Willow Pond

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Chapter Sixty-Five

For thirty-six hours the police staked out the farmhouse in Bayside without seeing any activity. Laura and Erich stayed at Erich’s apartment in the village, Virginia at her West 77th Street brownstone and Phillip in his penthouse, waiting for word. They had stopped talking to each other and only communicated through Ben Wilson, whom none of them trusted.

Virginia made a quick trip to Houston where she saw Mike at the racetrack, and Mike confirmed Herb and Gladys Pierce’s story that their son had been in Houston until about three weeks earlier. Geoffrey Pierce’s whereabouts since then were a mystery. Virginia knew she could have handled this over the phone but had a feeling the cops had tapped her line.

On the afternoon that she returned from Houston, Virginia stopped at Bacchanal. Harry had done a good job with the place in her absence, and she was thinking about selling it to him. She sat at the bar, nursing a glass of orange juice, trying to decide what she wanted to do. She no longer cared about socializing with people she didn’t know, and she didn’t want to be forced to make idle conversation. She’d lost Laura’s love and respect, and nothing seemed to matter anymore. If they found Todd alive, she and Laura would probably go their separate ways. If they didn’t find him or found him dead, Virginia dreaded the future. Either way she might as well sell the place to Harry. He and Vince could make a go of it.

She thought she heard a soft knock on the door, but ignored it, thinking it was just the wind. She poured herself more orange juice, then hesitated, hearing the sound again. This time someone was rattling the door handle, too.

She pulled the door open and stared at the friendly face of Erich Muller. Confused, she glanced around to see if Laura was with him, but she didn’t see her. Virginia looked back at Erich and stared at him for a moment. She had never noticed how gentle Erich Muller’s blue eyes were. She’d always noticed how handsome he was, but never his kindness. Animosity had blinded her to his good qualities.

“I never expected to see you here, Mr. Muller. Has something happened to Laura?”

He shook his head. He looked exhausted. “She’s waiting, like the rest of us, and getting tired of it like I’m sure you are. She knows I’m here, though, and why. The police are doing nothing, which is what they’ve done from the first day. I think it’s time we do something, don’t you? You and I can search the farmhouse ourselves.”

“Don’t we need a search warrant?” Virginia said.

“Yes, and the Pierces could press charges, but I doubt they will,” Erich said.

Feeling suddenly optimistic, she led Erich inside and poured him a glass of orange juice. “How come it took us this long to find out we could trust each other?” Virginia asked. “I mean it only makes sense. We both love Laura and we both have her best interests at heart.”

“Then you’re with me?” Erich asked. Virginia nodded. “Good,” he said. “Now here’s what we’re going to do.”

Armed with flashlights, Virginia and Erich arrived at the farmhouse a few minutes after eight o’clock that evening. The night was pitch black. It was so dark neither one of them could see their hands in front of their faces. It was a good thing Erich had suggested the flashlights. As they started to head toward the house they heard a car, followed by the crunch of tires on gravel. The car stopped, a door slammed, and their flashlights found Laura as she walked toward them.

“I couldn’t let you do this alone,” she said. “I’m so sick of waiting and doing nothing. I thought if I came here I might find something.”

Erich and Laura kissed and Virginia couldn’t help smiling. They were a gorgeous couple, and she could see how much they needed each other.

“Let me take a look around,” Erich said. “Laura, you and your aunt should go across the road and crouch down in those bushes.”