The Wife Stalker

by Liv Constantine

  “Well, for one thing, you can talk to your lawyer about making some overtures to Leo’s lawyer. Or maybe petitioning the court to allow you visitation, even if those visits have to be monitored. Wouldn’t that be better than not seeing them at all?”

  “I have talked to her, and she’s tried. So far, we’re getting nowhere.”

  Celeste gave me an encouraging smile. “There’s always a chance. You can’t give up. And if it would help, I’d be glad to speak with your attorney.”

  “Maybe I could see them at Christmas. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” I said, trying to change the subject. “But too much could happen between now and then. Will they even be alive in three months? Piper has them all fooled. Today, her center’s blog post was about gratitude.”

  “Joanna . . .”

  I put a hand up. “I know, I know. But I can’t help it.”

  “Fixating on Piper and these implausible fears is only hurting you.” She looked at me with resignation. “How did reading it make you feel?”

  I bit my lip. “Furious! She’s making herself sound like a good person, and she’s not! And she’s got no right to lecture about gratitude to others when everything in her life is stolen. I felt like putting that in the comments.”

  “I’m glad to hear that you didn’t. What can you do with that anger instead? Is there a way to channel it into something positive?”

  “How would you channel your anger and terror if someone was a threat to your husband and children and then wrote upbeat blogs about life?”

  She looked at me with pity. “The best thing you can do is to talk to your lawyer and take the steps necessary to make some changes that are within your power. I’m here for you.”

  When I got home, there was a large brown envelope sticking out of the mailbox. I pulled it out, and my heart raced when I looked at the California postmark. I opened it, pulling out a handwritten note along with a marriage certificate. The note was from Ava:

  Dear Joanna,

  I was able to rush a copy of Matthew and Pamela’s marriage certificate. You were right. She was married before. I feel like such a fool for not knowing this sooner. Good luck with your investigation. Let me know what you find.

  Best, Ava

  God bless her! I put the note down and picked up the certificate. Reading it, I stopped short:

  Matthew Dunn, Divorced, and Pamela Rayfield Sherwood, Widowed.

  Widowed? Another dead husband? What the hell?

  I ran to my bedroom, document in hand, and opened my laptop, typing “Pamela Sherwood” into the search bar. After skimming through the first few entries, I saw a link to an obituary that mentioned a Pamela Sherwood. All of my senses were on high alert as I clicked on it.

  Ethan Sherwood of Los Angeles, California, age 21, passed away Wednesday, July 12, 2006, from injuries sustained in a fall during a hiking accident. Sherwood was born on December 19, 1985, in Annapolis, MD. He was a graduate of the Key School and was planning a career in the arts. He is survived by his wife, Pamela Sherwood of Los Angeles, CA; his parents, Donald and Patricia Sherwood of Annapolis, MD; and a brother, Ted Sherwood of Chicago, IL. Funeral services are private.

  My mind was racing. It was her. She’d buried not one but two husbands? Married twice before and both husbands had died? My foot was tapping nervously under the table as I thought about my next move. Annapolis, Maryland. Pamela’s hometown, too. It looked like I’d be taking another trip soon.

  I next typed “Ethan Sherwood” into the search bar, but there was nothing else on him. Had he been alone on that hike, or had Piper been with him? I went back to the obituary, to the names of Ethan’s parents, Donald and Patricia Sherwood. It was easy to find an address and phone number for them in Maryland. I sat and looked at that number for at least a half hour. What would I say to them? Their son had died fourteen years ago. How would I feel if a stranger called me out of the blue with questions about my dead child?

  37

  Piper

  Piper had left the office early and looked once more through the items she had laid out. Navy slacks, a long-sleeved white T-shirt, wool blazer, and her black Agent Provocateur kimono, which Leo hadn’t seen yet. She’d bought it especially for this weekend trip to Rhode Island, their first real getaway. They’d finally have some time alone together without the children.

