Nate heads to the gym with the promise of meeting me for breakfast in the morning. As first dates go, this one was sweeter than most and he leaves me with a lingering kiss fresh on my lips and a smile of contentment on my face. It feels so good to wrap myself in magic for a moment because there hasn’t been a lot to smile about lately. It still catches me when I least expect it. A memory that sparks the sudden realisation I will never see my parents again. The anguish of loss and the pain of betrayal when I remember they signed my future away in a cold, hard contract.
Maybe a fling with Nate is just what I need to help me forget. A selfish indulgence before I return to harsh reality and a few months of hard study. My future is looking uncertain now and I need this time to clear my head and decide on my future. However, all of that can wait because Catalina Island has given me a safety net to fall into and I should make the most of everything it has to offer before I leave forever.
I wait until I’m sure the coast is clear and quickly dress in black leggings and a black t-shirt, so I don’t stand out in the darkness. It feels wrong on every level to be doing this at all. A clandestine meeting of the strangest kind and my cover story, should I need one, is that I couldn’t sleep with all the excitement and decided to head out for a moonlit run.
Tying my long brown hair behind me in a scrunchie, I pull on my trainers and slip outside the door. The only sound I hear is of the crickets chattering in the nearby bushes, providing a concerto of the most natural kind.
I gently jog along the path and take a sharp left, away from the path that leads down to the beach. It strikes me how silent it is on this private island. Only the sounds of nature serenade me as I move stealthily along the path, my senses on high alert while waiting to be discovered at any moment.
My own breathing is ragged, and I struggle to keep my cool because the anxiety is riding high within me and I’m fearing being caught, which surprises me because surely, I’m doing nothing wrong, although it certainly feels that way.
I see the Gazebo like a giant shadow looming in the distance and my heart quickens as I draw near, wondering if Adam will even be there.
As I slow my pace, I listen keenly for any sign of human company, but only hear the waves crashing against the shoreline. I venture silently towards the edge, which stares across the ocean, appearing to stretch into infinity.
As I wait, I feel my heart thumping and then I hear a soft, “Katrina.”
Peering into the darkness, it appears to be coming from the edge of the rock face and I slowly inch towards it and whisper, “Yes.”
Then I hear a gruff, “Sit on the edge and jump down. There’s a ledge beneath and I’ll catch your hand so you don’t fall.”
I can’t see a thing and really don’t want to do this, but curiosity has grabbed my common sense and is holding it to ransom, so I do as he says and dangle my legs over the edge of the rock face.
A hand catches my ankle, making me jump, and a low voice whispers, “Lower yourself down and I’ll guide your foot onto the ledge.”
This feels so wrong and yet the excitement causes an adrenalin rush I don’t want to lose and as I do as he says, I soon find myself standing on a large ledge out of sight.
I can just about make out Adam in the darkness and he says urgently, “Come, there’s a small cave in here where we can talk.”
This feels so alien to me, yet my spirit of adventure is taking over, and I inch along the ledge next to him, conscious of the waves crashing below us.
He pulls me into a hole in the side of the cliff edge and I note a flickering candle standing in a jar on the floor. It illuminates the cave and I look around in surprise. There are no luxuries here, just the damp spray from the sea and a few lingering pieces of seaweed that don’t make for a pleasant smell. In fact, this place is seriously creepy and yet I don’t feel afraid, just curious, and Adam whispers, “Sorry about the venue but it’s all we’ve got. Take a seat. It’s not that comfortable, but it’s better than standing.”
I crouch down and sit with my legs underneath me for added support, and Adam sits opposite and reaches for a flask.
“Here, I made us some coffee to help take the chill off.”
I’m so grateful for something to distract me from how I’m feeling right now. Nervous, excited, afraid, and curious, all mixed up in a lethal cocktail of foolishness.
“I’m sorry, Katrina.” Adam sighs. “You must be wondering what the hell is going on.”
“A little.”
He laughs. “Just a little, then you’re brighter than I first gave you credit for.”
He grins. “Anyway, I just wanted to reach out to you before Nate did irreversible damage.”
“What do you mean?” I’m not liking the sound of this, and he looks worried.
“Don’t trust him. In fact, trust no one but especially not Nate.”
“Why not?” Now I’m feeling decidedly uncomfortable, and he looks angry.
“Nate is tight with Chester and Madelaine. There are no secrets between them, and they run this place as a family.”
“You mean they’re related?”
He nods. “Nate’s Chester’s son.”
“I don’t understand. He told me something else entirely.” I’m confused and Adam growls, “They weren’t his real parents.”
