Ocean Blues

by Glen Ebisch

  “The blond one I think,” he announced.

  Officer Rudinski picked up a bright blond wig of curly hair and handed it to Ashley. She gave it a jaundiced look.

  “What is this? The street walker’s special?” Ashley asked.

  “Sometimes it’s used that way,” Lieutenant Baker said blandly. “But I think it will help brighten up your image, and make you almost completely unrecognizable.”

  Ashley picked up the wig gingerly and glanced inside. “Has this ever been cleaned?”

  Baker glanced up at Rudinski, who shrugged.

  “Just as I thought,” Ashley said. With a grimace she reluctantly pulled it down over her black hair, being careful to hide all of her own hair under it.

  The transformation was immediate and striking, thought Clarissa. Even though Ashley’s expression hadn’t changed, her overall impression went from serious, even somber, to bright and bubbly. Existential despair disappeared, drowned out by an optimistic love of life.

  “What do you think?’ the Lieutenant asked.

  When Rudinski and Clarissa both nodded their heads approvingly, Ashley immediately jumped up and looked into the mirror on the wall.

  “It’s everything I’ve never wanted to be,” she moaned after a moment of shock, sounding surprised and a bit afraid.

  “Well, that’s good,” Clarissa said gently. “After all, it’s meant to be a disguise, and don’t worry, it’s only temporary. You can go back to being yourself in a few days, once we’ve caught the attacker.”

  Ashley continued staring into the mirror with quiet wonder.

  “Now just purchase a small wardrobe to go with it,” Lieutenant Baker said. “Get on this as quickly as possible; I want to have you in position by tonight. We don’t know how soon the next attack will come.”

  Ashley turned away from the mirror, her face a mask of determination. “If you’ll come with me,” she said to Clarissa, “I see no reason why we can’t meet that timetable.”

  Lieutenant Baker nodded his approval, and turned to Officer Rudinski. “Pastor Abbot will be with you on surveillance tonight, helping you keep an eye on Ashley.”

  Rudinski appeared surprised, but not disappointed.

  “What precisely will I be expected to do?” asked Clarissa.

  Baker jerked his thumb at Rudinski. “Keep him awake, so if our undercover person needs help, he’ll be ready. Do not undertake any intervention on your own, Pastor. Remember you are a civilian. I spoke with Sylvia this morning before any of the guests were up. We’ll put you and Rudinski two doors down from Ashley’s room. As I said, she’ll be wired, but keep the door of your room open a crack so you can listen for anything unusual out in the hall.”

  “So I’ll have to move into the Shipwreck Inn full time until we catch the attacker?” Ashley asked.

  The Lieutenant nodded. “You’ll act like any other guest. You’ll sleep there, have breakfast there, stop in for afternoon tea, and give some story about going out to sightsee when you come in here to work. But say as little as possible. The best cover is the simplest one. Things always go wrong in lying about the details. You don’t want to give yourself away by indicating to the other guests that you know your way around Shore Side.”

  “What time do the Pastor and I have to set up?” asked Rudinski.

  “There haven’t been any attacks before ten and none after midnight, so I think we’ll err on the side of caution and have the two of you in place by nine.” He turned to Ashley. “After midnight keep your door locked and don’t go out wandering in the halls. Just in case.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I’m secure in my bed like a good girl by midnight,” Ashley said.

  Lieutenant Baker gave her a doubtful look. “Don’t go off reservation, young lady; this is serious business.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, giving him a sketchy salute.

  “But don’t be too good,” the Lieutenant continued. “Wander around a bit between ten and twelve, but keep your eyes open and your microphone in position. Rudinski will set you up with that before we leave.”

  “So I should look around for the ghost, but be cautious,” said Ashley with a grin.

  “I think the ghost will find you,” the Lieutenant said, causing her grin to disappear.

  “How will Office Rudinski and I get into the inn tonight without being spotted?” asked Clarissa.

