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Polly’s social media posts were full of photographs of Polly.
Polly pouting.
Polly having her nails done.
Polly deciding which clothes to wear at various points in the day.
Polly’s food choices. Usually a choice between a small salad and a watery-looking soup.
And more of Polly pouting at the camera.
Maggie noticed how the young woman was usually on her own in the photos.
What caught Maggie’s attention was when Polly started to post photos of two dogs. The first dog images had appeared six months ago. One of the dogs was thin and had a hairy chin which made the animal look like he had a beard. The other dog was smaller and on the rounder side.
Polly had called the dogs Mr X and Mr Y. Mr X was the bearded one.
Maggie read through the dog posts:
‘I had a FUN day with Mr X today! He’s so energetic and outgoing! I never know what adventure we’re going on next. I LOVE him so much!!’
‘Mr Y is so GENEROUS! He bought me lots of gifts today. And he took me for lunch at The Ivy!!! I LOVE him the most!!’
‘Mr X is so jealous of Mr Y!! He said he will fight Mr Y so he can have me for himself. His love for me is as big as the UNIVERSE!!’
‘Mr Y is taking me on a cruise! He’s going to buy me lots of clothes to take! And luggage! He will do anything for me!’
There were many more comments similar to those. The same breeds of dogs were posted with each new comment. Maggie suspected Mr X was Elliott, and the smaller dog was Toby. Unless Polly was referring to other men in her life. If the dogs did represent Elliott and Toby, then it was clear Polly was dating both of them. According to Polly’s comments, Elliott seemed aware of Polly’s close relationship with Toby, but did Toby know about Elliott?
Maggie made a note of the recent posts and comments in her notebook. The dog posts had stopped last week, just before Harvey Chester had died. Coincidence? Or did Polly’s romantic antics have something to do with Harvey’s death? Had Polly experienced a run-in with Harvey, and then asked one of her admirers to do something about him? After all, it was Elliott who had put the treasure box in the tree.
Maggie wanted to talk to Polly as soon as possible, but she didn’t know where the young woman lived. And she didn’t want to tell DCI Dexter about these dog posts. It could be nothing. Also, she reminded herself, she was supposed to be investigating this case on her own, and she couldn’t keep looking for help elsewhere.
A new post came up on Polly’s timeline. She was inside a restaurant, and about to order a salad. The restaurant was on Vicar Lane in Leeds, and Maggie could be there in fifteen minutes.
She nodded to herself. Yes, it could be a simple coincidence that Maggie was in the same restaurant at the very same time Polly was there. A big coincidence. And it wouldn’t take Maggie long to strike up a conversation with Polly.
Maggie quickly collected her coat and handbag, and then headed to the bus stop. She was just in time for the bus. As she settled back on the seat, Maggie took her phone out and had a look at the restaurant’s menu. She was feeling a bit peckish.
Her eyebrows rose when she saw the prices. She wasn’t feeling that peckish after all.
Maggie soon arrived outside the expensive restaurant. Thanks to Polly’s addiction to social media, she had posted updates about her latest eating activity. Polly had eaten half of the salad and declared herself almost full. She was finishing her meal off with a lemon sorbet.
Discreetly, Maggie peered through the window of the restaurant hoping to catch a glimpse of Polly. She found the young woman sitting at a corner table. She was alone. Despite the cheerful tone in her posts, Polly didn’t appear to be enjoying her sorbet. She was stirring it around the glass bowl and not taking any bites. Her brown hair looked less bouncy than when Maggie had last seen her.
A few minutes later, Polly exited the restaurant.
Maggie was waiting for her.