Knot on Your Life

by Betty Hechtman

  Gwen was a no-nonsense sort of person. She wore earth tones and sensible styles. Her earrings and socks matched, or I think her socks matched, I’d never actually seen them. In other words, Crystal and her mother had totally different styles.

  The one thing they had in common was that they could be fierce, particularly when it came to Crystal’s children. As soon as Crystal heard the ruckus she made a beeline to the cashier table and joined her mother.

  Gwen put her hand up to stop everyone and stepped close to the sisters, dropping her voice to a whisper. I was close enough to hear what she was saying.

  She looked Cora square in the eye. “The only reason I decided to make our familial relationship known to you was that my grandson has such an affinity for Vista Del Mar. But as much as he loves the place some things just aren’t worth it. I would have thought you would be happy to find that you had some family.” I could tell Gwen was restraining herself. Crystal stayed next to her mother for moral support, but let the older woman handle the show.

  “Cory knows nothing about his relation to your brother. And now he never will. So, I’ve decided to drop the whole thing. You can keep Vista Del Mar and everything else. Hopefully you’ll still let Cory work there summers. We’ll just forget that we’re related and life will go on for you as it was.”

  This was not how things went in Cora’s playbook. She was used to being the one who said how things were going to be and she was speechless. Madeleine appeared distraught and she glared at Cora before locking her fingers around her sister’s arm. “We’ll talk about this at home.”

  Gwen, Crystal and I stood together watching the sisters leave. The amazing thing was that no one in the store had realized what had just occurred. With them gone, Crystal took a deep breath, pulled herself together and handled the workshop as if nothing had happened.

  Chapter 25

  The afternoon was winding down when I got back to Vista Del Mar. The cloud cover was thin enough to let the sun through and for once the orange disk could be seen slipping toward the horizon. Despite the dustup with the Delacorte sisters, Crystal had done a great job with the mindfulness workshop. The actual mindful portion had been rather short, as she’d had to refresh their memories on how to knit and undo some of their mistakes. But it ended with them asking for one more session.

  Julie and Audrey had made friends at the workshop and driven back together, which was fine with me since it meant there was no chance Kevin St. John would see me with anyone from his retreat.

  I made a stop in the Lodge to look for the birthday group. The workshops were over and people were back from afternoon excursions and had started to congregate in the large room to enjoy a glass of wine before dinner or to play a few hands of cards. Kevin St. John was standing by the registration desk watching as Lieutenant Borgnine moved around the room.

  “I don’t know why he is insisting on talking to every guest who was here Thursday afternoon when the incident happened.”

  “It was more than an incident. Someone died,” I said.

  “Yes, and it was terrible, but we must remember the other guests and do our best to see that they have the best weekend possible. Particularly now.” His usually placid face lit up. “I think it’s going to happen,” he said in an excited voice. “You must have seen Wind Markham here earlier. He’s interested in holding a retreat here. He wanted to look at the other resorts in the area, but we’re the front-runners. He loves how rustic Vista Del Mar is and how it feels like it’s away from it all. The fact that we’re unplugged is a plus too.” He looked around the large room, seeming almost cocky. “It will forever change Vista Del Mar. If someone as important in the spiritual world as Wind has a retreat here, others will follow. I’ll be doing it turnkey for him and then all those other groups.” He had a malevolent smile. “Too bad, but we won’t be able to accommodate your little retreats anymore. I know you think you have a special relationship with the Delacorte sisters, but I’m sure they’ll turn everything about Vista Del Mar over to me once they understand the importance of what I’ve done.”

  I half expected him to let loose with a creepy laugh like a Disney villain, but he just dismissed me with a quick wave of his hand. At the moment, I didn’t think he’d have a hard time convincing the Delacorte sisters to cancel my special deal. After the past afternoon, they’d probably want to run me out of town.

  As the dinner bell began to ring, I suddenly realized this might be my last retreat. I was determined not to let anything on to my group. They deserved to get every minute of enjoyment out of their weekend.

  The dinner menu was always special on Saturday night. Normally I would have been excited at the prospect of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, but it barely crossed my mind as I headed to my group’s table.

  “Nice that you’re all together,” I said, noting that Iola and Aileen were sitting at the table with PJ, Deani and Madison.

  “That’s right,” Madison said. “I guess I shouldn’t take it personally, but the two of you did seem to be MIA a lot.” She turned to Aileen. “You almost missed the winery trip. We had to send Casey looking for you.”

  “Really?” Aileen said, looking at me. “Sorry for being a bother.”

  “It was no big deal, other than I ended up in the wrong room. At least this time I didn’t knock into the dead guy’s computer.”

  “Do you mean his stuff is still in his room and it’s near ours?” Madison asked.

  “Relax. It’s not like his ghost is hanging out there,” Iola said.

  “His wife will clear it out as soon as everything is settled,” I said.

  “Settled?” Aileen asked. “You mean like when they say it was accidental?”

  “If that’s what it was,” Madison said.

  “Of course that’s what it was,” Deani said in a decided tone. “Let’s talk about something more pleasant.” She turned to me. “Too bad you missed the winery trip. It was fun.” I nodded and suggested they all get their food.

