The other mansions also had well-maintained lawns and tall trees, which made her jog around the circle drive even more pleasant. It wasn't unusual for the guards at the gate to admire her figure as she jogged past, but she kept the communication with them to a slight wave or a nod. On this night, however, she had a package to mail, and to do that, she needed to go outside the gate. She wore a pulled down baseball cap to hide her eyes, headed straight for it, jogged in place until the gate opened, waved and went out.
Half a mile down the street, she entered a twenty-four hour mail center, paid the postage, watched as the package was tossed in a large tub, and then Teresa jogged back toward the house.
*
With Teresa gone, there was no one to answer the door, so Laura dragged herself up off the sofa, and nearly spilled her drink doing it. She struggled to set it on an end table that looked a little blurry, and then slowly walked to the door just as the bell rang again.
"Austin?"
"Hello, Laura. Did your maid quit?"
"Not yet, she's off jogging or something."
"May I come in?"
She stood aside, motioned for him to enter, and then closed the door behind him. "How handsome you look…but then, you always do."
"Is Mathew home?"
"You know he isn't," she answered. "You know where he is far more often than I do." She forgot about the drink on her end table, and went to the liquor cabinet to get a fresh one. There was no point offering Austin a drink, he never accepted. "Where is he, by the way?"
"Florida, according to the credit card."
"Florida, how quaint." She pulled the stopper out of the decanter and reached for a clean glass. "Is it that time again?"
"I'm afraid so. Nick made me promise to ask you each year on your anniversary."
She finished pouring her drink and then turned to face him. "Mathew avoids our wedding anniversary like the plague, but you already know that."
"I can't stay long. Will you sign the divorce papers this time?"
"Not this time." He waited for the inevitable question, but Laura didn't ask it. "Don't you want to know if we have found your daughter yet?"
"I don't have a daughter, at least not one that is still living."
"Laura, we both know that isn't true. Help me find her. You know I won't tell Mathew."
"My daughter died," she said, bringing the glass to her lips and taking a long drink.
He carefully watched her expression, but she didn't give her thoughts away - she just looked drunk. "Call me when you change your mind about the divorce."