Adam was quiet, so I opened my eyes and shifted in my seat so I could meet his gaze, unreadable in the limited illumination of the instrument panel.
Honesty, I had to be honest. Hoffman may have filled him in on the details of the interrogation, but there were still things Adam didn’t know. I needed to remedy that.
I cleared my throat. “Jimmy called me yesterday while you were out of town. I spoke with him for a few minutes.”
Adam’s expression twisted into something I couldn’t discern. “Is that why you went back to Billy’s?” he asked sharply. “Is that why you broke your promise, Madeleine?”
I winced because I knew this was the elephant in the room. Or in the car, as it were. I’d broken my promise. But look at what had happened. I’d certainly paid a high price.
Even so, Adam was obviously irritated, so I tried to explain, “When he called, he said he’d found it—Jimmy had finally found the picture. I only wanted to see who was in it.” My voice turned bitter. “But it doesn’t matter, not now. You were right. I should have left it alone and stayed away. Jimmy would still be alive today.”
Suddenly consumed with guilt, I looked away. Adam nudged my cheek, and I turned back to him. His anger seemed to have dissipated. “Maddy, that bar is a dangerous place. That’s why I wanted you to stay away. I may not be happy you broke your promise, but you sure as hell aren’t responsible for that guy’s death.”—Adam’s tone was now so full of understanding, I actually felt worse—“He was probably shot by a disgruntled customer, or some—”
“Stop,” I pleaded, choking up. “There’s more, Adam. More you don’t know.”
I squeezed his hand and quietly told him the other details he’d yet to hear. I explained how I’d found the empty envelope with the “M” on the front. With my face burning with shame, I admitted how I’d thrown it away in a panic, fearful I’d be linked to Jimmy’s murder. How ironic that action had turned out to be. I continued, expressing my concern that once the police delved further into the phone records, they’d find my other correspondences with Jimmy. Like the conversation I’d had with him regarding J.T.’s recent visit to the bar.
I suddenly froze. “Oh my God,” I exclaimed. “Do you think J.T. shot Jimmy? I mean, he did tell him to ‘watch his back.’”
Adam seemed to consider it but shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”
I, however, was not so convinced. “Well, did anyone see him around today?” I was thinking back to earlier in the day when I’d not seen him on the ferry or at Cove Beach.
“I don’t know, Maddy. I was in Boston all morning, remember?”
Oh right. Adam continued as he put the car in gear. “Speaking of which, we’d better get started back. It’s been a long, crazy day.”
That was an understatement.
When we arrived at Cove Beach, we stowed my car in its assigned garage. But once we reached the dock, we bypassed the ferry. Instead Adam led me to a waiting speedboat.
“Oh,” I said, surprised. I knew Adam had his own private boats, but I’d so rarely seen him utilize them.
“With everything going on earlier, I didn’t have time to wait for a ferry,” he explained. “This is a lot faster anyway. You’ll see.”
And it was. We reached Fade Island in no time at all, docking at the northern end of the island, where Adam’s other boats were apparently kept.
Adam drove me down to the cottage, but I could barely keep my eyes open. I leaned my head on his shoulder, feeling a newfound kinship with this man I loved. Now I truly knew what it must have been like—these past four years or so—for Adam. With the purr of the Porsche engine lulling me to sleep, my last conscious thought was that this is what it felt like to be suspected of a crime you didn’t commit.
Late the next morning, I woke up—alone—in my own bed. But I was all tucked in, even had on the pajamas with the little cartoon dogs and cats. Someone had obviously gotten me out of my bloodstained clothes and into my pajamas. I plucked at my flannel sleeve, smiling. Adam evidently had accomplished the task, all without stirring me from my slumber. Amazing. I really had been exhausted. Not that I felt much better now. But it was a new day, and I couldn’t give up. I took a long shower, dressed, and made my way downstairs. With a strong cup of coffee in hand, I headed into the living room. Just as I sat down, my cell buzzed.
To my surprise the screen display indicated it was Ami. I’d not heard from her in weeks, and I still needed an explanation for her sending Julian to Fade Island, so I answered. “Maddy,” she began. “I’m glad you picked up. I really need to talk to you. It’s important.”
“Yeah,” I replied, “I’d like to talk to you too.” I paused and then let her have it. “Why in the hell did you tell Julian I was in some kind of danger? What were you thinking? Do you know he flew all the way up here to Maine just to see if I was OK? All because of what you said. Hell, Ami, why were you even in California?”
Despite my tirade Ami remained unruffled. “It’s a long story,” she said impassively.
“Well, I’d like to hear it,” I retorted. “I mean, Ami, why would you tell my agent—tell Julian, for God’s sake—that I was in danger?”
“You are in danger!” she exclaimed. “Look at what happened yesterday to that kid in Harbourtown.”
OK, so Ami had heard about Jimmy. In such a small community, the news was probably all over the place by now.
Ami was still rambling, “I mean, what if it had been you, Maddy? What if you
