Harbour Falls (A Harbour Falls Mystery #1)

by S. R. Grey

  With no Helena and very little Adam, I feared the next few weeks were going to be extremely dull here on the island. But as I drifted off to sleep, little did I know how incredibly wrong that assumption would end up being.

  Chapter 19

  As planned I flew out Wednesday morning with Adam. Oh, how that man looked smoking hot sitting there in the pilot’s seat in the cockpit of his jet, aviator sunglasses on, the early morning sunlight reflecting off the mirrored lenses.

  Adam flipped a few switches, and the engines sprang to life. I placed the copilot’s headset on my head and pretended to press a few buttons on the control board.

  “Madeleine,” Adam scolded playfully, while moving my hand back to my lap. “Behave!”

  I lowered my chin, peering over the top of my own cool sunglasses. “Or what, Captain?” I teased.

  Adam shot me a sidelong glance, smirking. “Or else the copilot is going to have to be punished.”

  “Oooh, promise?” I squealed in delight. “Sounds like that could be fun.”

  Adam laughed and shook his head. “Naughty girl,” he muttered.

  “Only for you, babe,” I replied, leaning back into the copilot’s seat and adjusting my sunglasses. “Only for you.”

  The plane taxied down the runway and then lifted into the clear, blue sky. There was nary a cloud marring the azure horizon. We really could not have planned for a more ideal day to fly to Boston.

  The flight was short, and upon landing, I noticed there was a limo waiting for us out on the tarmac. Adam directed the driver to Trina’s downtown loft apartment that she shared with Walker. When we pulled up to the sidewalk, Adam and I said our farewells in the idling limo, punctuated by a fairly steamy make-out session. We broke apart only when we heard the driver clearing his throat, loudly. Yeah, being in love was awesome. I waved a good-bye and practically skipped into the tony apartment building. When I reached the elevator, I pressed the button for Trina’s floor—the fourteenth—and finally came down from my Adam-induced high.

  Trina’s apartment was at the end of the hallway—a corner unit. The door swung open almost as soon as I rang the bell. “Maddy, hi,” Trina exclaimed. “Come on in.”

  Stepping over the threshold, I noticed Trina was dressed to the nines in a pale blue blouse and navy pencil skirt ensemble that accentuated her trim figure perfectly. She was tall, like her brother, but the dark blue suede pumps she wore added even more height.

  “Helena, Maddy’s here,” Trina called out over her shoulder, and then she gave me a quick hug. Stepping back, she added, “You look great, by the way.”

  “Thanks.” Glancing down at the maroon crepe dress and black Louboutin pumps I was wearing, I was happy I’d chosen appropriate attire for this shopping excursion.

  Trina led me into the living room, asking, “How was the flight down?”

  “Smooth,” I replied. “It’s such a beautiful day.”

  Trina nodded. “Yeah, perfect for flying but even better for shopping.”

  The living room was all high ceilings and lots of open space. Funky, Scandinavian-style furniture was scattered about the room. The overall look was eclectic but in a very put-together way. It suited Trina, just as Adam’s décor suited his personality.

  Helena, standing in front of a curved-back chair with chocolate brown cushions, looked as glamorous as a runway model in a chic black dress, black tights, and black, thigh-high boots. She came over to give me a hug. “Maddy, I’m so happy you’re here. We are going to have so much fun today.”

  “Aw, thanks for inviting me,” I said, stepping back.

  I felt genuinely welcomed as we spent some time chatting in the living room. Before we knew it, it was time to go, so we headed over to a local bistro Trina and Helena had chosen for lunch. “You’re going to love it,” Trina said as the hostess seated us. “The salads here are the best in the city.”

  After we perused our menus and placed our orders, Helena feigned a gravely serious expression and stated, “Maddy, I hope you’re ready for some seriously hardcore shopping this afternoon.”

  Trina giggled and added, “Yeah, you haven’t shopped until you’ve shopped with us, honey.”

  The waiter returned to our table, filling our glasses with fresh ice water. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I brought my platinum card,” I said, laughing.

  “Oh,” Trina said, “you should have borrowed Adam’s black Amex. No limit, you know.”

