Willow Pond (21 page)

Things were going well. She’d been living in Vandalia for two months, but had heard winters in Ohio were frigid. She intended to be gone by then, and she’d saved over half the money she needed for the fare home.

She and the little boy enjoyed each other. She absolutely adored him. He had needed a name, so she decided on Andrew, or Andy, and he was beginning to respond to that name. On rare occasions he called her Mommy, but most of the time he didn’t address her at all. He just stared with those pleading green eyes in much the same way he had from the beginning.

Yawning, Maggie climbed the front steps to the boarding house, craving her bed. But a light in the main sitting room surprised her. There was never a light on at 5:00 a.m. Maggie’s heart plunged. Something must have happened. Concerned, she rushed in the front door and was met by Mary Flay, who had apparently been waiting for her.

Over Mary’s shoulder, Maggie caught a flash of light hair, which she recognized as the top of Andrew’s head.

“Oh hello, Maggie. Why didn’t you tell me you had a child?” Mary asked, smiling sweetly.

Maggie trembled. She didn’t want to have this conversation. “It wasn’t any of your business.”

“But dear, he was crying. He seemed so frightened, the poor little thing. I couldn’t leave him there by himself, could I? That would have been crueler than old Mr. Simms from across town.” She narrowed her eyes and glared at Maggie. “He was arrested for letting his dogs starve to death, you know.” Mary set her fists on her hips, looking incredulous. “What on earth possessed you to do such a thing? Don’t you know how dangerous it is to leave a child alone?”

Maggie sniffed, standing straighter. This woman had no right to question her. “I had no choice. I took every precaution.”

Mary frowned and shook her head. “No choice? We always have choices, dear. All you had to do was ask for help. You’re too proud, that’s all.”

Maggie pushed past her and scooped the little boy off the sofa. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. “This isn’t your problem,” Maggie muttered. “I’ll have to figure out something else.”

“He’s a beautiful child,” Mary said. “And so good. I fed him soup and he drank a little juice, then climbed onto the couch and fell asleep right where you found him.”

“I’m glad he was no problem.”

Mary followed her to the door. “Bring him to me tomorrow when you leave for work and I’ll be happy to take care of him.”

“Thank you for offering,” Maggie said, and headed up to her second floor room. By the time she’d closed the door behind them, the child had woken all the way up and was whining. When she put him down, he toddled to the icebox and pulled the door open.

“What’s the matter, Andrew?” she asked.

“I hungwy!”

“What would you like to eat?”

He clapped his hands. “Cookie.”

“I’ll get one for you straight away.”

She opened the cookie tin that she kept on one of the shelves he couldn’t reach, and handed him his favorite cookie: chocolate chip. Satisfied, he wandered into the living area, plunked onto the floor and began to play with his blocks.

She went into the bedroom, removed the two suitcases from under the bed and began packing. Something she had seen in Mary Flay’s eyes tonight had disturbed Maggie, and she knew they couldn’t stay. She was folding one of her blouses and laying it into the suitcase when Andrew arrived in the room. She couldn’t help smiling at the mess of cookie crumbs smeared all over his face and hands.

“I’ll have to clean you up before we leave.”

He studied the clothes strewn on the bed, then looked searchingly at her. “Go bye-bye?”

“Yes, we are, my smart boy. Why don’t you help Mommy and bring your toys in here.”

“No.”

His favorite word. He left and she went back to packing, her smile fading as she worked. By the time she had him cleaned up and everything in the suitcases, it was after six. She tiptoed downstairs, lifted everything into the trunk of the car and came back to get Andy, praying Mary Flay didn’t hear anything. It was time to leave Vandalia, Ohio, and find somewhere new.

***

Two days later Detective Wilson had a meeting with Gabrielle Madigan’s doctor. Afterwards, he called Laura and Phillip separately and asked them to come to the second precinct in Manhattan. The same place they’d taken Virginia after she was arrested.

Wilson was waiting for them at the precinct.

“Did you see the doctor?” Phillip asked.

The detective nodded briefly. “Let’s go into another room and talk. It’s not very private in here. Too much noise.”

