by Anne Canadeo
The scene had tainted the first night of their getaway, and she hoped her friends wouldn’t dwell on it.
But something told Lucy this wasn’t the last she’d hear about Dr. Julian Morton.
Chapter 2
Sometime during the night, a thick fog had rolled in over the island. Lucy peered out the bedroom window, surprised to see the dense, cottony weather when all the forecasts had predicted a sunny day.
She’d planned to explore the island on her bike, but decided to join Dana at Amy’s yoga class. Lucy had mixed feelings about yoga. The stretches at the start were pleasant enough, and she did enjoy the quiet meditation at the end. It was the middle part that put her off—trying to twist her limbs in various, unnatural poses. Like the balloon animals magicians made at children’s parties.
But she did want to kick off the weekend with some exercise. Pedaling around in the damp, misty weather would not be much fun, or even safe, this morning. The island’s narrow, curvy roads were dicey enough in broad daylight.
Lucy came down to the kitchen and found Dana and Maggie sipping coffee. She greeted them and walked to the counter to pour herself a cup.
“Who borrowed the sun? Don’t they know it’s my last fling, anything goes, girls’ weekend? The sun should be out nonstop.”
“Don’t fret, Lucy. The weatherman says the fog will burn off by noon,” Maggie replied.
Dana flipped the lid off a cup of Greek yogurt. “In the meantime, want to join me at the yoga class? Amy said it starts at eight.”
“I think I will. I still feel squished from the car ride. Where are Suzanne and Phoebe? Still sleeping?”
“Suzanne is out like a light. Snoring up a storm,” Maggie added in a quieter voice. “Don’t tell her I told you that.”
Lucy had shared a room with Suzanne on a previous trip. She knew the ugly truth very well.
“Phoebe went bird watching. She must have gotten up at five. She left a note.” Dana already had her knitting out and alternated between the needles and her yogurt cup.
“Bird watching? I doubt if any feathered friends will show themselves this morning,” Maggie said. “The birds are probably still tucked in their nests, snoring away, like Suzanne.”
Dana smiled. “She’s determined to bring back a lot of photos and sketches for Harry. She says the plover or the tern or some local species is nesting. You know how she gets.”
Lucy did know. A product of a difficult childhood, adult Phoebe was unflinchingly loyal and went the limit for people she loved, which included traipsing around in the brush and bramble to track down nesting sea birds in this pea-soup fog.
“I hope she’s careful,” Lucy mused. “Did you see how steep those cliffs are? She could easily lose her balance and take a tumble chasing down birds today.”
“I had the same thought,” Maggie admitted. “I’ll send a text in a little while, just to check on her.”
“Good idea.” Dana put her knitting away and tossed the yogurt cup. “Looks like it’s time for us to go, Lucy. Are you ready?”
Lucy had also quickly eaten a yogurt. As much as they teased Suzanne about her need to travel with a full trunk of groceries, it was nice to find the fridge fully stocked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
A knock sounded on the door. They looked at each other. “Who could that be at this hour? It’s barely eight,” Maggie said.
“I’ll get it.” Lucy was closest to the door. She walked over and pulled it open.
She was greeted by a tall, handsome man. Since she’d been with Matt, she hadn’t noticed men much, but this morning’s visitor jolted her awake faster than a cup of espresso. He wore khaki shorts and a dark blue polo shirt stretched across broad shoulders and muscular arms. She noticed the mermaid emblem of Osprey Shores on the shirt pocket. He held a metal toolbox in one hand.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m Sam Briggs, maintenance department. Sorry to bother you so early, but you were first on my list.” He made it sound like that was a great compliment. His megawatt smile was the cherry on top, as Suzanne would say. “Mrs. Cutler asked me to check the garbage disposal. She said it’s on the blink.”
“We just got here last night. I don’t think we’ve used it yet.”
“Mind if I take a look?”
“I guess that will be okay. Let me just sound a warning.”
While Sam waited at the door, Lucy returned to the kitchen. “Someone’s here to fix the garbage disposal. Do you mind, Mag?”
Maggie checked the top buttons on her fuzzy robe. “I’m decent. Let him in.”
