First she checked the flight board to see if her sister’s flight was on time. The board claimed it was. With five minutes before the flight arrived, Abby took her time walking to the drinking fountain, then she headed over to the area where she was allowed to wait. Several tables and chairs were scattered around, and Abby sat at an empty table while she waited for Jennifer.
A short while later a number of people walked in her direction, evidently just arriving from a flight. Standing in anticipation of her sister’s arrival, Abby pulled her purse onto her shoulder, then began walking toward the group. Someone bumped into her, but when she turned around, no one was there.
Then someone tapped her shoulder. She turned to see Jennifer standing there, smiling broadly. Jennifer pulled her into a hug, and Abby was surprised yet pleased by Jennifer’s obvious joy in seeing her. Comforted by her sister’s warm embrace, Abby smiled.
“Are you ready to go?” Abby asked, noticing the suitcase Jennifer had set on the floor. “Do you have any other luggage?”
“Actually, yes,” Jennifer said. “I wasn’t sure how long I’d be here so I came prepared for an extended visit.”
Abby hugged her younger sister. “I’m so glad you came.” She drew in a ragged breath. “I’ve been going crazy these last couple of days.”
Jennifer pulled back and smiled affectionately at Abby. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through.”
They moved toward the luggage area with Jennifer pulling her carry-on bag behind her.
“What did Rick say when you told him what was going on?” Abby asked.
Jennifer glanced in her direction, then quickly looked away. “He didn’t say much.” She paused. “Hey, how’s my new little niece or nephew doing?”
Despite the feeling that Jennifer wasn’t being completely truthful, Abby smiled, then gently touched her abdomen. “The baby’s doing great.” A short time later they had the rest of Jennifer’s luggage and they headed toward the car. “I went to the doctor the other day and had an ultrasound.” They talked about the baby and their children until they reached the house, then the subject that had been on both their minds finally found voice as Abby showed her sister into the family room.
“Tell me what you’ve done so far,” Jennifer said after sitting on the couch.
Abby sat across from Jennifer, and in a monotone she recited what had happened with the police. “I don’t have much hope they’ll help me out. They don’t seem at all concerned.”
“Do you want me to call them?”
“If you want to. But I doubt it would do any good.”
“Do you have the number?”
“I’ll have to go upstairs to get it. It’s in my room by the phone.”
“I’ll get it,” Jennifer offered.
Abby nodded, then smiled, glad her sister was there.
Tess Michaels opened her front door, curious at who was knocking so loudly.
“Are you Tess Michaels?”
“Yes. Can I help you?” The man didn’t look like the usual door-to-door salesmen that came around her neighborhood.
He showed her a badge. “FBI, ma’am. I’m Agent Webster and we’d like to ask you a favor.”
“Okay.” Tess wondered what kind of favor she could possibly offer the FBI.
“We understand you work part-time at Central Valley Construction, the same place your neighbor up the street, a Mr. Eric Breuner, works. Is that correct?” At Tess’s nod, he continued. “When you’re home, we’d like you to keep an eye on the Breuners’ house. We’d also like you to talk with his wife—see if you can find out some information for us on anything unusual that’s been happening at their house.”
Shocked at the request, Tess simply stared at the man.
He handed her a card. “I’d like you to email me anytime you see Mrs. Breuner leave her home or if you see her husband.”
“If I see her husband? I don’t understand. Why don’t you just go over there and talk to him yourself?”
“Mr. Breuner hasn’t been available and we’d like to speak with him if he comes home.”
Tess wondered where Eric had been and why the FBI wanted to speak with him. She glanced at the card before looking at Agent Webster. “I’ll do what I can.”
He smiled. “We appreciate it.”
Abby wondered what was taking Jennifer so long to get the phone number—it was right on the table. About to get up and find out, she stopped when she saw Jennifer coming down the stairs. Jennifer looked upset, and Abby almost asked her about it, but then Jennifer smiled encouragingly and picked up the phone. Jennifer’s confidence gave Abby some hope and she waited on the couch as Jennifer made the call to the police, but her hope was short-lived. She could tell there was no news before Jennifer had hung up.
“I’m sorry. They don’t have any new information,” Jennifer said. “But apparently it’s not unusual for people to take off and not tell their families where they’re going.” Jennifer looked thoughtful for a moment. “Abby?”
“What?”
Jennifer was silent, apparently considering how to ask her question.
Abby feared what her sister’s question was going to be. Could Eric be using drugs again? Could he have left her? “Look, Jennifer. I’m going to be late for work if I don’t get going.” Abby stood and picked up her purse. “Can this conversation wait until later?”
Jennifer’s eyebrows briefly drew together. “Do you think you should be going to work at a time like this?”
Worry and annoyance pulled at Abby’s patience. “At a time like what? When I can’t depend on my husband to provide an income, or when I might get fired if I miss any more work?”
Defensiveness clouded Jennifer’s face. “I came here to help you. If you would prefer that I not be here, let me know.”
