Sunny Side Up (Lake Erie Mysteries Book 1)

by Maureen K. Howard

  “Oh, Hamm, you have no idea how awful it was when I heard him saying you were a suspect not only in the fire but also for murder. I still can’t believe that Sirena’s own sister purposely led her into a trap and murdered her! What did she do to you when you showed up?”

  “When I got to Sirena’s shop, she was nowhere to be found. I waited a few minutes and was about to leave, angry that I had wasted my time, when a strange man with a ponytail grabbed me from behind and hit me over the head with something hard. I must have passed out because the next thing I knew I was tied up in a dark, fishy-smelling shack and left, I guess, to die. I had no idea what was going on or why I had been kidnapped. When I woke up, the guy was still there. He forced me to drink something. It didn’t taste bad, but after that, I don’t remember a thing. For the few seconds I was still conscious, all I could think of was you, and just prayed that you were safe.”

  “Oh that’s horrible! How did you escape?”

  “I’d like to say I pulled a MacGyver and used a toothpick and some bubble gum to get myself out, but as it turned out, Jack Morgan figured out what Senora and this guy were up to and saved the day.”

  “How did he put it all together? I only remember bits and pieces of her crazy ranting, but I couldn’t make much sense of it.”

  “We all actually owe a great deal to that guy June knows, Michael, you know the one with the German shepherd.”

  “Oh, of course, Michael and Gunner. Are they okay? The last time we saw Michael, he was being taken to the hospital. June and I found him near the breakwall and called an ambulance. We didn’t know what happened to him, but there was blood and he was unconscious. We took his dog Gunner back to the condo with us, but by the time we got back after all of the crazy things that happened, Gunner was gone. June called the hospital to check on Michael and he was also gone.”

  “Yes, he and Gunner are both fine. They’re heroes really. Michael left the hospital and tracked Gunner down at the condo. He was still a bit groggy from his head injury and the pain meds he was given, but he kept trying to put all of the pieces together. They were walking along the beach, taking the more scenic and private way back when everything fell into place. He knew something was wrong when he saw June’s houseboat leaving the dock in the middle of the night. He tried to catch up to warn you and June about what was going on. He knew June never took the boat out and became immediately suspicious. He wasn’t able to get to the boat in time to see who was driving, but when he reached the dock, he discovered Cliff in the water, barely hanging on to a dock post. He fished him out and then contacted Morgan right away.

  “Michael had been following a number of stories about a criminal investigation involving a murdered millionaire and a stolen coin collection. He started following the story in the Chicago Tribune and then several other papers out of curiosity, but he became more seriously interested when he read that the coins were being connected to various underworld collectors and investors, and then he read a related story about counterfeit wholesale merchandise being funneled from Chicago and New York into the Midwest by these same crime rings.”

  “Now I remember Senora talking about Chicago and a black market business she was involved in. What else did you find out?”

  “It turns out Michael had noticed activity at the old warehouse on Kelleys and began keeping tabs on a suspicious-looking guy who was coming and going quite frequently. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when his dog suddenly became aggressive toward Sirena. Gunner had loved Sirena since the day she first snuck him one of her gourmet biscuits, but suddenly she couldn’t get within five feet of him without causing the dog to growl.”

  “I didn’t know that, or we would have been much more concerned when Gunner attacked Sirena’s sweater. It makes sense now.”

  “Michael filled Morgan in on his suspicions, and the detective added it to the information he had been gathering and figured out the rest. When the police showed up to arrest Senora, she was not at her house or the store. I think she was probably already gone when she called me. That left her partner, the guy in black with the ponytail, Kenneth Overmayer. He was still hanging around, trying to decide what to do when Morgan caught up with him. After Morgan told him that Senora had left him to take the fall alone, and he would be charged with murder in the death of Sirena Divine, he caved. He made a deal with Morgan for leniency and took him to the shack where I was being held. Then he outlined to the authorities everything she was planning to do.”