  “I’ve arranged with Sylvia to have her meet you at the back door right at nine. She’ll slip you up to the second floor using the old servants’ stairs from the kitchen.”

  “And she isn’t going to tell anyone that we’re there?”

  “Not even her granddaughter. She wasn’t happy about that, but we made her promise.” He stared at the two women. “Any more questions?”

  Clarissa and Ashley looked at each other and shook their heads. The Lieutenant nodded at Rudinski, who spent a few moments showing Ashley how to wear the microphone and adjust the sound modulations.

  “Everything clear?” Lieutenant Baker asked as he and Rudinski turned toward the door.

  “Clear as crystal, Lieutenant,” Ashley said with a smile.

  Baker grunted. “Just be careful, young lady, and no heroics.”

  Ashley crossed her heart. “You have my word.”

  Giving her a dubious look, the Lieutenant nodded at Rudinski, and the officers began to leave. Rudinski turned back as he stood in the doorway. “See you later, Pastor,” he said, and gave her a wave.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ashley gave a deep sigh once everyone but Clarissa had left the room.

  “So you get to sit in a room with a cute cop, while I’m staked out like a sacrificial lamb,” she said to Clarissa.

  Clarissa smiled. “I think that’s being a bit overly dramatic, and you can still change your mind.”

  “And miss out on having the police buy me a couple of new outfits? I don’t think so. When can we go shopping?”

  “You want me to go with you?”

  “I haven’t bought anything that isn’t black in a while. I need advice.”

  “What about your aunt?”

  Ashley rolled her eyes. “She probably can’t remember the last time she helped someone in their twenties buy clothes. Plus I didn’t exactly tell her the details of this undercover operation.”

  “What did you tell your aunt?”

  “That I was working on a special project for you that required overtime, so I’d be staying in the parsonage.”

  Clarissa sighed. “That’s more than leaving out a few details. It comes dangerously close to a lie.”

  “Well, I could tell her the truth, but she’d only worry. And it’s half-true because I sort of am working for you, right?”

  “I suppose.”

  “So, let’s go shopping.”

  “First I think you should wash off your dark makeup. It won’t go with your new, brighter look.”

  Ashley glanced back into the mirror and the doubt returned to her eyes. “Really?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Ashley disappeared into the washroom off the office. Fifteen minutes later she returned with her face clean and shiny. The wig was more carefully put in place. Clarissa thought that her friend looked more like who she was, someone in her middle twenties, rather than twenty going on forty. But she kept any comment to herself.

  “I feel kind of naked,” Ashley said, looking into the mirror.

  “I’m sure we can find some appropriate makeup for your new look, and have you given any thought to your new name?”

  “I need a new name?”

  “Better to play it safe and really get into character.”

  Ashley stared across the room for a moment, then her face broke into a smile.

  “I’ve always wanted to be a Sonia. It sounds sort of sultry and mysterious.”

  “What about a last name?”

  “Smythe. It’s as anonymous as Smith, but sounds so British.”

  Clarissa nodded. “Okay, Sonia Smythe. Do
I have any appointments scheduled for this morning?”

  Ashley checked the calendar. “You’re actually free all day. But on Mondays you usually start thinking about your sermon for Sunday.”

  “Not this week, Sonia. We’re going shopping.”

  Clarissa drove the five blocks to the pedestrian mall in the center of Shore Side where a few nice clothing stores were mixed in with tourist shops and restaurants. They were strolling along enjoying the nice weather when Ashley suddenly stopped in front of a clothing store with the sign “Beach Memories” over the door.

  “I’ve always been tempted to look at the clothes in there, but they weren’t exactly appropriate for my image.”

  Gazing at the colorful dresses, blouses and skirts, Clarissa could see her point. “Well, this seems like the ideal time to go in,” she suggested.

  The women went inside and walked slowly up and down the aisles of fashions, each more colorful than the next. A sales clerk materialized by their side.

