Several minutes later, Maggie arrived at the flower stall, trying not to trip over the caftan. It was a bit long on her, but she had put on wedge sandals to help make up the difference in height between her and Alexis.
Maggie was a little easier to recognize. The freckles with the black wig seemed incongruous, but Alexis had covered most of them up with some stage makeup. Maggie didn’t quite look “Goth,” not with her pale skin and black wig, but the fake tattoos made her borderline. Yoko greeted her with, “Good morning. Looking for anything special today?”
“Nah. I’m waiting for something to jump out at me,” Maggie replied. “I’m trying to do a Zen kind of thing.”
One of the other workers had been standing nearby and chimed in. “If you’re into that kind of stuff, there are a bunch of ... I don’t know what you’d call them ... but they sell incense and junk like that.”
“Oh really? Where?” Maggie looked around.
“About five stalls down to your right. You can’t miss the smell.” The worker made a facial expression that said, “weirdos.”
“Thanks. I’ll check ’em out.” Maggie turned to Yoko. “Do you think you could save me a couple of those orangey-looking things?”
“You mean birds of paradise?” Yoko pointed.
“Yeah. I don’t want to be carrying them around.”
“Certainly. We’ll be here until four o’clock.”
“Thanks!” Maggie turned on her wedged heel and strolled toward The Haven’s group of stalls. The smell of patchouli almost knocked her over. She scanned the first booth, hoping to spot Gabby. Nothing. A young woman approached Maggie. “Hi, I’m Cassie.”
Maggie was expecting some kind of sales pitch but got none.
“Hi, I’m Melissa.” Maggie used one of her pseudonyms. “Wow, that incense is certainly intense.”
“It’s actually resins,” Cassie explained. “We make them at The Haven.” She waved her arm, indicating all the items on sale. “In fact, we make pretty much everything you see.”
“Really?” Maggie pretended to be intrigued. “Do you do it together?”
“Some raise the vegetables we sell at the far booth; the beekeepers make the honey; and we have an art cottage where most of the other things are made.”
“We? Is it a club?” Maggie wanted to sound totally uninformed.
“Oh no. We are members of The Haven,” Cassie offered.
“The Haven?” Maggie queried.
“Yes. It’s a spiritual retreat.”
“Spiritual retreat? Sounds interesting. I’ve read some of Deepak Chopra’s stuff, but I never really got into it, if you know what I mean.”
“Yes, learning and understanding a different philosophy can be challenging. Deepak is very good about explaining it in Western terms. We’ve been taught several of his ideals. Liam, our Master, is very fond of his writings, as well as ...” She was about to continue with a list of philosophers when Maggie interrupted her.
“Liam? Master?” Maggie leaned closer to Cassie.
“Liam is the Master teacher at The Haven. He started it several years ago. He’s helped many people get another chance at life.”
“Wow. That sounds pretty heavy.” Maggie relaxed her stance, hoping to get more information.
“Yeah. I was in a bad way when I heard Liam speaking at a park outside of Kendall. He made me feel like my life was important.”
“Seriously?” Maggie sounded casual enough to solicit an affirmative answer.
“For sure. I had lost my job and was sleeping on the couch at my brother and sister-in-law’s tiny apartment. I felt like I had no purpose, but now I am happy to get up every day,” Cassie said wistfully, as if she were recalling a dream.
“That’s beautiful.” Maggie looked into Cassie’s blank stare.
“Sometimes I feel like I have no path. Ya know what I mean, right?” Maggie continued. “Ever since I flunked out of college, I can’t seem to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.” She let out a giggle, trying to evoke a connection to this lost young woman.
Cassie smiled. “Follow me.” She led Maggie/Melissa to a table covered in books, pamphlets, and flyers. Almost all of them had the kind-looking face of Liam Westlake on the cover. The book jackets resembled those of the motivational speaker Anthony Robbins, except Liam had more of a halo effect on his. Some of the other publications had the symbol of Om.
Maggie pointed to the symbol. “What does this mean?”
Cassie was quick to respond. “It’s a universal symbol that represents peace, tranquility, and unity. When we meditate, we say it out loud. ‘A-um.’ ”
“Oh, is that what that is? I always thought it was some kind of humming. Duh.” Maggie feigned ignorance.
“Well, it sorta is. I mean, it’s to help you vibrate on a certain level.”
Maggie gave her a stupefied look. “I’m really ignorant about this kind of stuff. I must confess I only thumbed through those Deepak Chopra books.”
“No worries. I was totally ignorant of anything spiritual before I joined The Haven.”
“Join?” Maggie pressed, trying hard not to go into reporter overdrive.
“Well, there are different programs you can sign up for.” Cassie had memorized the speech quite well. She had repeated it hundreds of times. She went on to explain the study programs, ascending levels, and the Tyros, Pledges, and Luminaries. But of course, there was a fee structure.
Maggie was taking mental notes, then asked, “How does the fee structure work?”
“I’m not the best one to explain those details, but I can introduce you to someone who can.”
“Sounds interesting.” Maggie wasn’t ready to commit. “I have some stuff I need to get, and I’m meeting up with a friend later. Will you or someone be here tomorrow?”
“Fer sure!” Cassie beamed. “Do you have any particular time in mind?”
“Not yet.”
“No problem. We are here from nine to four.” Cassie handed Maggie a pamphlet with symbols and quotes from some of the greatest minds in spiritual enlightenment. “Read this over when you get a chance. These are some of Liam’s favorites.”
“Would I get to meet Liam?” Maggie asked.
“Not this week, I’m sorry to say. He’s away doing an immersive retreat. But if you decide you want to take some classes, you will get to meet him and hear him speak. He’s awesome.”
“Thanks, Cassie. I will certainly read this and stop by tomorrow.” Maggie held out her hand, but Cassie gave her a big hug instead. For a quick second, Maggie felt the wig shift slightly, and she grabbed the brim of her hat and stepped back. “It was very nice meeting you. Have a great day!”
“Thank you. Namaste,” Cassie replied.
Maggie was pleased that she had gotten a smattering of information. Liam was out of town. Cassie was not specific as to his whereabouts, but at least they knew where he wasn’t. That was good intel she could share with the others.