Secrets Of The Island: contos, #1

By Ricardo Almeida

Step into the chilling mystery of Nantucket Island with this gripping narrative set against the backdrop of a bone-chilling night on January 25th, 1980. As the temperature plunges below freezing, the waves crash against the shore, setting the stage for a disappearance that still haunts the old islanders to this day.

Meet Margaret Kilkoyne, the assistant professor of medicine from Columbia College, New York, who vanishes without a trace on that fateful night. Join the search and rescue mission that unfolds with Coast Guard choppers, local and state police, and island firefighters combing the beaches, swamps, and woods. But the authorities claim ignorance, leaving the truth concealed.

Enter Vincent, a young man weary of the city's violence, who joins the Nantucket Sheriff's Department in 1978. For almost two years, life on the island is tranquil until the night of January 15th, 1980, when Brian Mays, a quiet fisherman, goes missing. As Vincent is drawn into the mystery, secrets unravel, and the truth becomes a chilling revelation.

Feel the cold of the witch's tit as Vincent races against time, driving into the heart of Skansett, a small village at the easternmost point of the island. The chief of police seeks Vincent's assistance, and the search for Brian Mays intensifies. The atmosphere is thick with tension as Vincent navigates the eerie darkness, haunted by the pounding waves and the open back door that leads to the unknown.

As Vincent steps into the Mays' cabin, the frigid air envelops him, setting the stage for a meticulous investigation. Join him in this intense narrative where every detail matters, and the mystery deepens. Can Vincent, with his city-honed skills, uncover the truth behind the disappearances, or will the island's secrets remain hidden in the cold embrace of the Atlantic breeze? Discover the answers as you immerse yourself in this atmospheric tale of suspense and intrigue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ricardo Almeida
• Release date: Nov 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223549451

Book preview

Table of Contents

Secrets Of The Island (contos, #1)

On the 9th of January 25th, 1980, the temperature on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts dropped

below freezing.

It was so frigid that it was almost unbearable to so much as step outside without a thick,

heavy duty coat and ski mask on.

The wind whipping in from the Atlantic dropped the temperature even further and the waves

crashed against the shore with all the fury of Mother Nature herself.

It's a night that old islanders remember well because it was the night that Margaret

Kilkoyne disappeared without a trace.

An assistant professor of medicine from Columbia College, New York, she flew to the island a

few days prior and was last seen dining with her brother and two friends before retiring

to her home in Tom Nebers for the night.

The next morning her brother had reported her missing.

There were no footprints showing her leaving at all.

No trail to Margaret having gone anywhere.

There is a huge search and rescue mission launched for her.

Coast guard shoppers flew overhead and teams of local and state police, along with island

firefighters combed the beaches, swamps and woods for her.

But she was never found.

When the authorities told the press that nobody knew what had happened to her, why am I telling

you all of this?

Because it was a lie.

They know well what happened to her and she wasn't the only one to disappear either and

it's time that the truth was told.

I was a young man back then, only just having turned 28.

Having graduated from the police academy and served in the Boston Police Department for

four years, I grew tired of the hustle and bustle of city life, as well as admittedly

disillusioned by the sense of this violence that I saw others inflict upon each other,

for drugs, money or just for kicks.

So I applied to the Nantucket Sheriff's Department in February of 1978.

I was accepted and I quickly moved to the island which lay 30 miles off the shore of

Cape Cod.

For almost two years it was quiet.

My falling residents welcomed me, though always kept me slightly out of reach due to being

an outsider.

It was something that I honestly didn't mind in exchange for peace and quiet.

Island life was slow and predictable and aside from calls about public drunkenness and dumb

teenagers, there were no serious incidents.

That was until the night of January 15th, 1980.

I had just gotten on duty and sat down on my desk to take over on the night shift.

When the sheriff came striding out of his office behind me, a slightly worried look

on his face.

Vincent, come with me, he said simply, and then turned to the other deputy locking up

his desk for the night.

And Johnson, you're gonna have to do some overtime work tonight.

Stay here until we get back.

I heard Johnson