Page 34 of Happy Wife

Before I can tell her to be nice, my phone rings from the corner of the kitchen. The sudden sound startles me, causing me to give an involuntary jump in response.

Maybe it’s Will.

Propelled by anxiety, I nearly lunge across the room to reach the phone, ignoring the concerned expressions on Este’s and Autumn’s faces. But it isn’t Will.

It’s Marcus.

Autumn and Este exchange questioning glances, and Este mouths, “Who is it?”

I raise a finger to signal “just a second” and slip out the back door onto the pool deck.

“Hello?” I whisper. Aware that Este and Autumn can probably see and hear me, I keep my back to the windows from the kitchen and walk toward the side hedge. I don’t want to explain to either one of them why Marcus is calling me. Este knows we’re friends. At least, I assume she knows. But the kinds of friends who call each other? She might think she’s the connective tissue betweenus. I can’t handle her questions about him. It’s not a can of worms I want to open.

“Hey. People are talking about Will up at the restaurant.” His worry is palpable—earnest and a little frantic. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

And I think, begrudgingly, that Fritz might have had it right the first time when he questioned the benefit of filing a report. Autumn and Marcus are just the beginning of a string of people who’ll be worried about Will now. At least more people will be looking for him, too, I suppose.

How am I rationalizing the pros and cons of this nightmare?

“Saturday night after the party…I don’t know. He said he was going down to the dock for Mia’s sweatshirt,” I begin, struggling to explain a situation I don’t even understand. “It’s been two days. He’s not answering his phone. He missed a meeting with Fritz. Everyone’s freaking out.”

“Jesus.”

“I know,” I admit.

My helplessness comes into focus and neither of us says anything for what feels like a long time. I’m about to tell Marcus goodbye when I glimpse a flash of gray from the corner of my eye. Looking toward the street, I see the gray sedan roll by. It’s the same one that’s been driving through the neighborhood since Will disappeared. I freeze.

“Are you still there?”

“What? Yeah. Sorry. I just…Yeah.”

Marcus finally offers a hollow “Is there anything I can do?” And I think we both know there’s nothing he can do.

“Nora!” Este calls from an open living room door. “Mia’s here.”

Even from the other side of the lawn, I can see a stricken look on her face.

“Marcus, I’ve gotta go.” I hang up and quickly close the distance between Este and me. “What’s wrong?”

I look past her to the living room, where the TV’s still on and Autumn is fluffing pillows. As if a cleaner home will be the baited trap to finally lure Will back.

“Where’s Mia?” I look back at Este.

“Her bedroom.” Her voice is tight. “She said she left her AirPods here.”

“Okay. What’s with the face?”

“I thought you said she called Will that night?”

“I did.”

“I thought you said it was because she left her Taylor Swift hoodie on the boat.”

“Idid.Este, why do I feel like I’m on the defensive? That’s what happened.”

As if on cue, Mia appears in the living room, AirPods in hand, wearing the exact hoodie Will said he had gone to retrieve.

“What the fuck?” I spit out.