Cold Island (Detective Tommy Kelly #1)

by Peter Colt

Big Dick was the troop’s head of detectives.

Kelly had transferred from Worcester to Middleborough, Massachusetts, six months earlier.

“They found a dead body on Nantucket. Construction crew found it as they were breaking ground for some millionaire’s new vacation house.”

the shivering wasn’t entirely because of the cold. Maybe it was the bones of the lost child, the rumble of the surf, or the dark, inky loneliness of the night. It all felt like something from a horror movie.

October 1981 They had been searching for Richie Sousa, but the search had gone from full-court press to a routine part of every shift.

November 1981 Halloween had come and gone,

Albie’s dad was with them. Mr. Parker, Mikey’s dad, was too. He kept saying that he was sure Mikey would turn up soon.

Nick hadn’t been to school for the last two days. Richie and Mikey hadn’t been in school for even longer.

A malnourished, abused kid, buried in secret in the middle of nowhere on the island decades ago. A tragic end to what was likely a sad, unfair life.

“No, it’s not G.I. Joe. It’s Luke Skywalker . . . the one from Empire . . . Empire Strikes Back. You know, the real second movie,”

“During the fall of 1981, three boys were abducted and murdered. They were all between the ages of eight and ten. They were all taken as they were heading home from playing with friends after school.”

“Technically. It’s also a case that someone apparently put the serious squash on. It might be closed, but it’s shady as fuck.”

Everyone keeping secrets, making you question who they are versus who they led you to believe they were.”

He wasn’t sure what to feel. He was leaving the island again, but it was different this time.