Lucy returned to Sam and followed him into the kitchen. She couldn’t help but notice the wide-eyed expressions on both Dana and Maggie’s faces.
“Morning, ladies. How’s it going today?”
“No complaints so far,” Maggie replied.
Lucy was suddenly sorry Suzanne was in dreamland. She would have enjoyed their surprise guest. She would have been talking about him all day.
“Mind if I check the disposal?”
“Help yourself.” Maggie lightly waved her hand.
Sam set his toolbox down and tested the switch. An awful grinding sound emerged from the drain. Suzanne might get to meet him after all. It would be hard to sleep through that racket.
“Sounds like it needs a flush. I’ll be out of here in a jiffy.” He crouched down, opened the doors under the sink, and used a large flashlight to take a look at the pipes.
Dana turned to Lucy. “This is fascinating, but we’d better go.”
Lucy nodded, feeling a little embarrassed that she’d been in a zone watching Sam work. She pulled on a Boston Red Sox cap to protect her hair from the mist, then picked up her small knapsack and slung it over her shoulder.
They left the cottage and headed down the path to the road.
“That guy was hot. He looked like he belonged in front of a camera, not under a sink cleaning out a garbage disposal,” Dana said.
“If not Hollywood, then teaching classes at the fitness center.”
“Looks like he spends a lot time at a gym,” Dana agreed.
“I don’t think you get that sort of physique fixing leaky pipes. Or whatever else he does.”
“He has just the right amount of muscles. Not all bulked up like a Thanksgiving Day float, but fit looking,” Dana said. “Maybe he’s a model or an actor part-time.”
“Maybe,” Lucy agreed. She suddenly felt guilty about making such a big deal over Sam Briggs. Matt wasn’t a gym rat, but he loved outdoor sports and was very fit. Since they’d started living together, Lucy’s good cooking had gone to his waistline a bit, but he was all hers and very attractive. She thought so anyway. And she loved him to pieces.
“If I wasn’t so annoyed about the sun not being out, I’d admit that this fog is stunning,” Lucy said, changing the subject.
“It’s amazing, like walking through drifts of white smoke, or strolling through the clouds.” Dana spread her arms out for a moment as they walked along. “I wonder what it looks like on the cliff walk this morning? Too bad we don’t have time to go out there.”
“Maybe later, after the class. I hope it clears off by then.”
“Me, too. We’d better hoof it.” Dana picked up her pace and Lucy took the cue. “Amy said the class fills up fast. Meredith also teaches kickboxing.”
“I’ve always wanted to try kickboxing. I’ll put that on my list for the weekend. Surprise Matt with some martial arts moves on our honeymoon?” Lucy paused, bunched her fists, and kicked one long leg out in the air, mocking a martial arts grunt.
Dana rolled her eyes. “Exactly what a guy wants from his new bride on their honeymoon, a martial arts demonstration.”
A few minutes later, they arrived at Mermaid Manor. As Amy had instructed, they followed a path and a few flights of marble steps down to the lower level of the building. The additions to the mansion had been done in a tasteful style, the design well in keeping with the mansion’s
Victorian design. Though, unlike the floors above, everything looked fresh and new.
Something to be said for that, Lucy thought as they entered the fitness center. Her sinuses still hadn’t forgiven her for inhaling all those musty books last night.
They quickly found their way to the yoga studio. The door was closed and a group of women clad in workout outfits waited outside, Amy among them.
“Seems to be a little delay,” Amy said. “Meredith is usually so punctual. Maybe she missed her alarm this morning.”
“It’s a perfect morning for sleeping in.” Lucy had hit the snooze button a few times.
While they waited, they chatted about the knitting meeting and Maggie’s presentation. Amy was very appreciative and said her group had given Maggie rave reviews.
Lucy wasn’t surprised. She had a feeling the Osprey Island knitters would be stalking Maggie around the grounds like a celebrity for the next few days, bringing her their botched-up projects.
She expected to see the yoga teacher strolling down the hall from the center’s entrance, but a few moments later, she heard the studio door unlock. The door opened, and Meredith stood in the doorway.
She blinked and smiled at them. She looked a bit groggy, Lucy thought. Maybe she had slept late.
