Two Widows: A totally gripping mystery and suspense novel

by Laura Wolfe

  I tipped my head back, angry with myself for letting my imagination run wild. He hadn’t been meeting anyone at all, only picking up some unhealthy carry-out.

  After relieving myself in the restaurant’s dingy bathroom and confirming the absence of the other woman, I drove back to my position in the camouflaged parking space overlooking Jason’s office, his Mercedes now parked in the same spot it had been this morning. Two more hours passed with no action. I made another pit stop to a nearby McDonald’s to use the bathroom again and buy some lemonade. Now, parked in my “secret” lookout spot for the third time in one day, I nibbled on the salty fries I’d also purchased.

  A text beeped on my phone. It was from Gwen:

  Don’t forget to visit the new lounge in the Elderberry Hotel.

  Will do. I sent back.

  I massaged a tight spot in my shoulder, realizing I needed to leave for the airport. As far as I could tell from my one day of surveillance, Jason had been telling me the truth.

  The monotone hum of the hotel’s air ventilation system filled the room. I sat in bed, two pillows propped behind me and my laptop resting on my legs. I clicked to the next image, browsing through profiles of men within five years of my age on Match.com. A sickening taste filled my mouth like I’d swallowed a mouthful of vinegar. Were these the only men left to choose from? It was shallow of me to judge them by their looks alone, but I didn’t have much more to go on. Appearance-wise, Jason blew them out of the water.

  I clicked on a guy who seemed okay. He had kind eyes and straight white teeth. He was thirty-five, an attorney, divorced with two kids. Additional photos showed him playing baseball and sitting on a giant rock with his kids and an attractive woman. Was it his ex-wife? I rolled my eyes. He couldn’t have found another photo? I stared at the family portrait. They looked so cute, his pretty wife holding his hand, the children’s eyes beaming. Had he cheated on her, too? I wondered if this was the fate awaiting every married woman. Maybe it didn’t get any better no matter who I was with. At least Jason wanted to work things out. And who was I to be so picky? I was twenty-nine, pregnant, and working as an underpaid writer. Not exactly a hot catch.

  Almost on cue, my phone buzzed, Jason’s name flashing across it. I slammed my computer shut.

  “Hey,” I said, feeling slightly guilty for tracking his every move earlier in the day.

  “Hey. I just wanted to hear your voice. Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” My voice cracked, and I sat up straighter, “I’m in Charlotte right now. Checking out a new hotel.”

  “Oh. That sounds nice.”

  “It’s not.”

  Jason laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  A strange sensation rippled through my abdomen. “I think the baby just moved.” I needed to share the moment with him, even if he didn’t deserve it.

  “Really?” He breathed heavily. “Man. I wish I could feel it.”

  Hot tears formed behind my eyes and I struggled to blink them back. Why had he put us in this situation?

  “Can I move back home, babe? Let’s work things out.”

  I pressed my fingers on my eyelids, not sure what to do.

  “If you can’t do it for me, then do it for our baby,” he said. “He or she deserves to have both of us.”

  His words were so unfair, as if I was the one who’d been in the wrong.

  “Yes. Our baby does deserve to have us both.” My voice clawed through my throat, vicious and raw. “Too bad our baby’s dad is a self-centered dick.” I shielded my abdomen with my hands, my breath jagged.

  Jason sighed. “I was. You’re right.” He paused, leaving a thick silence hanging between us. “When my mom died, it really messed with my head. I didn’t deal with my feelings the right way. I know I messed up, but I’ve learned from my mistake. I wish I could go back in time and do things differently, but I can’t. All I can do is be the man you deserve going forward. I’ll treat you better this time. Please. Give me one more chance.”

  My emotions shifted at the sincerity of his voice. The tears leaked out now. I sniffled, nodding my head. “Will you go to counseling?”

  “Yes. Anything.”

  “I’m so mad at you,” I said, as the tears continued to flow.

  “I know. I’m mad at me, too.”

  “I just… I just need to have a little more time away from you.” Each word felt like a boulder on my tongue. “But maybe when Caroline leaves, we can talk about you moving back in.”

