Don Polehaus
Don Polehaus is a detective with the Odyssey Police Department, having transferred in from Connellsville, and he handles most of the crimes that trouble the town - counterfeiting rings, burglaries, thefts, arson, even kidnappings. Gruff and methodical, with sharp instincts for when a story doesn't add up, he is nonetheless fair-minded and quietly kind, willing to trust his own judgment over official channels when he believes a suspect is telling the truth. His work repeatedly draws him into partnership with John Avery Whittaker and the crowd at Whit's End, including young amateur sleuths like Emily Jones, and he keeps a wary but ultimately generous eye on reformed con artist Buck. Adopted as a child himself, he is a devoted grandfather to Molly Murphy, favoring fishing trips and molasses cookies over spoiling her.