“Kezi was pleased to hear about our request and will meet with Gwen and me at two thirty on Monday,” reported Stella. “If everyone brings their designs to Mary Beth by ten o’clock on Monday morning, Gwen and I will show them all to Kezi and write down any comments or suggestions she has.”
“Stella—and Gwen, too, of course—thank you for being our ambassadors,” said Mary Beth. “Alice and Annie, thank you for bringing up your concerns. I truly do think this will end up being our most interesting Harvest on the Harbor sale yet. I think we can call this meeting adjourned.”
“And I call myself gone,” said Peggy. “Back to the diner for me. Bye, everyone!” She waved her manicured fingers at her friends and swept out the door.
“I’m off to party,” said Alice. “Divine Décor party, that is.” She lifted a plastic bag to show Annie. “Have heels, will party.”
“Better you than me.” Annie laughed. “You’ve obviously recuperated from last night.”
“I’m not even going to tell you what time I rolled out of bed this morning.”
“I should have sent Boots home with you. She woke me up at sunrise, the stinker.” Annie waited for Alice as she exchanged her comfortable flats for heels and then walked with her toward the door. The two friends parted on the sidewalk, one to work in someone else’s home and one to work in her own.
Before Annie reached her Malibu she heard her name being called. Turning around, she saw Ian across the street waiting for a car to pass. His schnauzer Tartan stood leashed beside him. “Hi, Ian! Hi, Tartan!” The street clear again, the two trotted over to her.
“Are you enjoying your Saturday, Annie?” Ian asked.
“Yes, I am.” Annie gave Tartan a soft scratch around the top of his head and under his chin. Standard size for his breed, Tartan was no shorty. He stepped closer to Annie and nudged her for more attention, almost knocking her off balance.
“Hey, watch it, buddy.” Ian tightened the slack of the leash a bit. “I’m sorry; it’s clear he hasn’t been getting enough attention with all the evening budget meetings this week. We’re going to have a nice long romp on the beach this afternoon.”
“It sounds like both of you will enjoy stretching your legs.” Annie smiled. “Even public servants need a romp once in a while, I think. Maybe even more than most folks.”
“You could be right. We should put it on the official agenda. Don’t be surprised if you see the whole budget committee strolling along the beach some day.” Ian smiled down into Annie’s eyes. “Hey, how did your visit with Cecil go?”
“It was wonderful. When you suggested I talk with Cecil, did you know he was friends with my grandparents?”
Ian thought for a moment, running his hand over Tartan’s wiry coat. “The day I suggested you visit Cecil, I was just thinking about Cecil’s heritage, and how easy it always is to talk with him. But now that you mention it, I do remember taking our family dog to Dr. Holden when I was a teenager, and Cecil was assisting in the office that day. I’d totally forgotten about that.”
“Well, it was a few years ago.” Annie grinned. “And you’re right, Cecil is very easy to talk with. Though he didn’t recognize the things from the attic, he confirmed what I learned at the Abbe Museum and gave me a suggestion that I’m hoping will bring us closer to solving this mystery. We’re going to visit again, and I’m looking forward to hearing more about his friendship with Grandpa and Gram.”
“That’s the kind of results we public servants like to hear.” Ian reined Tartan in as the dog started to wander too close to the street. “And friends like it even more. I’m thankful Todd reacquainted me with Cecil several years ago, or I would not have remembered to suggest him to you. And I would have lost out on many excellent conversations as well.” He took a quick step forward, off balance, as Tartan suddenly lunged at a bird that lighted on the back of a bench. “Whoa, boy!”
“Looks like Tartan really needs that romp.” Annie chuckled. “Thanks again for your help, Ian.”
“It’s my pleasure, Annie,” said Ian. “Let me know if Cecil’s suggestion brings anything interesting into the mix.”
“I will.” Annie reached over to give Tartan a quick pat before parting. “Enjoy your romp!”
She watched the two as they moved along the sidewalk toward the beach. They almost made her want to add a dog to her household. Wouldn’t Boots just love that! Annie thought as she opened the door of her car to head home and put her sea urchin design down on paper.