  “Okay.” He paused. “That sounds fair.”

  “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to have that discussion,” I said, trying to maintain some control.

  “Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

  “Bye.” I lowered the phone.

  “Love you.”

  With my hand stretched down, his muted voice barely reached my ears. Did he really love me? I wanted to believe him, but his actions would have to prove it. I stared at the phone debating whether to say it back, but something slithered inside me, wrapping itself around my throat and squeezing, refusing to let my mouth produce the words.

  The back door rattled shut behind me. “I’m home!” I called. “Caroline?”

  As I stepped into the kitchen, a chill of déjà vu prickled my skin and left my tongue dry. My flight home from Charlotte had landed thirty minutes ahead of schedule, and I suddenly feared my early arrival would lead to another shocking surprise. It couldn’t be as devastating as the last time I’d arrived home unannounced. I rolled back my shoulders, bracing myself against the painful memory.

  Caroline didn’t answer. I hoped she hadn’t eaten yet, so we could go out for dinner or even catch a movie. For the first time in weeks, a spark of hope flickered within me. The phone call with Jason, along with my investigative work, led me to believe he was no longer seeing Sarah, that she hadn’t meant anything to him. Maybe there was a real chance we could save our marriage.

  I wandered through the kitchen where a few dirty dishes lay in the sink. A white box sat on the counter with a red card on top, my name written across the front in Jason’s handwriting. I opened the card.

  Liz, I miss you. Remember the first time we ate these? That was one of the best days of my life. Love always, Jason.

  I recognized the box from the Uptown Cookie Factory. We’d gone there on our first date after a two-hour dinner at a tapas restaurant. The chocolate-chunk cookies had melted in our mouths as we strolled down Main Street nibbling them and wandering into a city park. Jason had sent me home with an entire box of them, along with a long kiss. We’d been inseparable ever since—until I walked in on him and Sarah.

  I opened the box finding a dozen chocolate-chunk cookies stacked inside. The aroma hit me, emotion swelling in my mouth. I blinked away tears and closed the lid, wondering if Caroline had let Jason inside.

  The clock ticked from the mantel in the living room. I dragged my suitcase upstairs, poking my head in the guest room. The sheets lay in a tangled pile on the bed, the shades drawn. Caroline wasn’t here.

  I continued to my bedroom and deposited my suitcase on the floor. Outside the window, a squirrel hung from a tree branch flicking its tail. I crossed my arms, an unconscious effort to contain my growing panic. I’d spoken to her last night when I’d interrupted her binge-watching a new series she’d found on Netflix. We’d talked again this morning. She’d seemed fine. Happy, even. She didn’t have a car, so she couldn’t be far away. Maybe she’d walked up to the Walgreens on the corner. That’s what I hoped, at least.

  The image of the busboy’s eyes burning into Caroline flashed in my mind. Had they found each other? Had he picked her up and taken her somewhere to get drugs? I shivered, a surge of dread weighing down my limbs. I stumbled back downstairs, finding my way into the kitchen where I leaned on the counter.

  I’m at home. Where are you?

  I sent the text to Caroline. My fingers strummed the counter as I waited for her response. None came. I paced back and forth across the room
, my jaw muscles locking into place.

  Unable to focus, I got myself a glass of water and broke off a piece of one of the cookies, too distracted to notice how it melted in my mouth. I wandered into the living room, balancing on the edge of the couch as I flipped on the TV. The annoying woman from the local news screeched about the weather. I switched the channel to HGTV, relieved to find an episode of Tiny House Nation. A guy who looked as if he’d barely graduated from high school pressed his palms to his forehead as he stepped into his tiny living room for the first time.

  “I can’t even speak,” he said, looking around.

  I wondered where he’d parked his tiny house. On a farm? Out in the woods? On the edge of a lake? The sudden urge to run away and escape civilization overtook me.

  The lock turned in the front door and I jumped from the couch into the foyer. Caroline poked her head through the opening and then stepped forward. A windblown strand of hair dangled in front of her eye.

