Bad Doctor

7

Willow and Cameron.

Friday, 8:30 a.m.

“Maybe he’s skipping work today,” Cameron says, between yawns.

“It’s Friday. He’s going to work.”

“It’s eight-thirty, Willow.”

“So?”

“We got here at six-fifteen, right?”

Willow pauses a minute, then says, “You’re right. I’m going in.”

She climbs out of the car, crosses two well-manicured yards, walks up to Chris Fowler’s front door, and rings the doorbell.

Waits a few seconds, rings it again.

And again.

She moves to the living room window, puts her hands on either side of her face to block the glare, and peers inside.

Nothing.

She rounds the house and looks through the sliding glass door of the den.

Nothing.

She goes to the backside of the garage, peeks through the window, and sees the same burgundy Escalade she saw last night when Chris pulled up and opened the garage door. But Chris’s black Mercedes sedan is missing.

Assuming his name is Chris.

Could he have used a fake name?

Willow walks back through the front yard, opens the mailbox, and removes a thick stack of bills and magazines. She riffles through them. The bills were sent to Christopher Fowler. Most of the magazines, to Kathy Fowler.

Willow walks back to her car and tells Cameron they’ve lost Chris.

“Lost him?”

“His car’s gone.”

Cameron shakes her head. “I can’t believe we sat here all this time. It makes sense he’d go to work early if his wife’s coming home at noon.”

“Her name’s Kathy. Her car’s still in the garage.”

“What now?”

“We come back at noon and wait for them.”

“You think he’ll be with her?”

“Yup. He’ll probably pick her up at the airport. When they get home, we’ll knock on the door and have a little chat with him.”

“In front of Kathy?”

“That’ll be up to Chris.”