Chapter 17 – "Erica Goes to the Estate Sale"

Erica Kane greeted the morning with a smile. For once, her life was in apple pie order: Jack was following her orders about their upcoming wedding; Bianca and Miranda were already back from Paris so that could they attend; Ryan wasn't in the hospital for a change; Kendall's heart wasn't broken for a change; Greenlee seemed happy as Mrs. Lavery, which wouldn't have mattered at all to her except that Greenlee was Jack's surprise daughter, and although she had thoroughly ruined Erica and Jack's last wedding, she was family, and family mattered to Erica. Of course there were clouds in her sky. When weren't there clouds? Dimitri's brother Edmund had been murdered by Ryan's brother, Jonathan. Poor Edmund. They hadn't always seen eye to eye, but certainly he had deserved better than to wind up in a coffin with a bomb underneath it. And his life had touched so many. His wife, Maria. His awful children, Sam and Maddie. (Once upon a time she had kidnapped Maddie and planned to raise her a her own. Another perfect plan shot to hell.) And there was Brooke English, of course. Poor Brooke. She'd never get Edmund now!

Today was the Estate Sale, wasn't it? Poor Brooke would be auctioning off all that was left of the love of her life, while his grieving widow stood by gaining from all the sympathy she so richly did NOT deserve. Erica never liked Maria. Not the first time around, before she was presumed dead for five years, and not the second time around, when she found her way back to Pine Valley with no memory and a new name. "And a new boyfriend," Erica recalled. "The delicious Aidan Devane. I wonder if he'll be at the Sale today. Maybe Brooke will be auctioning off Maria!"

"Gotta call Myrtle and Opal," Erica decided. "This is not to be missed!"

Myrtle was home and quickly agreed to being picked up by Erica.

"So sad," she told her on the phone. "So young. And such a rotten funeral!"

"I'll be by in half an hour. I've been trying to phone Opal but nobody answers. I don't know if she was planning to go. I wonder where she could be!"

On her way out, Jack stopped her. He looked frantic.

"Erica, Lily didn't come home last night! I'm frantic!"

Erica took the news in her stride. "Jack, Lily has wandered off before. She always finds her way back home. Have you called Derek?"

"Yes. He's put out the usual APB."

"Well, I'm sure that will do it. Have you called Aidan?"

"Yes, he and Reggie are out looking for her now. I'm leaving to join them. Erica, will you stay here in case she calls?"

Erica frowned. "Oh, Jackson, I wish I could! But there's somewhere else I absolutely have to be! You understand!"

Will Jack understand? Will Erica find Wildwind in ashes? Lots of chapters, lots of surprises still to come! Please read on! Your Review is welcome!