  Her plan was to pick Leo up from the office at six and drive the two hours to Newport. They’d check in and have a romantic dinner around eight thirty. The whole night would be theirs, and then they’d have all day and night Saturday, too. Since the October temperatures were still moderate, she’d booked them a cruise around Newport Harbor. Maybe they’d do the touristy thing and go to the Cliff Walk, see a mansion or two, then take their time getting home Sunday morning. She couldn’t wait.

  After zipping up her weekend bag, she carried it downstairs and into the kitchen, placing it by the door to the garage. Piper heard a door slam and then the high-pitched voices of the children.

  “How was school today?” Piper asked, sitting down at the round table with them.

  “We got to go to the media center and pick any books we liked. I brought home The Hidden Staircase and Black Beauty.” Evie’s eyes were filled with excitement, her smile wide.

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “Can we read together tonight?” Evie asked.

  Piper hesitated. “Well . . . your father and I are going away for a few days. Remember?” She saw Evie’s face fall and hurried on. “But we’ll be back on Sunday. We can read them together as soon as we get back.”

  Stelli glared at her. “I have a sore throat. I want Daddy to look at it.” He scowled. “And my stomach hurts, too.”

  Great, thought Piper, rising from her seat and going over to Stelli. “Open your mouth,” she said, leaning toward him.

  He opened it obediently and stuck out his tongue. His throat didn’t look red or inflamed, and he seemed to have no trouble swallowing the cookie. “When did it start to hurt?” she asked.

  “Just now,” he said, then cocked his head. “I think it was hurting this morning, too.”

  “Did you tell the nurse at school?” Piper asked.

  “It stopped hurting at school.”

  “When did your stomach start bothering you?”

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  This was ridiculous. Piper stood up straight. “I guess you’d better go to bed then. You should rest if you’re getting sick. We’ll take your temperature. Go on upstairs, and I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Okay,” he mumbled as he shuffled toward the stairs.

  After he left, Piper walked down the hallway to Rebecca’s suite and knocked on her door. She had just gone off duty for the rest of the day, but Piper wanted to get something off her chest.

  Rebecca opened it right away. “Do you need me?”

  “I just wanted a quick word.”

  “Yes?”

  “The kids are having too much sugar. It’s not good for them. Stelli’s complaining of a stomachache. Starting next week, I’m going to take over making their lunches and preparing their afternoon snack.”

  “Oh, okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”

  Piper put a hand up. “I know. It’s just, sugar lowers the immune system, and that’s the last thing they need. I’ll give you some recipes and options for healthier breakfasts as well.”

  She walked away before Rebecca could respond.

  Piper and Leo strolled hand in hand back to their suite after their candlelit dinner. The night was cool and clear, with thousands of stars glittering in the dark sky. She leaned her head against Leo’s shoulder as they stopped so he could unlock the door. Soft light from a bedside lamp bathed the room in a golden glow; the bed had been turned down for the night. She put her arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him. “This is perfect.” She dropped her arms. “I’m going to take a bath. Why don’t you join me?”

  He grinned at her. “I will. I’m just going to call home an
d make sure everything’s okay. I’ll be right in.”

  Piper sighed, went into the bathroom, and sat on the edge of the tub as it filled, feeling guilty for being annoyed. Of course he would want to call home—any parent would—but Stelli was a smart kid and knew exactly how to manipulate his father. She’d done the right thing to show him he couldn’t get away with that kind of thing with her. Maybe this would set a precedent and he’d stop trying to control Leo with invented ailments.

  She undressed and got into the water, lying back and closing her eyes. She hadn’t been this relaxed in she didn’t know how long. She felt like she might fall asleep when suddenly there was movement and a splash and Leo slid into the tub behind her. He began to kiss the back of her neck.

  “Everything all right at the house?” she asked.

  “The kids were asleep. All is well.” He continued his caresses, nibbling at her ear. Every nerve ending was tingling, and she leaned back against him, savoring the feel of his body against hers. Much later, after they’d made love, she fell into a contented sleep, nestled in the crook of his arm.

