The Writer (10 page)

And then Adele saw something most unexpected.

It was a fully grown camel standing inside a fenced field, watching the cars as they passed by.

“Was that a…?”

Suze’s head fell backward against the car seat as she laughed at her driving companion’s disbelief.

“Your eyes ain’t lying, young lady. That there is our resident camel, Millie. She’s been here almost ten years now. You should see all the Asian tourists when they see her! They point and shout, and out come the cameras!”

Suze appeared capable of driving her Honda from Friday Harbor to Roche Harbor blindfolded. She turned, braked, and accelerated with practiced ease, having navigated the stretch of road thousands of times over the years.

“The grass looks so dry out here, even in the spring.”

Suze nodded her head.

“Lot of folks don’t realize how much less rain we get than say, Seattle or Bellingham. I’ve heard it called the rain shadow, or the Sunbelt, but I just prefer to think of it as a place that has a lot of nice weather. What clouds do roll in don’t tend to stay long. And the winter months bring the storm watchers who love to sit inside a beachfront cabin with a nice cup of coffee or glass of wine and watch the wind, lightning, and sea put on spectacular performances.”

A single brown rabbit darted across the road. Suze pointed the car to the left, corrected quickly and returned to her lane as if the effort was as natural to her as breathing.

“Lots of those critters around here! Keeps the hawks, eagles and foxes well fed, I’ll tell you that! When I was a girl, men would come from all over the mainland to hunt them. We had thousands and thousands of those rabbits running around all over this island.”

“Yeah, but a camel?”

Suze laughed again.

“Hey, I’m not rich by a long shot, but if I were, and could live anywhere in the world, this would be the place I’d choose. The water, the fields, and the people! Oh my goodness, the people! We’re an interesting bunch, that’s for sure. And along with all the natural beauty, there’s a mystery to the islands. You feel it in your bones. Over the years I’ve watched so many different faces get off those ferries and look around and then just shake their heads because they can’t believe how beautiful and different these islands truly are. We have the water, the rocks, the trees, the tall grasses, and even some places in the interior that look like a kind of desert. It’s as if God shook the paint brush and then looked down at a perfectly wonderful and contradictory result, and just let it all be.”

Adele turned her head slightly to the left to glance at Suze who appeared completely unaware just how profound her words were.

“You did it again.”

Suze’s brow furrowed slightly as she looked over at Adele.

“Did what?”

“Said something I might end up using in my article.”

Suze rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Stop it. You’re just being nice. Hey, look down there.”

Adele was greeted by a glimpse of shimmering blue water and the metallic glimmer of rows of sailboat masts peeking out from between clusters of tall evergreen trees. The little car followed the considerable descent of the narrow, paved road and then Adele’s eyes widened at the postcard-like image that was laid out before her.

It was the Roche Harbor resort in all its seemingly timeless, Victorian-era glory.

“I’ll drop you off in front of the General Store. Just head on down the main dock until you come to E-Dock on the left and it’s just a short walk from there to Slip 22. Delroy is already expecting you, so as I said earlier, just ring the bell and he’ll be right on out. Oh, and remember that if you still want to try and speak with Tilda at the hotel, you’ll want to see Phillip first. He’s usually somewhere around the front desk during regular business hours.”

Adele let herself out of the passenger seat and then turned around to see Suze already walking toward her with outstretched arms.

“Now you come here and give this old woman a hug! This made for a bit of excitement and I’m always up for some of that when I can get it!”

After the brief hug, Adele gave Suze a grateful smile.

“Thank you so much for all the information and the ride here. I’ll be sure to stop in and say hello the next time I’m in Friday Harbor.”

Suze wagged her right finger at the college student.

“You
better
do that! And make sure to take some time to enjoy this place. It really is very special. I’m sure Delroy will help with that. He’s, uh, a very interesting man.”

Adele stayed to watch Suze drive away. The older woman honked the car’s horn just before the vehicle disappeared behind the trees. Adele turned around to take in more completely the expansive property that was Roche Harbor. A red-bricked path led to a long walkway covered by flowering vines and at the other end of that path Adele arrived at the hub of the harbor community. To her right was a large two-story restaurant painted white with green trim which was the identical color of the other original buildings that dominated the resort facility. A large outdoor eating space overlooked the pristine marina waters below.

