Emotion passed across the captain’s face, but Laurel didn’t know how to help him right now. Maybe she could serve as a confidante for him later. Even so, she touched his arm. “I’m here for you.”
He kissed her forehead. “I know. Thank you.”
She placed the picture back and then looked at the artwork. Delta had used strong lines and abstract forms, creating appealing designs.
Huck grasped another picture. “Is this of the two of you?”
Opal smiled. “Yes. We had one of our visitors take pictures of us.”
“Visitors?” Laurel asked.
“Yes, we host weekends sometimes for people needing to get away from their busy lives. It’s a way for us to make money so we can buy the supplies we can’t grow or create ourselves, and every once in a while somebody will take some pictures. We prohibit phones and other electrical devices. But sometimes, as in the case of this man, he had one of those point-and-shoots, so we allowed it. It’s good to record our journeys once in a while.”
“I see.” Huck handed the picture to Laurel. “Who was he?”
Opal’s bracelets clanked together when she moved. “Nice guy from Toronto. His name is Bernard Netlabel, and he’s one hundred years old. Can you believe it?”
“How current is this photograph?” Huck asked.
“That was maybe last month.” Opal ruffled her silvery hair.
Laurel looked at the photograph and jerked before glancing up at Opal. “This was taken last month?”
Opal frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Delta Rivers’s hair was brown,” Laurel noted.
“Her hair was a dark brown with some gray in it.” Opal glanced at the earlier picture. “She was blond when she was younger, but as she became older, her hair turned darker with threads of silver through it.”
Huck peered at the picture. “What color was her hair last time you saw her?”
Opal shrugged. “She had dark hair.”
“Do you know why she left the commune?” Laurel asked, setting the picture down. She was going to have to take it with them, but she wanted to keep Opal agreeable for now.
“Yes. She flew out almost two weeks ago to meet a man. It was the first romance she’d had in years. I was very excited for her to go meet her Romeo wherever he lived.”
Huck jerked and turned around. “Romance? With whom?”
“I don’t know.” Opal’s gaze dropped. “I wish I did, but I just don’t have any details. She met a man when she was out selling her paintings in town, and they struck up a romance. Delta was always up for an adventure, and when he invited her to meet him up north, she thought, what the heck? She could take a couple weeks off, get some new ideas for her paintings, and go from there.”
“What do you know about this man?” Laurel asked, her heart beating faster.
Opal sighed and looked up as if trying to remember. “Delta grew very excited, and she got that sparkle in her eyes that, you know, we all get during new romances. She said that he was one with the earth and the wind, and she looked forward to her journey with him.”
“Did anybody else meet him?” Laurel asked.
Opal shook her head. “No. Unfortunately, Delta remained rather secretive, as if she wanted this relationship just for herself. She met him several times in town.”
“Do you know where in town?” Huck asked.
Tears filled Opal’s eyes. “No, we don’t keep track of each other like that. She would often sell her paintings on different main streets, but I don’t know where. She lived her own life, Captain Rivers. I think you would’ve liked her if you had gotten to know her.”
“I didn’t get that chance.”
Opal sighed again, the sound heavy. “I’m sorry about that. I can’t explain it, except that she just lived her life the way she wanted, on her own terms. I’m surprised she stayed here as long as she did, but I think it’s because she had the freedom to come and go as she wanted. No obligation, no responsibilities.”
“That’s not how adults live their lives,” Huck muttered.
