Page 63 of Echoes at Driftwood Cottage

“Used as second homes no doubt.”

“Or third or fourth.”

“Wait a minute. Where have I heard that name before? It sounds vaguely familiar.”

“Silicon Valley? Everybody refers to the area from San Jose to Redwood City as that.”

“No. I mean Celestial Moon. Wasn’t that the ship that went down in the storm during Christmas 1999? The clippings Gran kept.”

“Oh. Yeah. The Celestial Moon, the forty-four-foot sailboat. You’re right. That can’t be a coincidence. But what’s the connection? What’s a sailboat got to do with a commune?”

“I don’t know. This whole thing is starting to give me a headache.”

“Or a major pain in the butt.”

Rowan decided she was sick of talking about her drama. “When’s the last time you talked to the guy living in Portland? You know, the one who’s your uncle and not your father.”

Daniel snapped the lid closed on the laptop and set it back on the nightstand. He let his head fall back on the pillow. “At least a year ago.”

“Why that long?”

“Because he’s been involved with his own life. He’s not interested in talking to me.”

“How do you know that?”

“He said so. He didn’t approve of me leaving my high-paying job in the tech industry. He thought it was foolish for me to open up an ice cream store. We haven’t spoken since.”

Rowan let out a sigh. “Will you be able to sleep better tonight knowing the truth?”

“I don’t know. I feel deceived like my whole life has been a lie. Would it have hurt for the adults to tell me the truth when I reached adulthood? Uncle Bobby could’ve come clean at any time before he died. He could’ve told me when he bought me my first car. But he chose not to. Everybody chose to keep the secret. That’s so wrong. Which is why I understand how betrayed you must be feeling right now.”

“You’re probably the only person who does. I’m having trouble calling them my grandparents. I never felt close to Gwynn because it always seemed as though we never made a connection. Now I know why. So many little things make sense. But it hurts my brain to think about Jim and Lynette murdering anyone. They seemed so normal. Granddad always included me in anything he did. I used to follow him around the garden. It might be my first memory. Other than almost drowning.”

“About that. What do you remember most about the incident? What did it feel like?”

“Panic about not being able to see the surface.”

“Were there waves? Was it ocean water or maybe a lake?”

“Good question. I’m not sure. All I know is that I was in way over my head. I kept trying to scream but no one heard me.” Rowan sat up straighter, uncurling her legs. “Concrete. I remember hitting my head on the concrete. I saw blood in the water.”

“And smelled chlorine?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“It sounds like you were in a pool and not on the ocean. Maybe you are the kid the British woman tried to save.”

“I wish I knew. Do you think there’s any way to ever find out for sure?”

“If Eastlyn and Brent don’t find out anything, we’ll take a trip up to Redwood City and ask around, ask about this Celestial Moon Commune while we’re there.”

“Okay. It’s a deal. But I realize that would require closing the shop or hiring someone to take care of things. And don’t suggest your grandmother do it all by herself when she gets here. That’s not fair to her. We can’t jump in the car and leave her alone when she’s here for a nice visit.”

“I could close the shop for a few days,” Daniel offered. “It wouldn’t hurt to close early on a Saturday and reopen on Monday at noon.”

“Let’s not argue about it now. Besides, let’s see what Brent discovers first before we take off on a wild goose chase. It’s been twenty-four years. The answers won’t come easy, especially if the same people are no longer around Redwood City, Half Moon Bay, or this commune. What are the chances we’d find answers at this late date? Jim and Lynette are gone. Gwynn’s knocking on death’s door. How many people would you expect from those days to still be around and willing to talk?”

“That could be a problem. We need to find someone who knows something about the commune. We just need to take a trip up there and ask around, take Gwynn’s picture with us, and see if anyone remembers her around November 1999. It might jog someone’s memory.”

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