Page 15 of Is Anyone Listening?
The railing came up to about my waist—high enough to be safe, but low enough that a stumble, a push, a moment of vertigo could possibly send me over. I gripped the wood, feeling the weathered grain under my palms, and tried not to imagine what it would feel like to fall.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
I jumped, spinning around to see Becca's smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's fine. I'm not great with heights." I backed away from the edge. "It's beautiful up here, but a little dizzying."
"When Ellen first asked me to teach out here, I wasn't sure about it," Becca said. "But she was right. There's something about practicing yoga with the ocean view offering a sense of space and possibility that's transformative."
"How long have you been teaching here?"
"About three years. That's when Ellen added a wellness program to the inn's offerings. The classes have become quite popular. Many of the guests who come here are looking for rest and a reset. Does that include you?"
"I could use a reset," I admitted. "I live on the twelfth floor of a high-rise in Manhattan where sirens and noise provide the soundtrack for my life."
"I went to New York once for a week, and I was so ready to come back to Maine for fresh air and peace and quiet."
"It is lovely here." I licked my lips, knowing I needed to talk about more than the view, but I wasn't quite sure how to get started. Finally, I said, "Do you know the woman who was next to me? Anna?"
"She came to a class on Friday," Becca said. "Why do you ask?"
"I saw a lot of bruises on her side, and she seemed…scared. I know it's not my business, but I couldn't help wondering if she was in some kind of trouble."
"She told me Friday that she was looking to start her life over," Becca said. "I hope whatever trouble she may have been in is behind her."
"That's good. I hope that's true."
"How long will you be staying? I have another class tomorrow and also on Wednesday."
"I'm not completely sure. My friend, Tessa, and I are writing a book on historic inns, and we want to include this one, so we're looking for historical information and maybe some old photographs, that kind of thing."
"So, this is a business trip, too."
"It is, but I'll try to fit in your classes as well."
"Great. I'm sure Ellen will love to have this inn included in your book."
I licked my lips, now realizing our lie might trigger others to ask Ellen about our book, and I wondered how long before the lie collapsed under its own weight "We haven't spoken to Ellen about the book yet. We're just starting our research, and we wanted to check out the inn without anyone trying to impress us," I said, searching quickly for a viable story. "But, of course, we'll talk to her once we decide if we're going to use the inn in the book."
"You should definitely do that. She's very protective about the inn's reputation."
Since Becca had opened the door, I decided to walk through it. "We heard there was an incident last year; a woman went missing after staying here. We wondered if that had any impact on the inn's reputation."
"I believe that all happened after she left the inn," Becca said quickly, her expression changing from friendly to guarded.
"Did you meet her? I think her name was Natalie Warren."
"She took one of my classes, but I only said hello and exchanged small talk. She seemed happy enough while she was here. If you want history on the inn and don't want to talk to Ellen yet, you should speak to Margaret at the Stonecross Library. She not only runs the library, but she's also the head of the historical society."
"Thanks for the tip."
"She's probably there today. She works most weekends since her husband died."
"I'm going into town later, so I'll definitely stop in. Thanks."
"Enjoy your stay. And I hope to see you in class again." Becca paused. "I'd give Anna her space. It's kind of you to be concerned about her, but sometimes people who have been hurt just need to be by themselves."
"I understand," I said.
