Deviled!: Lake Erie Mysteries Book 2 (15 page)

T
he whooshing
of a helicopter’s blades churned the air above the quiet island. Men in black T-shirts and cargo pants, sporting some serious muscle and menacing weapons, came hurtling out of the house, the woods, and the shadows like ants clambering toward a forgotten piece of watermelon. So much for residents who felt secure against the threat of uninvited trespassers. The armed guards were focused on the helicopter hovering above their secret island lair.

Eddie removed his hands from our mouths, but the smell of an Italian sub lingered under my nose. “Stay quiet! You couldn’t just stay put, could you? I told you I would be back, but no, you had to go out on your own and alert everyone on the island that there has been a breach.”

I started to protest, but the minute I opened my mouth, Eddie cut me off and continued berating us. “If I was able to find you two twice on this island without even looking for you, just imagine how easily you’ll be hunted down by these trained bodyguards. I almost had everything set to get you away from here, but now we’re going to have to go to Plan B.”

“There’s a Plan B?”

Eddie stopped June before she could say anything more. “Do exactly what I say—nothing more, nothing less.” Eddie stopped long enough to look into our eyes, impressing upon us the utter seriousness of the situation. “Follow the trail that leads through the woods until you reach the old wooden dock on the south edge of the island. A friend will be there waiting for you. Go right now, while the guards are distracted, and take this.”

“A friend? Seriously?” I had to speak my mind before we just blindly followed Eddie’s orders. “Why are you helping us, Sneed? What do you have to gain? You sure seem to be mixed up in all this, and I have no idea why we should trust you. You might be leading us right into the scorpion’s nest. Literally.”

“Listen. There’s no time to explain everything now. When we’re all back safe and sound, I’ll tell you all I know. I’m really sorry for causing you so much trouble, but believe me, my hands were tied. I had no choice.” Eddie thrust a bulky sealed envelope into my hands. “Take this to the police as soon as you get back. Now go. Hurry.”

He shoved us out into the open. We had to stay low and run along the edge of the house until we got to the shelter of the sparse woods and the trail that, according to Eddie, would lead us to our rescue from this insane island. The path, as Eddie had called it, was really just some trampled down weeds. Night had settled in, and the cover of trees made it all the more difficult to navigate the unfamiliar terrain. There was only enough room to proceed single file, so I split my time between concentrating on the ground in front of me and turning back to reach for June’s hand, zigzagging all the while to avoid obstacles.

The whirring helicopter circling above us provided an appropriate soundtrack for the bizarre movie scene playing in my head. I hoped the noise would continue to occupy the attention of those armed men until we reached our destination and whomever Eddie had contacted to rescue us. I hoped he could be trusted. It was getting harder and harder to tell who was tangled up in this mess and what roles they might play.

Finally, we stumbled out of the trees into a patch of emerging moonlight. As it turned out, our forward momentum kept us in motion a few beats longer than what would be considered prudent, once we realized that the trail ended abruptly at the edge of a rocky cliff about twelve feet above the water. Twirling our arms like a pair of crazy windmills, June and I stopped just short of cliff diving. “A little warning would have been nice, Sneed,” I mumbled to myself.

I sat down hard on the scrubby earth. “What now? Where’s our go-to guy?” June got down on her knees beside me and peered over the edge of the rocks. “Be careful, June. If you tumble headlong off this cliff, I’ll be left alone here on this hellacious island to get sold off to the highest bidder or whatever is happening to those poor girls in that house of horrors.” I got off my butt and onto my knees so I could hold onto June’s ankles. She was getting too close to the edge for my liking.

June stretched herself about as far she could, and I gripped her ankles with everything I had in me. I wasn’t about to lose my best friend now. She let out a shout and whipped her head back and forth causing me to scoot forward on my knees. What was left of my white slacks offered a bit of protection to my knees.

“Gunner! Oh Gunner, you big beautiful angel! What are you doing here?” A familiar furry head with pointy ears and a wagging tongue popped up and licked June’s face from chin to cheek. Between gulps of giddy laughter, June found words to greet our four-legged savior. “Gunner! I have never been so happy to have my face slobbered. Are you here alone, or did you bring a friend?”

I don’t know who I thought Eddie was sending to meet us, but I was relieved when I recognized the German shepherd who was now standing on the precipice beside us. Our agile furry friend was truly a sight for sore eyes.

I watched as June lowered herself into a deep knee bend to give Gunner a proper welcome, circling her arms around the big dog’s neck. “Look Francie. He has a rope around his neck. Michael must be waiting down by the water.”

