CeeCee had fallen asleep with her mouth open, her cell phone still in her hand. She was snoring softly and her straw hat was cockeyed. I looked around for anyone pointing a camera at her. It was just the kind of picture she worried about showing up on some tabloid website. It wouldn’t be hard to come up with a good caption: CeeCee Collins passed out in public and even her hat looks drunk.
We went upstairs and outside. The air was brisk and I was glad for my jacket. Our boat zipped past cargo ships hanging around waiting for their turn to come into the harbor to get unloaded.
Further on we caught up with and passed a barge with a big Vons grocery store truck on it. Adele had stuck with us like glue and continuing with her in-the-know news about Catalina explained the barge was the only way for things to get to the island. Weather permitting, it made the trip five times a week. Weather not permitting, nothing got to the island, which was why all the residents had a stash of frozen bread, dried milk and canned goods.
We had the outside deck to ourselves, for a bit, but when the boat’s captain announced over the intercom that we were going to pass through a pod of dolphins, a few people came from inside and joined us to look over the side.
I saw a dolphin just below the water swimming alongside. It was pretty neat but turned out to just be a hint of what was to come. The one was joined by many, and they began to jump out of the water in an arc as they swam next to the boat. More and more dolphins showed up. We looked at them and they looked back at us.
Sheila finally had some color in her face and let go of the death hold on my arm as she became lost in dolphin magic. Even Adele was speechless. Only CeeCee missed it all. She was still inside, dreaming about her deck chairs and margaritas.
“The dolphins are a good omen,” Dinah said as we leaned against the railing and savored the moment.
“I hope you’re right.”
Dinah glanced around. Sheila and Adele had moved to the back of the boat to watch the dolphins as they swam around in the wake.
“So, you had dinner with Mason?” she said.
“It was nothing,” I responded. “I’d called him thinking he would have some information about Mary Beth.” But it was useless. I couldn’t just gloss over the details with my best friend, so I told her the whole story about being stuck on my own front porch because the She La Las had taken over. And, yes, I mentioned that Mason had kissed me.
“When’s Barry coming back?” she asked.
I shrugged. “When his case is over. Whenever that is.” Dinah rocked her head from side to side. “If he doesn’t hurry, he may not have a girlfriend—” She stopped herself. “I know you think girlfriend and boyfriend sound stupid past a certain age. So then, how’s this: He may not have a friend of the female persuasion anymore?”
I rolled my eyes in response.
When I looked ahead I saw the island. We seemed to be traveling parallel to it but getting closer at the same time. From here it appeared mountainous and empty, and I wondered about everything I’d read online about it. Other than the occasional boat near the shore, it looked uninhabited. Adele had mentioned that most of the island was wild. Besides Avalon, there was only one other village, Two Harbors.
The engines began to slow just as Avalon finally came into view. Boats bobbed in the harbor and beyond that was the town. Adele had been right: The town seemed to be draped on a slope and looked almost too adorable to be true. Glancing over to the side of the harbor opposite from where our boat moored, I got my first view of the Casino Building. With its round shape and red roof, the landmark definitely stood out. Even in person it looked like a bath-powder box or maybe a giant casserole dish.
CeeCee was just waking up when we walked through the cabin to collect her. Then we joined the crowd waiting to get off. Once we’d disembarked, I realized just how small Avalon was. After walking maybe a block, we had curved around the harbor and were on the town’s main drag.
Since it was February and a weekday, the small crescent-shaped beach was deserted. Most of the people getting off the boat seemed to be locals. The few tourists followed the same path we did down the street of restaurants, shops and hotels that faced the water. A green pier sticking out in the water offered boat rides and fishing trips. Everything was small and cute.
“I feel like I’m inside a snow globe,” I joked to Dinah, who nodded in agreement. When we got to the center of the business district, we stopped beside a fountain.
“Meet you guys later,” Adele said, heading back toward the pier. “I’m going on the submarine and then on a trip to the Airport in the Sky.”
Sheila seemed to have recovered from the boat trip and went after Adele, saying she wanted to go, too.
CeeCee was still a little dazed from sleeping on the boat and was clutching her cell phone. “I have to make a call,” she said, starting to walk away.
“I guess that leaves us,” I said to Dinah. “Unless you’re planning to bolt, too.”
“I’m all yours,” she said. She glanced at the small sandy beach with the water softly lapping against it. “The kids would have loved this.” She shrugged it off. “Okay, you can tell me to shut up now.”
Since I hadn’t come up with a more specific plan than to try to find the house in the crochet piece, I suggested we get food before we began our search. The sun was out and the air was warm enough that I took off my jacket as we walked toward the eateries. It was a nice change from the chilly gray days we’d had lately.
We agreed on a restaurant right on the water that featured a patio with umbrella tables. It turned out to be a wait-on-yourself kind of place, and a few minutes later we carried our order out onto the patio. All the tables were empty except one. CeeCee had her back to us and was just putting her cell phone on the table. She was getting up as we walked over.
Seeing us apparently changed her plans and while we put our food down, she went back in to get a refill on her coffee and as she put it “a little something sweet to go with it.”
I had gotten a strawberry-banana smoothie and Dinah a mango-pineapple, and we’d ordered French toast to share.
I took a sip of my drink and set it on the round bistro table. Dinah sat across from me and slid the plate of French toast to the middle of the table. We hung our tote bags on the chairs and walked to the railing. The harbor was literally right next to us, and we had a nice view of the boats, though there were quite a few empty slips.
“If I had to pick one, I’d want that one,” Dinah said, pointing at a boat that was twice as large as any of the others. Its back deck was facing us, and a table and some deck chairs were set up there. A woman came out from below. She took off her hat and I got a view of her face.
“Is that Camille?” I said, leaning over the railing for a better look. By now CeeCee had rejoined us.
“I tell you that woman is following me,” CeeCee said. Camille glanced our way and saw us. She began to wave and we waved back. CeeCee had put on a smile but was talking through gritted teeth. “I was hoping my contract would be settled, but the production company is being difficult. My agent said I had an offer of another show. I’m sure Camille is here to find out if it’s true. Oh dear,” CeeCee said. “Her husband is here, too.”
Camille held up something, and I realized it was her crochet work. I could only make out the raspberry pink color. Her husband was on his cell phone with his back to us, running his hand over his hair. Camille flagged down a water taxi and rode the short distance to the pier.
Dinah shook her head in disbelief. “There’s a dinghy attached to their boat. She couldn’t row herself to the pier?”