The cab pulled up in front of the brownstone and she paid the driver, then stepped out onto West 77th Street and climbed her aunt’s cement steps. Just before she tried the door, she heard the wail of an ambulance siren. It reminded her of how frightened she’d been on the way to the hospital earlier that night.
Laura stormed into the brownstone without knocking. A light was glowing in the kitchen, and the teakettle had just started to whistle. She barged into the room and glared at her aunt.
Virginia spun around to face her, her beautiful face twisted with a combination of welcome and concern. “Do you have news about Todd? Have the police—?” She held out her arms, but Laura didn’t move into them as she usually did. “What have you been doing?” she asked. “My goodness! You look exhausted.”
“Exhausted? Yes, I suppose I am.”
“I know what will help. I bought a new blend of cinnamon tea yesterday that tastes just like the one your mother liked so much. Would you like a cup?”
Laura stood without moving. “Three men beat Erich up tonight. You’re responsible, aren’t you?”
“That reporter?” Virginia turned and took two mugs from the cabinet, then looked back at Laura. “You do know how to attract good-looking men, Laura. But looks aren’t everything.” She lifted her chin a little higher. “I don’t approve.”
“He’s in Lennox Hill Hospital in so much pain he can barely talk. He told me he recognized one of the men because he’d been with you when Erich saw you the other night. Is that true?”
“Is what true? And why would you think I had anything to do with what happened?”
Laura’s anger reached the boiling point. “Don’t take me for a fool. I’m talking about whether you saw Erich.”
“He wanted to confront me.”
“He told me you threatened to teach him a lesson if he kept seeing me.” Laura’s lips curled into a mocking half smile. “What happened to him tonight is a bit too much of a coincidence, don’t you think?”
Virginia turned away and picked up the tea kettle, pouring tea into two mugs. “How do I know how many enemies he’s made? He’s a ruthless reporter who doesn’t care who he hurts with his lies. Many people may be out to get him.”
“That’s a lie. He’s a well-respected journalist.”
Virginia set the tea kettle down and focused hard on her niece. “Laura, you know I’d never do anything to hurt you or anyone you care about. And I’d have to be blind not to see that you care about this man.”
Laura shook her head. “There are two inescapable facts.” She lifted one finger. “First of all, Erich was beaten up tonight by a guy Erich saw with you.” A second finger joined the first. “Second, you had threatened him. Why shouldn’t I believe you’re responsible? It makes perfect sense to me.”
“I’m telling you I didn’t. I’ve never lied to you.”
“Neither has Erich.”
“You haven’t known him that long.”
Laura’s green eyes softened. “That doesn’t matter. I feel like I’ve always known him.”
“I’ve always been there for you. I’d never do anything to hurt you,” Virginia said irritably. She sat and sipped her tea. “I don’t trust him, Laura. He could be using you to further his career.”
“He isn’t.”
“How can you be so sure? You’re too trusting.”
“Don’t change the subject. You haven’t answered my question about Erich yet.”
Virginia gave a half snort. “I’ve disapproved of some of your other boyfriends and never harmed any of them. Why should things be different now?”
“It is different this time because I love Erich. Do you hear me? I love him. I won’t let you do anything to hurt him. Stay away from him.”
“Laura, we’re both telling the truth. I won’t deny threatening him, and, though I’m sure you don’t approve, I did it to make sure he knows that if he doesn’t treat you right he’ll answer to me. But I didn’t have him beaten up. With all you’ve been through do you think I’d put you through that, too?”
“No, I honestly didn’t think you would. At least I’d hoped you wouldn’t. But it just seems like too much of a coincidence. I want to believe you,” she said. “I do.” She glared at her aunt, who sat quietly watching. “All right. Let’s leave this for now. I’m tired. I’m going home to get some sleep.”
She walked out without even looking at the cup of tea.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When Laura stepped outside the next afternoon, the weather had changed. Heavy, gray clouds now loomed overhead, and it had been so windy during the night the sidewalk was littered with leaves and twigs. She walked toward Fifth Avenue where she hailed a taxi to the hospital.
She unbuttoned her coat as she got off the elevator on the fourth floor and walked past the nurses’ station to Erich’s room, hesitating to stare at a closed door across from Erich’s. Behind it she heard a woman sobbing, and almost cried herself. Only the loss of a loved one could cause that much pain. Laura knew that kind of pain. She had lost Todd; she had almost lost Erich.
Erich looked even worse this morning, covered with bruises and bandages. She handed him a box of chocolate-covered caramels and leaned in to kiss him. It was a gentle kiss, but more than a friendly peck. When she pulled away, he reached up and stroked her face with his left hand.
“You’ve never kissed me like that before. It’s worth getting beaten up for.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Well, all right. Almost worth it. You’re better for me than any of this stuff,” he said, gesturing at the hospital room. He patted the bed and she sat on the edge.
“I talked to Virginia last night,” said Laura. “I don’t think she had anything to do with what happened to you.”
“I’d rather have another kiss than talk about your aunt.”
