Miserable Business

by PJ Eiden

  Albert wiped away his tears as he headed toward Kate’s room.

  Harriet turned to the man she once loved. “Did you think telling me Hank is your nephew was going to make things better? Now it’s even more clear. You’ve been lying to me for years. This has become a bigger pile of lies. You are as bad as Hank. I don’t know you at all! Stay away from me and the kids. We’re leaving.”

  Warren was in tears. “Wait, I’ll go. There’s no need to uproot the kids from their home.”

  “No, you stay here. I’m not going to run this place alone. I’m taking the kids with me.”

  “Where in the world are you headed with them? “

  “We can stay with my mother. Why do you care? You were looking for a wife to help hide from a heinous past. I can’t imagine the unspeakable things you’ve done.”

  Chapter 29

  The Reconciliation

  It was a comfortable autumn day at Hubert Landing. Bright-colored leaves floated down from the maples when Harriet stopped the car to pick up Mildred Swenson.

  As Mildred got into the car, Harriet reached over and took hold of her arm. “Thank you for doing this. This wouldn’t be possible for me without you.”

  “That’s fine, dear. It’s my pleasure to help.”

  The two of them drove the wooded road to Clark Lake Lodge. Harriet parked the car at the top of the hill and crossed the lawn to the lodge’s porch. She stopped at the screen door and began to knock.

  Warren emerged from the lodge in clean clothes and a freshly shaven face. He gave a curious smile to Harriet. “You don’t have to knock, Harriet. Please come right in.”

  Harriet paused and took a step backward. “No, Warren, I would prefer we talk outside.”

  He nodded and followed Harriet. “Let’s take a table near the lake.”

  As Warren stepped off the porch, he noticed Mildred Swenson standing there in the shade of the pines waiting to join them. He stopped. “What’s she doing here?”

  “Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, Warren. I’ve asked Mildred to join us today. She’s good at these sorts of things, you know. She can help.”

  Warren bristled. “Harriet, these are personal matters. We don’t need to air our laundry in front of someone else.”

  “Hi, Warren. I’m glad the two of you are finally getting together like this. I mean you no harm.” Mildred gave an awkward smile to match her position.

  Harriet pointed at the first lakeside table arranged with four chairs. “Those will do.”

  Despite his preparations, Harriet was repulsed by the sight of Warren. He did not look well. His pale face made it look like he’d aged in the weeks since she’d last seen him. She began to take a seat but stopped. “I don’t think I can do this!”

  Mildred placed her hand on top of Harriet’s shoulder. She gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Now Harriet, please sit down here across from Warren.”

  Mildred looked at each of them and nodded. “I want to let you both know I speak to many women and couples in our community who need encouragement. Our church refers me to those who may be more comfortable speaking to a neighbor they know well. There’s no shame in talking about life’s difficulties. Whatever you may share here today, stays confidential. We’ve known each other for many years. Please know you can trust me.”

  She waited for responses. Hearing none, she continued, “So, let’s begin. Now Harriet, I assume Warren would like the chance to discuss things he feels are important to the family. I think it would be best to hear him out.”

  Harriet raised her gaze from the table to glare directly at Warren. The skin on her forehead was a map of wrinkled anger. “Family? These are my kids. He has no say in what happens to them.”

  The statement conveyed how great the divide was. Mildred recognized it would take real work to release these two from their battle-hardened positions.

  Harriet couldn’t wait her turn. “Tell me the truth, Warren, was this place bought with blood money?”

  Her words pierced the tranquility of the place. Warren heard the tone and knew in an instant his response would need to be well chosen if he had any hope of salvaging his former life.

  Mildred was shocked by the insinuation. To her, Warren had never been anything but a hard-working devoted father all of the years he lived in the area.

  Warren looked at Mildred and knew he didn’t have a choice but to answer with her sitting at the same table. “No, Harriet, we weren’t assassins. We were bootleggers. We helped make regular people happy.”

  Harriet scoffed, “So, you’re telling me you were a Chicago bootlegger who never killed anyone?”

  He glanced at Mildred searching for approval but sensed from her blank expression he had to say more.

  Warren exhaled. “Yes, I admit casualties were sometimes part of the business. But they were bad men, horrible men who were greedy and threatened good people. The world is a better place today without them. We certainly didn’t get them all. No, some of the worst demons are still around today.” He paused for a moment and let the message sink in.

  Mildred’s face turned pale and chalky.

  Harriet closed her eyes. She had heard enough.

  “Harriet, I need you to know I’m the same man you married and have loved all these years. You know me. What I did in the past doesn’t change who I am. You and the kids mean everything to me.”

  She found some comfort in the thought but still shook her head. “No, you lied to me, and you lied to the kids.”

  It was plain to see her skepticism hadn’t thawed. “You’re right. I didn’t tell you about my past, but you have to see how dangerous this sort of life was and how I never wanted any of it to follow me. It was a life I had planned to take with me to the grave. It’s the reason I use my middle name Warren and adopted the last name Johnson.”

  Harriet slapped Warren. “What do I tell our children about their father—everything, or nothing at all?”