Abby set her purse on the counter and walked over to her sister. “I’m sorry. I do want you here. Really, I do.” She put her arms around Jennifer’s rigid body, trying to convey a feeling of appreciation she hoped was genuine.
Jennifer finally placed her arms around Abby as well. “I know you have a lot on your plate. I’ll try to be more understanding.”
Abby pulled back. “Are you sure you’ll be all right here while I’m gone? It should only be four hours.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Jennifer glanced toward the messy kitchen. “I’m sure I’ll find some way to be of use.”
Abby’s gaze followed her sister’s, guilt immediately surfacing. “I didn’t ask you to come here to be my maid, you know.”
“I know that, but I want to help you. And if it helps for me to clean up so you can concentrate on more important things, then that’s what I’ll do.”
“Is this what it’s like to have a wife?” Abby asked, a grin on her face as the tension dissipated.
Jennifer laughed. “I guess it is. Unless she’s fortunate enough to have a husband who actually shares the load. That’s one thing I love about Rick. He still helps with the dishes at least.”
Abby’s laughter died in her throat. Her sister’s tone was unreadable, but the words themselves caught her attention. Eric scarcely ever helped around the house. “Well, I’d better run. I don’t want to keep my wonderful supervisor waiting.” She wondered if she’d ever have the ease of Jennifer’s life, or if Eric would become a husband as dependable as her sister’s.
Chapter Ten
Eric closed the gas cap and climbed into the rental car. As he drove back to the motel, he thought about how he had followed Abby to the airport that morning. She must be really stressed or she wouldn’t have called her sister to come up. He only hoped she would find the note he’d dropped in her purse when he’d bumped into her at the airport.
Being near her without being able to touch her had been agony. Desperate to let her know he was okay and that he hadn’t betrayed her, he hoped she would have faith in him.
Like you’ve given her any reason to have faith in you. You should have left well enough alone.
But
he knew that wasn’t possible. It wasn’t in his nature. And now all the mistakes he’d made were coming back to haunt him.
“I found the Jeep.”
“That’s great,” the second man said, the phone pressed to his ear. “I know exactly how we can use it.”
“Just one problem, though. I don’t have a key.”
The second man smiled. “Fortunately for you, I do have a key. I found a spare set when I made my little visit.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Keep it hidden for now. I’ll let you know what I want done with it when the time is right.”
When Abby got home from work she was thrilled to find an immaculate house waiting for her and chocolate-chip cookies baking in the oven. After tossing her purse on the kitchen counter, she searched for her sister and found her in the laundry room ironing the shirts that had been sitting in a pile for over three weeks. “Thank you, Jennifer. You’re a miracle worker.”
Jennifer smiled. “You know, if you’d hang up these shirts as soon as they came out of the dryer, they wouldn’t be nearly so wrinkled.”
Abby’s gratitude dimmed at the suggestion. It was like her mother had come to visit right along with her sister. Not wanting the comment to mar her appreciation for all her sister was doing, Abby ignored the remark. “Those cookies smell delicious. Chocolate chip are my favorite.”
“Mine too.” Jennifer hung up the last shirt and turned off the iron. “I think the batch in the oven should be about ready.”
While Abby and Jennifer were dipping the hot, gooey cookies into tall glasses of milk, Tiffany and Susannah walked through the front door.
“Mom, where are you?” Susannah shouted.
“In the kitchen, honey.” Abby wiped her mouth with a napkin.
The girls walked into the room and stopped, staring at their mother and aunt. Susannah began giggling. “You guys look funny.”
“What’s so funny about two grown women having cookies and milk?” Jennifer asked, a big smile on her face.
“Hi, Aunt Jennifer,” Tiffany said, not moving from where she had stopped. “Mom,” Tiffany said, turning toward Abby, “may I have some cookies?”
“Don’t you want to give your aunt a hug?” Abby asked, embarrassed by her daughter’s rudeness.
“It’s okay,” Jennifer quickly said. “They don’t know me very well.”
“I will,” Susannah said, a happy expression on her face. She ran over to Jennifer and threw her arms around her
“Oh, Susannah,” Jennifer said, drawing her close. “You make me miss my Emily.”
“When can I play with her?” Susannah asked, pulling back from Jennifer.
“I wasn’t able to bring her with me this time, but I hope you girls can get together soon.”
Abby watched the disappointment spread over Susannah’s face. “I’ll tell you what,” she said, “After you have your snack, we can go over to the park and play for a while. How does that sound?”
“Does that mean I don’t have to do my homework right away?” Tiffany asked.
Abby couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. You can do it when we get back.”
A short time later the four of them walked to the neighborhood park. The weather was perfect and it felt great to get out of the house. There were many people lying on the grass, pushing children on swings, or visiting with neighbors. While Jennifer and Abby spread a blanket on the grass, the girls ran over to the play area to join their friends.
Observing those around her behind the dark mirror of her sunglasses, Abby noticed there were few men there, but watching the ones there with their children made Abby miss Eric more keenly. She knew she would have to eventually tell the girls why they hadn’t spoken to their father—it wasn’t right to leave them thinking he was out of town.