Of course he would, but his attitude was frustrating. Laura wanted to explain. She wished he’d at least try to understand her feelings about Virginia.
For years Laura had been trying to convince people that Virginia’s work life had nothing to do with her personal life. A friend had once asked her if she approved of what Virginia did for a living, and she hadn’t been able to answer. She still wouldn’t be able to if she were asked today, but she had always been able to separate the loving aunt from the other. Now it was getting more difficult.
“Well, I think you need to find out who’s responsible,” she said.
“I will, Laura.”
“Did the doctor say when you could go home?”
“If I’m still alive in another week, the doctor will give me my walking papers. Unless I run away with the nurse before that.”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “You’d better not.”
“She’s going to be disappointed.” He winced as he tried to find a more comfortable position.
“Erich, I …” She hesitated, suddenly shy. “Last night when I thought you might die, I realized how much I care about you.” She avoided his eyes and played with the hem of the pillowcase instead. “I’m angry with myself and at you for the way I feel, but I can’t do anything about it.”
“I like the sound of that, except the angry part.”
“How else can you expect me to feel? My son is missing and I have no business getting involved with a man.” She got up and began buttoning her coat.
“Do you have to go already? I like to have you here so I know you’re safe.”
“I am safe. I’m just not sure how safe you are.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
A couple of weeks later, Laura sat outside, holding the Willa Cather novel she was reading, Death Comes for the Archbishop. She glanced up when she heard Erich walking toward her. They’d spent almost every day together since he’d left the hospital and she looked forward to every moment they shared. He was like no man she’d ever met before.
“Oh, there you are.” She stood up, book in hand. “I was starting to worry.”
He smiled and reac
hed for the small cloth satchel she held.
“Are you sure you should be carrying things? What did the doctor say?”
He looked at the bag with its delicate floral print and chuckled. “He said I’ll live to be a hundred, and I can manage this pretty little thing.” He took her hand. “Must be something going on around here, because I had a real problem finding a place to park. I hope you don’t mind a bit of a walk.”
“On such a beautiful day? How could I mind?”
She felt her optimism soar as she walked hand in hand with Erich, enjoying the perfect day. When they found Todd, how would he react to the new man in her life? He’d need his father, obviously, but Phillip hadn’t needed Todd. A new film or a new woman had always been more important to Phillip. Erich could fill that void in her little boy’s life.
Erich chatted happily as he walked beside her, filling her in on what he’d been doing. “I interviewed those two French aviators yesterday and they were as sick as dogs. On Thursday they stood in the rain for hours posing for photographers. If I start sneezing or coughing, send me home.”
“If you say so. What was it like to interview them?”
“It was fine after we got an interpreter. They were so exhausted they fell asleep before it was over. I’m going to finish it on Monday.”
“Phillip and I took several airplane rides last year. I love flying. Have you done it yet?”
“No.”
“Oh, you must. The feeling of freedom is exhilarating. When I find the time, I’m going to take lessons and get my pilot’s license. Phillip didn’t want me to, but now that we’re separated I’m going to do what I want to do.”
On Tenth Street they discovered a dozen evangelists singing praises to God.
“Hallelujah, brother! Hallelujah, sister! Praise the Lord,” one woman called, then stretched out her hand. “A contribution for Jesus?”
Laura reached into her purse and produced a dollar bill. Even after Laura gave her the money, the woman continued to stare at her and Erich.
“I feel like a fool,” Laura said. “I hate that everyone knows what I look like.”
As they crossed the street, hand in hand, a woman walking two poodles bumped into them. The woman was only interested in Laura, so Erich got no help freeing himself from one of the leashes, which had wrapped around his ankles.
“Laura Austin, you poor thing. I pray for that beautiful little boy of yours every night.”
“How kind of you,” she said, wishing she could escape the woman’s attention. Her intention was well meant, but the woman was a complete stranger and Laura craved privacy. Phillip was the famous one.
Not all the streets in Manhattan were sunny. Further ahead they found a man selling apples. She took one and handed him a five dollar bill. Erich took another and gave him a dollar. The man thanked them with tears in his eyes. At the next corner two emaciated children in tattered clothes stood staring at passersby. Laura and Erich handed their apples to the children, and Laura folded several bills into the older child’s hand. The two looked up at them with blank expressions.
Laura looked at Erich. “Something has to be done. I’ve always wanted to take in a couple of foster children, but my selfish husband wouldn’t hear of it. Now I’d like to find a way to do it myself.”
“I’ll tell you this much. If this keeps up, Hoover can kiss the White House goodbye in a couple of years.”
“I think you may be right about that.”
“Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.”
They eventually arrived at Erich’s parked car, then continued uptown in the green Buick. As they approached East 32nd Street, the sounds of construction made conversation difficult. At the corner, Erich stopped for a light and they craned their necks to get a better look at the city’s latest skyscraper, the Empire State Building. The building rose incredibly high, looming over what had been farmland a hundred years before.