  Warren covered his stinging cheek as he looked out across the waves like he was searching for something. He was tempted to answer the question, but he had heard Harriet say our children. It was the first sign maybe she could forgive him and think of him once again as a father and, someday, a husband. He faced her and turned his hands upward. “What will give them the best chance in life?”

  Harriet knew this decision had to be hers.

  Mildred was there to encourage her. She placed her hand on Harriet’s shoulder. “Go ahead, dear. What do you want the children to know about their father?”

  “I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want them acting the rest of their lives or being suspicious of everyone they meet. I want them to have every opportunity.” She shook her head. “I guess I think it would be safer for them if they didn’t know about your past.”

  As the words floated in the afternoon air— she was satisfied with the statement. Harriet wasn’t one to keep secrets from the children, but she thought it was best given their father’s heinous past.

  Warren pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He turned away and coughed into it. Harriet and Mildred both watched him wheeze.

  Harriet spoke first. “Are you all right?”

  Warren crumpled the cloth up and stuffed it back in his pants pocket. “I don’t know. I must have caught something. This will pass. I need some good rest.”

  Harriet continued, “Now what about your nephew? Is he a bootlegger, too?”

  Chapter 30

  Spies

  “Warren, I’m scared. The newspapers say everything financial in this country is starting to collapse. People are panicking. I know families from our church who are leaving with a suitcase and the clothes on their backs. Is the bank going to foreclose on us, too? Are we going to lose the lodge?”

  Hank looked at Warren and waited for him to respond.

  Warren got up, walked around the table, and sat down next to his
wife. Concern etched her features at the thought that they would be swept into the ranks of dust bowl families who’d lost everything. “No, dear. We will be fine. We’ve worked hard here and never relied on the bank to support us.”

  Harriet’s features relaxed a little. “But I saw the bank manager speaking with you last week when we were in town. What did he want?”

  “I’ve always kept some rainy-day money in a savings account there. It’s safer than a cookie jar. Bill wanted me to know our local bank is in better shape than some big city operations you read about in the newspapers. He wanted me to help spread the word that there is no need for panic around here. All of their deposits are safe.”

  “I feel better hearing this, but what about our customers? What if people stop coming to the lake?”

  Warren stroked the stubble emerging along his jawline. “Yes, things could get pretty tight. It might be awhile before most families feel good about spending money on vacations again. The few business travelers we get today won’t bring us much, but we’ll get along. We are pretty self-sufficient with your big garden and have plenty of firewood on the property for heat.”

  Harriet found comfort in his words and was tempted to apologize for her panic. Life would be hard enough without losing their home in the pines. She worried about the children and what the future might hold if things continued to get worse. But she knew they were blessed compared with many other families. “How do you think the big resort is doing over at Gull Lake? I bet they have a lot of bank loans to pay.”

  The statement surprised both men. Harriet had never spoken like a business owner.

  Warren looked at Harriet and then at Hank. “You know, it’s been a while since we made a spy visit. How do you feel about a car ride?”

  Hank waited his turn.

  “It’s not spying if we are being friendly neighbors,” Harriet said.

  Warren wasn’t buying it. “Oh, really. Since when have we shown them any friendship?”

  Harriet fired back, “We’ve given them some business. Hank, didn’t you stay there once?”

  Hank looked sheepish. “Yes, I did when I needed to give your family some time.”

  “Did you enjoy the place?” Harriet asked.

  “They seemed pleasant enough, but I wasn’t there to use the lake or anything. I needed a spot to lay my head down for the night,” Hank said.

  Warren wasn’t finished yet. “Harriet, maybe you should bring them a pie or a frosted cake.”

  She twisted in her chair and looked at Warren. “Why would we ever bake a pie for the people who are slowly stealing our customers? I’ll do no such thing.”

  “Well, why not? You just said it’s not spying to go over there—if we are being friendly neighbors.”

  Harriet stood up, untied her apron, and tossed it next to a pail filled with soapy water. “No, you’re right. This is a spy trip. Warren Johnson, do you know you’re nearly impossible? Let’s go before I get busy with cleaning chores.”

  Hank offered to do the driving so Warren and Harriet could take in the sights. He pointed to a small unit on the hillside. “There is the cabin where I stayed.” A business traveler was pulling a case from a car and unlocking the door.

  Harriet was on high alert. “It’s interesting to see they need to keep things locked up over here. We’ve never had any trouble in all the years we’ve been in business.”

  Warren shrugged his shoulders. “It’s hard to say whether it’s necessary because they are a larger resort with more people around, or if it’s a sign of the hard times we find ourselves in. You never know where the next panic will come from.”

  Near the main lodge, Warren slid down as low as possible in the car seat as they passed a cleaning crew walking near the driveway.

  “Warren, what’s going on? Are you trying to hide yourself?” Harriet asked.

  Warren put his hat on and nodded to the left. “Don’t you think he looks like a manager for the place?”

  “So, what?” she asked.

  “Don’t you think he might recognize us from the community and wonder why another resort owner is driving around their property? I’d rather not have to answer embarrassing questions,” Warren said.