  “Hi. Sorry. I thought you’d be back a little later.” She motioned toward the counter. “Jason left that box for you on the porch. I brought it inside.” She pulled the door closed behind her, but not before I glimpsed a beat-up sedan squealing away.

  “Who was that?”

  Caroline averted her eyes and strolled past me into the living room, ignoring my question. “How was your trip?” she asked.

  “Caroline.” I bolted after her. “Don’t even tell me that was the guy from the restaurant.”

  “So, what if it was?” She turned toward me, her voice sharpening. “And his name’s Josh.”

  I dropped my head. I shouldn’t have gone to Charlotte. She was making bad decisions, heading down the wrong path. Mom and Dad would be so disappointed. Again. I locked eyes with her and held my breath. Was it my imagination or were her pupils as tiny as pinpricks?

  “What are you doing?” I said.

  “Hanging out with a friend. Someone who understands me.” She squared her shoulders. “We’re not corrupting each other, if that’s what you think.”

  “Did you go to the NA meeting?”

  “I was going to, but it didn’t work out.” Caroline turned her head toward the stairs.

  My body seethed. My heels dug into the floor. I couldn’t speak.

  “Anyway, Josh said the meetings here aren’t that great.”

  I closed my eyes, replaying Caroline’s chance encounter with Josh at The Salted Olive, the way they smiled and stared at each other too long, the chemistry between them tangible. No one could stop them from having sex or doing drugs if they both wanted it.

  “At least tell me where you were.”

  “Ha! That’s funny.” Caroline rolled her eyes. “How about you tell me where you were before you left for Charlotte. You weren’t at your office. I called.”

  I stepped back, heat rising in my face. I glanced toward my feet. “I was spying on Jason.”

  Caroline nodded. “Okay. I believe you. Now I’ll tell you where I was. Josh and I went out for coffee. Drip Café on Main Street.”

  I pressed my lips together, weighing the competing thoughts in my head. I didn’t want to accuse her of doing something she hadn’t done, but Josh was bad news. I could feel it in my bones.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, deciding to avoid confrontation. We only needed to make it through a few more days before Mom and Dad returned from their cruise. Then she’d head back to cosmetology school in Kalamazoo, far away from Josh. And I’d make a fresh start with Jason.

  Caroline flashed me a sheepish grin, her olive branch. “I forgive you.”

  “Do you want to go out for a bite to eat? There’s a new Italian restaurant down the street.”

  “Oh, I’m not really hungry. Sorry.” She placed her hand on her stomach. “I ate a pastry and drank too much coffee.”

  The hair on my neck stood on end. Not hungry? That sounded like something a heroin addict would say after hitting up. I’d witnessed Caroline’s behavior enough times over the years to recognize the warning signs—lying, stealing, wearing long sleeves, shrunken pupils, loss of appetite, sleeping excessively. I turned away from her to hide the worry that surely crept onto my face.

  “Okay,” I said, reminding myself to rein in my imagination. Her story was perfectly plausible. I needed to give her the benefit of the doubt. “I’ll just heat something up then.”

  “I’m wiped. I’m gonna go lie down.” Caroline scurried up the stairs.

  I walked toward the refrigerator, pulling open the door but closing it a second later. My appetite had disappeared.

  Twenty-One

  Gloria

  Now

  “No!” Ethan raced across the living room and scooped up Rascal. By the way his shoulders deflated when he reached the puppy, I could tell he was too late. “He peed again.”

  I shook my head and tore some paper towels off the roll. Just when I thought the little guy was getting the hang of it. After mopping up the puddle, I followed Ethan out to the porch where we watched Rascal sniff and then chew the flowers. This dog was giving me a run for my money.

  Ethan tossed a tennis ball nearby, luring Rascal out of the greenery. “You need to get him in a puppy training class. He’s gonna walk all over you when he gets bigger.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” I adjusted the elastic waistband on my sweatpants, wondering where on earth I’d find a puppy training class.