I had no clue how Eddie knew Michael, but at least now I was reassured that he was, in fact, one of the good guys. I had met Michael and his faithful companion just a month ago, when he helped clear my husband’s name in connection to an arson and murder on Kelleys Island. I wasn’t surprised when he turned up here on Scorpion Island, where the idea of organized crime and underworld influences seemed more and more plausible by the minute. Michael was a solitary man, ex-military, with a keen interest in keeping the local communities free from the insidious talons of unsavory characters. He had a particular knack for uncovering deeply layered plots against unsuspecting islanders, and he had the resources to make things happen, usually within the parameters of the law.

“This is a long rope you have here, buddy. I’m guessing it’s for us to get down to the beach so we can leave here.” Gunner responded to June’s comment with a woof and a dozen or so additional doggie kisses.

“Mama Mia! Rock climbing is not even close to being one of the items on my bucket list. Isn’t there an elevator somewhere? Heck, I’ll take the stairs. It’s not that I’m afraid of heights, it’s just that I’d like to survive this weekend.”

“Come on, Francie. Our options are pretty limited here. In fact, this is probably the only one we have. Help me tie this rope off to one of the trees.”

Gunner bowed his head, and the black nylon rope plopped to the ground. There was no doubt in my mind that Gunner knew exactly what we were saying and what his role was in this adventure. I trusted this dog more than a lot of humans I knew. Before I could finish pondering the possibilities of human versus canine intelligence, June was testing the strength of the knot she tied to secure the rope around a sturdy-looking tree near the edge of the cliff. I wanted to check it myself. Having tied my fair share of sailor knots over the years, I knew how to make sure the line was secure and fit for the job at hand. This was not to say I looked forward to the next step in this project. I may have been employing stall tactics, if I wanted to be completely honest with myself.

“Let’s do this.” June sounded like we were about to have some great fun, not throw ourselves over a rocky ledge and shimmy down to the water on the advice of a German shepherd.

June went first. She maneuvered over the smooth rocks on her stomach and got in position to slide down the rope. Gunner gave me a soulful look over his shoulder. I knew he was trying to reassure me before he and June disappeared out of my sight.
That dog should wear a cape
, I thought as I took a deep breath, grabbed onto the rope, and followed them.

I bumped and scratched my way down the rock wall, feeling for ledges and footholds to balance myself along the way. My purse, which was slung across my body, thumped against my back where it had migrated during my descent. When did I fill it with bricks? I really needed to clean it out one of these days. As I tucked that thought away in my mental things-to-do file, the envelope Eddie had given me sailed past my line of sight, pages gaily fluttering all around me. I managed to reach the short stretch of sand at the bottom with not too many new scratches and scrapes on my hands and arms. By the time I straightened my back and brushed off my pants, Michael was already helping June into a flat-bottomed boat that was rocking gently in the lake. He nodded at me but did not speak, extending his hand and guiding me toward the rescue vessel. Before I joined them, I recovered as many of the scattered pages as I could from along the shore and in the shallow water. Gunner hopped aboard, and Michael untied the line and shoved off from the shore. Simple as that.

Michael took up the oars and without speaking to either of us, piloted our craft away from the nefarious island until we were far enough away that the sound of the motor would not be heard from shore. Once the craft was under power, Michael spoke for the first time. “I’m glad I received the alert from your goTenna signal, June. I was surprised you had the device, because it’s really not something that’s made its way into the mainstream consumer population yet. When I got the message from Sneed that the two of you were on the island and needed a way off, I was able to get your location and arrange to meet you on the beach. I give the guy credit. I had serious doubts about his skills, as well as his intentions, but he managed to step up to the task and get the job done.”

“What task? What job? I still don’t get how he’s mixed up in all this.” I was frustrated by the lack of information being shared with June and me, and I wasn’t looking forward to any more implications or questions from the police regarding my involvement in Bob’s untimely death, Angelina’s accident, or the rest of the questionable incidents that took place over the past two days.

Michael did not reply to my question. Instead he asked one of his own. “Why did you ladies feel it was okay to visit the most highly protected and heavily guarded island on the Great Lakes? Didn’t you realize you were placing yourself in harm’s way, and that you were out of your element?”

June and I remained silent during our chastisement, our faces turning similar shades of bright pink.

“Did you speak to anyone other than Sneed while you were there? Did anyone else see you?”

“We didn’t speak to anyone except Eddie.” I was beginning to feel the magnitude of our impromptu stowaway scheme sitting like a lump of damp clay in my stomach.

June’s eyes darted over to me, and she cleared her throat. “There was Sasha’s sister, Sofia, too. We didn’t exactly speak to her, but she saw us and fled before anyone had a chance to say anything.”

I figured it was best to reveal everything we had seen to Michael. He was probably our best bet at sorting through this mess. “I saw Sofia again at the big white house. She was with a group of other girls around her age, and there were shady-looking men with them exchanging money, playing cards, and what looked like bidding on some of the girls.”