  I was too keyed up to eat and just drank some iced tea while they dug in. As the meal was winding down, Kevin St. John came in. He seemed more self-important than usual as he worked the room. He ignored me when he got to our table and urged my group to go directly to Hummingbird Hall for the Sound Bath.

  “I read the sign in the Lodge,” Madison said. “But it really didn’t explain what a Sound Bath was. It seemed like a lot of hype.” She looked to me.

  “It’ll probably be a unique experience,” I said and suggested that we walk there together.

  • • •

  Hummingbird Hall was similar in design to the Lodge with a few changes. It was built into a hillside and had a small lower floor. The upper floor had a large open interior with a stage and alcoves on either side of the main area and at the back. When it was used for movies or entertainment rows of chairs were brought in, but tonight it was all open with rows of floor mats and rolled-up blankets. A staff member stood by the door and instructed everyone to leave their belongings on the long table set up in the alcoves and then to wrap themselves in a blanket and lie on one of the mats. I glanced up at the stage, which was set up with gongs and chimes and metal bowls of different sizes.

  Deani looked at the pink tote. Nothing had been said, but I was certain the dog was still in there. She seemed at a loss of what to do until I agreed to take it. The rest of them left their bags and things on the tables and did as they’d been told. I stayed in the alcove with the pink tote and watched as the open area filled up. I looked to see if the Silicon Valley group was there, but wrapped in the blankets they looked like a bunch of identical burritos.

  When everyone was in position, Kevin walked out on the stage holding a microphone. He did a few minutes of welcoming and reminded everyone there was a reception after the event. Then he introduced Sky. A musical note swelled as the barefoot facilitator came out. He gestured with his arms and the lights dimmed. As it grew darker, he suddenly lit up and I realized he was wrapped in a string of tiny lights.
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br />   “Close your eyes and let the sounds carry you wherever your mind wishes.”

  I watched as he hit the gong. The sound reverberated through the room and I could actually feel the vibrations in my body. A hum started from something and it grew louder and sounded almost like a plaintive cry. Sky began to chant and suddenly I felt the pink bag began to move. Fifi stuck her head out and began to howl. I rushed out the door.

  The grounds were dead and it seemed that everyone had followed Kevin’s order to go to the Sound Bath.

  It was a cappuccino moment if there ever was one. I needed the boost of caffeine tempered with a fluff of milk. The Lodge was deserted, but the door to the café was open. I was glad that Cloris was behind the counter. She was busy doing cleanup from the crowd earlier and looked up when I came in. She noticed the pink bag with Fifi’s head sticking out.

  “You better not let Mr. St. John see you. He’s dying to catch that dog in a guest room so he can tell the Delacorte sisters that someone in your retreat broke the rules.”

  “I’ll take her across the street to my place,” I said, starting to get up. Cloris waved me to sit.

  “You should be good for now. He’s tied up with the Sound Bath.” She reached across the counter to grab a paper cup, but it tipped and coffee poured out onto the counter. Before she could stop the stream it dripped over the side. “I’m filling in. The new hire got scared of the steam from the espresso machine and quit on the spot and left this mess. She looked down at her clothes. “I guess I should be glad that the coffee is cold.”

  I leaned over the counter to assess the damage. “Lucky you,” I said, gesturing toward her black pants. “It doesn’t show.”

  “But it’s still there. My pants smell like coffee now.” She wrinkled her nose and then smiled at me. “I assume you came in here for a drink. What can I get you?”

  I ordered my cappuccino and she went to measure the espresso. A moment later I smelled the smoky scent of the dark coffee as it trickled into the cup. She steamed the milk and finished making the drink.

  She did a little more cleanup while I downed the drink.

  “You’re my last customer,” she said, turning everything off. “Now it’s back to the registration desk.” She went under the counter and grabbed something black. “I think Mr. St. John is wrong. I don’t think anybody is going to claim these even though I put up a note. But they’re all clean in case they do.”

  I tossed my cup in the trash and grabbed the pink tote and gave the tiny dog a snuggle.

  “What happened with the workshop at the yarn shop?” she asked.

  “It went okay, but they still want another session tomorrow morning.”

  “Same place and same drinks?” she asked as she got ready to shut off the lights.

  “I’m thinking of keeping it less complicated,” I said. “But they did like your selection. I kept meaning to ask you how you chose what to bring.”

  She smiled. “It’s simple. I asked them what they wanted.”

  “You did?” I said, surprised. Then I was curious about the who and the when. After I heard her answer all I could think of was something Frank had said: Remember that people lie, particularly killers.

  Chapter 26

  I was still processing what Cloris had said when I went outside. I could hear gongs and chimes. The Sound Bath was still going on but for how long? I wanted Fifi safely away from being discovered. I rushed across the street with the small dog. I gave her a little outside time and then brought her into the guesthouse. She seemed happy to be out of the bag and scampered into the crate before rutting around and making a comfortable spot for herself. I made sure she had some treats and water before I left her. My mind was clicking as I went back to Vista Del Mar.