  “Thank God. But wait! Where is June? Is Clifton okay? Did Senora get away? Everything is so fuzzy. I really need to get up and get...” I stopped talking and looked around the room, realizing that I didn’t recognize the space. “Where are we?”

  Again, Hamm assured me that everything would be fine. He took my hand in both of his, raised it to his lips and gently kissed my fingertips.

  “Everything is going to be fine, Fran. We are at the Firelands Medical Center. Apparently you don’t remember the boat ride back, or the ambulance waiting at the marina? At any rate, you’re alive. June is in the room next door. You both were in shock and fighting hypothermia, but with a little rest, you’ll be back to solving crimes together in no time.”

  I gave my man a weak smile. “I’m sorry I’m such a moron sometimes. I know I should have listened to you and kept my nose out of everyone’s business, but I can’t just stand by and watch while my friends are in trouble.”

  “Well, it’s not like any of this comes as a great surprise. There’s never a dull moment around you, especially when you double the trouble and throw June into the mix. But I wouldn’t change a single minute. Everyone knows you have a heart of gold.”

  “Tell me the rest of the story, Hamm. What happened to Cliff? Wasn’t he in the boat when Morgan pulled June and me out of the lake? Things are still a little fuzzy.”

  “Cliff is fine. He was checked out by the doctors when you were brought in and after being watched for a few hours, they gave him the green light to leave. He decided to go back home. Turns out he’s a pretty tough cookie in spite of all his society boy attitude, but I think the real source of his pain now is the fact that Sirena is gone. He couldn’t believe that he of all people didn’t notice the change in her behavior after Senora had taken the place of her sister.”

  “Well, really, he didn’t know her all that well, and in his defense, none of us noticed any significant changes in her personality and certainly not in her appearance. Where is Senora now? Don’t tell me she got away!”

  “She almost did. But Morgan and his team caught up with her at the warehouse. She was trying to salvage any of her counterfeit products and make sure there was nothing left that could incriminate her before she got out of town. They took her into custody and ran her name at the police station. That’s when they found out that she was wanted in Chicago for a whole array of crimes. Morgan called an old friend at his former precinct. He must have some pull over there because it was pretty amazing how quickly they were able to send two officers over to the island to arrest her. She’s on her way back to the Windy City now where she will be in jail for a very long time.”

  “I hope she likes orange jumpsuits because she won’t have many fashion options in prison.”

  Chapter Thirty

  “Knock, knock. Is this a bad time?”

  I reluctantly took my eyes off Hammond but was delighted when I saw Ruby and Roger Burns standing in the doorway to the room with a huge bouquet of daisies and irises and the biggest “Get Well” helium balloon I had ever seen.

  “We came as soon as we heard what happened.” Ruby stepped closer and put the cheery gifts on the bedside table.

  “Come on in. I’m so happy to see you both! I’m just glad this whole nightmare is finally over, and no one else was seriously hurt.”

  Roger entered the room a step behind his wife. His typical gregarious demeanor was gone. He looked solemn and serious standing now beside my bed.

  “What’s wrong, Roger? Is there something
else? I don’t think I can take any more bad news.”

  “I feel terrible about this whole thing, Francie. So much of this disaster could have been avoided if I had handled things differently. I feel like I owe you all an apology.”

  I was confused. “Roger, you have nothing to feel guilty about. You and Ruby were the victims of that horrible Senora and her shady mob friend. June and I were responsible for all of our own trouble. We just wanted to help, but obviously we should have left the investigation to the professionals.”

  “Well, as you’re probably aware by now, I got myself wrapped up in some of those crooks’ shady deals and then couldn’t figure out how to separate myself from them without hurting the people I love most.”

  “Oh Roger, I’m sure it was all a big misunderstanding. Those people were horrible.”