  “Can I help you?” she asked, focusing on Clarissa. Probably having decided that Ashley’s black blouse, black slacks and black shoes weren’t promising.

  “Actually,” Ashley said in a rather imperious tone, “I am thinking of making a change of direction from the monochromatic to the polychromatic.”

  “Ah,” the saleswoman said.

  “Yes, I got thrown out of my cult for misbehavior, so I need new clothes.”

  A faint smile played across the woman’s lips as if uncertain whether she was being teased or not. But then she rallied. “Let me show you a few things that might look good on you.”

  For the next forty minutes the saleswoman carefully had Ashley try on an array of garments: sundresses, blouses, jeans, dressy slacks, more formal dresses, and casual wear. Clarissa managed to find a chair from which she could, with the assistance of the sales clerk, make judgments. Finally a selection of two sundresses, one evening dress, two pairs of shorts, three blouses, and three pairs of sandals had been arrived at.

  Ashley looked over the collection as she piled it up by the cash register. As the numbers began to add up, Clarissa became alarmed.

  “This is going to come to considerably more than Lieutenant Baker will be able to pay,” she whispered.

  “That’s okay, I can afford it. I saved lots of money when I had my old job.”

  “But will you wear these clothes once the undercover job is over?”

  Ashley shrugged. “I just might, especially if the Lieutenant will give me a bargain on this wig.”

  “Will you dress differently for work?” Clarissa asked, trying to imagine the office without Ashley’s dark presence.

  “No. But this new look might put a spark into my social life.” Her eyes glimmered. “I’m thinking about starting a second personality.”

  “A what?”

  “You know. I’ll have one look and name on the job, and a second one for my free time.”

  “Is that even legal?” Clarissa asked.

  “Probably, as long as I don’t commit any crimes, and I don’t plan to.” She gave Clarissa a wink. “Unless you define stealing someone’s heart as a crime.”

  Clarissa looked on with a growing sense that this operation was getting away from her as Ashley decided to wear one of the sundresses and carried two large bags with her out of the store. “Let’s get some lunch,” she suggested gaily.

  Soon they were settled in the back of a small restaurant where they wouldn’t be noticed from the street. Clarissa thought it best that she and Ashley in her new guise not be seen together more than necessary. They both ordered salads and tea as Ashley wrestled to find enough room for her bags.

  “So what do you really think of your new look?” Clarissa asked, once they were settled.

  “You know, I haven’t always dressed Goth,” she replied.

  “I thought you did in high school.”

  Ashley nodded. “I did then, but I gave it up in college. I figured the cliques wouldn’t be as bad there, and I could just be myself.” She smiled. “I was actually pretty normal in college.”

  “What about when you were working on your last job before moving here?”

  “The same. I probably could have gotten hired in IT with the Goth look, I’ve got good skills, but it was easier appearing normal.”

  “But you returned to it when you came back home.”

  Their salads arrived and they began to eat.

  “People sort of expected it of me. You’d be surprised how many of the kids I went to high school with still live in town, especially the ones who never went on to college. Even my aunt, who was disappointed when I reverted, half-expected it of me. I guess it was my way of fitting back in.”

  “You could have decided to make a break with the past. You’re certainly strong enough to go your own way.”

  Ashley shrugged. “A lot of things had happened in my life before I came back. My parents both died while I was in college, and then right before I decided to come back here, I broke it off with a guy I’d been going out with for a while. I was in no mood to be blazing new trails. I just wanted to live with Aunt Mona and make the best of it.”

  Clarissa studied her for a moment. “You’re really very pretty.”

  “When I’m not all made up, you mean.”

  Clarissa nodded.

  “Maybe I don’t want to be pretty.”

  “Very few women today want to be seen as only pretty, but being attractive is still a part of what they want to be. Those who are, take it for granted, those that aren’t, struggle to achieve it.”

  Ashley frowned. “Sounds depressing to me.”

  “Don’t you want to have a relationship with someone?”