  The salads arrived, and spearing a piece of endive with my fork, I muttered, “Um, I think my own card should be enough.”

  Helena raised her eyebrows in mid-bite. Hurriedly she swallowed, forked poised in the air, and said, “Speaking of Adam, how are things going with you two? I’m guessing you worked everything out after the unexpected visit from your ex?”

  I hadn’t mentioned Julian’s visit to Helena, so I assumed Adam had told Nate.

  Trina glanced up, confused, so I quickly filled her in on the unexpected visit from my ex-boyfriend. I didn’t mention Adam’s late-night break-in at the cottage nor my subsequent breakdown. I only confirmed that Adam and I had worked it out.

  “I still don’t get how this Julian-guy knew where to find you.” Trina said.

  Helena took a sip of water. “Yeah, Maddy,” she said as she lowered her glass. “I could see him looking for you in Harbour Falls, but Fade Island is so remote. How’d he know you were there?”

  I saw no harm in sharing how Julian had discovered my whereabouts. In fact, I hoped maybe the two of them could offer some insight into crazy Ami and her antics. But I had no intention of going into detail about the reason for his visit: thinking I was in some kind of danger on the island. Revealing that might clue them in to my true intentions.

  “Uh, Ami Dubois, er, I mean, Hensley, told Julian where I was living. She and Sean are vacationing out in Los Angeles, and I guess she looked him up.” I paused, rolling my eyes, and adding for effect, “God only knows why.”

  “How strange,” Helena said, her voice oddly flat. “That poor girl sure has problems. I guess she didn’t hear that you and Adam are dating.”

  Trina nodded. “Yeah, I’ve only met her a few times, but Adam told me all about her, uh, problems. It’s just so sad.”

  Remembering how Jennifer had mentioned my schoolgirl crush on Adam—something only Ami had known—I asked Helena, “Do you know if Ami is friends with Jennifer Weston?”

  “I don’t think so,” Helena replied, eyeing me with curiosity. “Why do you ask?”

  The waiter returned to clear away our plates, so I took a sip of water and then continued after he was out of earshot. “Jennifer mentioned something about a crush I had on Adam back in high school. Ami was the only one who ever knew about that crush.”

  “Hmmm…” Helena seemed contemplative, but something about her demeanor still felt off. “That is bizarre. Who knows? Maybe they are friends, but I’ve never seen them hanging out together.”

  With a shudder Trina asked, “Speaking of Jennifer, what’s the latest with that creepy J.T. O’Brien?” She shot me an apologetic look. “Is he still in rehab?”

  Helena glanced uneasily to me and said quietly, “Actually, Nate said he got out yesterday.”

  I nearly knocked my glass over. “What? I thought he was in for at least two weeks?”

  Helena placed her hand over mine in a gesture of support. “He was supposed to be, Maddy. But that facility is overcrowded, so J.T. was released into the outpatient program early.”

  “Great,” I mumbled sarcastically.

  “That’s ridiculous,” Trina chimed in. “He’s another one with some serious issues. They really should just lock him up and throw away the key. In fact, all the things he’s done in the past, I’m surprised he’s not at Willow Point.”

  OK, so it was clear Trina disl
iked J.T. O’Brien as much as her brother did. I had little doubt it was due to J.T.’s past involvement with Chelsea. But Willow Point? Even I wouldn’t wish for J.T. to end up there.

  Trina, now on a roll, continued, “Maddy, it was terrible what he did to you at the café. Adam asked me not to bring it up, but really, just thank heavens he and Nate got there in time.”

  “Yeah,” Helena added. “If Adam hadn’t arrived, you could have ended up like Chelsea.” She snapped her fingers. “Poof! Just disappeared into thin air.”

  Trina gave Helena a pointed look, and Helena glanced to me apologetically. “Sorry, I got carried away.”

  It was crystal clear who Helena believed was responsible for Chelsea’s disappearance. Not that I disagreed with her. J.T. O’Brien could’ve very easily been behind Chelsea’s unexplained departure. Crime of passion and all that.

  And now he was out.