  Harriet had never considered their appearances for the visit. “I guess so, but we’re not breaking any laws. They are a business like ours, open to the public.”

  Hank laughed. “Maybe we should have brought a cake or pie along with us after all.” He parked the car near a lakeside dining building and turned the motor off.

  The three of them sat there taking in the view and the warmth of the sunlight. In the last hundred yards or so down to the water’s edge, the well-manicured lawn was strewn with a curious new style of chair. Each one had a high-sloped back, low generous seat, and broad armrests. The adults seemed to really take to them, as the painted chairs appeared in high occupancy.

  Harriet was puzzled and frustrated. “They still have quite a few families staying here. And will you look at those chairs? I’ve never seen anything like them.”

  “I’ve seen them in a magazine. They have a funny long name. I believe they first came from the upstate New York area,” Warren said.

  Near the edge of the lawn, a young mother and her family were packing up the last of their picnic items, preparing to leave.

  “I’d like to sit in one.”

  The men were both surprised at Harriet’s candor. She left the car, and Warren decided to join her. As they took a seat in the shade, Harriet marveled, “Say, these are very nice.” Before long, the wonder soon faded. Harriet rose from the chair, crossed her arms, and returned to the car.

  “Let’s go home.”

  Chapter 31

  The Fall

  “Warren.” Warren turned to look at Harriet. His skin was gray and pasty. His eyes seemed unfocused. She knew something was wrong. He clung there on the ladder with his paintbrush in hand and didn’t respond. “Warren, what’s wrong?”

  Warren placed his right hand, still holding the brush, against his left shoulder.

  “Warren, what is wrong? Why won’t you answer me?” Her voice crackled with intensity.

  Warren crumbled against the ladder. His knees buckled. The paint bucket and brush dropped from his hands and bounced on the ground. Red paint-spattered across the barn wall and the green grass.

  “Oh, God!” Harriet rushed to the ladder and mounted the rungs. She took hold of Warren’s limp body and pressed him against the ladder to keep him from falling. From deep in her chest came a blood-curdling scream. “Albert, come help me right now! It’s your father. Something happened. Albert!”

  From across the yard, Albert heard his mother’s screams. He stood up from the lawnmower he was fueling and turned toward the barn.

  She kept yelling, “Albert, I need you at once!”

  Albert dropped the gas can on the ground and began to run. He could see his mother clinging to the ladder with her arms wrapped around his dad. Warren’s limbs were dangling straight down in a lifeless posture. His face was twisted unnaturally against the ladder.

  “Mom, you’ll have to let go of him for minute and come down so I can help.” Harriet carefully released her grip on Warren and backed off the ladder. Albert took the ladder rungs two at a time. When he reached his father, he corralled him around the midsection. He exhaled. “Mom, I’ve got him now.”

  “Dad, can you hear me? Dad, wake up!” Albert shook his father continuously.

  Harriet stepped to the side of the ladder with her arms still reaching in the air. “Don’t let him fall!”

  Albert was panicked. “Mom, what’s wrong with Dad? He needs a doctor.”

  Tears streamed down Harriet’s cheeks. Her arms shook. She covered her mouth with one hand as she wailed.

  “Mom, Dad needs a doctor!”

  In shock, Harriet stood frozen as her son gripped Wa
rren’s lifeless body.

  “Mom, go to the lodge now and call Doctor Thomas. Hurry! I will get Dad down from up here.”

  Harriet began to nod with short violent head bobs. She began to stumble across the open field toward the lodge. She was almost to the cut lawn again when she stopped.

  As Albert took hold of his father by the waist, he strained to lift the limp body from the ladder. As he twisted to pull Warren loose, the top of the ladder slid over a foot, catching on a thin strip of batten board. His dad’s knees buckled once again, and Albert felt an unexpected shift.

  Albert’s heart raced.

  Before he could rebalance the ladder, the left ladder stringer twisted away from the wall just enough to release from its catch on the trim board. The top end of the ladder started to slide across the wall toward the right with helpless acceleration. Albert took hold of his dad firmly as the two rode the ladder down to fall in a heap. The combined weight of their bodies snapped one side of ladder in two. Albert heard his own ribs crackle as his chest slammed down on the broken wood. When he regained his breath, he heard his father gasp and start to moan.

  “Dad, you’re alive!”

  Warren moaned in a low audible tone once again.

  “What’s wrong, Dad? I can’t understand you.”

  Harriet came running to their side. She helped Albert roll off his father. Warren gasped for air again.

  Albert struggled to his knees. “Mom, did you call the doctor?”

  “No, when I heard the ladder crash, I yelled at Kate to help us and I ran straight back up here.”

  “Dad’s breathing a little. He’s gonna need help.”

  She reached her hand out and took Albert by the arm. “Your sister is calling the doctor.”

  Chapter 32

  The Confession

  Hank waited in the car at Hubert Landing. He checked his pocket watch once again. It was 4:00 p.m. on the nose. He tapped the crystal and folded the watch cover shut. The ground shook as the black locomotive rounded the bend, pulling a line of rail cars. Steam poured from the base of the engine. The train’s whistle made a long shrill announcement as the workhorse came to rest at the stop.