“You’re right, I’m new. Nice to meet you, Nakita,” I said. “I’m Hayden Caldwell. I really enjoy watching your ferry activity.”
Vessie walked up to the counter. “Hi Nakita. Kerbie. Coffee’s brewing. Good morning, Hayden! What can I get you? Chai tea? I have oatmeal with caramelized bananas and pecans today, or strawberry waffles?”
“Tea and oatmeal sound delicious,” I said.
Vessie turned back toward the kitchen, and I excused myself and walked down the long hallway to the bathrooms. As I made my way down the hall, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Nakita right behind me. She gestured me to the farthest corner, past the restroom doors. She had an apprehensive look on her face. It made me a little uneasy, and I couldn’t imagine what she wanted.
She whispered in a voice so quiet I could barely hear her and, while she talked, she kept glancing down the hallway.
“Miss Caldwell, I can’t believe you’re here!” She glanced again down the hall as if looking for someone. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help her. Maybe you can.”
“What? Who?” I was so confused that I could not even formulate a decent question.
“I can’t say more now.” She looked again toward the front of the café. “Come to the ferry terminal day after tomorrow. Early. Before the gates open. There shouldn’t be people around. If anyone sees you—leave.”
“Come to the terminal?” I was trying to make sense of her whispers.
“If the area is clear, come to the backdoor. I’ll be there. I have something I must give you. I’ll explain everything to you then.” She took one step toward the front and peered at the door again.
“Do not tell anyone about this. Come alone. You can trust no one! No one! Please be careful. For your safety. And for the safety of your entire family.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“If they know we spoke, we’ll all be in danger.”
“Who?” I asked her.
Just then, the bells on the front door jangled, and two tall, hefty men in greasy-looking ferry uniforms came into the café. Possibly mechanics. They approached the counter, and I heard them talking to Kerbie and ordering coffee.
Nakita reached out and grabbed my shoulders and shook me. She looked at me with the most desperate, pleading look in her eyes. “Please. Come to the terminal,” she said again. “It’s life or death. Tell no one.”
The ferry captain reached around me and opened the restroom door. She was still talking to me, but since she was whispering and pushing me into the bathroom, I couldn’t hear her. It sounded like she said ‘never’ and ‘Gladstone’ and ‘danger.’
“Gladstone?” I said, “Is that a person or a place?”
She put her finger to her mouth in the universal sign for shushing and shut the bathroom door behind me.
I opened the door and peeked out. She wildly shook her head signaling no and shoved me back into the restroom.
I stood inside the restroom, stunned. I could hear footsteps as she walked away. What in the world was that about? Clearly, she didn’t want anyone to hear us, and she didn’t want those two men to see us talking. Her tense demeanor and her message were disturbing. Life or death? Who even says that?
I had so many questions about the ferry. It had been a puzzling mystery to me since I’d arrived. No one would give me any straight answers about the ferry routes, and no books, maps, or signs provided straightforward information. Now I was being invited to meet with the captain at the ferry terminal. But under very unusual and disturbing conditions.
By the time I finished in the restroom, the captain, the helmsmen, and the two other ferry workers had left. Vessie had my tea and oatmeal ready and set up at the table in front of the window. She was waiting on another customer, so I took a seat.
While sipping my chai, I looked out the window at the ferry. They were just loading the morning travelers. People looked normal with their backpacks and rolling suitcases. A line of cars was slowly moving forward and funneling onto the boat. It all seemed so normal. But it wasn’t, was it? Something very weird was going on.
“Good morning!” Vessie gave me a hug, then took the seat across from me. “Enjoying the view?”
“I love it,” I said. “You have the best spot in town. Being on the hill overlooking the harbor, you can see just about everything. And it’s fun to watch the ferry come and go.” I tried to sound nonchalant as I asked, “Where is the ferry going this morning?”
“Hmmm. Have no idea,” she said. “It’s different every day.”
‘Right. I’ve heard that. But it must have regular routes?”
“A few, I guess.”
Geeze. This was like pulling teeth! Everyone in this town was so secretive about the ferry. It made my encounter with the captain that much more suspicious. But it made me more curious, too.
Vessie stood up. “Oops, my cakes are done. Let me run back and check them. Be right back.”
Her cakes. Ha, sure! It was clear she was avoiding my question. It would be better if I knew more about the ferry before meeting the captain, right? I thought I’d make a stop at Olivia’s on my way home. Maybe she could shed some light on this for me. She knew just about everything about Destiny Falls, and she loved to talk.
As I approached Olivia’s home, Hercules came bounding down the stairs and ran over to meet me. He had the longest legs, so when he jumped and ran, he reminded me of a deer. A big, scary deer, with enormous teeth and whip-fast reflexes. Luckily, I was on his friend list. You didn’t want to be this guy’s enemy.
A minute later, Olivia came out her door and waved happily. She enjoyed company and was always up for a chat. Typically, if you warmed
