Initially somewhat naive, Adam unwisely trusts a beautiful young woman in The Arm of the Starfish, which results in the death of a friend. Because of this, Adam tries unsuccessfully to maintain an emotional distance from Vicky Austin when he meets her the following summer.
Adam, who was initially rather naive, foolishly trusted a beautiful young woman in The Arm of the Starfish, resulting in his friend's demise. Consequently, Adam struggled unsuccessfully to keep emotionally distant from Vicky Austin during their subsequent summer meeting.