cottages to a now-steady stream of wealthy summer vacationers looking for a private retreat. But Ami had no idea, in my case, she was about to rent to someone with a secret reason for wanting to stay on Fade Island.
It wasn’t the peace and solitude touted in the online brochure that I sought. Nor did I have a desire to just hang out in a nicely renovated cottage. Not even that picturesque lighthouse depicted on Ami’s business card, and located on the far southeastern tip of the island, held any appeal. Many a painter and photographer had traveled to the island to capture the image of the tall, imposing structure that harkened back to days past. Positioned at the end of a rocky peninsula and standing sentry in the shadow of a curved shelf of steep, jutting cliffs, the lighthouse was an artist’s dream, even if it was no longer in use. But I wasn’t here for that either.
No, I was much more intrigued by something the brochure failed to mention: the huge, private estate overlooking the sea on the other end of the island. To be more precise, I was intrigued by the sole occupant of that estate, the former Harbour Falls resident, Adam Ward. In fact, I’d purposely chosen the cottage closest to his home as the one I wished to view.
My father told Ami I needed a quiet place to work through a bad case of writer’s block. But that was far from the truth. Only he—and my agent, Katie—knew the real reason behind my wanting to spend these autumn months on a lonely, isolated island. It had everything to do with researching the subject matter for my next book and absolutely nothing to do with some silly, made-up case of writer’s block.
And my research had begun before I’d even arrived. For example, I knew there were only four year-round residents on Fade Island, as it was not the most hospitable place once the summer faded into fall. Heavy rains and storms were common throughout most of the year, but things became particularly treacherous during the winter months.
Snowstorms and loss of power were not uncommon. And there was no reliable way to get off the island, except for the ferry. But the ferry didn’t run when the weather got too crazy. Nothing did, not even the alternative means of transportation—several boats and a corporate jet—that Mr. Ward often employed. During those times Fade Island lived up to its name in another way; it was as if it faded from civilization.
The rain slowed to a fine mist as we approached the ferry, and Ami lowered the umbrella. “So who can I expect to see once we get over there?” I asked and then added, “Like, who lives out there year-round?”
Obviously I was well aware of the identities of the full-time residents. I thought I was being clever, feigning ignorance for Ami’s benefit. The less she knew I knew, the more likely she’d not question my cover story. Right? Maybe not.
I took one look at her face and wished I’d kept my mouth shut. “You don’t know? You’ve never heard?” She eyed me skeptically. “Surely, your father told you.”
I shook my head and looked away. A slender, pale girl with dark hair was messing with some ropes aboard the ferry, so I pretended to be focused on her.
But when I tried to keep on walking, Ami stopped and grabbed my arm. I couldn’t meet her gaze, certain she’d catch on to my deception. “Madeleine! You have to know Adam Ward lives on the island. It’s no secret he moved out there after…” She lowered her voice. “Well, after what happened.”
She was right; it was no secret. Back when Adam lived in Harbour Falls, he had everything, the world at his feet. A brilliant mind, he excelled in all things academic. But software engineering was his specialty. He coded and developed elaborate software systems that had every college and university with a computer engineering program vying for his commitment to study at their institution. And since his academic abilities were rivaled only by his athletic prowess, those schools with a football program offered Adam everything they could without attracting the attention of the NCAA. In the end, though, he gave up football and enrolled at MIT.
All those things were impressive, but what had caught my attention back then were his striking good looks. He was tall and had an amazing body, gorgeous jet-black hair, and stunning blue eyes. Yeah, it