  “Yes, they were, and I should have known better than to think I could make a single deal with them and then walk away without consequences. About a year ago, I was approached by Kenneth Overmayer with a deal that seemed too good to be true, and of course it was. He showed me some samples of very popular designer merchandise with pricing far below anything I’d ever seen anywhere else. He said he bought the goods in bulk and eliminated the middlemen. He told me that he wanted to pass the savings along to me and other area retailers, hoping to build up his sales and transport business. He produced very legitimate-looking credentials and references, so I agreed because I thought Ruby’s customers would love the products and we could make a nice profit. It seemed like a win-win situation, but it turned out to be just the opposite.”

  Roger shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, and wiped his palms on the front of his shirt. Ruby put a steady hand on Roger’s shoulder for support but didn’t speak. Finally, he cleared his throat and continued.

  “I placed the first order with Overmayer and Ruby couldn’t keep the stuff on the shelves. It wasn’t until I had bought and sold three large shipments that he informed me that fifty percent of the merchandise I was selling to my customers was counterfeit. He said it was so good that the average consumer would never know, but if I didn’t continue buying his knock-offs, he would inform the authorities and I would be forced out of business. Since my signature was on all the orders, I felt I had no choice but to continue dealing with him.”

  I was thinking to myself that June and I were definitely not average consumers, which is why we were able to spot the knock-offs without too much trouble. When I looked up from my musings, I saw the lawyer look on Hamm’s face as he turned to Roger and asked, “Roger, did this man ever threaten you or your family?”

  “I am embarrassed to say that he did. I don’t know why I didn’t go to the police right away, but after a while, I felt like I was just as guilty as he was. He said that if I tried to turn him in, I would end up in jail as an accomplice, and worse yet, if I didn’t go along with all of his expansion plans, he would make sure I would regret it. When I hesitated, he made good on that promise, and after the fire, things just spiraled downward. He made sure I understood that if I didn’t do whatever he told me, that my wife would end up like the person in the attic.”

  Roger’s voice was hoarse with emotion. Ruby’s eyes were welling up with tears. “My God! Poor Sirena! I’ll never be able to forgive myself for what happened to her.”

  “You had no way of knowing what Senora had planned for her sister.” Hamm was trying valiantly to help ease Roger’s guilt. “Overmayer didn’t even know about that, but once Senora told him what she had done, he too was blackmailed into helping her carry out her scheme. It doesn’t by any means excuse his actions.” Hamm squeezed my hand as he continued. “He was no match for my Francie, though.”

  I smiled weakly. My head ached and I felt myself losing focus. “Can I just have a hug?” It was all I had left in me to say.

  Ruby and Roger apprehensively approached my bed. Ruby bent over and brushed a light kiss on my forehead, while Roger awkwardly patted the hand that Hamm was not still clutching. “I’m just glad that you girls are going to be okay.”

  “Stop by the store as soon as you’re up and about,” Ruby added as the couple took their leave. “I have something special waiting for you and June. Hamm, take good care of that girl. She’s one in a million.”

  “Don’t you worry about that. I may just stop by myself and buy something pretty for my wonderful wife.”

  “Oh, that’s lovely…” I breathed a sigh of relief as my eyes shut and I drifted off into the most peaceful sleep I can ever remember.

  I looked to the right of my lawn chair toward June and held my frozen margarita up toward hers in a toast. “Cheers!” we both exclaimed in unison.

  Our one-of-a-kind hand-etched glasses, courtesy of Ruby and Roger Burns, clinked with satisfaction, and the tart lime flavor of our drinks brought smiles to our faces. The frightful events of the last few days were finally behind us. We had survived. Life was once again in our control. We were being pampered and waited on by the two handsome men standing on the back deck of the condo in front of the shiny, stainless steel barbecue grill. We sat back, content to be in the shade, and listened as Hamm and Morgan debated the advantages and disadvantages of using gas versus coal for grilling the perfect hamburger. Since the impressive gas grill belonged to Hamm, and since we were after all, at the Egge homestead, Jack deferred to the chef. He walked across the deck to the lawn where June and I lounged in my new gravity chairs enjoying the peaceful view of the lake we all loved so well. There was not a cloud in the sky or a wave on the water.

