Willow Pond

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Chapter Twenty-Eight

Laura and Erich were enjoying a spaghetti dinner at his apartment a few nights later, when she asked him if he would like to go with her to Washington, DC the following weekend.

“What’s the occasion?” he asked.

She chuckled. “Occasion? Let’s see. First off, I want to ask Phillip for a divorce. Other than that, well, I’d also like to see my sister. It’s been months since I’ve spent any time with her.”

“I’m in,” Erich said.

 Before they left, Laura called Phillip and told him she was going to be coming to visit her sister for a couple of days and she wanted to see him. When they spoke she noticed some hesitancy in his voice, but wouldn’t be dissuaded.

When she and Erich arrived, they checked into the Jefferson Hotel. Not wanting to put it off any longer, Laura left immediately to see Phillip. An hour later she arrived on the set. Phillip was in the middle of a scene where he played a senator. He and the actress portraying his secretary were handling a phone call from the president.

Laura caught his eye but knew to keep out of the way. Even though she’d visited him on many sets over the years, she was always amazed by the number of people and the amount of time it took to film even a simple scene like this one. When they completed the scene he ushered her into his trailer. They sat side by side on a small sofa and though it wasn’t even noon yet she could smell liquor on his breath. For several moments, they sat and stared at each other, not knowing what to say.

After a what seemed like an eternity to Laura, he broke the silence. “I’m not happy with that Detective Wilson and his haphazard investigation.”

She shook her head. “Neither am I.”

“I think we should hire a private investigator. What do you think?”

She was surprised at his enthusiasm. “Yes, definitely.”

“Good. I’ll take care of that.”

They stared at their hands without speaking for a few minutes. Then he cleared his throat and started up again. “So. You’re staying with your sister? How is she?”

“She’s three months pregnant. She didn’t tell me when she first found out, but Erich says she was probably just thinking of me and what happened to Todd.”

Phillip frowned. “That reporter is with you? I didn’t know you and he were that close.”

She hadn’t expected him to be jealous. “It happened suddenly.”

He dropped ice into a glass and filled it with scotch. When he offered her a drink she shook her head. She didn’t remember him drinking this early in the day. What was troubling him? Whatever it was, it made her uncomfortable. She couldn’t wait to leave. Had it always been this way and she just hadn’t noticed? The only connection they had to each other was Todd. Without him, they had nothing to say to each other.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“No. I’ve already stayed longer than I meant to. I’m meeting Erich at Old Ebbitt Grill for lunch.”

He raised an expressive eyebrow. “After what he wrote about Virginia, I never thought you’d have anything to do with him.”

She swallowed hard and summoned all the courage she could muster. “I want a divorce. It’s what’s best for both of us.”

“Not me.”

That wasn’t what she’d expected. She stared at him, mouth slightly open.

“I love you more than ever,” Phillip declared. He took both her hands in his. “Muller can never understand what we’ve been through.”