“Maddy, what are you doing down here?” he asked in exasperation as he reached me, his eyes flickering to J.T.’s departing form.
“I thought Ami was coming over, I came down here to meet her,” I explained and then lamely added, “I tried to call you to tell you what was going on.”
“Ami?” Adam echoed, clearly confused. “Why would she be coming over to the island? I gave her some time off, so there’s no reason for her to—”
“Adam,” I interrupted. “She called me this morning. She wanted me to meet her here.” He arched an eyebrow, and I continued, “She said she needed to talk to me in person, that it was important. She said she could help me. I think she knows something about what happened to Jimmy.”
An indecipherable emotion flared in his expression, but then it was gone. “Maddy,” he began slowly. “I know you want answers, especially now. But Ami isn’t someone who can help you.”
“But Adam—”
“Madeleine,” he interrupted. “You know she has her own problems. Leave her out of this.”
He had a point, but…still. “OK, but even if you’re right, where is she?”
“I don’t know.” Adam sighed. “Unstable people do unpredictable things. She probably changed her mind and decided not to come over.”
He put his arm around my shoulders, and I leaned into him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Unfortunately it looked as if I’d gotten my hopes up for nothing. I was so desperate for answers that I’d believed the ramblings of a troubled person. Dejected, I got in my car and followed Adam back to his house. We made a quick stop at my cottage to pick up some clothes. He had suggested, as we’d walked to our respective cars, that I stay at his place. At least for a little while. I guessed he was worried for my safety after J.T.’s actions at the dock. It sounded good to me. Not just because of the J.T. situation, but also because I had no desire to spend another lonely night at the cottage.
After we arrived at his house, Adam made dinner. At one end of a long, ornate table in his impeccably decorated dining room, we sat down—Adam at the head of the table, and I to his left. Apart from a few distracted comments about how good everything tasted—and it really was delicious—we ate in relative silence. Adam seemed preoccupied, and I was lost in my own worried thoughts regarding Jimmy’s murder and my unenviable status as the primary suspect.
I reached for my glass of wine and bumped into Adam’s forearm. “Sorry,” I mumbled.
His eyes met mine, and I knew he sensed my feeling of hopelessness. “Maddy, everything is going to be fine. You have to trust me on this one.”
“How can you be so sure?” I murmured.
Adam covered my hand with his. “The police will find the person who killed Jimmy.” He sounded so certain. “And all of this will be over.”
“I hope you’re right,” I muttered.
I didn’t know how he did it, living under a veil of suspicion. I’d only experienced it for a little more than twenty-four hours, and I found the burden to be almost unbearable. Adam gave my hand another squeeze, and then we resumed eating. But not a minute later, the doorbell rang, the loud chime insistent. I threw Adam a questioning glance, wondering if he was expecting someone, but he shook his head. When he rose to go answer the door, I did as well. Adam hesitated for a moment and then shrugged.
Together we reached the foyer just as the bell began to ring again. Adam swung the front door open wide, and I could see there were two people on the other side. From my vantage point behind Adam, I saw Max, but his impressive bulk was shielding whoever was next to him. Max began to speak, explaining how he’d been patrolling the ferry dock and noticed someone pacing around in the dark. I thought I heard the name Hensley, so I stepped forward, fully expecting to see Ami. She’d made it over to the island after all.
But no, it wasn’t Ami standing next to Max. Instead the person at his side was Sean Hensley. And he did not look happy.
And that’s when things started to go from bad to worse.
Chapter 25
With a singular focus, Sean Hensley pushed past Max and rushed into the foyer. “Ward, please,” he begged, his face pained, and his voice desperate. “You have to help me. Please! My wife is missing.”
“What? Ami is missing?” I exclaimed, though no one seemed to hear me.
An image of J.T.’s scratched arm filled my thoughts. Ami was supposed to have been on that one o’clock ferry, but she never showed. And now, according to her very agitated husband, she was gone. Disappeared. Missing.
I opened my mouth to say something more, but Max and Adam were too preoccupied getting Sean under control to notice. Ami’s husband’s emotions vacillated between despair and anger at what could have happened to this woman he obviously cared for very deeply, despite her issues.
Sean eventually calmed down enough to put together a coherent timeline of what had happened. “She left the house at around noon,” he uttered, dragging a hand down his face. “She was fine though. At least I thought she was.” He glanced at me. “Ami said she was coming over here to visit Maddy.”
My face grew warm. Great, I thought. Thanks, Ami.
Max eyed me curiously, and I looked away, feeling guilty for no good reason other than the fact Ami had apparently vanished somewhere on her way to see me. Turning my attention back to Sean, I listened as he explained how he’d waited…and waited…for his wife to return. Hours passed with no sign of Ami. He’d tried her cell phone, but when he was directed
