Eye of the Beholder

with the Dimensions Institute crowd.
    Then he thought about the fact that there had been another item of jewelry missing from her hand. A wedding ring.
    The disturbing sense of awareness that had whispered through him that afternoon at the Point returned.
    The skinny teenager with the big, anxious eyes had grown up. She'd been scared to death of him that night twelve years ago, but she'd hung on to the phone and ordered him out of Kenyon's house with a gutsy determination that he had never forgotten.
    Thanks to the private investigator he had hired a few months ago, he now had a name to go with the face.
    Alexa Chambers.
    What the hell was she doing trying to sneak into his reception?

6

    "I think that does it for Avalon Plaza 's segment of the Gallery Walk." Alexa put down her pen and picked up her tea. "Anything else?"
    "I don't think so." Foster Radstone's distinctive Dimensions bracelet, a unique, intricate design rendered in turquoise and silver, glinted when he reached for his own tea. "I don't see any major conflicts. Things won't really get into high gear at the Institute until after eight on Saturday night. Plenty of time for stragglers to drive out there to hear Webster speak and to see the fireworks."
    "Is parking going to be a problem at the Institute?" Seated on the other side of the small Cafe Solstice table, Alexa closed the binder that contained her copies of the Avalon Spring Festival committee notes. "The officials are all saying that there will be more people in town for festival weekend this year than ever before."
    Foster was unfazed. "We'll manage. Plenty of room outside the gates for the overflow."
    The green awning that overhung the cafe's outdoor terrace reflected the warmth of the sun. It was getting late in the day. The lunch crowd had thinned out. It had been replaced by Avalon Plaza shoppers seeking a reviving cup of one of the many tea blends that were specially concocted by Stewart Lutton , the owner of Cafe Solstice.
    Alexa searched for an excuse to return to Elegant Relic. She did not relish the frequent meetings with Foster that had been required by her duties on the festival committee. She had not been keen on volunteering for the job in the first place, but her mother and Lloyd had talked her into it.
    "A good way to expand your circle of friends," Vivien had said.
    "Great for making business contacts," Lloyd had added.
    Alexa knew full well that what they'd both meant was that she might meet someone of the male persuasion and get herself a real, live date.
    Instead, she had wound up spending far too much time with Foster Radstone , the financial guru of the Dimensions Institute.
    Who could have foreseen that she would be forced to meet regularly with the only man in Avalon whom she actually had dated since her return?
    This experience would teach her to volunteer, she thought grimly.
    Business concluded, Foster lounged back in the spindly little metal chair and propped one ankle on the opposite knee. He showed no signs of preparing to rush off to meet one-on-one with the other committee members who were scattered around town.
    Instead he looked ready to spend the rest of the afternoon under Cafe Solstice's awning.
    "Everything all set for the psychic fair?" Alexa asked, more for something to say than because she was genuinely interested.
    The fair, with its colorful collection of self-proclaimed psychics, crystal analyzers, aura readers, channelers , and mediums, was a popular part of the festival. Every year it drew thousands to the grounds of the Dimensions Institute, which provided space for the event.
    "We'll have twice as many booths this year as last," Foster said with complacent satisfaction. "Webster is pleased."
    Alexa did not doubt that. As far as the Institute was concerned, anyone who attended the fair was a potential customer for one or more of its seminars. For all its metaphysical pretensions, Dimensions was, at its core, a business. The Institute had been Avalon's largest employer for years. When the new resort opened, Dimensions would take second place. "Next year the committee had better think about using shuttle buses to handle some of the traffic between downtown and the Institute," Alexa said.
    Foster gave her an approving smile. "You're absolutely right. Next year's committee will have to consider the idea."
    Alexa knew that she was supposed to feel warmed by Foster's approving smile. But for some reason it made her want to grind her teeth.
    "Well, here's to