Footprints in the Sand Read Free Page A

said. “Look at the intricate workmanship.”
    “It is, isn’t it? We used to have another one, a companion piece with sea turtles, but it was stolen,” said Kathy. “Actually, we’ve had a number of thefts in the last few months.”

Chapter 4
    C ryder Robbins, M.D., smiled with satisfaction as he straightened the row of small ivory figurines on his desk. He had quite a collection of netsuke now, begun when he’d first traveled to Japan some years ago and continued ever since. He was interested only in the ones made before ivory from elephants became illegal. Netsuke cut from woven cane, lacquered wood, clay, or nutshells held no excitement for him.
    Cryder picked up the carved figure of Hotei, the legendary god of happiness and abundance, and rubbed its fat, round belly. It was the first netsuke he’d bought, paying just a few hundred dollars for it. And it certainly had brought him good luck. His medical practice was thriving, so much so that he could well afford to pay for more valuable figurines now. Depending on rarity, artistry, and age, there were netsuke for which Cryder was willing to pay thousands.
    Turning to his computer, he entered the Internet address for the Web site of his favorite netsuke gallery. He had his eye on a full-moon rabbit, carved in a perfect sphere and signed by the artist over three hundred years ago. In Asian folklore, female rabbits conceive through the touch of the full moon’s light, or by crossing water by moonlight, or by licking moonlight from a male rabbit’s fur. Often weary of the scientific nature of his profession, Cryder was drawn to the whimsy captured in these prized figurines.
    The dealer wanted sixteen thousand dollars for the full-moon rabbit. Cryder was admiring the image and considering whether he should go for it when there was a knock on the office door.
    “Come in,” he called, clicking to make the computer screen go blank.
    His wife poked her head into the office. “Busy morning,” she said, smiling brightly as she walked in and took a seat in the chair across the desk. Small and trim from her careful diet and morning walks on the beach, she sat up straight.
    “Yes, Umiko,” he said. “Very productive.” He scratched the deep cleft in his chin, the one Umiko said made him look like Michael Douglas.
    “Your next appointment isn’t until two o’clock. Want to go out and have lunch?” she asked.
    He loved Umiko, and even though it had been his idea, having her work as his receptionist could get to be too much. Sometimes he felt stifled by the excessive togetherness. But Umiko had been loyal to him all these years, and he trusted her implicitly.
    “Sure,” he said, standing up and shedding his lab coat. “Where do you want to go?”
    “Someplace where we can get something light,” said Umiko as she pushed a strand of jet-black hair behind her ear. “We have dinner at Nora Leeds’s tonight, and I know she’ll go all out.”
    Cryder’s tanned brow furrowed as he let out a deep sigh. “The dinner and that cruise and the Jungle Gardens trip—we’re expected to do all that and then go to the wedding and reception, too? It’s a bit much, Umiko, isn’t it?”
    “It is an honor to be invited, Cryder,” Umiko said softly. “It would be disrespectful not to attend.”

Chapter 5
    O nce Terri and Vin were settled in their soothing, aquatic-themed room, Kathy escorted Piper to hers. Piper towered over her cousin as they walked down the long corridor to the very end of the building.
    “The room is smaller than your parents’, but it’s my favorite,” said Kathy as she opened the door.
    “This is great,” Piper said enthusiastically, looking inside. A queen-size bed covered with fluffy white pillows and a down comforter dominated the space. A large flat-screen TV hung on the opposite wall. An upholstered chair and a small desk sat at the side. Tucked into an alcove at the rear of the room were a closet and a chest of drawers.
    Piper walked