Paradise Shores chapter 1

Paradise Trilogy book 2

Before reading this book, make sure you read Paradise Harbour, the first book. It’s here in the same blog section, or you can get it on Amazon. I do not suggest you read the second book without the first one.

Chapter One

I, Ida Clifton, received a devastating letter at the age of thirty-three. Other people may have welcomed the news I got as something wonderful, but not I. It was a letter informing me that my grandmother had passed away, leaving me her entire estate. All I had to do was go and claim it on the island where she lived. Strangely, I’d never even been there because she traveled to us for all the family gatherings, not the other way around. I had planned to go there several times, but each time something came up. Sadly, in retrospect, it was never anything more important than seeing her alive one last time. It was sad news, and instead of being excited, I went forth to the island with a heavy heart. Little did I know the horrors that awaited me on the island of Paradise Shores.

The sky was tightly covered by a wrinkled grey blanket of gloomy clouds. Waves hit the side of the ship one by one, their efforts becoming more and more violent and persistent as the wind over the sea began to pick up speed. I was standing on the deck observing all around me, wrapped in my black coat, but underneath I wore only a summer dress, and my legs were cold.

My curiosity and sense of adventure kept me outside despite my discomfort. The name of the ship was “Dead Glory,” not a very promising moniker, but it was the only ship that was able to take me to Paradise Shores this week. It was captained by a short, middle-aged man with a bald head and small dark eyes, Gonzalo.

The grim horizon did not yet reveal our destination, the island where my grandmother Isabella and grandfather Michael had lived out their last years. Michael died first, but strangely Grandmother staged the funeral on the mainland instead of having mourners come to Paradise Shores. Grandfather was buried in the small rural town where he was born. I still remember the young priest who did the service; he was very kind.

The fact that I was the one who received the entire inheritance upset many others in the family, but I was most surprised of all.

The clouds got darker, and it began to drizzle, so I went inside my cabin. As I reached the door, the rain came down in buckets.

The cabin was cozy, with typical wood-paneled walls. There were two small anchors hung, one painting of a ship, and several ropes tied in different knots. I had a small berth, which I sat on and looked out the porthole. The ship was rocking wildly as the waves picked up tremendously. I could feel my heart strongly beating against the walls of my chest. I felt a mixture of excitement about the storm and the adventure, plus fear of the unknown and sadness over my grandmother’s passing. Perhaps I could describe my emotions as similar to the sea and the changes it was constantly going through.

I saw the crew struggling outside, yet they were managing just fine. Gonzalo did not strike me as the most trustworthy character around, but he was the only one able to take me to the island—or should I say, willing to. I had no idea why other ships had no interest in going to Paradise Island. Perhaps I should have asked around more. Nevertheless, the crew of Gonzalo and his three men were dealing with the storm for now, or at least that’s how it seemed to me, but I was no expert on sailing.

Suddenly I was thrown violently from one wall to the other. I heard a loud sound and felt a powerful impact. We had hit something.

Gonzalo knocked, then entered my cabin with his small eyes round with worry. “We must go on a small boat now, Lady Ida, as the boat is stuck on a large rock. My men will stay here since the boat can carry only two. And we must go now. I’ll leave you on the shore and will find help at the port. We are not far from the island, and the storm is calming down now.”

Indeed he was right—the wind was slower, and the rain had stopped, but the damage was done. He assured me that the ship was in such a position that it wouldn’t sink and that the three men were not in danger.

I climbed down a rope ladder into a tiny lifeboat with Gonzalo. I had to hold my backpack as it was so crammed in the boat, even just for the two of us. He started the motor, and the boat began moving through waves, farther and farther from the unfortunate “Dead Glory.”

“Lady, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

Gonzalo was looking at me, his eyes filled with worry. He clearly saw how nervous and scared I was, and I thought perhaps I had misjudged his character based on appearances.

“We’ll be fine.”