  A silence fell over the table as we all absorbed the impact of Helena’s words. I glanced over to Trina, who was nervously playing with a dangly earring, eyes downcast. Flashes of the letters I’d discovered in Adam’s desk flipped through my mind. I couldn’t rule Trina out as a suspect either, despite her brother’s insistence of her innocence.

  And I couldn’t figure out why Adam continued to hold onto those incriminating letters. Unless he believed his own sister had followed through on her threats. Did he plan to confront her someday with that evidence? Or would he be so cold as to use it to exonerate himself if he ever were arrested? God, I hoped not. It seemed unlikely, though, since he could have used those letters ages ago when the police were really bearing down on him.

  Then there was Helena, another suspect. The case files revealed her alibi to not be nearly as ironclad as Nate’s. Just because she claimed to have gone to the bathroom down the hall from the rental office of their former apartment complex did not make it a fact.

  But did I really think Helena or Trina were more likely suspects than someone like J.T. O’Brien? No. But I also couldn’t blindly ignore the evidence I’d uncovered thus far.

  In any case I didn’t want our day to be ruined by the damn Harbour Falls Mystery, so I said, “Maybe we should change the subject. Agreed?”

  Helena and Trina nodded emphatically. Both seemed relieved, and we began to discuss less serious topics. Like which stores we’d be hitting up on our shopping extravaganza. Trina excitedly listed off a dizzying array of shops and boutiques in the area. I hadn’t been shopping since before I’d left LA, so I was kind of excited to get started.

  After leaving the bistro, we walked down the block to the first boutique on Trina’s list, and then the next and the next. Trina’s list was inexhaustible, it seemed. Our shopping spree continued down the corridor of fashionable shops. There was no end in sight until we finally, as late afternoon approached, entered a trendy boutique specializing in women’s business wear. Exhausted, we all agreed to make it our final stop for the day.

  The shop was very small, and there was only one other customer—an exceptionally attractive blonde woman. The sales clerk placed a handwritten receipt in a tiny envelope and then handed that, and a bag, to the woman.

  When the blonde woman turned to us, Helena shot Trina a look I couldn’t decipher, and then she grabbed my hand. “We should just skip this store,” she said, pulling me toward the door. “In fact, I think I’ve maxed out my credit card.”

  Trina came up from behind me—blocking my view of the store—and nervously added, “Yeah, me too.”

  Something more was happening. I wasn’t buying the suddenly maxed-out credit card stories. My suspicion was quickly confirmed when a soft, very feminine voice rang out from behind us. “Trina? Is that you?”

  Trina groaned and stepped aside, and I came face-to-face with the petite, flaxen-haired beauty that’d been at the register. I stepped back, catching Trina and Helena glancing uneasily at one another before simultaneously looking to me. Apparently they were anticipating some sort of a reaction, though I had no idea why.

  At least I didn’t until Trina said to the diminutive woman standing there, “Hi, Lindsey. How have you been?”

  Lindsey? As in Adam’s Lindsey? Oh God, I instantly felt self-conscious. This woman was extremely attractive, although in a more subtle way than Chelsea. One thing for sure, Jennifer had not been lying—Adam had obviously dated nothing but incredibly beautiful women in the past. Chelsea. Lindsey. Who else? I couldn’t help but wonder, what in the hell does he see in me?

  After Lindsey introduced herself to Helena, she flipped her long, very straight blonde hair over her shoulder and turned to me. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe we’ve met, though you do look familiar.” She scrunched her beautiful face in thought for a second and added, “I’m Lindsey, by the way.”

  “I’m Maddy—”

  “Maddy, as in Maddy Fitch,” Helena interrupted. “You know, the best-selling novelist.”

  I knew what Helena was doing, trying to keep the conversation diverted away from Adam. But even with Helena proudly touting my vocation, I couldn’t shake the feeling of inadequacy in comparing myself to this stunning woman who, up until very recently, had been sleeping with Adam. Satisfying his—what had Jennifer said?—voracious appetite.