Michael’s expression was stony. “These are potentially very dangerous people. Do you realize how lucky you are? Do Angelina and Damien know you were on board their boat? I hope for your sakes you didn’t leave anything behind.”

“What do Angelina and Damien have to do with these people?” I asked, expecting to get the silent treatment one more time. “The logo on their boat has the same scorpion we’ve been seeing everywhere. I noticed several of the men had it tattooed in different places. One guy even had it on his bald head.”

“You know,” June added, “I just remembered that Bob had a scorpion tattoo on his bicep. There has to be a connection between his death and these guys.”

“You ladies are intelligent. You should think carefully, though, before getting yourselves into any more hot water. I’m going to drop you off at the resort. I suggest you leave the investigating to the police from here on in. I’ve got some feelers out as well and am doing a little research into some behind-the-scenes stuff. You’ll get your answers, but you need to stay out of the limelight for now. Why not sleep on it and keep your eyes and ears open, your mouths shut, and your butts in chairs at whatever workshops you’re supposed to be attending tomorrow.” The corner of Michael’s lip twitched, and there was the tiniest twinkle in his eye. I knew it. The guy did have a heart. As promised, we were deposited back at the resort, right in front of the marina cafe where we so recently ate supper and talked about everything from seminar topics to underworld mob bosses taking over our beloved islands. Moonlight shone on the DeVille’s sailboat,
Devil Chaser
, moored in her slip, as if all this had been nothing more than a crazy kaleidoscope of a dream.

T
he night air
was wet and heavy. I breathed in the green smell of the lake mixed with the heady scents of popcorn and fried treats from the amusement park as I stepped off our rescue boat.

I wandered a short distance down the dock, relieved to be back to the relative safety of this familiar island. I could see Michael’s intense gaze on June’s face and his strong hands on her delicate shoulders. Feeling like an intruder, I turned my attention to the amusement park and concentrated on the bright lights of the causeway.

From somewhere deep inside my purse, a text message notification chirped. I rummaged through the jumble until I found my phone, and was surprised to find it still partially charged, since I couldn’t remember when I had plugged it in last. It was a message from Angelina.

You seem to have left something behind on our sailboat. If you don’t want me to contact the police, meet me at Bob’s cabin in thirty minutes. Bring June.

Oh no, I thought. We have a problem. I looked down at my feet, trying to figure out what we could possibly have left behind from our stowaway excursion. My bare ankle provided the answer. Oh, why couldn’t I resist the lure of shiny trinkets with a nautical theme? I returned to the boat slip where June now stood alone with a dazed look on her face. “Snap out of it. I think we’re about to be in big trouble.” I showed her the text and then sheepishly pointed out my missing ankle bracelet. I could almost see the wheels turning in June’s head, and then she said the words I didn’t want to hear.

“We have to meet her, Francie. Who knows what kind of story Angelina will tell the police if we don’t. We’ll be arrested for sure this time. Bob’s place is just down the road, so we don’t have much time to come up with something.” The pacing and mumbling to herself commenced as my dear friend went into action-plan mode.

The reassuring light of the full moon no longer guided our way. Clouds gathering in the night sky blotted out its beam as we made our way down the unpaved road that led to Bob’s cabin. We had come up with a plan, albeit not a very good one on such short notice.

“I can hardly see my hand in front of my face. Are you sure we’re going in the right direction, June?”

“Yes, I see a light up ahead. Angelina must be there already. Use the flashlight on your phone to light up this road. I don’t want to end up at the edge of another cliff.”

We stopped walking so I could fish around in my purse for my ever-elusive phone. As I flipped through the screens to find my flashlight app, a dark figure slipped out of the woods just ahead of us. I stifled the urge to scream when I realized it was Gabriel.

“What are you doing out here, Gabriel? You scared me half to death—maybe even more than half.” I had dropped my phone when he appeared, so I was speaking to his knees as I fumbled in the dirt and brush in search of my annoying electronic lifeline.

“Francie, June, you ladies need to come with me. The police have issued a warrant for your arrest, and I think Angelina has lured you out here so the cops can swoop in and take you away. A police surveillance helicopter spotted you on Scorpion Island, and Detective Reed is convinced that you, Francie, and maybe even June, are my brother’s killers.”

“Whaaat? But we didn’t do anything. This is all a big misunderstanding. I’m sure if we talk to the police everything can be sorted out. Don’t you think so, June?”