Gonzalo pointed forward, and I now could see the outline of the island and even some homes clinging to its cliffs. We were close indeed. The waves were manageable now, and the dark clouds were rapidly disappearing, displaying the rays of God’s lamp, the sun.

“Over there, that’s the port.”

Gonzalo indicated a long pier, and I could see some boats and ships there but no people as we got closer.

Once at the pier, Gonzalo threw the rope around one of the wooden columns and tied it tightly. He proceeded to help me out of the boat. “First, let me quickly find a policeman to guide you, Lady Ida. This part of town isn’t the best; I’ve heard bad things about it when I have stayed here.”

He hurried along the pier and then excitedly flagged down a man standing on the deck of a boat, whom he clearly knew. Middle-aged, he had short black hair, a strong jaw, large blue eyes, and an aquiline nose. I thought he was handsome.

“Alain! So lucky to see you out here!” yelled Gonzalo.

Alain stepped off his craft and onto the pier. They embraced.

“This young woman needs to get to Clifton Estates. She has all the documents needed for her stay. A lawyer has been waiting for her there. And I need help—I have men stuck on my boat out in the sea. We wrecked. They are stuck on a rock!”

“Please, let me come too. It’ll be better if you don’t split up. Maybe someone is injured,” I suggested.

Gonzalo was surprised but shrugged and accepted my offer. We clambered onto Alain’s ship. It was a small, pretty yacht and not an inexpensive vessel. From what I could observe, Alain seemed quite well off. But the fact that he was a friend of someone like Gonzalo showed that he wasn’t an arrogant rich man.

As the ship smoothly split the water and the sun shone, we could see the outline of the large rocks and the small ship aground on them.

“We have to drop anchor here and take the motorboat.”

Alain dropped the anchor, and we got into a good-sized tender, much nicer than the tiny one Gonzalo had brought me in. As we got close to Gonzalo’s wrecked ship, we could not see anyone on board.

Alain’s face became grim. “Why aren’t they on deck?”

“Probably resting in the cabin,” said Gonzalo, but he was clearly nervous.

Alain deftly tossed a loop of rope onto a cleat on the boat’s stern, then used another rope to tightly attach us. He proceeded to climb the ladder up to the ship first, and then he assisted me and Gonzalo.

There was a line of what looked like red paint leading toward the hatch. I looked at the men and could see by their reaction that it was indeed blood.

Alain suddenly drew a gun from underneath his coat, which greatly startled me, but it also made me feel more secure. Gonzalo opened the hatch to below and used his flashlight to peer inside. He led the way as we descended the steps.

There was a rock protruding through a hole in the corner of the hold, but the water was trickling in very slowly. The trail of blood stretched across the floor and toward the hole, but there was no one to be seen.

Gonzalo shook his head. “My God, the rumors were true...I should not have come back here.”

“What rumors?” I asked.

“It’s important that we leave now and talk later,” said Alain.

I climbed back up first, followed by the two men. Gonzalo took a few things, including his ship’s log, Alain picked up my suitcase, and we all boarded the motorboat again. Confused and worried, I sat watching their grim faces. Only the sounds of the motor and the boat dashing through the water cut the silence.

This was an unsettling way to begin my trip to claim my grandmother’s estate, to say the least. Gonzalo’s reference to rumors was swirling around my brain. I was creating all kinds of possibilities with my imagination.

When we safely reached the port again aboard Alain’s ship, he invited us to sit with him in a large cabin. “You must be very startled right now, Ida. You heard Gonzalo mention the rumors. Here are some things I can tell you with certainty since you will be staying on our island. We have three major regions on this island. Cristium is the large town you see beyond this port. The hillside village is part of it. Burg is a large village in the forest region, and there is Everett, around the west side of the island, which has a small harbor with farmland, a fisherman’s village, and a lighthouse.

“Recently, there have been people going missing when out on the water, in the fields or forests. The actual towns have been safe. The rumors are that there is some kind of a creature that stays away from populous areas but hunts people in the wild.”

