With Cedric’s help, on the north side of the island, he had constructed a storage building in which Rose could store her garden tools and he stored folding chairs and hammocks during the winter.
Cedric had also helped him build a fishing pier on the west side of the island, between the island and Huck’s riverbank property where his house was located.
Huck had contracted for the construction of an electronic shuttle service from the dock at his house to the dock on the island. This system consisted of twenty-foot-high telephone poles at both the island and the house docks. A steel cable connected the poles with a pulley at each end. From the cable ran a connection to the stern of a boat located at each dock.
The apparatus worked much like a ski lift. One could get in the boat docked at the house and push a button mounted on the telephone pole and the cable would carry the boat from the house to the island dock. At the same time, the boat at the island dock would cross back over to the house. This permitted a boat to be at each dock at all times. But, more importantly, Rose no longer became upset when she couldn’t get the motorboat to start.
The island was decorated today for a festive event. Different-colored triangular flags were suspended between the trees, colorful lights hung from the shrubbery, and a large welcome sign was posted at the island dock. Likewise, the boats were decorated and were expected to stay busy shuttling people to and from the island and the house.
With Kaylan and Alice’s assistance, Rose planned this event to celebrate a monumental occasion. There was a guest list containing the names of many people whose lives had either been influenced by Huck or who had influenced Huck’s life. The celebration was to culminate with a major announcement by Huck and Cedric.
For the moment the island was quite. Huck had gone to his favorite spot on the west side to lie down in the hammock and reflect on what had happened since he had brought down the international serial assassin Mary Bernard Harris.
Harris had recently lost her final appeal to avoid extradition to Germany to face a criminal charge for the assassination of the Hesse state representative. While her attorneys worked feverishly to avoid the inevitable, the State Department found no justification not to honor Germany’s request. At the same time, other countries were requesting her appearance in their court systems. There was now evidence that linked her to several international crimes. Furthermore, to save their own skins, her coconspirators were telling all they knew, which only added fuel to the Harris flame.
Kaplan’s extradition had turned into a political battle between the Turkish and the German politicians. Over the years, Kaplan had greased the palms of too many Turkish politicians for them to turn on him now. Besides, should they do so, he certainly would turn on them. Germany had threatened to cease all trade relations with Turkey if their extradition request was not honored. Huck speculated that this would be a long, drawn-out affair.
The Middle Easterner and the Asian were the only others the Germans had linked directly to the assassination of the state rep. Although other countries were requesting that the Middle Easterner be extradited to their lands to face charges, Germany had made it abundantly clear that he would first face charges there. As to the Asian, the one all suspected to have been the triggerman, he could not be located. However, Interpol was not giving up.
With regard to the Frenchman and the Irishman, the German government, in the final analysis, was not able to make a direct link between their work with Mr. S. and the assassination. Furthermore, no one could state with any certainty that they even knew the target of the assassination. Accordingly, Germany took the easy route and extradited the two to other countries that claimed to have evidence that they were involved in assassinations in their lands.
As for Carl Rouse, all charges against him in connection with the assassination of the state rep were dropped. However, under the German criminal code, Rouse was found guilty of attempting to use a false instrument…a passport. The penalty for such an act ranges from one to five years in a German jail. However, given extenuating circumstances, such as that it could not be proven that Rouse ever worked for Mr. S. because he never received any compensation and because he believed that he had no other option but to travel under the passport he was given, the German government showed leniency by sentencing Rouse to one year and then reducing that to time served. Furthermore, the judge noted that the investigation into the Rouse case had resulted in the takedown of an international assassination team that had been in existence for many years. In his closing statement, the judge directed that Rouse’s travel in Germany be suspended for one year. At the end of the travel suspension, the arrest and sentence would be expunged from Rouse’s record.
Kaylan’s call brought Huck out of his reflections and back to the day’s reality “Hey, Mr. Huck. Our guests are beginning to arrive.”
“Thanks. I’m on my way.” Huck had been given by Rose the distinction of greeting all the guests as they arrived.
The first to arrive was Frank Walton and his wife. Frank had been instrumental in providing Huck with information and guidance as well as the names of contacts during the course of several investigations, which had cut through much government red tape. In addition, their friendship went back to the days of their army service together.
“Welcome,” said Huck.
“What a beautiful place you have here,” said Frank’s wife.
“All credit goes to Rose,” replied Huck. “Please wander through the trails and enjoy yourselves. If you’ll excuse me, I must meet the boat coming in from the north. It’s our caterer.”
“Absolutely. We don’t want him to fall off the dock,” replied Frank.
Huck slapped Frank on the back. “I’ll talk to you later.”
After Huck had the caterer situated at the outdoor kitchen and had given him his final instructions, it was time to greet the other guests. Now there were as many as six to a boat.
There were some neighbors, Rose’s work friends, and some of Cedric’s CIA colleagues and their wives. Cedric’s invitations had also included Herr Sniderhouse and his wife, Gretchen. But the guests who were truly an honor for Huck to see were Emily, Cedric’s daughter, and her husband, Alec Penny, with their daughter; Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. Crook; Secret Service Agent Anderson and her husband, Glenn; Carl Rouse and his wife, who where recently remarried; and Rouse’s parents, who had recently reunited.
Rose had allowed an hour for the guests to mingle, socialize, and in general share how they all knew Huck and Cedric.