  “I’ll look into it for you,” Ethan said. “There’s gotta be a high school or a YMCA that has one.”

  I smoothed down a rumple in my shirt, thankful for my son’s presence. He was a problem-solver, just like Charlie.

  “I talked to my buddy, Wes, yesterday. He said he ran into you and Beth at a coffee shop.”

  “Yes. It was nice to see him.”

  “Beth never called him back about that interview.”

  “She probably forgot. She’s been so busy.” My eyes automatically traveled to Beth’s tiny house and the red truck sitting next to it. It wasn’t like her to not keep her word, but she’d been distracted. I’d been extra-worried about her ever since her midnight adventure following Joe the other night. Although, by the time I’d gotten up with Rascal at 5:30 a.m., her truck had been back in its usual spot. I’d been meaning to ask her about her late-night outing and warn her against taking unnecessary risks, but we’d been missing each other.

  “Anyway, Wes and his wife, Vicki, invited me to go camping over at the state park for a couple of nights next weekend.” Ethan swatted at a fly buzzing near his elbow, before adding, “If you don’t mind.”

  “Yes. You should go,” I said.

  My last three days with Ethan had been wonderful. We’d puttered around the land admiring the trees and wildflowers. We’d strolled through downtown Harbor Springs, wandering out to the farthest spot on the pier and sneaking glimpses inside the fancy yachts. We’d even revisited the exact spot on the side of the street where I’d adopted Rascal. Then Ethan had treated me to ice cream at Kilwin’s where I ordered my favorite flavor, Mackinac Island Fudge. Yesterday, after repairing my internet connection, he’d helped me tackle the mess in the guest room closet. That closet had always overwhelmed me, but somehow Ethan had sorted through the clutter with detached and efficient precision. He’d made all the difficult decisions for me, leaving no room for haggling. He’d even driven a carload of donations over to the Salvation Army. As if that wasn’t enough, this morning he’d spent three hours rebuilding the mangled fence around my vegetable garden. He’d made more than one trip to the hardware store to purchase new fencing and sturdier posts. The result was a magnificent, rodent-proof fortress, complete with a hinged gate that opened and closed.

  “Let’s see those darn deer try to get through that,” I’d said, my hands on my hips, challenging the deer in the woods in case they could hear me.

  Ethan had put in his dues with me. He was getting restless. In truth, I’d been craving an hour or two alone to work on my Thirty-Day Life Coach exercises. I missed Beth, too. I’d b
een so busy with Ethan, I’d barely seen her, not even in passing.

  “Check the weather report first, though,” I said, my thoughts returning to Ethan’s camping trip. “You don’t want to be stuck outside all weekend in the rain.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He leaned on the porch railing, keeping his eyes on Rascal. “And Beth asked if I’d grab a drink with her tomorrow night.”

  “Really?” I stepped back, a ripple of excitement traveling through me.

  Ethan picked at his nail. “She wants to go back to The Castaways. Something about needing more research for an article she’s writing. I wouldn’t mind checking it out, too.”

  “That’s wonderful.” I clasped my hands together, surprised Beth would return to the place where she’d last seen Amanda. But she was committed to her work. Or maybe she was hoping to find a clue. Regardless, I stifled my grin at the thought of their date. Beth was so much more worldly and sophisticated than anyone Ethan had ever dated in high school. I held my breath, heeding the warning in my gut that told me not to push him, not question him.

  Ethan must have noticed my silly smile and the misguided look in my eyes. He dropped his chin and shoved his hands into his pockets. The air left my body, and I felt like I’d been found out, like I’d forced him to read that pamphlet all over again.

  “Mom, there’s nothing romantic between me and Beth.”

  My mouth fell open.

  His lips pulled back in disgust. “I thought you changed, but you haven’t.”

  I stepped toward him. “That’s not true. I have changed. I love you just the way you are.”

  Ethan rubbed his temples, pain pulsing through his face. “What about your friends at church?”

  “I told you. They’re not true friends.”

  “Do you still have that pamphlet?”

  “What? No. Of course not. I burned it, if you want to know the truth.”