Diane Greenwood Muir - Bellingwood 06 - A Season of Change by Diane Greenwood Muir

trailer and he headed for one of the piles of branches, picking up speed.
    “I know, I know,” she said. “You need to get into the woods so you don’t make a mess people will walk in. I’m coming.”
    Obiwan approached a pile of branches very carefully, then surged forward, his nose skittering across the ground. Polly didn’t think anything of it until she saw color - blue to be exact. Blue jeans.
    “What did you find, Obiwan? Why would someone leave their jeans here?”
    He nosed a branch out of the way and Polly realized that she was also seeing a boot. She yanked him back, then took another step back with him firmly in hand.
    “I really want to curse out loud,” she said to the dog. “Every foul word I know wants to come out of my mouth right now. Why in the hell does this keep happening?”
    Obiwan tried to reach the pile of branches and she pulled him away again. “Sit. Stay.” she said and waited until he obeyed. “I mean it, Obiwan. Stay.” He looked up at her and stayed where he was while she went back to the pile and got closer to the boot and jeans. Sure enough, there was the body of a man. He had been covered with branches and brush and when she touched his hand, it was cold. He wasn’t alive.
    “More curse words,” she told the dog, leading him back to the truck. “I could scream them all, but they won’t do me any good. I don’t want to make this phone call.”
    She made it anyway.
    “Polly Giller, there can be only one reason you are calling me at six thirty in the morning.”
    “ Don’t you dare start with me, Aaron. I swear to you that if you give me any trouble about this, I’m going to program a cell phone with “Bad Boys,” hide it in your house and call it fifteen times a day.”
    She heard him chuckling on the other end of the phone and then he said, “Where are you and what did you find?”
    “I’m out at the vineyard with Obiwan. I found a man’s body in a pile of brush. I didn’t dig him out or anything, so I don’t know who it is. I’m sorry, but Obiwan and I were there before we knew what it was. I hope we didn’t mess anything up for you.”
    “That’s okay. Can you stay until I get there? Don’t let anyone else go near it. Is Henry planning on a crew today?”
    “Leroy and Ben were going to set up the trailer.”
    “Would you mind driving your truck out and stop them from coming in? I don’t need any more people in there.”
    “I’m on it. I’m sorry, Aaron.”             
    “You didn’t do anything wrong and I haven’t left town yet. I’ll be right over.”
    “Thanks.”                           
    Polly tossed an old blanket onto the passenger seat to protect it from Obiwan’s muddy feet and then let him jump in. She went back to the driver’s side and got in, backed down the lane and stopped at a cross street. Hopefully Aaron would arrive before anyone else.
    Eliseo was expecting her back at the barn, so she called him, “Good morning, Polly. Is everything okay?”
    “I’m not going to make it this morning,” she said. “I am out at the vineyard and you aren’t going to believe what Obiwan and I found.”
    “A dead body,” he deadpanned.
    “Yep.”
    “Oh, you’re not joking? I’m sorry. I wasn’t serious.”
    “No, it’s okay. I have to wait for Aaron to show up.”
    “Do you know who it is?”             
    “I don’t. I didn’t want to disturb things too much before Aaron got here and the person was covered with brush and branches.”
    “Don’t worry about the animals here at the barn. I’ve got it.”
    “Thanks. Will I see you at the hotel later today?”
    “You will. Take care of yourself, Polly.”
    “Thanks.”
    Polly was still trying to compose the text to Henry when Ben’s truck pulled in behind her. She got out and walked back to him, “You’re not working here today,” she said after he rolled his window down.
    “What’s up?”
    “The Sheriff is coming