Maud’s restaurant, the Clamshell, was on the bay side of Commercial. Inside, the wraparound bar was hopping, with Steve Miller’s “The Joker” playing on the sound system. Alvie stood sentry near the front door, holding a clipboard and checking off reservations. She was so busy she didn’t notice Gemma walk in, and Gemma didn’t bother her. She didn’t need to: She spotted Maud behind the bar, shaking a metal cocktail mixer. The crowd in front of the bar was three deep, and Gemma had to bump her way through, getting spilled on in the process.

“Maud!” she called out over the music. “I need to talk to you.”

Maud poured the cocktail into a martini glass. It was pale yellow and she garnished it with a maraschino cherry and a pink umbrella.

“I’m a little busy right now. We can talk back at the house. Wanna drink?”

“This can’t wait,” Gemma said.

Maud hesitated, but then blew a whistle that hung around her neck, summoning another bartender who appeared out of nowhere. She wore a referee shirt, cutoff jean shorts, and a backward Helltown baseball cap. Maud snapped her fingers at Gemma and pointed to the back of the room.

It took her a full minute to reach Maud at a pair of sliding glass doors leading to a deck. She followed Maud outside, past tables and busy servers carrying trays of burgers, crab cakes, and fries. Gemma’s stomach rumbled; she hadn’t eaten before getting on the ferry earlier. It seemed like an entirely different day.

“What’s the emergency?” Maud said when they reached the end of the dock. A fat seagull perched on the railing and looked at them as if they were intruding.

“Celeste broke off her engagement.”

Maud winced. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m surprised.”

Gemma crossed her arms. “Are you really? Surprised, I mean.”

“Yes, of course. Why would you ask that?”

“Because she talks to you about everything—all that astrological stuff. Are you encouraging her to believe in this curse?”

“We’ve discussed it, but I’ve repeatedly told her not to put too much credence in it. I can only tell her what’s in her chart or the cards.”

Gemma reached out and touched her arm. “Maud, this is serious. Jack’s a great guy. He loves her. They belong together, and now she’s freaking out and messing it up. As her friend, you need to help her.”

Maud nodded. “Of course I want to help her. I’m just not sure how. Do you know what happened?”

“Elodie told her our family’s famous diamond—the one Celeste is convinced is cursed—was sold. But then we learned that it had been broken up into smaller stones instead, and one of those smaller diamond pieces is still in the family.” The whole thing sounded insane when Gemma said it aloud.