Abby turned toward Jennifer, who was watching her nieces on the swings. “What should I tell them, Jennifer?”
Jennifer continued to stare at Tiffany and Susannah. “Do you think they have any idea Eric’s missing?” She turned her head in Abby’s direction.
Abby shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, tonight will be the third night he’s been gone, and they haven’t spoken to him. They’re probably starting to suspect something isn’t quite right.”
Jennifer nodded. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they must be wondering.”
Abby let out a heavy sigh, resigned to telling them something, although she didn’t want to scare them.
“Hey there, Abby.”
She looked up, startled to see her neighbor—and Eric’s co-worker—Tess Michaels. After introducing her sister, Abby invited Tess to join them, although she didn’t really feel like company—especially company that might ask after her husband’s whereabouts.
“So Jennifer, what brings you up to our neck of the woods?” Tess asked as she sat on the blanket.
Jennifer glanced at Abby, then answered with a broad smile. “I’m just visiting my sister.”
Tess nodded, then turned toward Abby. “I haven’t seen Eric around lately. Where’s he been?” Her voice always had a hint of coyness to it, as if she were waiting for an unsuspecting male to come around the corner.
You get right down to business. Frustrated that her worst fears had been realized in the blink of an eye—Tess’s heavily made-up eye—she held back a frown. “He’s on a trip for work.” Maybe I should get that excuse printed on a T-shirt so I won’t have to keep lying.
“Oh. I hadn’t heard he was scheduled for a trip. Where’d he go?” Tess asked.
All of her sarcasm aside, Abby actually felt quite uncomfortable lying, but she wasn’t about to tell Tess that Eric was missing. She must have hesitated too long, because Tess gave her a strange look.
“You do know where he is, don’t you, Abby?”
Jennifer jumped into the conversation. “Of course she knows where he is. She’s just not feeling well today.”
Both pairs of eyes turned her way and Abby was glad she had worn the sunglasses. “He went back East.” She hoped that would satisfy Tess’s curiosity.
“Whereabouts?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Abby noticed Jennifer fidgeting and wondered what her sister was thinking. She decided it would be best to give Tess an answer of some kind to get her off this particular line of questioning. “He’s in New York.” Her tone was clipped, but she really wanted to end the conversation.
Tess nodded and stood. “Well, I’ve got to get home. Nice meeting you, Jennifer.” She looked directly at Abby. “When you talk to Eric tell him I said hi.”
Abby and Jennifer watched her walk away, her narrow hips swinging from side to side.
“I don’t like that woman,” Jennifer said.
“She’s okay. I don’t think she has many friends, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“She’s kind of a flirt. And it doesn’t seem to matter if the man is single or not.”
“Oh. Well, I guess I can see why women don’t want to be friendly with her.”
Abby nodded. “I should probably try to be nicer to her.” She watched her girls swing higher and higher and allowed herself to feel a brief moment of joy before laying down on the blanket. A while later they folded up the blanket and headed home.
“Okay, girls. Time for homework,” Abby announced once they’d gotten a drink of water and settled down.
Susannah got right to work, but Tiffany was less than enthusiastic.
“Abby, why don’t you go lie down for a while. I’ll help them with their homework,” Jennifer said.
“Are you sure?” she asked, greatly relieved to have the break.
Jennifer smiled. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Abby went to her room and lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as she thought about Eric and past events in their marriage. Most of her memories were good ones, but the few times she and Eric had had difficulties, the challenges they’d endured had been severe. There were the infertility problems of course, and all the accompanying
debt, but that was something they’d faced together.
Then there was that other time, when Eric had gone on a two-day fishing trip.
“It’s awfully quiet,” Abby murmured suddenly, sitting up on the bed. A moment later she went down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen, she found Tiffany and Susannah occupied with homework, Jennifer hovering over their shoulders.
Jennifer turned at Abby’s approach, motioning for her to go into the living room where they could talk.
“How are you feeling?” Jennifer asked.
“Better, I guess.” Abby pushed aside her uncertainties. “Thank you for helping the girls with their homework.”
“It was a pleasure. My kids never get right to work like that. I almost dread telling them to do their homework.”
Abby was surprised. She had assumed Jennifer’s children were perfect students, with a mother so on top of things.
Jennifer was silent for a moment, apparently thinking about something else, then she looked carefully at Abby. “There’s something I think you should see. I didn’t tell you before because you were having such a hard time, and I was hoping Eric would call and straighten everything out . . .”
Abby’s radar immediately kicked on, fear coursing through her at what she knew could only be bad news. “What is it?”
“Well, I feel bad about the way I discovered it. I . . . I looked through drawers when I went to get that phone number from your room. I was trying to help . . . you seemed so listless . . .”
“Okay. What is it? You’re scaring me.” Abby no longer cared how Jennifer found whatever it was.
“Follow me.”
She watched as Jennifer walked toward the stairs, stopping at the bottom to make sure Abby was following her. They walked up the stairs together and into the master bedroom.
“What’s going on?” Abby asked, apprehension hitting her in quick bursts.
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