“Thanks, I’ll let you know.” Ivy would make a note of that. It was good to know the project had community support.
Hallie and her husband had come here after losing everything in a hurricane in Houston. They opened Oceanview Cafe last year. Hallie specialized in California and Pacific Rim fusion recipes, which meant plenty of mango, curry, avocados, and fresh fish. She bought her seafood every morning from family-owned fishing vessels.
The clatter of dishes inside the cafe punctuated the rhythmic sound of waves, and the aroma of simmering lunch specials floated outside. Ivy sat at her favorite table on the patio and opened her notebook.
The mid-morning lull between breakfast and lunch meant she often had the outdoor space to herself, so she could make phone calls with few interruptions. While she liked Java Beach, it was always busy with little privacy. That’s where Shelly, Poppy, and Libby were right now.
Having quiet time to think was a small mercy after days of endless construction noise at the inn. However, she still checked in with Reed to see if he had questions.
“Here you are,” Hallie said, serving her a cup and leaving the thermal coffee carafe on the table. “Stay as long as you like. It’s nice to have your company.”
Ivy poured a little cream into her coffee. “Do you have any tables open tonight?”
“For you, of course. How many in your party?”
“Just the two of us. It’s date night.” Ivy decided on a time, and Hallie made a note of it before returning to the kitchen.
As Ivy gazed out at the sapphire expanse of the Pacific Ocean, her mind returned to the possibility of a dormant Swiss bank account. She couldn’t shake the thought, despite the trustee’s skepticism. She would have to determine if an account existedand then try to prove if Amelia or her father intended to direct those funds to a library.
That was asking a lot.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was supposed to follow this thread, however tenuous it might seem. She needed a healthy dose of luck, of synchronicity.
As she thought about this, she doodled, sketching clovers in her notebook. Four leaves, for luck.
Who would know about Swiss banking laws? Or dormant accounts from years past? She sketched a bank building with a question mark on its façade. There must be someone who could help navigate this foreign landscape.
Just then, a seagull swooped down to perch on the patio railing. The bird cocked its head and stared at her as if delivering a message.
Ivy stared back and picked up her pencil to sketch the white bird. Mariners often believed gulls were harbingers of good news; likely they were weary sailors looking for land. Others believed the birds embodied the spirits of their fellow adventurers soaring over the seas.
After a while, the seagull lifted off, spreading its impressive wings.
If that bird had meant to deliver a message, she hadn’t received it yet.
She returned to her notebook, flipping through pages of notes about the renovation, book festival plans, and now this mystery. Her thoughts drifted to the people she knew with international connections.
Suddenly, she sat up straighter.
“Raquel,” she murmured, reaching for her phone. “Of course.”
During their honeymoon trip to Mallorca, Ivy and Bennett befriended Raquel and her brother Carlos. As it turned out,their grandfather had worked alongside Amelia’s father during the war. They were part of the network that had saved countless artworks from Nazi destruction. If anyone might have insight into European banking from that era, it would be someone with connections to that world.
Ivy checked the time. It would be evening in Mallorca, but she remembered that Raquel and her family typically ate dinner late, often not until nine or ten at night.
Worth a try,she thought.
She scrolled through her contacts until she found Raquel’s number, and after a moment’s hesitation, she pressed dial. The international ringtone sounded strange and distant.
“¿Diga?”came Raquel’s voice, warm and musical even in a single word.
“Raquel? It’s Ivy from Summer Beach, California,” Ivy said, refreshing her memory.
“Ivy, what a wonderful surprise. How are you,mi amiga?” Raquel’s delight carried across the thousands of miles separating them. “I hope you’re planning another visit.”
“I’m well, and I wish we could say hello in person, but Bennett and I are in the midst of a major renovation at the inn.” Ivy relaxed at the genuine warmth in Raquel’s voice.
“Oh yes, the beautiful old beach house by the sea. How is it coming along?”