“Come in, everyone.” She stepped aside and waved her arm in greeting. “Apologies for the delay. I came in early to meditate and lost track of time.”
A small brass bowl of incense burned in the corner of the room, surrounded by small candles. Lucy wasn’t sure of the scent, but it was sweet and light. A framed picture of an Indian deity leaned against the wall behind the candles. An elephant, with a Buddha-like body. Lucy had done work recently on a project about legends and myths from around the world, and she recognized Ganesh, the Hindu god who removed obstacles. Or so some believed.
The studio walls were painted a warm, burnt sienna, and the floor was a smooth, pale, polished wood. One long wall was mirrored with a dance bar attached, and the opposite wall was glass, framing a wide view of the cliff and ocean, though not much could be seen right now with the fog. One of the sliding doors had been left open a crack, and Lucy was grateful for the fresh, salty air cutting through the incense.
Most of the women had brought their own mats. Lucy and Dana borrowed from a pile in the back of the room and set them down side by side. Amy was in the row just ahead.
Meredith walked among the students as they staked out their places. Not surprisingly, she had a light, graceful step, and a deep, gentle voice. Very soothing, Lucy found. As Meredith passed Lucy’s mat, Lucy couldn’t help noticing her feet. Lucy’s own feet were on the large size and totally flat; she envied anyone with such dainty feet, high arches, and manicured toes.
Meredith’s soothing voice was suddenly caught by a cough and a hoarse throat. “My allergies are going wild this time of year. I need to find the neti pot.” Her remedy elicited a few chuckles. “Where was I? Oh, right. Please lay back, flat on your mat, arms to your sides, toes pointed toward the ceiling. We’ll start with a few gentle stretches . . .”
The sliding door made a swooshing sound as another student slipped inside from the terrace. All eyes turned her way, including Lucy’s. She was tall and slim. She slipped down the hood of her pullover and shook out a long, glossy brown ponytail that swung behind her like the tail on a thoroughbred. Her cheekbones were high, her hazel eyes large and wide. Expensive yoga togs—Lululemon, Lucy had no doubt—displayed a perfect figure.
She must be a model or an actress, Lucy thought, then quickly chastised herself for such a sexist assumption. A woman can be beautiful, even as stunning as this one, and choose not to make a living from her looks. Maybe she was a chemical engineer, or a jazz musician or a brain surgeon or . . .
“Oh, it’s you. I thought Sabrina was teaching this class,” the beauty said.
“Not today, Tanya. Sorry to disappoint.” Lucy sensed an edge of disdain under Meredith’s measured reply.
“I guess I’ll stay anyway.” Tanya sighed and unrolled her mat, then looked around for an empty spot to land.
“What an honor,” Meredith shot back. “In the future, please arrive on time. And don’t use the terrace entrance.”
“Honestly, Meredith. Just chill. What happened to Namaste?” With that curt rejoinder, Tanya tiptoed to an empty spot beside Lucy, set down her mat, and sat. As Tanya slipped off her flip-flops, Lucy noticed her scratch the top of her long, narrow feet and her ankles with her French-tipped nails. Lucy recognized the telltale red rash.
“Poison ivy? Witch hazel and calamine lotion work well,” Lucy whispered.
Tanya gave her a look. Then she yanked down the bottom of her yoga pants and lay back flat on the mat.
Meredith strolled around the room. “Okay, let’s begin again, everyone. A deep breath, down into your belly . . .” Meredith closed her eyes and took a deep, centering breath. Reaching to reclaim the inner peace she’d been cultivating all morning, Lucy thought.
Lucy closed her eyes. The interruption had been distracting, breaking the mood. There was clearly tension between the two women, and Meredith’s serene vibe had been disturbed by Tanya’s arrival.
It must be difficult to be a teacher, Lucy thought. You were bound to have some students that you disliked for one reason or another, but had to put up with anyway.
“Let your spine sink into the floor, let your body go completely limp. Now breathe, a deep breath, into your lower abdomen. Put a hand on your heart and a hand just below your navel. No belly puffing, please. Everything begins and ends with the breath.... Your entire life, ladies . . .”