It’s like a postcard come to life.

On Adele’s left was an even larger white and green-trimmed building that housed a food and supplies store and another restaurant, while directly in front of her was the large wood-framed dock that led to the marina facility below. Several luxury yachts dominated the slip spaces, some of which Adele estimated to be valued at several million dollars. There were smaller boats as well, lending the place an interesting mix of those with great wealth and those of much more humble means who simply enjoyed spending whatever time they could on the water.

The summer crowds were still a month away, so many of the marina’s slips were vacant, and the assorted docks and walkways were not nearly as crowded as they would soon be. Adele used her phone to take several photos and then remembered she hadn’t yet located the hotel. Only after turning all the way back around did she discover it looming directly behind her on the other side of the covered walk path. Like the other Roche Harbor buildings, it too was white and green, and had a second-floor balcony that extended the entire front length of the structure. It reminded Adele of something out of an American western film from the 1950s. The hotel, though having maintained its original rustic nature, was also a majestic thing that was an undeniable reminder of the area’s storied, nineteenth-century history.

Adele took a deep breath and was delighted to be greeted by the multiple scents of freshly bloomed flowers, saltwater, and the mouth-watering aroma of food cooking inside the nearby restaurants.

I’m starving!

A short walk on a path took Adele to the small dockside restaurant she had spotted earlier. She marveled at how meticulously clean the surroundings were, from the red bricks to the wood docks, and the gorgeous hanging baskets of flowers in the midst of their spring awakening. She walked up to the counter at the restaurant and was greeted by a smiling, middle-aged man dressed in a white golf shirt, blue jeans, and a red baseball cap from which a long brown ponytail protruded. His longish face was lightly covered with salt-and-pepper whiskers and a pair of round, thick glasses behind which a pair of dark brown eyes resided.

“Hey there, get you something?”

The man’s voice was high-pitched, yet friendly.

“What do you recommend? This is my first time here.”

The man folded his arms and looked Adele up and down.

“Hmmm, you look like a fish and chips type to me. We make ‘em right.”

Adele gave a quick nod.

“That sounds great, thank you.”

The man pointed to the tables and chairs in the restaurant’s interior.

“You can take a spot in here or sit at one of the tables outside and I’ll bring it to you.”

Adele nodded again and looked around the restaurant while the man disappeared into the kitchen. The stained-wood walls were covered in black-and-white photographs, depicting areas around the San Juan Islands. Many were of sailboats and their owners from prior decades who had once called the islands their home.

And then Adele stopped with eyes wide in front of an image located just inside the entrance. It showed Decklan and Calista Stone smiling as they stood in front of the restaurant. Decklan was dressed in a dark suit and tie and Calista was in a flowing satin dress, high heel shoes with her hair tied in a bun at the top of her head. Just below the image, almost hidden by the frame, was a brief bit of dark-ink handwriting:

4
^th
of July Ball, Mr. and Mrs. Stone of New York

Adele withdrew her camera from the back pocket of her jeans and quickly snapped a picture of the photograph.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Adele turned around and saw the man looking back at her while holding a plated BLT sandwich in his left hand.

“Uh, this picture here, do you know the couple?”

“I know
of
them, sure, but I don’t
know
them. That’s an old picture that came with the place when I bought it. Why do you ask?”

“I’m doing an interview with the man in the photo, Decklan Stone.”

The restaurant owner’s eyes widened behind his glasses as he suddenly looked upon Adele with newfound respect.

“Really? You’ve actually met him, the writer?”

Adelle nodded.

“Yeah.”

The man walked toward the entrance door and pointed to a picnic table located in a neatly mowed grass area outside.

“You mind if we sit down out there? The BLT is my treat, no charge. I’m almost out of fish so had to go with something else for you. Hope that was OK.”

Adele’s stomach growled at the prospect of a free meal. She happily accepted the offer.

“Sure, you lead the way.”

A moment later Adele was biting into the most delicious bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich she had ever tasted. The toasted dark rye bread was an especially nice touch.