The story sounded ridiculous, but I was chilled. I took a deep breath and turned to look at the town. The breeze on the water picked up. Was this why Grandma had been so careful about never inviting anyone to see her? Why had she stayed here, then? Why did anyone?

“How many people have gone missing?”

Alain shook his head. “In the past two years, at least forty. We now get barely any tourism. The economy is doing well, regardless; we are very self-sufficient, and we still deliver great goods to the mainland, so the residents prosper.”

“Will you guide me to my grandmother’s home?”

Alain smiled, showing beautiful white teeth. He looked like a movie star. “Of course, with pleasure. And Gonzalo, you can use my motorboat to get back when you’re ready. Take any supplies you need.”

Gonzalo, despite Alain’s kindness, looked miserable. His crew were likely dead, and his business was ruined. I felt great pity for the man.

As Alain and I stepped onto the pier, Gonzalo got into the motorboat. We waved goodbye and turned toward the town, and Alain told me more. “That poor man, Gonzalo...it’s like a curse. Two years ago, his family was killed when a train went off its rails on a bridge. You might have read about it or heard it on the radio. It took him a while to get back to work, but he did eventually, and now this. I don’t know how he handles it still. Maybe it’s his faith.”

“Which religion?”

“He’s a Christian; how about you?”

“I am too, and you?”

His mouth twisted wryly. “I don’t subscribe to any religion.”

There was a lot of movement now in the town. People were on the sidewalks, coming and going, and opening doors of shops and wiping rainwater off outdoor tables and chairs.

“Hungry? There is a great bakery nearby.”

“Yes!”

My stomach rumbled, and I felt exhausted in the aftermath of the stress and adrenaline that had been coursing through my body. Sitting down for a coffee and baked goods sounded great. We walked together up a curvy street leading into a higher part of the town. It was paved with beautiful light brown cobblestones. All around, there were flowers, bushes, and colorful homes filled with personality. The people seemed to be going about their lives calmly and cheerfully. It was almost as though we were in another world, and the earlier events had been a strange dream.

Up ahead, I saw a small building faced in red stone. Above the door was a large plank which read “La Dame Ava Cafe and Bakery.” Alain noticed me looking at it and confirmed that it was the place we were headed.

As I stepped inside the small, cozy café, the aroma of freshly baked pastries and coffee filled my lungs and had almost a therapeutic effect on my mind and body, as some of the tension seemed to ease. We sat down at one of the small tables by the window, and after looking at all the options, I chose a croissant with salmon and boiled eggs. Alain got himself a ham sandwich, and we ordered two coffees.

I was so hungry I forgot my manners and ate the croissant as quickly as I could, not even waiting for my coffee. Alain seemed to not care at all, as he did pretty much the same with his food. We were both already more relaxed when the hot drinks were poured.

“So, Alain, did you know my grandmother?”

“Isabella Clifton? Of course! Everyone knew her. She helped a lot of people in these parts.”

“How so?”

“Finances. She gave money to struggling businesses, fed the poor in the area...wonderful woman.”

I stirred my coffee. “She was wonderful…I wish I had spent more time with her.”

“Life is very unpredictable and sudden. That’s just how it goes, yes?” Alain sipped his coffee.

“I suppose so,” I answered, then sighed. “I think she loved this island, and from what you say, the people here.”

Alain smiled as he looked at me. “The people here are very kind and friendly, very faithful as well. These recent hardships have been testing everyone, but still, everyone finds positivity…almost everyone.”

Quickly I changed the subject. “So, what do you think about her property?”

“What do you mean? It’s beautiful, in a great location. Do you intend to sell it?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. I have to meet the man in charge of handling the transition and hear the official reading of the will.”

“I see,” he nodded. “Well, this was a good break, yes? Shall I take you to the estate now?”

I smiled and thanked him. There was a good aura about him. It made me feel safe.