“She probably heard how many calories and almost fainted,” Dinah said when she accepted a piece. She took one for me as well and set it on the table, even though I hadn’t eaten my dinner. I glanced over the rhinestone clipboard. All the presenters were accounted for except the tai chi person.
When everyone had finished dessert and coffee, I stood up and gave my little welcoming speech. I said the retreaters would be arriving throughout the next morning, and the workshops would begin after lunch. Commander Blaine raised his hand, and when I gestured for him to speak, he stood.
“I just wanted to add that in addition to my workshops on entertaining, I’ll be putting on little events during the weekend. The first is the campfire and s’mores reception.”
As he continued, describing how most people just thought of the regular ingredients of milk chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, he took the concept to a new gourmet level. I tuned out, as I imagined everyone else did, as he ran through the different variations on the common camping treat. When he finished, I took the floor again. I’d been dreading dropping the bomb, but there was no choice. I broke the news that Mrs. Shedd had promised a local shelter that the retreat would donate handmade afghans. Izabelle and the Wolfs responded as I’d expected. They already had plans for their workshops, and there wasn’t enough time over the weekend.
Adele stepped in-or, more correctly-overstepped her boundaries. “I’m sure the crocheters will figure out a way to come up with something.” Izabelle and the Wolfs glared at her. I quickly asked if anyone else had any announcements, and when there were none, the group broke up. Dinah and I hung behind to finish our coffee and cake. At least, she ate cake. I just had coffee.
“You did great,” she said in a true best-friend encouraging voice. “No disasters, no dead bodies.”
“Just a few bumps in the road, thanks to Adele,” I replied. The kitchen crew was clearing the tables, and I was about to suggest that Dinah and I leave when someone else came into the dining hall. My mouth fell open when I realized who Mrs. Shedd had gotten to teach tai chi.
CHAPTER 5
“HI, SUNSHINE,” MASON FIELDS SAID AS HE crossed the empty dining hall to our table. “I’m guessing by your open mouth that you weren’t expecting me.”
The cleaning crew was beginning to put the chairs on the tables and sweep the floor. Mason’s expression clouded over. “Looks like I missed dinner, huh?”
“You’re right on both counts,” I said, still looking at him with disbelief. Dinah greeted him with a nod and a smile, and he gave her a wave.
“How come you never told me you do tai chi?” I asked, feeling a little unsettled.
Mason laughed. “You never asked. Sunshine, there’s a lot you don’t know about me. Tai chi brings balance to my life, though I’m not quite a master at it. Your boss made me sound better than I am. My teacher, Master Riki, was supposed to do the weekend, but he broke his leg. Nothing to do with tai chi, something about a slippery waxed floor. I was already coming up to Santa Cruz this weekend for my aunt’s eightieth birthday. I heard you were going to be running this workshop weekend, and I didn’t want to leave you hanging.” He glanced at Dinah and me and the empty table around us. “Where’s the detective?”
“Barry didn’t come,” I said. We were getting looks from the two men doing the chair moving and sweeping. Who could blame them? They wanted to be done and go home. “Maybe we ought to take it outside,” I said.
Besides his apparent skill at tai chi, Mason was a well-known criminal lawyer. Well-known because he was the one celebrities in trouble turned to. He was known for keeping them out of jail. He also had a self-deprecating sense of humor that was endearing.
We had sort of a flirty friendship. Mason had wanted it to become something more, and during the time Barry and I had broken up, it almost had. Mason and I seemed to be on the same page relationship-wise. We both wanted something casual. Only his definition of casual turned out to be too no-strings for me. Even so, we had stayed friends. And since I seemed to find myself mixed up in murders, it was handy to have a criminal attorney around just in case.
Outside, the air was so thick with moisture that it had a texture. And it was dark. I asked Mason if he’d checked in; he nodded and mentioned his room was in Lodge. “I think my room is right down the hall from yours,” he said with a devilish smile. Did I mention that Mason was still hoping for more than friendship?
“Sorry I’m so late, but my flight got diverted to San Jose because of the fog, and then I had to drive from there. Are there any restaurants in this place?” He gestured toward the grounds that were mostly invisible thanks to the fact we seemed to be in the middle of a cloud.
“No, and there’s no room service. Have you been to your room yet?” I asked.
“Yes. I noticed there was no television, no telephone, and not much in the way of luxurious amenities. Personally, I like it for a change. When I come here, I usually stay at one of the resorts in Pebble Beach,” he said. “Now, there must be some place to eat in the area.”
I suggested we check with the registration desk, and we headed up the walkway to the administration building. As we were climbing the stairs to the deck, Nora Franklyn appeared out of the darkness, pulling a white windbreaker around her.
“Have you seen Bennett?” she said with an edge in her voice. She glanced past us toward the empty dining hall.
“Last time I saw him, he was walking out with the others. Why don’t you call his cell phone?”
Nora appeared dismayed. “I would, but he left his cell in the room.” She looked around the dark area. “This place is impossible at night with all those winding paths.”
I wanted to say it was her idea to move to a building at the edge of the grounds. I wanted to, but didn’t. It would only irritate her more.
Instead, I tried acting sympathetic. “I’m sure he’ll show up. Maybe you just missed him.” I gestured toward the path ahead that disappeared into the fog. “If we see him, I’ll tell him you’re looking for him.” Nora didn’t fly into a tirade, but she didn’t seem pacified either, and I thought I heard her mutter something about leaving in the morning.
“She doesn’t seem happy,” Mason said, watching her go.
“I hope she’s not serious about leaving in the morning. What am I going to do if they go? I have people arriving who’re expecting an acting workshop with a known actor.”
“It’ll be okay,” Mason said. “She’s just upset. I’ve had clients like Bennett. You see these people on TV shows acting like they can run the world, but in real life they’re clueless. She probably has to take care of everything all the time. He gets to be the nice guy and she has to be the hammer.”
“Do you think I should help her look for him?” She was almost out of sight. Dinah grabbed my arm.
“Snap out of it,” she said. “He’s not that helpless. He’ll find his way back to their room even without his phone and in the fog. And she won’t leave in the morning. It seems to me she’s been threatening something since the moment we first saw her.”
“Dinah’s right, Sunshine,” Mason said. “Let’s get back to finding some food.”
We went inside the administration building and Mason talked to the redheaded clerk. Meanwhile, Dinah and I checked out the long table set up for morning registration. Sheila and Adele had left the boxes of folders under the table along with a check-in list. I opened a random folder and was glad to see it had a schedule, map, name tag, and meal ticket.