“It’s a grown-up kind of toy,” Letty said. “Sort of like a float. Sweetie, why don’t you go into the supply room and get the stapler and some more Scotch tape so you can make another book?”

“Sorry,” Ava said, as Maya went in search of more supplies. “I forgot about little pitchers having big ears.”

“It’s okay,” Letty said. “What did you say then?”

Ava wrinkled her nose. “I could tell they were both high as kites, so I threatened to call the cops, and report them for public indecency. And then I told them they better clear out of my motel first thing in the morning.”

“Oh my,” Letty said.

“I hate to put his on you, hon, but with the Carlisles coming in, we’re going to need to turn that room fast today. If they’re not out of there on the dot of ten, I want you to call Joe on his cell.”

“Is that really necessary?” Letty asked. “I don’t mind knocking on their door and politely telling them it’s checkout time.”

“Absolutely not,” Ava said, her voice firm. “There’s no telling how those two dope fiends would react to you. Just call Joe. I’ll let him know what the situation is. But in the meantime, I better scoot.”

The next hour dragged by. She fielded phone calls from prospective guests asking for room availability and telemarketers, delivered additional towels to the Mitchells, and accepted what looked like a mountain of packages from UPS for Arlene Finocchia. Every fifteen minutes she got up from the reception desk to peer across the courtyard at unit 2, but there was no change in status.

At ten after ten, Oscar Jensen and Merwin Maples marched into the office. “Ava!” Oscar hollered, looking right past Letty. “Where are you?”

“Not here,” Letty said, leaning forward on the counter. “What do you need, Oscar?”

“Need to talk to Ava,” he growled. “When will she be back?”

“I’m not sure, but I can tell her you’d like to speak to her when she returns.”

“Not good enough,” Merwin said. “We’ve got a crisis brewing. The sooner we get this thing settled, the better off we’ll all be.”

“Crisis?”

“At the shuffleboard court,” Oscar said, pointing out the window. His finger shook with barely suppressed rage. “Those women!”

Letty walked around the desk and joined him at the window. The shuffleboard court was on the south side of the pool enclosure. From where she stood she was barely able to spot two figures, one in a pink sun visor, the other in a floppy white sun hat, standing at opposite ends of the court.

“Is that a problem? Are they Murmuring Surf guests?”