They followed him down the hall. This time they entered a room that was painted institutional gray instead of institutional green. Without some hint of color, Laura thought it must be a horrible place to work. The three of them pulled out chairs and sat at the old table, which had been dented and scratched from years of interrogations.

“What’s going on?” Laura asked.

Wilson’s lips pulled tight and he squinted at Laura and Phillip, as if deciding how to tell them something. “Gabrielle Madigan is schizophrenic,” he declared.

Laura’s hand went to her throat. “Is she dangerous?”

“You could say so. She tried to kill her little sister when she was five. When that happened, her parents brought her to Doctor Chandler. Two years later they committed her to the state hospital and moved away. They’ve had no contact with her since then.”

“How old was her sister when she tried to kill her?”

“She was around two.”

“Oh dear God. That can’t be.”

“Why isn’t she still in there?” Phillip asked. “You would think someone so ill—”

“I asked the doctor the same thing. He said she was in voluntarily, which means she can sign herself out any time she wants.”

Laura was aghast. “But she tried to kill her sister!”

“My hands are tied,” Wilson said. “She’s been in and out of the hospital over the years. The doctor said at times schizophrenics seem normal, and it was during one of those periods that she met and married Madigan.”

“Did anyone warn this guy about what he was getting into?” Phillip asked.

Wilson shrugged.

“Does the doctor have any idea where they might be?”

“The last he heard, Madigan was working for you.”

“Does he think she could have kidnapped my baby?” Laura asked.

Wilson couldn’t answer yes or no. “It’s been a long time since she was capable of doing such a thing, but her condition could have changed overnight.”

“We have to find her.”

“Doctor Chandler promised to contact me if he hears from either one of them. In the meantime, we’ve issued an APB in all forty-eight states.

Chapter Forty-Two

Originally, Virginia hadn’t wanted Laura to have anything to do with Erich Muller. Now, whenever she saw her niece, she looked so miserable Virginia would do anything to bring them back together. She tried to speak with Laura about what was going on, but Laura always cut her off. One day she decided to give it another try. She picked up the phone and was pleased when Laura answered.

“Let’s go for lunch,” Virginia said. “You pick the restaurant.”

“It doesn’t make any difference to me,” Laura said. “I’ll go wherever you want.”

“Marta’s a nice place, and I know how much you like Italian food. It’s not far from where you live, is it?”

“Not that place.”

Virginia understood immediately. Laura must have been there with Erich Muller. “I’ll find a place. Maybe you’d enjoy a good American cheeseburger and a malted milk? I bet you’d feel better after one of those. Remember how much you loved them when you were a little girl?”

“Hmm,” Laura said. “I don’t think I’m in the mood for anything so … fattening. But a hamburger might be nice. Plain with no cheese. Don’t they make dynamite hamburgers at Bacchanal? I could meet you there for dinner tomorrow night.”

The tone of Laura’s voice had Virginia feeling optimistic. “Sounds great. Cab Calloway is appearing there for the next three nights, so we’ll have a great time.”

When she got off the phone, Virginia wondered if it might be a good idea to call Erich Muller and suggest he meet them at Bacchanal. She knew she was interfering in her niece’s life, and Laura had admonished her before about doing that, but she hated seeing her so unhappy.

She dialed the Herald Tribune’s number, fully expecting Erich to refuse to speak with her. When she heard his voice she was taken slightly aback. “Thank you for taking my call, Mr. Muller.”

“Well, well, well,” he said, carrying more than a note of surprise in his voice. “What can I do for you, Miss Kingsley? Are you calling to see if I might write a retraction to the article?”

“No, no,” Virginia said. “I’m sure you won’t do any such thing. No. I’m calling about Laura.”

She heard someone call his name in the background. When the caller persisted, she could tell by Erich’s muffled voice that he’d put his hand over the phone. “Not now,” she heard him say. He returned to Virginia. “What about Laura?” he asked.

“She’s miserable. What happened between the two of you? I don’t understand.”

“If she’s miserable it’s her own fault,” Erich said. “She won’t see me and she won’t speak to me. Whenever I call she hangs up on me, so I don’t call anymore.”

“I thought the two of you … Never mind. I want you to come to Bacchanal tomorrow night around nine. Laura and I should be finished dinner by then.”