  They were awakened early Saturday morning by the ringing of Leo’s cell phone. “Rebecca, hi. Is everything okay?”

  Piper leaned up on one elbow, now wide awake. She watched his eyebrows knit together in a frown, a knot forming in her stomach.

  “No, no. You did the right thing. So they filled the prescription for you, right?”

  She watched him as he listened carefully, her alarm growing by the minute. When he hung up, Piper looked at him expectantly.

  “Stelli threw up in the middle of the night and woke up with a sore throat. Rebecca called the pediatrician this morning and took him in. They did a rapid strep test, and it was positive. He’s had this before.”

  She sat up in bed. “What’s the treatment for it?”

  “He’ll be on an antibiotic for the next ten days. It’s highly contagious, so we need to be careful, especially with Evie.”

  “But he’ll be fine, right?” she asked.

  Leo put his hand over hers. “You’re concerned about him. That makes me glad. And yes, he should be fine.” He rose from the bed. “We should pack up. Stelli’s asking for us.”

  Leo was being kind. Piper knew Stelli wasn’t asking for “us.” He wanted his father, which was completely natural . . . even though she was hugely disappointed that their romantic getaway was disintegrating before her eyes. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she should say anything, then decided to plunge ahead before he heard it from Stelli. “Stelli complained of a sore throat when he got home from school yesterday. I thought he was making it up.”

  “What?” Leo’s voice was sharp.

  “He was fine and totally perky when he came in, but as soon as I reminded the children that we were going away, he said that his throat was sore and his stomach hurt. I asked him if it had hurt him when he woke up that morning, and he said he thought so, but he never complained at school. He said it didn’t hurt at school. I looked at his throat, and it wasn’t red or inflamed. When I took his temperature, it was practically normal. I thought he was just saying that to keep us from going away.”

  “What do you mean ‘practically normal’?”

  “It was ninety-nine point two.”

  “Ninety-eight point six is normal. Practically normal doesn’t cut it. I can’t believe you. You put my child’s health at risk because you decided he was lying?” Leo’s face was red, and a vein in his neck was throbbing.

  She understood he was upset, but she had thought Stelli was making it up. And Leo was overreacting by saying she’d put his son “at risk.” Strep throat was totally treatable. He’d be fine in a few days. Nevertheless, she needed to calm Leo down. “I’m sorry. I would never do something to hurt Stelli. You must know that.”

  “I don’t know what to think. You ignored my son’s symptoms and what he was telling you. It astounds me that you could have even thought about leaving the house knowing he might be sick, let alone that you wouldn’t tell me before we left.” He shook his head and looked disgusted.

  Piper didn’t know what to say, so she just sat there.

  Finally, he spoke again. “Let’s get packed. I’ll check out and meet you at the car.” Leo’s voice was cold as he hurriedly dressed, threw things into his bag, and left the suite.

  As soon as they arrived home, Leo ran upstairs to check on Stelli. Piper didn’t know what she should do—give them space or go in as well. She decided she’d wait a bit and headed to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee to find Rebecca was preparing lunch—grilled cheese sandwiches. She looked up as Piper walked in.

  “Welcome back.”

  “Hi, Rebecca. So sorry for not mentioning Stelli’s sore throat to you. I had no idea this was a recurring issue for him.”

  “Yes, well, in the future, if there’s something going on with one of the children, I’d appreciate your letting me know, especially if you’re going away.”

  Even though she may have deserved the chastisement, Piper felt her back go up. But now was not the time to make things worse. “Yes, of course, it won’t happen again. How’s he feeling?”

  “A little better since starting the antibiotics. He’s a real trouper. To be fair, he probably seemed okay to you yesterday, but it takes a lot before he complains. His mother used to call him her little soldier.”

