Portoferraio sparkled in the sun as fishing boats bobbed like colorful jewels in the ancient port. Walking along the pier, Emma stepped over patched fishing nets that were heaped in piles, and drying in the sun. Local cafés were packed with the late morning rush of fishermen drinking espresso, and yelling back and forth to each other in Italian. The path that led up to Mulini Palace wound lazily like a labyrinth through the old city, inviting Emma to linger, look in shop windows, and enjoy the feel of the sun on her face. Passing an outdoor café, chicken sizzled on the grill and a pan of socca, a Mediterranean crèpe made with chickpeas, was drizzled with olive oil and propped on the counter. Passing the restaurant she continued to climb the steep street, feeling totally alive as she took in the sight and scents of the bougainvillea and pine trees that lined the path. As she crossed the town’s central piazza people were gathered for market day under the shadow of the Roman cathedral. Voices haggled amiably over the price of tomatoes. Streets extended from the Piazza like the spokes of a wheel, and Emma chose a narrow cobblestone path, built in the Roman times, which wound up in the direction of the ramparts defending Napoleon’s palace. Reaching the end of the path, she found the palace perched on the apex of the island. Emma peacefully surveyed the glittering blue Mediterranean that stretched for miles in all directions. Below her, seagulls stood sentry on the cannons and the ramparts that lined the palace. Watchful, they were ready to fend off any invaders to the island.

Later that day......

The sky was black as pitch, and the slim slice of new moon did little to illuminate the street. The inky black water surrounding the island acted like a blackout curtain, as Emma trudged away from the ancient port and up the steep hill. The doors of the deserted shops cast long shadows across the road, as she climbed up the steep steps to the entrance of the medieval Old Town. Passing under an arch, she entered the labyrinth of interconnecting streets that were once the hideout of Barbary pirates. Eerily quiet, she heard the sound of her own breathing. Low voices speaking Italian, drifted out of one of the doorways on the street. She could smell the stench of the day’s garbage, as she passed the restaurant where she had eaten earlier in the day. Yes, I must still be heading in the right direction, she thought. Barely seeing the path in front of her, she stumbled on a cobblestone, tripping, and catching herself with her hands. Continuing up the hill, the tops of her thighs started to burn. She prayed she was close to her destination. Crossing the deserted piazza of the old cathedral, she could dimly see the entrance to the ramparts that defended Napoleon’s palace. Anxiously, she started to walk faster, and ran into the butt of a cannon that poked through the brick wall lining the narrow path. An owl hooted in the distance. She couldn't believe that she agreed to meet him at the Palazzo at midnight.

.......coming in 2021, a travel suspense story that includes stolen jewels, fashion, adventure, and travel to different ports in the Mediterranean.