She had sat for a long time, staring, so long that Eddie and Grace and Madeline and Trevor began to fidget like schoolchildren, and then, when Barbie took a breath, they all tensed.

She said, in the world’s most uncomfortable voice, making everyone at the table believe that she was absolutely telling the truth: “Two of the women at this table will betray the person on their left.”

Eddie was to Grace’s left, Grace to Madeline’s left, Trevor to Barbie’s left.

Now, Grace said, “Barbie predicted I would betray Eddie.”

“The séance was idiotic,” Madeline said. “You didn’t believe what Barbie said?”

“I think about it,” Grace said.

“If you believe what Barbie said, then that means that either Barbie is going to betray Trevor—which doesn’t seem likely—or I’m going to betray you, which is even less likely, since you’re my best friend.”

“Yes,” Grace said. “Thank you.”

“The séance wasn’t real, Grace.”

Grace set her wine safely on the side table and sat up to face Madeline. “What I can’t get over is how suddenly my life has changed. Everything was normal and boring. And now… now, my life is a novel.”

NANTUCKET

On Saturday night, Damon, the bartender at the Pearl, heard the rumor from the hostess, Phoenix Hernandez, who had been to the dentist earlier in the week.

It was all over town by noon on Sunday. This was partially because Damon’s housemate, Blue Sky, worked as the bartender upstairs at Ventuno, and Blue Sky’s mother, Alice, was the elementary-school secretary, and Blue Sky’s aunt Margaret worked at the Nantucket RMV. Blue Sky, Alice, and Margaret met for breakfast every Sunday morning at the Fog Island Café, where Blue Sky told her aunt and mother the notable stories from her weekend.

Part of the rumor was substantiated when Rachel McMann, an enthusiastic user of social media, posted a picture of the outside of the blue Victorian in a tweet that said, Just rented space to a Nantucket author! #nantucket #bayberryproperties #islandia. This was retweeted by Jacinda Morgan, the office manager at Bayberry Properties, who was required to retweet anything using the hashtag #bayberryproperties to all ten thousand of their followers. It was also retweeted by Madeline’s publisher, Final Word, who was required to retweet anything that used the hashtag of any one of their thirteen hundred titles to their 1.1 million followers.

Did you hear?

EDDIE

Saturday night at eight o’clock, Eddie went to the old Cumberland Farms to buy some cherry Tums. The old Cumberland Farms was run down and catered to a questionable clientele—teenagers on skateboards, heroin addicts, petty criminals, pretty much the bottom of the Nantucket barrel—but it was the only place on the island that sold cherry Tums, and Eddie was in dire need.

At nine thirty, he was due at Low Beach Road to meet with Ronan LNW. And at ten o’clock, the girls would arrive.

Grace normally liked to pin Eddie down to a date night on Saturdays, but this week the topic had—blessedly—not come up, and Eddie hadn’t looked a gift horse in the mouth. Grace had made lobster stew and baked fresh baguettes, and shortly after cleaning up from dinner, just as Eddie was wondering how he was going to break the news that he had to go to work, she retreated to her study, saying she had some garden planning she wanted to do.

Hope was driving Allegra into town, then she was coming home to practice the flute. Allegra hadn’t made the honor roll and hence hadn’t earned the privilege of driving the four-door Jeep Sahara that Eddie had given both twins for their sixteenth birthday. Allegra had said she would get a ride home, and Eddie asked, From whom? And Allegra had said, I don’t know, Daddy, from someone. The girl had five thousand friends, and, although Eddie was pretty sure she drank and probably also smoked, she had never gotten into trouble trouble. Of course, for the past two years, she had spent most of her free time with Brick—but recently, her plans had become vague. Going into town to hang out on the Strip, maybe catch a movie.

Eddie said, Call me if you need a ride. I’ll come get you, no matter what time.

Allegra had hugged him and said, Thank you, Daddy, while Hope looked at him like he was the world’s easiest mark.

To Hope, Eddie said, “I have to go check on a rental. I should be home by ten thirty, eleven at the latest.”

Hope had shrugged.

Now, at the old Cumberland Farms, Eddie picked two bottles of cherry Tums off the shelf and brought them to the counter.

A voice behind him said, “Hey there, Eddie.”

Eddie turned around. It took Eddie a second to recognize the man because he wasn’t in uniform. Ed Kapenash, the chief of police, was wearing a white shirt, jeans, and a blazer.

“Hey, Chief,” Eddie said, and he shook Ed’s hand. Eddie paid for his Tums, took his change, accepted the bag, then turned around to smile at the Chief.

The Chief said, “Wait for me by the door for a second, would you?”

“Sure thing,” Eddie said. His heart felt like it was being fed to a pack of feral dogs. While he waited, he popped open the Tums and chewed up a small handful. What would the Chief want with Eddie? Only the very worst came to mind.

The Chief was buying a gallon of milk. He held it up. “Much cheaper here,” he said.

Eddie smiled. “Don’t I know it.”

“Eggs are cheaper, too—but then, I guess you don’t buy eggs anymore.”

“Grace’s hens have spoiled me rotten,” Eddie said. “I’ll never go back.”