The River Rolls On (Bellingwood Book 10) by Diane Greenwood Muir

she said.
    "Would you really consider a bodyguard?" Aaron asked.
    "If I'm stuck inside for too much longer, I might."
    "I could ask questions. A few of my people wouldn't mind making extra money."
    Polly's eyes lit up. "Really?"
    "We'll see. It's not something I like to encourage, but I'd rest easier knowing the people who were in your life."
    Jeff knocked on the door frame. "Polly?"
    "What's up, Jeff?"
    "I just got a strange request for room rentals here at Sycamore House."
    Aaron shook his head and said, "No. You can't rent any rooms here right now. It's not safe."
    "You might want to know about this one. They're going to be coming into town in about forty-five minutes."
    "Who is it?" Polly asked.
    Jeff pursed his lips and then broke into a grin. "He said that I was to tell you he packed an extra bib for you so that you could drink kool-aid."
    "Ray!" she said. "He's coming here?"
    "Him and his brother. Jon, was it?"
    "Did he say why they were coming?"
    "Something about you needing them. So do I give them the rooms upstairs in the addition?"
    Polly looked at Aaron. "Ray and Jon Renaldi. Drea's brothers. You know, the two who helped me with Joey in Boston?"
    He slowly nodded. "It sounds like your bodyguard situation just changed."
    "Why would they come out here? And how do they know that I need them?"
    Jeff shrugged and gave her a sly grin. "Do you want the number to call them back?"
    "Of course I do." Polly held out her hand and Jeff stepped in to hand her a piece of paper.
    "Do you mind?" she asked Aaron.
    "Go ahead. I'd like to know how they knew to come out here, too."
    Polly dialed the number and heard a familiar voice say, "Hello?"
    "Jon Renaldi, what are you doing in my neck of the woods?" she asked.
    "If it isn't my favorite little girl. Do you have room for two lonely men?"
    "Of course I do, but why are you in Iowa?"
    "We heard about your little escapade earlier this week."
    "From who? I didn't tell anyone. I haven't talked to your sister in a few weeks."
    "Your other friend. You know the tall, dark, drink of water that moved out there. She called Drea."
    "Sal? She didn't say anything to me. But that still doesn't make any sense. Why are you in Iowa?"
    "Would it make more sense if we told you that your little psycho boyfriend escaped the clutches of his gatekeepers?"
    "I knew it," Polly gave a quick shudder and gritted her teeth. "Joey is here. But how did you find out?"
    "As soon as Drea told me what happened, Ray drove up to that little sanitarium to see him. They hemmed and hawed and went round and round. Tried to tell him that he didn't have any permission. You know how well that went."
    "Not very, I'm guessing."
    "An investigation has been launched. It seems that your boyfriend walked out of there three weeks ago and nobody thought to let the authorities know."
    "Three weeks?" She turned to Aaron and Jeff. "Joey escaped from the mental hospital three weeks ago and they didn't tell anyone."
    "The lily white, pansy-assed doctor that Ray finally strong-armed..." Jon stopped for a moment and then said, "I'm sorry. The doctor that Ray spoke to said that he was certain of Joey's return. Apparently, he's gone off the reservation before and always come back."
    "Are you kidding me? Their security is that bad?"
    "Not now, it isn't. You'd be surprised at how much an attorney general hates hearing they have a problem like this."
    "But..."
    "Yes, you're right. That doesn't fix anything for you. Which is why Ray and I have come to offer our services."
    Polly chuckled. "As what?"
    "We know you. We knew you before you moved to Iowa and started getting into trouble. From what we've heard, you've gotten much, much worse."
    "Now come on," she said in protest.
    "Let's see. Ray, what has it been four days? Five days?" Jon listened for a moment. "We figure almost five days. Are you making everyone insane because they won't give you any freedom?"
    "How did you know that?"
    "Like I said, we know you. And Mama wasn't going to leave you