  Piper already felt inadequate; she didn’t need to hear about his sainted mother. But she wanted Rebecca on her side, so she pretended it didn’t bother her. “I know he misses her a lot.”

  “They both do. But it’s especially hard on Stelli. He’s struggled with some anxiety . . . I don’t want to speak out of turn, but it’s one of the reasons his mom stopped working—so she could be with him. He got very used to having her around.”

  Whose fault was it that she was gone? Piper wanted to ask. If she loved her children so much, she wouldn’t have left them. But of course, she just gave Rebecca a sad smile. “I’m sure he did. I think I’ll go check on him now.”

  “Piper . . .”

  She stopped and turned back to face Rebecca. “Yes?”

  “I know it’s not easy if you’re not used to raising children, especially stepchildren. But you’re doing a good job.”

  Piper smiled at Rebecca, though the term stepchildren rubbed at her, bringing an image of Mia to her mind. “Thank you for saying so. I appreciate it.” When she got upstairs and peeked into Stelli’s room, he was sleeping, and Leo was sitting by the bed watching him.

  “How is he?” she whispered.

  Leo stood and tiptoed out of the room into the hallway. “He’s better. Fever’s gone.”

  She put a hand on his arm. “Leo, I feel just awful. Please forgive me. This parenting stuff is new to me.” She nestled closer to Leo, pressing herself against him.

  “It’s all right, my love. I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”

  She tilted her head up and kissed him slowly. “How about we go take a little nap together before dinner?” She put her hand on his fly, pleased to feel him respond.

  “That sounds like the perfect idea,” he whispered, his voice thick with desire.

  After dinner, she and Leo went upstairs to check on Stelli again, Piper carrying a cup of tea with honey. Leo was about to read him a story, but she asked if she could instead. He’d looked at Leo, who nodded, and Stelli unenthusiastically agreed. Leo leaned down to kiss Stelli on the head.

  “Good night, my boy. Love you to the moon and back.”

  Stelli grinned up at his father. “Love you more than all the stars.”

  Leo withdrew from the room, and Piper took a seat on the edge of the bed and held the tea out for Stelli. “This will help ease your sore throat.”

  He took a few sips then made a face.

  “Thanks for letting me read you a story. Which one would you like, Stelli?”

  He held her gaze a moment, and she had to admit that he was a beautiful child. His normal rambunctiousness had been dampened by t
he illness, and she realized that this was the first time she’d really had the chance to sit quietly with him.

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  “How about this one?” she said, sliding The Giving Tree from the bookcase next to the bed.

  He shook his head. “It’s too sad. That one makes me cry.”

  She smiled at him. “Aww. You’re right. It is sad.”

  He pointed. “That one.”

  “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?”

  He nodded. “Mommy was reading it to me.”

  She felt her face flush with annoyance, but she kept her expression impassive. “Sure, honey.” She picked up the leather book and flipped to where the bookmark was. “Looks like you left off when Edmund went missing.”

  Stelli nodded again. “He didn’t listen. The Witch got him.”

  For a minute, Piper wondered if Stelli was trying to tell her something, comparing her to the White Witch, but no, she was being ridiculous. It was just a coincidence.

  38

  Joanna

  One dead husband could be an accident, but two? After reading Ethan Sherwood’s obituary, I had called his parents. Their house sitter informed me that they were visiting their son in Chicago but were scheduled to return the day before Halloween, and I promised to try them again then.

  I’d tried reaching Leo, too, but his new legal secretary wouldn’t put me through. I wondered if Missy had been let go because she was too sympathetic to me. I tried to find a home number for Missy, but she was unlisted. I still hadn’t been able to get Leo’s new cell phone number. I even showed up at his office once, but he had instructed security to escort me from the building. So I thought about the only other person I might be able to get on my side—Rebecca. I knew that Piper had probably done her best to turn Rebecca against me, but if there was a chance she’d seen through Piper, too, I had to try. Maybe together, somehow, we could stop her.