Erich laughed. “Are you trying to play matchmaker? It won’t work. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. Anyway, I thought you hated me. Thought you didn’t want me anywhere near Laura.”

“Hate is a strong word, Mr. Muller. Anyway, I’m not thinking of myself right now. I’m thinking of my niece. I’ve come around to thinking you might just be good for her. I don’t necessarily approve of you, but right now I think she needs you. Do you still love her?”

His voice was a whisper. “Of course I do.”

“See you tomorrow night,” Virginia said.

***

All the usual characters were at Bacchanal the following night. Many of the women, including Laura, were wearing flapper attire, complete with jewel encrusted headbands. Others wore floor-length gowns in silk or satin. Some of the men were in tuxedos, while others wore their best suits. Every time Laura came to Bacchanal she was struck by how funny it was that people got so dressed up just to get drunk.

Harry Davis saw her first and waved her toward the bar. She settled into the chair he indicated and ordered a glass of wine. She intended to drink little tonight.

A man in a dark blue suit sat next to her and smiled suggestively. She looked at her drink.

“I haven’t seen you here before,” he said. She glanced at him, noticing with distaste how his eyes traveled over her body. “I would certainly remember you if I had.”

Laura glanced at Harry and they both laughed. The two of them looked at the newcomer. “Is this the first time you’ve been here?” she asked.

“No, it’s the second. What’s your name?”

“My name is Laura. I’m Virginia Kingsley’s niece. I want you to leave me alone.”

Harry nodded approvingly.

The man sat straighter. “Hey. You’re the one whose kid was kidnapped. Have you—”

Laura stood abruptly and went in search of her aunt. Virginia was in her office finishing the week’s payroll. While Virginia worked, Laura wandered around the room looking at pictures of her parents on their wedding day.

“Were they really as happy as I think they were?” Laura asked.

Virginia glanced up from her desk. “They were happier and more in love than any couple I ever knew.” She closed the checkbook and gazed at her niece.

“I like hearing you say that,” Laura said. “Sometimes I get angry with myself because I can’t remember them they way I’d like to. I try, but it’s hard sometimes. Then I think of Todd and wonder if he’ll remember me at all.”

“I had the chef make your favorite meal tonight,” Virginia said, changing topics.

“What’s that?” Laura asked, a little afraid to ask. Morning sickness had plagued her during the morning, afternoon and even at night. She wasn’t in the mood for eating anything and had brought a dozen crackers with her to ease the nausea.

“Lobster Newburgh,” Virginia announced.

At the mere thought of the rich food, Laura’s stomach rolled. “Actually, I’m not that hungry. How about a bowl of chicken soup?”

“Not tonight. Tonight we are going to celebrate and do our best to forget our problems.” Virginia took her niece’s face in her hands. “I know how much pain you’re in, and I’m here for you.”

“Nothing is going to help me. Nothing but time.”

“Why?” Virginia asked. “I don’t understand about you and Erich. He means so much to you and yet you refuse to see him. What happened?”

Laura breathed deeply, trying to stay calm. “Is that what this is about? Why can’t you treat me like an adult and allow me to make my own decisions? Must you always have something to say about everything I do?”

“I want to be there when you need me,” Virginia said.

“Right now what I need is to be on my own. I need to figure out my life.”

Virginia led Laura to their table toward the back of the room, and the waiter brought their dinner to the table. Laura barely touched her meal, managing only to eat a bit of rice. Her aunt watched closely throughout. Laura saw the concern in her eyes and found that both touching and annoying.

When she was younger she hadn’t minded Virginia’s tendency to be overprotective. She behaved that way because she’d felt she had to protect her after Laura’s parents died. Apparently some of those old feelings had returned after Todd had been kidnapped. But Laura felt strongly that if she didn’t learn to handle her own problems now, she never would.

Being alone and pregnant would be the hardest problem she’d ever faced. She knew Erich would find out one day, but she couldn’t deal with that now. She needed time to think about what would be best for all of them. She wanted Erich to be with her because he couldn’t live without her, not because he felt trapped. Besides, they would have to find a solution to their problems before they could have any kind of life together.