My mind is scrambled, and I say quickly, “I’m sorry Adam, you’ll have to explain. None of this makes any sense.”
Adam shakes his head and looks a little sad, which surprises me. “Nate is Chester’s biological son. His parents, Mr, and Mrs Miller, are just his adoptive ones, although their names will be on his birth certificate.”
“How do you know?”
This is a strange conversation, and Adam lowers his voice.
“Listen, I’ve been here a while and discovered a few secrets of this place that would blow your mind and I’m pretty sure you feel it too. Don’t you agree there’s an undercurrent of something sinister here? I mean…” He exhales sharply. “This place is perfect on the outside for a very good reason. If you scratch the surface, though, it’s a different canvas underneath. You may wonder how I know; well do you remember Jenny?”
“The girl who asked to leave.”
“Yes. She was my partner, and I never suspected a thing. Like you, I was encouraged to pair up with someone and I liked her. I genuinely did. She liked me too, and we were happy. Then I felt her withdrawing from me. She looked worried and her eyes held shadows that weren’t there before.”
“Did she tell you why?”
“Not at first, but I kept on asking and one night she broke down and told me something I still can’t believe now.”
“What?” I’m mesmerised by this and can’t even breathe until I hear this secret and he says in a low voice, “She said her friend Darcey told her a secret that she must never tell a living soul and she was struggling with what that may mean for her.”
“Did she tell you what it was?”
“Yes.” He sighs heavily and leans back against the cave wall.
“Darcey was with Nate at the time, you know, partnered up with him and apparently happy. Then Chester started paying her attention. At first, she thought it was because of Nate. They were close, but at the time she didn’t realise how close. Anyway, he started flirting with her, which made her feel special. I suppose he turned her head, and they started an affair.”
“With his own son’s girlfriend.” I’m shocked and Adam laughs bitterly. “At least that’s what she thought. Jenny told me Darcey had decided Chester was a better option and had designs on Madelaine’s place, both in his bed and taking her job. She started making demands and confided in Jenny. Then one day, Darcey came to find her in tears and told her she was pregnant with Chester’s baby.”
“How did she know it was his? Wasn’t she with Nate at the time?”
“Apparently they didn’t have that kind of relationship and Chester didn’t believe in condoms.”
“That’s disgusting.” I feel physically sick as I think about this sordid act of betrayal on every level, and Adam nods. “Inevitably, Darcey fell pregnant with Chester’s baby. She thought it would earn his support and a place by his side. Madelaine, however, wasn’t too happy about that.”
“She knew?” I stare at him incredulously and he nods.
“Darcey said she gave her an ultimatum. Leave Catalina and have her baby on the mainland with the support of a couple who were desperate for a child. Walk away at the end without the child and they would set her up in luxury and she would never have to work again. If she wanted to return to Nate on Catalina, she had that choice, but Chester was no longer interested.”
“So, she’s having the baby and Chester is ok about all this. I mean, it’s his baby too?”
He nods. “Jenny told me Darcey was keen to have the baby and leave it with its new parents and return to Catalina. She wanted Chester, not money, and Jenny was afraid for her. Chester wasn’t bothered about the kid and thought this was the best solution all round. Jenny wanted her to tell someone, get help, but Darcey just laughed and said Madelaine’s days were numbered and she was going to go ahead and have the baby and return to claim her man.”
“Do you think she will?”
“I expect she’ll try, but Madelaine will probably block that from happening.”
“So why was Jenny afraid?”
“Because when Darcey left, Chester focused his attention on her.”
“You mean…” He nods, looking so disgusted I understand where it’s coming from now.
“He started paying Jenny attention. When I was working, he sought her out and started flattering her with attention. He told her there were lots of perks in being his ‘go to’ girl and if she was up for it, he could make it happen.”
“What a pig.” I am angry on their behalf and Adam growls, “Jenny freaked out about the whole situation. Having seen what happened to Darcey, she wasn’t keen on following her, so she told me one night she was leaving. She’d had enough and wanted to go back to the mainland.”
“I don’t blame her.”
“Neither did I, and I decided to go with her. I could find a job in any restaurant, and we could start again somewhere new. Maybe rent a small apartment and save some money.”
“So, what happened?”
“I woke up one day, and she was gone.”
“Without telling you.”
He nods, exhaling sharply. “I asked Chester where she was, and he told me Jenny had left that morning. She’d decided this wasn’t the life for her anymore and rather than force her to stay, he asked Nate to drop her off at the mainland.”
“Then she’s safe. Maybe you could go and find her.”
“I doubt that you see…”
Suddenly, a flashlight illuminates the cave and I jump in fright as a deep voice says, “What have we got here?”