At the appropriate hour, Rose gave Huck the signal to ring the dinner bell. She had located an old dinner bell in an antique shop and Huck had hung it from one of the island’s tree limbs.
When all had been served, Cedric stood and asked everyone to bow their heads for the dinner blessing. “Thank you, Lord, for this assembly of friends tonight. Thank you for the food for which we are especially blessed. Thank you for the fellowship we are and will be enjoying one with another. And, Lord, thank you for the safety that you provided to Huck and me as we have tried to make a positive difference in the lives of the many who are assembled here tonight. Finally, I pray that when we all depart this place this evening, we will enjoy your blessing of safe travels. Amen.”
Many others joined in a chorus of amen.
Rose, serving as the moderator and primary host, said, “At this time, Huck wishes to make a few comments.”
Over the years, Huck had made many public addresses to both friends and unknowns, but this was the first time that he felt an edge of nervousness as he stood up to speak. “On behalf of Cedric and myself, as well as our wives, Alice and Rose, I thank you for bringing us into your lives on a professional basis. I can’t begin to tell you how quickly our professional relationships transitioned to personal relationships as we got to know each of you. We soon found you to be friends who needed our help. And what are friends for if not to help each other.
/> “I would like to take a moment to share with you how our lives changed as we worked to help some of you. If it had not been for my previous work in trying to locate Emily Smart, today known as Emily Smart Penny, I would never have met Cedric. Cedric and I have become more than partners in the Price Detective Agency; we have become brothers. Brothers who not only have each other’s backs but also who actually know what the other is thinking—and that’s not always good.”
This last comment drew a chuckle from the assembled friends.
“Together we worked to locate Major Crook, now Lieutenant Colonel Crook, and return him to his fiancée, who is now his wife. Those efforts resulted not only in the happy outcome of their marriage but also in the introduction to my future wife, Rose.
“Rose has had the biggest influence on my life than anyone I have ever known, and for that I am eternally thankful to her and to our God who brought us together.
“Unfortunately, in our line of work, we eventually find ourselves in dangerous situations. In our work to locate a young man, at the request of his father, we stumbled onto a homegrown terrorist plot to assassinate the president of the United State. It was during that work that I thought I had lost my dear brother Cedric when a bomb planted under his car exploded. Many of you will recall from the Washington Post that it was reported that he had been killed. What you don’t know was that in order to keep that story alive to prevent a future attempt on his life, his wife, Alice, was not told any different. To this day, Cedric is the only man I have ever known who dressed himself for his own funeral.” Again there was laughter from the audience. “Fortunately, he was able to walk out of the hospital, but regretfully he did so with a permanent limp. However, if you could have seen him in action on our last case, you would know that his limp has not slowed him down. What he may have lost in his gait he gained in weaponizing a cane.”
This time the laughter was followed by a round of applause.
“Sadly, my friend who initiated that investigation could not live with the thought that his son had been so radicalized as to kill fellow soldiers and attempt to kill our president, and he ended his own life.
“However, even that event resulted in a positive change to my life. One day when Cedric and I were on this island fishing, he convinced me that I should ask Rose to marry me. I was very scared that she would say no way, but the Lord works in mysterious ways, and to my surprise, she said yes.
“Our most recent case was of an international nature. From the beginning, we had the truth on our side, but all circumstantial evidence weighted the scales in favor of justice over the truth. Righting the scales of justice set an innocent man free, reunited two families, and made new friends. It also caused Cedric and myself to come to the realization that although we remain young in heart and mind, we may have lost the youth of our physical abilities.
“Accordingly, Cedric, Alice, Rose, and I are of the agreement that the time is right to formally announce the closure of the Price Detective Agency.” Several gasps of surprise emanated from the audience.
Huck continued. “Before we turn the lights out in our office, I thank each of you here who have participated and shared in our adventures. And to those who could not be here but who were able to share their stories with us through your readings of them, I thank you. Who knows, one day Cedric and I might just sit down and write a series of books in which we can provide you with some of the details.
“Nevertheless, should any of you need to seek out our advice, you will, weather permitting, find us reclined on the fishing pier on the north side of the island. Cedric loves fishing more than he ever loved building birdhouses and growing boxwood shrubs.”
Frank shouted, “Are you saying that you guys will never take a case again?”
Huck replied, “I’ll have to answer that question with a quote from one of my favorite actors. Some of you will recall that Sean Connery made several James Bond movies in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1971, shortly after filming the movie Diamonds Are Forever, Connery was asked if he would ever film another James Bond movie; his response was ‘Never again.’ In 1983, Connery filmed his last Bond movie, which was titled Never Say Never Again. Frank, Cedric and I will leave you with these words: we will never say never. Enjoy yourselves and remain here as long as you’d like.”
Huck sat down to thunderous applause and shouts of “Thank you!” from the attendees.
About the Author
W. Earl Daniels entered the US Army as a private and rose to the rank of colonel. He uses his army experience as background for his protagonist, Huxton “Huck” Price. Price debuted in A Price for a Penny and tackles his most challenging and complicated case in A Price for Balancing the Scales.
Daniels served in Vietnam and Germany before working with Army Intelligence in Virginia and with the Special Operation Forces Command at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
When Daniels worked at the Pentagon, he was part of the first team created by the Secretary of the Army to provide oversight to ongoing Army covert operations. Daniels work has taken him to Panama, Japan and South Korea. Daniels lives with his wife on their ranch in the North Carolina foothills. He has three children and five grandchildren.
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