“I feel like I’m inside a snow globe,” I joked to Dinah, who nodded in agreement. When we got to the center of the business district, we stopped beside a fountain.
“Meet you guys later,” Adele said, heading back toward the pier. “I’m going on the submarine and then on a trip to the Airport in the Sky.”
Sheila seemed to have recovered from the boat trip and went after Adele, saying she wanted to go, too.
CeeCee was still a little dazed from sleeping on the boat and was clutching her cell phone. “I have to make a call,” she said, starting to walk away.
“I guess that leaves us,” I said to Dinah. “Unless you’re planning to bolt, too.”
“I’m all yours,” she said. She glanced at the small sandy beach with the water softly lapping against it. “The kids would have loved this.” She shrugged it off. “Okay, you can tell me to shut up now.”
Since I hadn’t come up with a more specific plan than to try to find the house in the crochet piece, I suggested we get food before we began our search. The sun was out and the air was warm enough that I took off my jacket as we walked toward the eateries. It was a nice change from the chilly gray days we’d had lately.
We agreed on a restaurant right on the water that featured a patio with umbrella tables. It turned out to be a wait-on-yourself kind of place, and a few minutes later we carried our order out onto the patio. All the tables were empty except one. CeeCee had her back to us and was just putting her cell phone on the table. She was getting up as we walked over.
Seeing us apparently changed her plans and while we put our food down, she went back in to get a refill on her coffee and as she put it “a little something sweet to go with it.”
I had gotten a strawberry-banana smoothie and Dinah a mango-pineapple, and we’d ordered French toast to share.
I took a sip of my drink and set it on the round bistro table. Dinah sat across from me and slid the plate of French toast to the middle of the table. We hung our tote bags on the chairs and walked to the railing. The harbor was literally right next to us, and we had a nice view of the boats, though there were quite a few empty slips.
“If I had to pick one, I’d want that one,” Dinah said, pointing at a boat that was twice as large as any of the others. Its back deck was facing us, and a table and some deck chairs were set up there. A woman came out from below. She took off her hat and I got a view of her face.
“Is that Camille?” I said, leaning over the railing for a better look. By now CeeCee had rejoined us.
“I tell you that woman is following me,” CeeCee said. Camille glanced our way and saw us. She began to wave and we waved back. CeeCee had put on a smile but was talking through gritted teeth. “I was hoping my contract would be settled, but the production company is being difficult. My agent said I had an offer of another show. I’m sure Camille is here to find out if it’s true. Oh dear,” CeeCee said. “Her husband is here, too.”
Camille held up something, and I realized it was her crochet work. I could only make out the raspberry pink color. Her husband was on his cell phone with his back to us, running his hand over his hair. Camille flagged down a water taxi and rode the short distance to the pier.
Dinah shook her head in disbelief. “There’s a dinghy attached to their boat. She couldn’t row herself to the pier?”
CeeCee let out a little of her trademark tinkly laugh. “Dear, we’re talking about Camille Rhead Katz here. I bet she has somebody to brush her teeth. You do realize how ridiculously wealthy they are. All those years of successful shows—I think Alexander Rhead pays her a salary just for being his daughter.”
Money was a sensitive spot with CeeCee. She had done well over the years and should have been set up, but though her late husband had been a world-class dentist, he’d been an idiot when it came to money. When he died, she found out about all the bad investments. She had lost everything and had to start all over. I knew that was why she was so tense about the contract for
The water taxi left Camille off on a small floating pier that had dinghys tied to it. We had a perfect view of her taking the few steps to the stairway to the pier. We watched her progress as she came closer and closer to us.
“Oh no,” CeeCee said, looking at the chocolate-covered donut in her hand. Suddenly something flew past me and I heard a splash in the water. Personally, I thought CeeCee was going a little overboard with her concern about Camille tattling on her eating of sweets, but I guessed she didn’t want to take any chances. CeeCee put on her theatrical smile as Camille walked across the patio and joined us at the railing.
“Small world, isn’t it?” Camille said.
“Yes, it is,” CeeCee said. “How did you happen to come here today?”
“It was Hunnie’s idea.”
“Whose idea?” I interrupted.
Camille laughed. “My husband’s. That’s my nickname for him. It’s kind of a play on sounds. You know, the endearing term and his nickname sound the same.”
“Oh,” I said, getting it.
“Hunnie’s going to be taking over my father’s position next week. He’s going to be so busy after that. It was such a beautiful day—and we thought it would be nice to have an outing together.”
“You knew we were coming to Catalina, didn’t you?” CeeCee said. Her voice had gotten a little shrill, but she quickly reverted back to her usual sweet tone.
“I might have mentioned it to Hunnie,” Camille said, pouting ever so slightly. “You said it wasn’t a group trip, but I saw Adele and Sheila on the pier in line for a boat ride and you three are here. The only one missing is that girl with the chopped-up haircut.
“You mean Ali? Exactly,” CeeCee said. “If it had been a group trip she would be here.”
Camille turned toward me. “If it isn’t a crochet group trip, then why are you all here?”
CeeCee, Dinah and I looked at each other, and it was clear I was the intended spokesperson. It was also clear by CeeCee’s pointed look, she didn’t want me to tell Camille the truth.
“I’ve always wanted to come to Catalina and we got a deal on the tickets,” I said finally.
Camille’s eyes narrowed then went back to normal. “Now I get it. You came because the tickets were cheaper. My life coach wouldn’t be happy with me for not getting that right away.” She sighed. “I must sound like an idiot. Living the way I have has its own shortcomings. I’ve never had to be concerned with how much anything costs, and so it’s hard for me to understand how the price of something could keep you from doing it. This is why I need this group so much.”
She hugged each of us and gave us air kisses. It was probably her version of sincere.
“Hunnie suggested I invite you on the boat.”
Dinah and I both started to nod, but CeeCee answered a firm “No, thank you” for all of us, saying we’d already made plans for the day.
Camille took out her crochet work. It was clearly the work of someone new at it. The stitches were uneven and she seemed confused about what loop of the stitch to go in, but she was so proud of it, even CeeCee didn’t say anything. She was off to the local craft shop to pick up some special yarn.
When she finally left, CeeCee sighed. “I know she’s spying, but I actually believe she’s serious about wanting to be part of the group. And her life actually has had its share of difficulties.” She went on to tell us that Camille had had a hard time with dating. “I heard she always had to be concerned about whether someone was really interested in her or just getting close to her father and all his money and power.”
“What about Hunnie?” I said, trying not to choke on the homophone.
“He was already working for her father—a line producer or something. I think Alexander is the one who introduced them. And now, they’re referred to as one of Hollywood’s enduring couples.” CeeCee finished and then shuddered. “This was a day to get away from them. Thank heavens I stopped you before you accepted the invitation to go on their boat.”
“I thought it was a good idea,” Dinah said. “It’s not every day I get asked aboard a luxury boat like that. I wonder if they would have let us look around.”
“Shouldn’t you two be spending your time thinking about Mary Beth Wells’s secret?” CeeCee said. “And I can’t believe that was the best you could do about why we came here.
I shrugged off the criticism. “What’s the difference? She went for it.”
CeeCee glanced in the direction Camille had gone and sighed with relief. “I’d love to help work on the mystery of the filet panels, but between waiting to hear what’s going on with my contract and Camille’s showing up, I need