  “My relationships with men so far haven’t won any prizes. Dressing like I do is one way of filtering out the losers. A guy who will go out with someone who dresses like me has got to be primarily interested in my mind and personality. He’s also the kind of guy who’s willing to take a risk.”

  “Maybe there are other ways to filter out losers.”

  “You’re beautiful. How do you do it?”

  Clarissa gave a hoarse laugh. “Not well, as you know. I bounce around a lot because I’m not sure what I want in a relationship, and also I’m not real good at settling.”

  Ashley nodded. “Me either. That’s probably why we get along so well.”

  They focused on eating for several moments, and Clarissa changed the subject.

  “Have you got your cover story all figured out? Most likely you won’t be questioned very closely, but it’s a good idea to have some idea of what you’d say about your life.”

  “I’m Sonia Smythe, an IT consultant from Philadelphia. I work hard, and I’m here for a few days of relaxation.”

  “Sounds good. And you know who’s staying at the inn?”

  “Sylvia, of course, her granddaughter, Tracey. Then there are the Harmons and Denise Lambson.”

  “Right. None of them will give you a grilling, but it’s good to have a story in place. People like to chat over breakfast and tea. Sometimes it can probably get a bit intrusive.”

  “That’s why I stuck with IT. If someone tries to find out if I know my stuff, I can be very convincing.”

  “And you can always put the shoe on the other foot and ask them questions. Don’t act like a cop, but you can ask some background questions. If something sounds suspicious to you, we’ll let Lieutenant Baker know.”

  The waitress brought the bill, and they went up to the cash register to pay it.

  “Well, I guess it’s time for me to head to my new digs,” Ashley said when they were out on the mall.

  “We’ll go back to the office and remove the tags from your new clothes.”

  “I brought my car in to work today, and I have a couple of suitcases in the trunk. One still has some room in it, so I’ll pack the new things in there. Of course, my car hardly looks like it could have made it here from Philadelphia, it’s such a wreck.”

  “You can borrow
mine.”

  “Thanks. But let’s face it, yours isn’t much better.”

  Clarissa smiled. “I guess that’s true. I really should invest in a new one now that I have a fulltime job.”

  They returned to the office, removed the new clothes from their bags, took off the tags, and carefully packed them in Ashley’s suitcases. When they were done, Clarissa helped Ashley carry her stuff out to her car in the church parking lot. They turned to each other, and Clarissa gave Ashley a hug.

  “Be careful,” Clarissa said. “We can’t be certain how much danger you’ll be in.”

  “I’m not worried. You and Officer R will be right down the hall keeping an eye on me.”

  “You bet we will.”

  Ashley nodded and gave her a smile that seemed a bit forced. Then she got in her car and drove away. Clarissa watched her go up the street and hoped things would go as planned.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ashley walked up the steps to the inn and went into the lobby. Sylvia came out from behind the front desk and greeted her with some bad acting, saying how happy she was that Ashley had arrived, and repeatedly winking to let her know that she realized who she was. After signing in with her assumed name, she was taken up to her room on the second floor.

  “The Beckers were staying here before she was chased by the ghost,” Sylvia whispered.

  Ashley nodded, not sure what she was supposed to make out of that. Perhaps Sylvia wanted her to know that the ghost knew the way to this room. She wasn’t certain whether that was reassuring or not.

  “Afternoon tea will be served in about an hour. Joe and Leslie Harmon and Denise Lambson will be there. You’ll get a chance to meet everyone.”

  When Sylvia finally left her alone, Ashley studied the room. It was quite large with a king-sized bed taking up the middle of the space. The décor was too Victorian for Ashley’s taste, but she could understand why a couple looking for a romantic weekend away from the modern world might like it. In the corner was a small bathroom with fluffy towels and a selection of soaps and lotions. Ashley hadn’t realized quite how elegant The Shipwreck Inn had become. By the time she had unpacked and checked around the room for places to store her gear, it was time to go down to tea.