman coming in and Polly turned back to the receptionist. "We'll be right back. If Mrs. Bickle wants to move forward without us in the room, fine, but we aren't finished."

As soon as they cleared the office door, Polly dropped onto a bench and pulled Rebecca down beside her. "Okay," Polly said. "Spill. What in the world is going on here? Did you get into a fight? And tell me the truth because I don't want to hear a different story from someone else and then find out later that you were exaggerating or lying."

"I took the punch," Rebecca said. "You know, like you do. I heard you say before that sometimes it's easier to take the punch and make the other person get punished for hurting you. So I took the punch." She turned her poor battered face up to Polly. "It hurt more than I thought it would. How come you never complain?"

Polly gave a sad laugh and hugged Rebecca's shoulders. "You poor thing. It hurts like the dickens. Now tell me why you had to take a punch?"

"You didn't recognize the other kid in the room, did you?"

Polly hadn't been paying attention. "Who was it?"

"That was Bean Landry. You know, Gina’s older brother? The Evans kid was pushing him on the playground this afternoon and I told him to stop. Bean’s always getting hurt. But everybody picks on him." Rebecca patted her nose with the damp cloth. The bleeding had stopped. "Chris and two of his friends were pushing Bean back and forth, calling him a mama's boy and a baby. Some of the other kids were talking about it. I didn't see it happen. Anyway, Andrew and I were coming back from band when Bean came around a corner and totally ran into us. He hit the floor and then Chris Evans came next. Andrew pulled Bean up, Evans was teasing him again and I told him to stop. Bean's only in fifth grade and Chris is in my grade. I don't know why he has it in for the kid. Anyway, Bean said something stupid about Chris picking on someone his own size and then I saw it coming. I knew he was going to hit Bean and I just stepped in and took the punch."

Rebecca put her hand on her forehead. "I need to rethink that maneuver next time. This really hurts."

"Okay, where is Andrew now?" Polly asked. "Why isn't he here as a witness?"

"Mrs. Bickle made him go back to class."

Polly rubbed Rebecca's shoulder. "Now I have a strange question for you. Have you done anything at all in the last year or so to make Mrs. Bickle angry? Is there any reason she isn't going to be fair with you?"

"She's just mean. Nobody likes her," Rebecca said. "I might as well take the suspension. It's easier not to cross her. If you do, things get worse."

"That’s no way to live through junior high," Polly said. She wanted to say more, but not in front of Rebecca. "There's no reason that you can think of why this should go badly for you?"

Rebecca lifted her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Then let's see what we can do. If you have to get into trouble because someone else is being a bully, we'll deal with that."

"This isn't going to go the way you think it should," Rebecca said. "I promise."

"Let's see." Polly took Rebecca's hand again and they strode back into the office. She looked down at Bean sitting on a chair by himself. His mother had shaved his head which was why Polly didn't recognize him. "Hi Bean," she said. "Staying out of trouble?"

He looked up at her and shook his head. "No ma'am," he said.

"That's what I hear." Polly turned to the receptionist. "We're going back in. I might need to ask you to call for Andrew Donovan, but I’ll wait and see."

The young woman nodded, glancing furtively at the principal's office door.

Polly opened the door and walked over to the woman and her son. "Are you Mrs. Evans?" Polly asked. When the woman nodded, Polly put her hand out. "I'm Polly Giller and this is my daughter, Rebecca. It appears that your son had the audacity to hit someone today in school. What are we going to do about that?"

Mrs. Bickle stood up. "Please take a seat, Ms. Giller. I will manage this investigation. We’re nearly finished and though Rebecca may have been on the receiving end of this trouble, she was still part of it and my decision stands. All three children who were involved will receive a suspension."

Polly remained standing. "You can investigate all you like, but I refuse to acknowledge that Rebecca did anything wrong. She stood up for a boy who was being bullied constantly and then, when young Mr. Evans took a swing at that boy, stepped in to take the punch. She did nothing to instigate the fight or perpetuate violence."

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Bickle replied. "My decision has been made. Maybe next time Rebecca will make a different choice and bring about a peaceful resolution to the situation."

"I'm sorry too," Polly said. "This was unnecessary and unfair. Is there anything else?" Without waiting for an answer, Polly spun on her heels and dragged Rebecca with her.

"I need to go to my locker," Rebecca whispered. "I have homework."

"Do you need a hall pass?"

"Probably."

"Just a second." Polly went back into the office and said, "Rebecca needs to get her things from her locker. Will you give her a hall pass?"

The receptionist nodded and mouthed, "I'm sorry" to Polly while writing something out on a pad of paper. She handed the pass to Polly, who handed it off to Rebecca.

The two of them walked down the hallway to the seventh grade lockers and Polly waited while Rebecca stuffed things into her backpack. She took the heavy pack into her own arms and waited a few more moments while Rebecca contemplated the rest of her belongings.

"Take your flute," Polly said. "You'll have time to practice tomorrow."

"My nose?" Rebecca asked.

"Oh right," Polly said. "Fine. Leave it. A weekend off won't hurt."

They were silent as they walked through the halls of the school. Rebecca took the pass back into the office and then rejoined Polly as they walked outside.

"How mad are you?" Rebecca asked.

Polly gritted her teeth and then said, "I'm fine. I'm not mad at you. You did the right thing and I'm infuriated that you were punished for it. If you had done anything wrong, I would have completely backed her decision. You know that, right?"

Rebecca nodded. "I don't know why I feel so guilty. I didn't do anything wrong."

"I should ask about your nose. We’ll go see the doctor."

"No!" Rebecca exclaimed. "I'm fine. It only hurts a little now. The nurse said it wasn't broken."

"All the same. I'd feel better if I knew that a piece of cartilage hadn't chipped away and was slithering its way into your brain."

Rebecca looked up at her in shock. "That could happen?"

Polly chuckled. "No. But we’re going to run in and let the doctor look at you. You're too young to start this whole taking-a-punch thing, don't you think?"

"Maybe. All I could think was that you'd had this happen before and always got through it."

"You're a tough little girl, Rebecca," Polly said. "But Henry is going to have to bring home ice cream tonight for both of us."

~~~

Polly looked in on Rebecca one last time before going to bed. They'd gotten a prescription for a mild pain killer so she could sleep tonight and Doctor Mason said the cartilage hadn’t been broken. She was lucky.