  The closer to Hummingbird Hall I got, the better I could hear the sounds and feel the vibrations of the Sound Bath. Over the gongs and tones, Sky was urging everyone to join in with a final chant of Om. The sound swelled and then gradually diminished into nothing. I was standing in the doorway by then. The lights came on and the human burritos unwrapped themselves.

  I looked over the crowd trying to pick out individuals. I knew I could just tell Lieutenant Borgnine what I’d just figured out, but I wanted to be sure before I spoke to him. I watched as everyone moved toward the back of the hall.

  A curtain had been pulled opened that had closed off the back alcove. A long table was covered with refreshments that seemed at odds with the ethereal quality of the Sound Bath. There was a bowl of punch made of ginger ale, frozen strawberries and floating islands of orange sherbet. Potato chips and dip were next to a chocolate fountain with cookies to dip into it.

  “And now for a different kind of Sound Bath,” Kevin St. John said from the stage. Dance music started to play. “Feel the beat and move to it,” Sky said as he jumped off the stage and began to dance and urged anyone who wanted to to join him.

  I noticed a few people going out the exit, including the person I wanted to talk to. I followed along, not sure what I was going to do. Then people began walking in different directions. I started to follow the one I wanted to talk to, who seemed to sense it and picked up speed. I saw a figure slip in the doorway on the lower area and followed. Inside I saw a doorway open and I rushed to follow just as someone went into the unisex handicapped restroom. I pushed myself inside before the door could close.

  “What do you want?” Elex said. He was trying to edge around me but I flicked the lock and blocked it so he couldn’t get out.

  “I know that you were with Tim,” I said. There was a flicker of distress on Elex’s face and then it disappeared.

  “It was a solitary mindful walk,” he said. “Like I told you, I walked through the grounds of Vista Del Mar.”

  I told him about my conversation with Cloris. “She said that you and Tim were walking together when she asked you about your drink choice. She heard you say you knew just the place to go.”

  Elex froze, realizing he was cornered. “I tried to tell Tim the point was for us to walk alone, but he insisted we go together.”

  “It was because he wanted to tell you something and get it off his chest,” I said.

  “How did you know?” he said, looking worried.

  “It was about him leaving and pulling his financing,” I said. I explained what Audrey had told me and that she’d said she thought Tim would have wanted to talk about it right away.

  “I knew Tim wasn’t happy with the way things were going, but I didn’t think it was that serious. I tried to tell him he hadn’t given it enough time. But he wouldn’t listen. He said he was tired of watching me burn through money on weekends like this and expensive food delivery. He wanted to be in control and call all the shots.” Elex looked down. “He said he was already working on something. He said we were all loser nerds.” His mouth settled into a grimace. “I was so mad. I wanted to do something.”

  “So you led him to the rocks, knowing he was clumsy and wearing slippery shoes. What did you do, push him and then when he fell you smashed his head?” I glared at him. “You’d figured out another way to get the money you needed.” He looked blankly at me. “The key man insurance policy.”

  Elex seemed to be melting before my eyes. “You know about that.” He put his face in his hands. “I’m screwed.” He looked up at me. “I didn’t smash his head. I swear when I went to get help, he was alive.” His shoulders drooped. “I admit I led him to the rocks just like you said. All it took was a push and he fell backward. He knocked himself out. I was so angry I wanted him to die and I thought about hitting him with a rock, but I couldn’t do it. So I went for help. I was so panicked I didn’t realize the tide was coming in.”

  He leaned against the wall for support, seeming stunned and relieved at the same time. “I’m not good at intrigue. I don’t know what happened. Maybe he came to when I went for help and tried to get up and then fell and hit his head.”

  “You didn’t come back after you went to call?” I asked, thinking back to w
hat I’d seen.

  “No. I didn’t want be involved. I know that sounds stupid now, but I thought maybe Tim wouldn’t remember that I’d pushed him.”

  “Did Tim tell you what his project was?”

  Elex shook his head with a sigh. “Unlike me, Tim was good at intrigue. He didn’t give a hint other than I got the feeling it was a product and not a service.” He swallowed and looked at me. “I guess I have to tell that cop all this.”

  While he’d been talking some pieces had been coming together in my mind. The first was that I believed him and the second was I thought I understood what had happened. “Hold that thought for now.”

  I was on my way out the door before I’d finished what I was saying. The path was empty since everyone was still at the reception. Time was of the essence. I had to check this before everyone came back to the Sand and Sea building.

  I rushed into the Lodge, grateful that Cloris was working the registration counter. Between heavy breaths, I asked for the master key. It was more like I demanded it with no explanation. She sized up that I was in the middle of something and gave it to me without question. “The clothes,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “Don’t let anybody take them.”

  I was back running through the grounds before I was sure she understood what I meant.

  This time I went to the right place and opened the door to Tim’s room. All was as it had been the last time I’d seen it. The computer was still sitting open and all I had to do was touch a key and the screen came on. I caught of glimpse of what was on it and was going to scroll down and see what else there was when someone grabbed me from behind.

  “I’ll take that,” a voice said, pushing the laptop away from me. I started to react, but my arms were wrenched behind me and I felt something going around my wrists, and when I tried to move them I felt a plastic cable pull tight. “Zip ties are the best. You never know when they’ll come in handy.”