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.”
Virginia took Laura’s arm. “I suggest you take this, Erich,” she said and handed him a small revolver. “Just in case.”
“Smart woman,” he said and took the gun from her. “It seems pretty quiet around here, but I still want to be sure. The cops are going to be angry enough as is.”
A few minutes later Erich finished his inspection and walked across the road. “There aren’t any cops around, that’s for sure, and unless Pierce is hiding underground he isn’t here, either.”
Laura raised her eyebrows. “He could be inside the house.”
“We won’t find that out until we get inside,” Virginia said.
The three of them headed for the front door and, to no one’s surprise, found it locked. Erich tried to break the lock, but it wouldn’t budge. Virginia chuckled, teasing him that he’d never make it as a thief. The only way in was through one of the first floor windows. Erich set off, looking for something with which he could break the window, and Virginia’s mind filled with memories of when she’d found Rudy in San Francisco. Did she feel remorse for what she’d done? She wasn’t sure, though she had no doubt he’d gotten what he’d deserved.
“I guess my fist will have to do,” Erich said when he returned empty-handed.
“You’ll hurt yourself,” Laura said.
“A few cuts—”
Virginia laughed, interrupting them. Obviously neither one had ever broken into any place, and she hoped they never would. She returned a moment later dragging a large tree branch. With one shove she shattered the glass of what appeared to be the living room window. Erich nodded, admiring her handiwork, then cleaned away the shards of glass before they climbed in the window. He cut his hand in a couple of places, but reached back to help Laura get through.
“Watch where you walk,” Erich said.
“Don’t you think if Pierce were here he’d have come after us the second he heard the glass shatter?” Laura asked.
Virginia put her finger to her lips. “We need to keep our voices down to a whisper.”
Laura nodded. They crept through the first floor rooms, then went upstairs. Laura paused and stared into the crib where Todd had slept all those months before. She picked up the pillow, buried her face in it, then gently set it back down.
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Erich said.
“It comforts me in a way.”
After searching everywhere upstairs, they went downstairs and looked through every inch of space, but found no sign of either Todd or Geoffrey Pierce. Once again, it was a dead end. Virginia took Laura into her arms and let her sob.
“Maybe it’s time we called the cops and let them take over.” Erich said.
They looked at each other at the same time, and Virginia mouthed the name “Wilson”. They all shook their heads, knowing they had a better chance of solving this then he did.
Laura rested in an armchair covered with cat hairs. Virginia ran her fingers through her hair, wondering what the next move should be. Should she go back to Houston and see if Mike had heard anything during the last couple of days?
Chapter Sixty-Six
Erich froze, his eyes slightly unfocused. “Wait,” he whispered. “Listen.”
“What is it?” Laura asked, frowning at his eager face.
“Shh.”
The sound came again. All three heard it distinctly this time, though no one could figure out what it was. Laura got up, walked to the fireplace and put her ear to the wall above, but the sound wasn’t coming from there.
“Here,” Virginia said. She walked toward a wall and pushed a rocking chair out of the way.
They waited for ten minutes but heard nothing. With each disappearing moment their hope, so briefly stirred, faded. Laura straightened and looked at Erich, her expression miserable. Just as they were about to give up, the sound grabbed them again. Laura’s eyes popped open wide, and she began to tremble. With a mother’s instinct, she knew.
“It’s a child’s voice. It’s Todd.”
“Do you understand what he’s saying?”
She smiled. “Just one word. Mommy.”
Virginia’s hands went to her throat. “How do we get to him?”
Erich didn’t miss a beat. “There’s just one way I can see. We have to break down the wall, because he’s right behind it.”
Erich and Virginia ran outside to the garage, which had been almost completely hidden by ivy and overgrowth. Laura stayed behind and spoke to the unseen child behind the wall. At first he was quiet, but within seconds he’d responded to the soothing sound of her voice.
Erich and Virginia returned with a couple of hammers and a claw hammer. They pummeled the wall, breaking through to the drywall, which gave way easily. Suddenly the words the child was speaking became clear.
“James James
Morrison, Morrison
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great
Care of his mother
Though he was only three.”
Laura swayed. Erich reached out to catch her, but she caught