  I had some lingering bruises and scrapes, but overall I was fine. June had recovered quickly, just like she did everything else. Her hair was basic blond now since she hadn’t had time to get to the salon. She wore no makeup, which gave her a sweet, vulnerable look. Her toenails, however, were painted an interesting olive green and her fingernails were pimento red. It worked on her. Jack stopped behind June’s chair and placed his hands on her shoulders, kneading his fingers along the muscles in her neck with a touch that suggested they were more than just friends. If I had blinked just then, I would have missed the quick, discreet kiss he planted behind her ear. Something was whispered and then he casually headed back to the cooler on the deck and retrieved a Bud Lite, pulled back the tab, and raised the can to his lips with a very satisfied expression on his face. June looked my way and winked.

  “You girls are lucky that you’re both so cute,” Jack announced. “I thought you’d like to know that you don’t need to worry about those interesting IOUs you’ve been leaving around town. The kayak and the tandem bike are back with their rightful owners, and speaking of the owners, both of them waived all of the rental charges. They both were impressed with your honesty and your creativity. Business is booming since pictures of the bike and kayak appeared on Facebook, and to top it all off, Francie and June, you are local celebrities and even have a Twitter following, whatever that is! The bike shop owner wants to know if he can use a picture of the two of you on the tandem bike in a new ad for his business.”

  Hamm looked at me over the rim of his glass and we exchanged a look that carried with it an entire unspoken conversation.

  Smiling, I said, “Of course he can use our photo—for a fee of course!” It felt good to have a light-hearted conversation again. I sipped my frozen drink and looked at these three people: the love of my life, the friend who was part of my soul, and the newcomer who bore great future potential. I planned to be around for many more years so I could enjoy everything that life threw our way.

  “Who wants cheese on their burger?”

  “Duh! What kind of a question is that?” I retorted.

  “Yeah,” June agreed. “You should be asking what kind of cheese. And make it a double!”

  We all laughed. This was an extra cheese event if ever there was one.

  From inside, the voice of Clifton Sterling drifted out from the television, which had been tuned to the WLKE evening news.

  “Tonight I bring you an exclusive breaking
news report.”

  It doesn’t get any better than this.

  Epilogue

  The late evening sun began its lazy descent swathed in a raspberry and orange swirl. It was already one month since the fire at Ruby’s Treasure Chest set in motion the events that would change so many lives. The seven survivors had met on the beach and together we made our way down to the water’s edge conversing in hushed tones. Hamm held my hand tightly in his; June walked next to Jack with his strong arm protectively drawing her shoulder to his side; Roger and Ruby had their arms comfortably around one another’s waists; and Clifton walked alone, one hand deep in the pocket of his pressed khaki pants and the other holding a beautiful bouquet of birds of paradise. When we got to the shore we formed a line, side by side, arms linked, and shared a moment of silent respect, looking over the peaceful, lake and far out to that place where the water met the sky.

  Each of us, in our own way, was remembering our trials of the last few weeks and making peace with the demons that could haunt us forever if they weren’t properly acknowledged and laid to rest. The sand beneath our feet was beginning to cool now that the sun had dipped beneath the horizon. It seemed like even Mother Nature had become still all around us, giving us the gift of this moment for us to remember. One by one, stars began to twinkle to life in the night sky. A song by Erica Freas came softly to my mind and I began to hum the melody to myself. The folksy notes of “Song for a Mermaid” carried out across the gentle night air. No one spoke Sirena’s name, but we all felt her presence. As the last few notes of the song trailed out to the still waters, I glimpsed a graceful form break the surface in an elegant dive. Shimmering auburn and emerald green were illuminated as the beam from the lighthouse lit up the still waters. I blinked my eyes and the image was gone.