Chapter 8 #3
Now that I’ve faced it once, going back tomorrow won’t be as difficult , she reflected with a sleepy yawn.
In fact, she felt like everything was a little more manageable now.
I’ve got a promising career opportunity, a new friendship with my neighbor, a hunky, capable carpenter handling the remodel, and a homey place to stay.
Dune Island was the last place she would have chosen to visit, but all things considered, Caitlin supposed her time there was going better than she’d expected.
“This is so delicious it almost makes me glad I can only eat soft foods for now,” Marion raved about the homemade mac ’n’ cheese Caitlin had brought to her house so they could have lunch together before she took Pepper for a walk. “What’s your secret for making it so creamy?”
“It’s all in the cheese—gruyere, fontina, and cheddar. The combo is extra melty,” she answered. “I’m very glad you like it.”
As they ate, Caitlin told Marion about the progress Shane and Sammy were making in the windmill. She also mentioned how excited she was about the potential hospital campaign. “It’s not a sure thing yet, but I’m trying to prepare as well as I can for the interview.”
“They’d be lucky to have someone as smart and dedicated as you working with them,” remarked Marion. “Did I mention that I’m on the fundraising committee for Hope Haven’s community center?”
“No, you didn’t, but good for you!”
“Well, the money we raise is small potatoes compared to the campaigns you conduct, but we all try to do our part—and we have a lot of fun doing it. We’ve got a big event coming up at the end of the month, a Halloween costume party.
It’s being held at the cranberry farm in Rockfield, and there will be a hay bale maze, dancing, and refreshments, of course. You should come.”
“Thanks, but I, um, I…” hemmed Caitlin. “I don’t really know anyone on the island.”
“That’s the point of socializing—to meet new people,” she exclaimed. “Besides, you know me. And you know Shane. He’ll be there, if I can convince him to go.”
Oh, no, is this a setup? It was one thing for Caitlin to drink coffee and chat with Shane at the cottage, but it was quite another for her to meet up with him at a party.
The whole reason I feel so free to joke around and flirt with Shane is because I know it won’t go any further.
But it’s clear Marion is trying to push us together, and I don’t want to do anything that would make it seem like I’m agreeing to date him.
But since she knew her neighbor wouldn’t take no for an answer, she gave her a maybe instead. “I’ll think about it,” Caitlin said, even though she’d already made up her mind.
Marion looked disappointed, but she let the topic drop.
They finished their meal and then Caitlin set out with Pepper for another walk.
Just as she’d expected, she felt much more relaxed when the energetic animal bounded toward the beach stairs at the end of Seashell Drive, and this afternoon she raised her eyes to take in the scenery.
Although the beachgrass was a subtler shade of green than its chartreuse summer hue, and the bay’s cerulean blue was also subdued in the autumn light, the seascape struck Caitlin as beautiful as ever, just in a quieter way.
As she glimpsed the water, gentle memories came floating back.
She recalled riding in Albert’s skiff to the bait and tackle shop at the nearby harbor in Benjamin’s Manor.
The way her aunt always squealed when her toes touched the water, no matter how warm it was.
Roasting marshmallows over an open fire or playing volleyball with the guests.
Sloshing through the tidal pools toward the horizon…
Caitlin was so lost in thought that she might have kept walking right past the cottages if Pepper hadn’t veered toward the staircase.
It’s amazing that he can see where he’s going with all that long hair in his eyes , she observed, wondering if it was time for a trim. Although I suppose he relies more on his sense of smell than on his vision. I bet he could find his way home even in the pitch dark…
Out of nowhere, the observation made Caitlin think of Nicole walking along this stretch of sand the evening she died.
But instead of reliving the shock and sadness of her death like she usually did, Caitlin puzzled over a logistical issue that she’d once put aside: why had Nicole continued walking past the staircase leading to The Windmill Cottages and ended up in the water, rather than just coming home?
It was after dusk when she left the party, so I suppose it’s possible that she didn’t see our stairs.
But there were additional sets of staircases belonging to each of the four houses farther down the beach.
If Nicole had missed turning off at The Windmill Cottages, wouldn’t she have gone up one of the other sets of steps, recognized her mistake, and then reversed direction?
Furthermore, just beyond the final house, the dunes began to dwindle, until the sandy slopes diminished completely.
Nicole had seen the terrain near the marsh in the daytime, so she knew how flat it was.
Even in the dark, she must have noticed that there weren’t any dunes beside her.
Then why had she continued walking? It didn’t make any sense, considering how squeamish Nicole was about the little sea creatures that inhabited the tidal pools.
Caitlin suddenly felt so bothered by the incongruity that she could feel the muscles in her shoulders and neck tighten into knots.
Just as she’d done after discovering the photos and the placemat with the date of Nicole’s death written on it, she told herself, Obsessing over this isn’t going to do me any good, and it won’t change the past.
Yet no matter how hard she tried, for the rest of the weekend Caitlin couldn’t shake the sneaking suspicion that she didn’t know what really happened the evening Nicole drowned.