Gabriel interrupted before I could get June’s take on the situation. “I wouldn’t risk it. The police want this case closed. People are starting to get anxious about not being able to come and go from the resort, and my brother and Angelina will stop at nothing to get this wrapped up. They are losing money hand over fist with travel shut down. This place is their livelihood, and I wouldn’t put it past them to throw you to the wolves in order to get things back up and running. You need to trust me. I’ve seen how ruthless they can be if their business is threatened. I’m not even sure they weren’t the ones behind Bob’s murder. He has been a thorn in their side since day one, and they have exhausted every resource trying to get him off this island.”

I recalled Angelina’s words to the same effect when we first met her. It felt like the ground was shifting beneath my feet. “I don’t know what we’re supposed to do. We can’t just hide out forever. This is an island, and the police will eventually catch up to us. Won’t hiding out like a pair of criminals make us look like a pair of criminals? And it’s not like we have any proof of who actually killed Bob. At this point, I’m so confused about who’s on what side that I could almost believe I did it. Say something June. What should we do?”

“I’m trying to sort this out. First of all, it wasn’t you. I was with you all night, and furthermore, duh. Second, Angelina and Damien do have the most to gain from getting rid of Bob and having his murder pinned on someone else. And finally, whatever role Bob and the goons on Scorpion Island played in this whole creepy stalker thing just doesn’t add up. I think we need a little more time to put it all together before we get steamrolled and sent to the slammer for good.  Even if orange is the new black, that’s one fashion trend I’m willing to skip.”

The wind was increasing in intensity. Another summer storm would be upon us in a short time, and I didn’t want to get stuck outside in the rain again.

“Where can we go, Gabriel? There can’t be many places here where Angelina or Damien wouldn’t think to tell the police to look for us.”

“I know a place you can stay until I can get to my brother and his wife and talk some sense into them. There’s a cabin out on the edge of the island that hasn’t been used since the resort was built. It was our family’s summer vacation spot when my parents were still alive. Back then, this island was pretty much undeveloped, the construction of the amusement park had just begun, and of course we were pretty excited about the prospect. It was our little slice of paradise. We had the childhood every kid dreams about, at least until the accident.” Gabriel became still and silent, staring at nothing.

“What happened, Gabriel?” June approached him and placed her hand on his forearm. We waited a moment, wondering if he would continue his story.

“My parents died in a motorcycle accident. It happened in a construction zone on the freeway during the beginning phases of the amusement park’s development.” The look on his face was one of inconsolable grief. “I’m so sorry, Gabriel. I had no idea.”

“Of course you didn’t. Why would you?”

I shut my mouth and hoped I hadn’t put an end to his sharing.

“The crash was caused by a hazardous roadway condition created by the highway contractor during construction. There were no warning signs alerting motorists of the condition, and there were no construction barrels placed over the hazard to protect motorists. Because of this, my dad encountered the hazard full-on while exiting the freeway and crashed. My mother was thrown from the bike and died instantly. Dad suffered catastrophic injuries that left him paralyzed. The severity of his injuries eventually resulted in his untimely death, but not until five years after the accident. Damien was sixteen when the accident happened; Roberto was fifteen, and I was eleven. My father’s lawyer had been actively pursuing a lawsuit against both the construction company and the amusement park from the time of the accident. A wrongful death case in regard to my mother had already been won, and when my father died, the terms of the settlement were doubled. Needless to say, the three of us would never want for money again.”

June and I stood huddled under the umbrella of those words for a brief moment. The thought of all that money and security did nothing to keep the sense of pervasive loss from seeping through my skin, sinking deep into my bones.

When Gabriel spoke again, I found it difficult to meet his eyes. “Damien, being the oldest, decided he wanted to take over the amusement park development and expand the whole operation, turning it into a world-renowned destination. He would keep the memory of our parents and the DeVille family alive, whatever it took. He became obsessed with the place. He convinced Bob to sell him his share under the condition that he would stay on and manage the marina for as long as he wanted. Bob jumped at the chance. He would have security for life. He had neither the ambition nor the intelligence to manage his own finances and was elated to fall into his role as black sheep—until this week, that is.”

“What about you?” I asked. “You were only eleven when the accident happened and sixteen when your father died.”

“I couldn’t stand the thought of staying there another day longer than I had to. My money was still in a trust fund, but I agreed to let my brother manage it under the supervision of the family lawyer, retaining my stake in the corporate earnings and receiving dividends. As soon as school let out for the year, I moved to Chicago to live with my uncle. I’ve been there ever since.”

“So, Damien is finally rid of the one sore spot in the operation,” June ventured. “But what about you? It would benefit him financially if you were out of the picture, wouldn’t it?”

“We need to move if we’re going to keep you out of harm’s way.”

It was evident Gabriel had revealed as much of his story as he was willing to share for now.

There was a green tinge to the sky and not even a breeze was left to stir the ominous air. It was the calm before the storm.