THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD & EVIL (Macmillan, 2011) by Glenn Kleier, author of internationally acclaimed best-seller, THE LAST DAY (Warner Books)

Previously in the story:

       Their lives together were going so well, Angela was certain she’d seen the last of Ian’s psychological ghosts. And then he suffers a relapse. This time, however, Ian is convinced his problem is of the soul, not the mind—beyond the reach of Angela’s professional expertise. Despite her misgivings he leaves for a remote abbey, hoping to master its mysticism and return to her healed and whole. 

     Time passes, Ian's messages grow fewer and shorter, then nothing. Angela is heartbroken. This is how he'd ended their relationship before. 

    But suddenly last night, a frantic call--Ian's mentor at the abbey, Father Lucien, claiming Ian has left for St. Maarten Island in the Caribbean. Angela is baffled. Ian has no contact there that she's aware of. The monk gives her an address, and before hanging up he begs her to go there right away--"before Ian kills himself!"

(Read below, or download Word file here:  sample chapter)

Chapter Seven

PRINCESS JULIANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ST. MAARTEN ISLAND, CARIBBEAN, NEXT MORNING

Angela raced out of the little terminal, hailing a cab. The driver stowed her bag, she slid into the back seat, and they rattled off.

She handed up a scribbled address, no idea where on the island it was, unable to locate it on Google Earth. The cabbie shook his head, dreadlocks waggling, eyes meeting hers in the mirror. 

“No-no, M’um. Pretty missy like you don wanna go dere.”

“Just take me, please. And hurry.” 

All she wanted was to grab Ian and go.

She’d tried to phone Father Lucien back yesterday, only to get an answering machine telling her she’d reached “a monastery where quiet is valued and silence a virtue.” Invited to leave a message, she hadn’t.

(continued . . .)