I knocked on the door and heard footsteps approaching. A short man with a remarkably round head opened the door. “May I help you?”
“I’m Sophie Winston. I’ve been working for Tilly and met Schuyler at Tilly’s house. I just wanted to drop this off for your breakfast and to let you know how very sorry I am for your loss.”
“Oh. That’s very kind of you. Won’t you come in?”
I stepped into a grand foyer. Mia had kept it somewhat simple, with beige walls and a table for flowers in front of a mirror. An arched opening led to an impressive staircase.
He led me into a formal living room. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the fireplace had an elegant marble surround. The furniture was prim, the kind that forces you to sit up straight and mind your manners.
“Pierce Hendrickson,” he said, holding out his hand. “I believe Schuyler has mentioned you. She’s out on a date.”
“A date?”
He gestured to me to sit down.
I placed the coffee cake on a table.
“Do you think she’s too young?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” I said. “They grow up so fast these days.”
“Tilly seemed to think it was okay. It’s a group thing, I think.”
He seemed lost, as if he had landed on a planet he knew nothing about. “Mia took care of those details. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t love Schuyler more if she were my own, but I don’t know anything about teenagers.” He forced a wan smile. “They really should come with instructions.”
A chill came over me. “Schuyler isn’t your daughter?”
“Oh, she is. I adopted her a long time ago. She’s not my biological daughter. She’s Mia’s child by a previous husband. Schuyler was five when I married Mia. She was such an adorable child! And now”—he took a deep breath—“I guess it’s just the two of us.”
“I’m so sorry. I still can’t believe Mia is gone.”
“Me either.” He looked away. “It’s, uh, life-changing. I’ve been wandering through my days in a haze, unable to comprehend why anyone would be so brutal. Every night I lie in bed wondering why Mia went to that woman’s house. I was at the hospital delivering a baby.” He looked at his hands. “One life was snuffed out and another one began that night.”
Pierce looked at me. “I never realized how much Mia did around here. I was so focused on my job that I find myself at a complete loss. Everyone has been so kind.” He paused briefly as though he was trying to hold himself together. “I actually had to look for the coffee. Mia always had it ready and waiting for me. She took such good care of Schuyler and me.”
Tears ran over his cheeks. “I’m sorry.” He sniffled.
“Don’t be silly. It’s quite understandable. Grief takes time.”
“I’m not the handsomest guy in the world. When I met Mia, I couldn’t believe she was interested in me. How did I land a beauty like her? She could have had any man she wanted. That auburn hair of hers cascaded around her shoulders and gleamed like it had been touched by gold. She turned heads everywhere we went. And I knew people were always wondering, what does she see in that guy? I felt like the luckiest man on the planet.”
I ached for him. Had no one let him talk? Had his colleagues and friends been too busy telling him how they felt? I let him ramble in the hope that it was cleansing for him.
“I just don’t understand why she was taken from me.” He winced and mashed his eyes shut. “When I think what that person did to her. She must have been so scared. And then, the freezer. What kind of demented person does that?”
He tried to smile but his lips quivered. “I’m sorry. You’re the first person who hasn’t run off or told me what to do. Death is an awful thing. None of us know how to handle it. I can only hope that the police find the monster who killed my angel.”
“I know Wolf personally. You couldn’t ask for a better investigator.”
“He stopped by here, too. He wanted to know where I was on Friday night. I never would have hurt a hair on Mia’s head. She and Schuyler are everything to me. I can only hope that I don’t mess up Schuyler’s teen years.”
As I listened to Pierce ramble, I couldn’t help drawing a distinction between him and Natasha’s father, who abandoned both of his daughters. Pierce was a shambles at the moment, but I could see his kind heart and his desire to do the best for Schuyler.
“Can I offer you some tea?” he asked. Before I could answer, he giggled halfheartedly. “I don’t even know if we have any tea. I do know that we have wine.”
“Thank you, but I should get going.” I found a pen and paper in my purse and wrote down my name and phone number. “If you should need anything, I hope you’ll give me a call. Even if you only need to talk with someone.”
He glanced at my name. “Thank you, Sophie. I might just take you up on that.”
In spite of the chill in the air when I left his house, I walked back over to Abby’s house. It was dark and silent. I opened the gate to the passageway along the side of the house and ventured to the back patio. In the quiet night, I tried to imagine what had gone on there. Mia hadn’t escaped the killer’s wrath, but Charlene, beaten as she was, had somehow found the strength to get away. Had she dragged herself through the passageway? The gate to the alley was much closer. I walked over to it and gazed at the latch. Lying on the ground, I pretended I couldn’t use my legs and reached for the latch. I was able to hit it with my fingers. The gate opened. I scrambled to my feet and stood in the alley. Which way?
If Charlene knew where Natasha lived, then she might have headed in that direction. But she probably needed to hide from the killer. She must have been terrified that he would find her.
Eunice’s house would have been the closest. I repeated the action of lying on the ground to see if I could open the gate latch. No problem. The gate swung inward.
If I had to hide, I would have tried to get inside Eunice’s garage. It would have been hard for Charlene, but I thought she could probably have opened the door.
I gazed around Eunice’s patio for any other possible hiding places. Except for the deck storage box, there really wasn’t anyplace. I walked over to it and tried the latch. It opened easily.
Chapter 31
Dear Natasha,
I live in a small townhouse with a lovely little patio. But I have nowhere to store my patio furniture over the winter. I can bring the umbrella in, but there’s no room for all the fluffy cushions. Where do you keep yours?
No Room in Mosquitoville, Vermont
Dear No Room,
Deck storage boxes are the answer. The better ones are waterproof. They’ve improved over the years and no longer look like eyesores. Some can even double as extra seating or as tables.
Natasha
In the darkness, I couldn’t see what was inside the box, but it was so heavy that I couldn’t push it. A vile smell wafted out, faint but revolting. I pulled my phone out of my purse and turned on the flashlight. At first glance, it looked like sand. Sort of a dirty white powder.
Could Eunice or a friend have dumped sand in her deck storage box? Perhaps to keep it stable? So it wouldn’t move around when a strong wind came through?