Summary

In “The Cobblestone Telegraph,” an unknown narrator discusses the rumor that Hotel Nantucket is being renovated. London-based billionaire Xavier Darling bought it and hired Nantucket local Lizbet Heaton to renovate it. Lizbet ran a restaurant called the Deck with her ex-boyfriend, JJ, until he cheated on her.

The people of Nantucket observe the renovations from the winter of 2021 to the spring of 2022. Lizbet invites a magazine editor, Jill Tananbaum, to tour the newly renovated hotel. Jill is amazed by its luxury and countless amenities. Her boss, Jordan Randolph, is unsatisfied with her article. He is resentful that a foreigner is investing in Nantucket and is skeptical regarding the hotel’s success.

Lizbet ruminates over her breakup while listening to sad music in “The Fifth Key.” On September 30, during a party at the Deck, she discovered sexual messages on JJ...