“This is so
good
!”

The man smiled, pleased by the compliment.

“My name is Bill, by the way. Bill Baldwin.”

Adele swallowed the last of the first half of her BLT, and then issued a quick grin.

“Nice to meet you, Bill. My name is Adele.”

Bill shifted atop the wood bench on his side of the picnic table and paused for a few nervous seconds before proceeding.

“So, do you mind telling me what he’s like? I ask because, well, his book,
Manitoba
, it was pretty important to me when I was a young guy struggling to make it to the next day and the story just, it just, uh, it really spoke to me, you know? That picture you were looking at inside my place was one of the reasons I risked everything to buy the business. It was like fate, right? I came here for some downtime and there was Decklan Stone looking at me from his place on that wall. I had a small inheritance after my mom died, had a little chef training from some schooling I took years earlier, and the place had a ‘For Sale’ sign and so I thought, why not? Six years later and I’m still here. I’ve been told he lives on a little island of his over in Orcas. And people have said he used to come over here to Roche all the time, but he hasn’t walked into my restaurant yet. I pretty much gave up hope of that ever happening, but now here you are, someone who has actually met the guy.”

Adele swallowed the very last of the BLT, smiled and shrugged.

“Here I am!”

Bill chuckled, and then another somewhat awkward moment of silence ensued before Adele’s voice intervened.

“You sure I can’t pay for the meal?”

Bill waved away the offer.

“No, but maybe, uh…”

Bill’s voice faded into silence as he struggled to proceed.

“I was wondering if you could take my copy of
Manitoba
with you and have him sign it.”

“That’s it?”

Bill issued a soft grunt.

“Well for me that would be quite a lot, actually.”

Adele reached across the picnic table with her right hand.

“You got a deal. It’s the least I can do for the free meal, right?”

Bill shook Adele’s hand slowly and then leaned forward over the table.

“You think he won’t mind?”

Adele withdrew her hand and then shook her head.

“I don’t think so. He seems like a pretty nice guy, actually. Quiet, considerate, has that whole mysterious author, hermit-thing going for him.”

Bill grunted again.

“Yeah? Wow, that sounds so cool. Wait here, I’ll be right back with the book.”

Adele watched Bill half run back inside the restaurant and then turned her attention to the rows of flags lined up alongside the wood-planked boardwalk. The flags fluttered in the soft breeze sweeping across the harbor. Each one represented a different country. She recalled reading online about how the resort would do an elaborate lowering of the flag ceremony at the end of the day during the summer months which included the national anthems of the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. This was followed by raucous cannon fire just as they would have done a century earlier. She hoped to be back during the summer months to witness the ceremony in person.

“Here you go.”

Bill handed her his hardcover version of
Manitoba.

“I’ll have him sign it the next time I see him, which should be tomorrow.”

Bill’s head nodded several times like a cheap plastic, bobble-head doll.

“That would be great, man, just great! So, who are you going to see now, someone around here?”

“Yeah, a guy who lives on a sailboat. And then later I’m hoping to get some time with the owner of the hotel.”

Bill’s mouth tightened into an almost-grimace.

“You mean, Tilda?”

Adele noted that the restaurant owner’s reaction to Tilda was even more negative than Suze’s had been.

“Yes. You seem to think that’ll be a problem.”

Bill let out a low whistle and glanced behind him to make certain no-one was nearby.

“I don’t like to talk about someone who isn’t here to defend themselves, but it’s no secret around here that that woman is crazy. I’m talking
all out crazy
. Last time I saw her was about six months ago at our monthly merchants meeting. That’s when the Roche business owners get together to discuss things like trash collection, painting the storefronts, just little stuff like that. So Tilda shows up at the meeting acting weird, making accusations, saying we’re all in on the cover up. I was clueless as to what she was talking about, so had to ask around after she left. Nobody wanted to say anything, or they were like me and had no idea what she was talking about. All I
do
know is that woman reeked of alcohol, had this look in her eyes like she was ready to kill every one of us at the meeting, and then she just stood up and left, cursing us out the entire time. We could still hear her even when she was walking outside, screaming about the cover-up that was going on.”