  Ugh. I felt ill as Jennifer’s words haunted me. Perhaps this woman had been Jennifer’s source of information regarding Adam. Did she know Lindsey? Maybe Lindsey had visited Adam on the island. After all, Helena recognized her. But Trina had introduced them as if they didn’t know one another. Had Helena seen a picture of Lindsey then? It was all too confusing.

  “Oh,” Lindsey said, some kind of recognition registering on her face. “So you are Maddy Fitch. Hmm…” She eyed me up and down. “…very interesting.”

  From her tone of voice, I knew she’d just realized I was Maddy Fitch—not so much the mystery writer—but rather Maddy Fitch, Adam’s new love interest. Guess word had gotten around to her.

  I glared at Lindsey, daring her to say more. Trina and Helena exchanged a worried look, and Trina said, “Well, we really should get going, it’s getting late.”

  “But you just got here,” Lindsey protested, in a sweet but phony voice. She turned to Trina, keeping her doe-like eyes trained on me. “How is Adam doing? You really must tell him to get back in touch with me.” She shot me a haughty look. “I miss all the fun we used to have together.”

  Trina rolled her eyes, and Helena flipped her own beautiful, blonde tresses back. “I wouldn’t hold my breath, Lindsey,” she interjected. “I do believe Adam has finally been tamed.”

  Trina glanced away, stifling a giggle. My own eyes widened. Leave it to Helena.

  Lindsey wrinkled her pert, little nose in disgust and stared directly at me. “Hmmm, perhaps he’s been tamed…for now. But Adam gets bored rather quickly, especially if one can’t keep up with him.”

  “Being in love is hardly boring,” Helena shot back at Lindsey.

  Lindsey bristled, clearly stung by Helena’s words. For a moment I almost felt bad for her. She’d probably been strung along by Adam, hoping he would fall for her. And all along he was just using her for his own pleasure.

  Yes, for a moment I felt bad for her, but then it quickly passed. Instead I began to feel empowered. Adam loved me. My own subtle beauty had somehow captured his heart. I stood up a little straighter and declared, “Sorry, Lindsey, but Adam isn’t going to be calling you, getting back in touch, whatever.” I waved my hand dismissively. “After all, he’s going to be too busy keeping up with me,” I added with a wink.

  That seemed to be the final straw for Lindsey. She dispensed with the snarky comments, said good-bye to Trina and Helena, nodded curtly to me, and scurried for the door.

  “Way to go, Maddy,” Helena said proudly as the door swung shut.

  Trina laughed. “You definitely got the best of her, that’s fo
r sure.”

  Though I felt victorious, part of me was less than thrilled to have run into one of Adam’s past hookups. It seemed like every part of his past was always catching up to us.

  What next?

  An hour later, after we’d returned to Trina’s place, Adam arrived to pick me up. Trina pulled her brother inside and started whispering to him. Adam leaned against the closed door, listening intently, and I knew, without a doubt, Trina was filling him in on the details of our run-in with Lindsey.

  Helena caught me watching them and, in an effort surely designed to prevent me from eavesdropping, began to help me gather my many shopping parcels. She paused as she pressed the bag handle of one of my purchases into my hand. “Maddy, Adam loves you. He never had feelings like that for Lindsey. You remember that.”

  I nodded, appreciating Helena’s vote of confidence.

  Helena made so much noise with the bags (surely purposely) that I couldn’t hear, but my eyes were still drawn to Adam as he listened attentively to his sister. He was as striking as ever in his dark gray suit, leaning casually against the door, loosening his tie. He must have sensed my eyes on him, because he looked over and met my gaze, smiling one of those amazing smiles that I loved so very much.

  In that moment it was like we were the only two people in the world. Only Helena’s nudge to my arm brought me back to reality. “See,” she said softly, leaning close. “Now there is a man clearly in love.”

  Yeah, and I love him. Hell with Lindsey, I thought.

  After Trina and Adam wrapped up their conversation, they rejoined us in the living room. Before we left, Helena, Trina, and I gushed about how much fun we’d had throughout the day—the run-in with Lindsey excluded—and how we’d have to do it again soon. Once Adam finally extracted me from the love fest, we made our way down to the waiting limo parked at the curb. As soon as the driver saw all the bags, he rushed out to load them into the trunk.