With her eyes closed, Lucy followed the instructions. As her body sunk into the floor, a pleasant, cloud-like lightness filled her chest and limbs. Her mind went blank, and anxious thoughts about wedding plans that spun around her brain all day and night, faded away.
Would Meredith object if she lay like this for the rest of the class?
Before Meredith could give further instructions, the shrill sound of a police siren shattered the silence. First one siren flying by the building and then another. Followed by a different sort of siren—an ambulance or fire truck?
Lucy’s eyes opened, and she turned her head to meet Dana’s surprised gaze.
“For goodness sakes. What a racket. Will someone please close that back door?” Meredith asked the group.
Dana stood up and walked over to the sliding door. But when more sirens sounded, she stepped outside and walked out onto the stone terrace. She returned moments later, her blue eyes wide.
“There’s a parade of police cars coming down the main road. Plus a fire truck and an ambulance.” She whispered to Lucy as she took her place again. “Something big is going on out there.”
Most of the students in the class sat up, curious and concerned. A few took out cell phones and tapped out text messages, or made hushed calls.
Meredith gazed around the studio, clearly out of sync with her lesson. “If anyone wants to leave, please feel free. But—”
Another siren cut off her words, and she sighed. “I have no idea what’s happened. Whatever it is, this racket is too distracting. Let’s call off this class, and I’ll hold a makeup tomorrow.”
Her solution was nearly drowned out by the sound of more sirens. All the women in the room jumped up and quickly rolled their mats. A few were already at the door. Lucy and Dana put their borrowed mats away in the studio cubby. Lucy looked around for Amy and saw her standing at the door. Amy waved, and Lucy waved back.
They stepped out to the hallway together and set off at a brisk pace, with Amy leading the way. “I wonder what happened. I hope everyone is okay.”
Lucy hoped so, too. From the number of emergency vehicles that were racing through the gates of Osprey Shores, she doubted it.
As they swept past the reception desk, Amy turned to the young woman seated there. “Do you know what happened? Why are all these police cars here?”
The woman’s expression was
grim. “I’m not sure. But I heard there was an accident. Someone fell off the cliff walk.”
“Fell off the walk? Oh my God. . . . That’s awful.”
Lucy agreed. A fall from that height, where most of the hillside leading down to the beach was a sheer drop covered with jagged rocks, would likely be fatal.
She looked over at Dana and could tell she had the same thought.
“I’m going to check on Phoebe,” Lucy said.
“Good idea,” Dana replied quietly. Lucy could tell she was worried but trying not to show it.
They pushed through the glass doors and stepped outside without speaking. Lucy pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Phoebe. “Are you OK? Back from bird watching yet?”
Then another to Maggie. “Phoebe back yet?”
Maggie answered first. “She’s here. Went back to bed.”
Lucy showed Dana the text and sighed in unison. But Amy looked upset, Lucy noticed. Of course, she was worried that someone she knew—a friend or neighbor—had taken the tumble.
“It looks like everyone’s headed for the walk. The part just around that bend.” Amy pointed as they walked down a path from the mansion that led to the famous walkway.
Most of the fog had drifted away. Which was a good thing, Lucy thought, since they were practically jogging along the narrow path as they followed Amy. The very idea of the accident made her nervous about falling herself.
As white gravel crunched under her sneakers, she noticed a few benches to her left, set back from the path and surrounded by huge hydrangeas and rose of Sharon bushes. They appeared pleasant spots for taking in the view. A hip-high white rail fence ran to her right, bordering the path and a fringe of wild-looking, beachy shrubbery.
Not a very high fence, Lucy thought, though it seemed an adequate barrier from the sloping cliff for most people. From what she could see, the cliffside was covered with boulders, and here and there, tufts of greenery. At other points, there was a sheer drop to the beach and crashing surf below.
“Look at the crowd. Just up there. I wonder if it’s true.” Amy stopped on the path and pointed.
Lucy saw a cluster of people gathered a short distance away at the rail fence, or at least as close to it as the police and property security guards would allow. Official looking vehicles—police cars and police SUVs—had driven over the lush lawn and parked close to the walk. Two uniformed officers stood on the path next to neon orange traffic cones, obviously stationed there to turn back more onlookers.