“Never seen anything like it,” Erich said. “They say it will be a hundred and two stories high when it’s finished.”
“Look how high it is already. It’s amazing to see how much progress they’ve made since I was here in March. If you think about it, it’s just a pile of glass and steel. I hated it when the Flatiron Building when up, but at least it has some character.”
The light turned green and off they went. Laura looked back at the monstrous buildings and wondered if construction would keep advancing toward Fifth Avenue till these new buildings replaced even the quirky intimacy of her beloved Village.
Seafood restaurants dotted City Island Avenue. Looking at them all filled Laura with nostalgia. “This reminds me of the little town in Maine just north of Bar Harbor where we spent our summers. We had a cottage on a lake.”
“You and Austin?”
“No. Me, my parents and my sister.” She thought of her parents and the summers the family had spent in Maine. They’d gone boating and swimming, and bought lobsters in Blue Hill from an old man named Seth whose eyes were about as blue as Erich’s. She and Elaine never ate lobster because they didn’t like the way they smelled. Phillip had been trying to get her to eat it for years with no luck.
“Has Austin ever been there?”
“Are you kidding? It’s too rustic for him. No servants, you know. My sister and her husband still go every year for a couple of weeks.” She looked away. “I’d planned to take Todd this summer.”
He stopped for a light. “I don’t think I’ve heard you mention your family before.”
“My parents were killed when I was nine. Another car went through a stop sign and hit them head on.”
He glanced quickly at her, then focused on the road ahead. “How sad they never got to see you grow up. I’m sure they would have been proud.”
“Having Todd helped me understand what they felt for me and my sister. They would have been devastated by what’s happened, so in a way I’m glad they aren’t around.” She inhaled deeply then let her breath out. “My sister and I were lucky Virginia took us in and gave us a home.”
“She raised you?”
“Yes, and I’m sure it was difficult at first. She had no children of her own and wasn’t used to having two young girls around.”
“I guess she’s been good to you.”
They stopped at a diner and ate clam rolls, French fries and vanilla ice cream and laughed about how it could be called ‘homemade’ at a diner. After lunch they walked to Simpson’s boatyard on Beach Street and Erich asked her to wait while he went inside to speak to the owner.
She stretched her legs out in the sun, watching a couple of ducks cross the road. When Erich and a balding middle-aged man emerged from a rusted out trailer, Erich pointed to a twenty-five foot cabin cruiser bobbing in the water, all white save for a thin line of azure blue around the hull.
“When can we take it out?” she heard him say.
“Half an hour.”
They wandered the streets for a while, then turned the corner onto a tiny private beach.
“What do you think of this?”
She looked at him, his blue eyes searching hers, and she smiled, feeling more peaceful and tranquil than she had in ages. “It’s wonderful.”
“A few years ago I was looking for a place to fish and stumbled onto it by accident.”
They held hands, walking along the water’s edge until it was time to board the cabin cruiser.
Once they were in open water, Erich dropped anchor while Laura spread a blanket on deck. He lay on his side beside her, looking down at her, and it felt wonderful when he kissed her. She shivered when he pulled the top of her bathing suit down and caressed her breasts, but she felt warm and secure. He was a different kind of lover than Phillip. Her pleasure seemed as important to him as his own.
When the heat and the sun and their desire for each other became unbearable, they went below deck and showered, kissing passionately while water cascaded down their bodies. They took turns drying each other off, though she tried t
o hide her body with the towel at first. He took it from her.
“Don’t. You’re so lovely.”
They collapsed onto the cabin bed and made love with a kind of intensity Laura didn’t think existed. Afterwards they lay naked in each other’s arms, and she traced the outline of his face with her fingertips, noticing the yellow remnants of a bruise under one eye. He picked individual strands of her hair and held them up to the light.
“I love your hair. It’s like holding sunshine.”
Something raced through her chest. “Oh, boy,” she said. She was sure he felt her body stiffen, because he began gently stroking the tense muscles. She took another deep breath. “What am I doing here? Nobody’s ever made me feel the way you do. I wish I could be sure I’m making the right decision.”
“Shh. Stop worrying for once, Laura. I want to make you happy.” He stroked her hair and she closed her eyes. “Just be happy.”
She lay quietly, wishing the day would never end, waiting for the apprehension and worry to return, and finally drifting to sleep. When the sun filled the cabin with a rosy glow, she nudged Erich awake. Dusk was upon them, so he pulled in the anchor and they headed back to shore.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Are you still planning to go ahead with that crazy scheme?” Daniel asked a few days later.
Erich ran his hands over the stubble on his cheeks and smiled, thinking of Laura. She complained his beard scratched and wanted him to shave, but she’d have to put up with it for a while. Unfortunately, he had no intention of telling her the reason why he was growing a beard.
“I’m meeting Bill McCoy in Montauk tomorrow night. If anyone can give me information, he’s the one.”
“Why the hell are you willing to risk your life for this?” Daniel asked. “If they find out you aren’t who you say you are, your life won’t be worth a dime.”
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