Closing the door, she returned to her room. She opened the little bag of pot she’d stolen from Nick and expertly rolled herself a joint. It was better than the one he’d made for them last night, and she lit it with a feeling of accomplishment and superiority. She allowed herself to smoke half of it before stubbing it out and putting the remainder back in the bag. She felt light, but not out of it.

Her shower was a delight. She luxuriated in the hot water, soaping her skin and removing the traces of the previous night, knowing that they could be reapplied at any time if she so chose. Then she washed her hair, twice, deciding that she would let it dry naturally so that the curl was tighter.

By the time she was dressed in shorts and a tank top, she was ravenous. Returning to the kitchen, she picked up the money from the table, tucked it into her pocket, and walked out into the morning sunshine. Already the children, by now familiar to her, were playing at some silly game, one of them wearing a towel as a cape and, on her head, a plastic tiara. They stared at Caddie as she walked past them, and she rewarded them with a little wave.

In the bright light of day, the town held no more appeal for her than it had in the more flattering illumination of evening. If anything, it was uglier, the sun revealing the faded, worn faces of the buildings and making her squint unattractively. She wished she’d brought her sunglasses, and made a mental note to pick some up as quickly as possible.

At ten in the morning, Johnny’s Pizza was already a hive of activity, which at first surprised Caddie until she realized that in addition to pizza, the shop also sold doughnuts. Judging from the steady stream of customers entering and leaving, they did a brisk business. As she passed the shop’s front window she glanced inside, looking for Nick.

He was behind the counter, wearing the same apron as the day before over a new T-shirt. She thought about going in, then decided against it. She didn’t want him to get his hopes up. Better to let him wonder if he would really ever see her again. Walking quickly past the restaurant, she kept going.

She got breakfast at Denny’s, wolfing down an order of pancakes and bacon, surprised at her hunger. When finally she felt full, and not a little sick, she paid using one of the twenties and then walked half a block to a drugstore, where she purchased a pair of cheap sunglasses and a bottle of Diet Coke.

Back outside, she had no idea what to do next, and so found herself wandering along with the crowd of tourists that seemed to grow thicker as she followed signs pointing toward Cannery Row. What, she wondered, drew so many people there? What could possibly be so exciting?