“A pleasure,” Sam echoed, nodding politely.
Bunny shifted her chair to make room. “Care to join us?”
“Oh, we’d love to, but we’re actually on our way to walk the Marginal Way,” Susan explained. “We just stopped in to get some Beach Bones for Cooper.”
“Cooper will love that.” Andie chuckled.
“Have a great walk!” Bunny replied as the four women headed to the counter to place their order.
Bunny turned her attention back to the table. She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Now, let’s come up with a solid game plan for this investigation.”
Andie sat back and sipped her coffee, satisfied that she’d found the right people to take on the job. She just hoped that Claire and Maxi would be able to solve their issues as easily.
Betty pulledher scarf a little tighter around her neck as the four friends made their way along the Marginal Way. The walkway hugged the cliffs, offering breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean breeze was blustery, a reminder that fall was setting in, but somehow, it felt invigorating rather than cold.
Margie led the way, her eyes lighting up at the sight of a bed of late-blooming flowers. “Would you look at that? Even in the fall, this place refuses to lose its charm.”
Carol nodded, her hands tucked into the pockets of her cardigan. “There’s something about the ocean that’s eternally captivating. It’s like it holds all the world’s secrets.”
Susan, ever the photographer of the group, stopped to capture a dramatic cluster of rocks jutting out into the ocean. “This place is a photographer’s dream. Every angle is a new surprise.”
Betty smiled, genuinely happy to be sharing this moment with her friends. Yet her thoughts kept drifting. When she was a teen, she and Heidi used to walk down the Marginal Way as ashortcut from their house to the beach. If there were ever a place for her to feel her sister’s presence, or perhaps even receive a sign from her, this was it.
They came upon a bench that seemed to have been perfectly placed, offering a panoramic view of the main beach across the river.
“Let’s take a breather,” Margie suggested, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
They all settled onto the bench, each lost in her own thoughts as they looked out over the crashing waves, the distant beach, and the infinite horizon.
Betty felt a mix of peace and melancholy wash over her. She closed her eyes for a moment, half praying, half wishing for some form of connection. The emotion swelled in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Suddenly, Carol nudged her softly. “Look, Betty.”
A lone seagull had landed on one of the nearby rocks, its white feathers a stark contrast to the dark stone. The bird seemed to hesitate for a moment before turning its head to look directly at them.
Betty felt a shiver run down her spine. Could this be the sign she had been hoping for? She felt her heart race as she considered the possibility. Was it foolish to think that a simple seagull could be a messenger from beyond?
Margie, unaware of Betty’s internal struggle, chuckled. “He’s quite the poser, isn’t he? It’s like he’s asking for his photo to be taken.”
Susan, never one to miss an opportunity, lifted her camera and took a few shots of the photogenic bird.
The seagull lingered for a few more moments before taking off, its wings catching the wind as it soared away, blending into the vast sky.
Betty felt tears prick her eyes. Whether it was a sign or just a simple coincidence, it had given her a moment of unexpected but much-needed comfort. For the first time in a long while, she felt a gentle lifting of the weight she had been carrying.
Finally, Susan stood up, slinging her camera over her shoulder. “Shall we continue? There’s so much more to see.”
Betty nodded, rising from the bench. “Yes, let’s.”
As they resumed their walk, Betty took one last look at the spot where the seagull had been. She felt a newfound sense of peace as they moved forward, her friends by her side and her sister’s memory tucked safely in her heart.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Gerard, won’t you please reconsider?” Maxi pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation as she paced back and forth across the spacious gallery, passing through the patches of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights. The white walls around her seemed all too empty without the artwork that had been the cause of so much tension.
“My artistic sensibilities cannot allow it, Maxi,” Gerard said firmly from the other end of the line. “I’ll be by to collect my work as soon as that harridan Priya has removed hers.”
Maxi glanced over just in time to see Priya wheeling out the last of her pieces, the door chimes ringing softly as she exited. “Fine, Gerard. I’ll expect you soon, then.”
