Miserable Business

by PJ Eiden

  Harriet was overcome with emotion. Warren had planned for her and the kids after all. The images in the newspaper clippings plastered on the walls showing bodies cut down by prohibition violence only added to the confusion of the situation.

  She turned the chair around to face Hank. “So LLOG is a holding company for the property on Gull Lake.”

  Hank nodded as she turned to leave. “Yes, that’s right, Harriet.”

  Afterward, in the nighttime quiet of her bedroom, Harriet turned out the lights and began to mull things over. On one hand, like it or not, she was the owner of the vacation property on Gull Lake. But on the other, she couldn’t see how she could ever get past the thought that people had died along the way to buy it. When she closed her eyes, she could still see the images from the black-and-white newspaper clippings.

  How would she ever explain their sudden wealth to Albert and Kate? They were old enough to ask a lot of questions, and they deserved honest answers.

  It was a tough dilemma. She now owned a business bought with blood money. Even if she were to part with it, she assumed it would fetch a life-changing price. Could she live with the idea of buyout money if she didn’t have to be a part of the business for the rest of her life? Was it fair to Albert and Kate not to benefit from the estate their father left because she disapproved of how he paid for it? Harriet turned the lamp back on and opened her Bible.

  When the morning finally came, a sleepless Harriet quelled the debate raging in her conscience with a kitchen diversion. She made an oversized breakfast of coffee, pancakes, and sausages for everyone. She even baked bread for the lunch meal.

  Hank was in a haze of his own when he arrived at the lodge. Harriet poured coffee for him and offered Father Whelan a cup, too.

  As the men sipped on the piping hot coffee, Harriet made her suggestion. “I suppose we should go see the other property.”

  Hank was curious. “ Harriet, won’t things look pretty much the same as our other visit when Warren was with us?”

  “But that was before. Now everything has changed. Before, I was looking for reasons to hate the place. I was trying to understand how they were stealing our business. Now, I have decisions to make. Things will look different to me today.”

  Hank marveled at the truth of her statements. “Sure, why not? After breakfast, I will bring the car around to the front. Father, would you like to join us before you head back to Chicago this afternoon?”

  Father Whelan was curious about Warren’s secret. “Why yes, I would find it quite interesting. And assuming you take over the reins there, it would be good to know where you’ve landed.”

  Hank drove with Harriet riding in the front seat and Father Whelan in the back.

  When they arrived at the lakeside, Harriet stared at the dock lined with fishing boats. She remembered the day she and Warren watched the same sights. “Oh, this explains it.”

  “What does it explain, Harriet?” Father Whelan asked.

  “The last time Warren and I came over here, he was mesmerized by the new Evinrude outboard boat motors. Now I understand. It wasn’t because he’d never seen one before. It was because he bought them and wanted to see how they were running for the guests.”

  Some of the cleaning staff members were coming out of an empty cabin. “Oh, there’s another thing. When we were here last, Warren acted all goofy around the staff. He even slumped down in the car’s seat when we passed them on the road. I thought he didn’t want our rivals to spot him on the premises. Now, I realize the help could have recognized the owner. He was hiding, so I wouldn’t find out he owned the place.”

  “I understand some things, too. Harriet, when you and I weren’t getting along, Warren offered to find me a room nearby. He told me when you weren’t around, ‘Don’t tell Harriet, but the new resort is pretty nice.’ He advised me to stay over here if I needed. It makes sense if he owned the place,” Hank said.

  Father Whelan was taking it all in. “This looks very modern. You say they also have a large golf course?”

  Hank said, “Sure, let me drive you around the other side of the resort.”

  Chapter 35

  Gull Lake

  There was much to be done at White Pine Cove on Gull Lake. After a late lunch, Hank returned to working on a troublesome lawnmower in front of the maintenance garage near the main driveway. When he pulled the starter cord, the motor gave a frightful belch of blue smoke and puttered for a few seconds before it quit.

  As he pulled the cover off the motor’s air filter, he heard the powerful hum of an automobile approaching on the drive. He looked up to see a black Ford V8 sedan push past on its way toward the lodge. In an instant, the sun’s light reflected directly off the car windows, leaving Hank with a glimpse of the dark hats of two men.

  He dropped his screwdriver on the ground and bolted toward the lodge. He cut through the trees to cross the lawn, while the car made the long loop around the property. Hank found Harriet digging in a flower box near the front door, his face was flushed. “Harriet, there are men on the property coming this way in a black car. They might be here after me. Let’s get you inside right now.”

  Harriet glanced over her shoulder and dropped her work gloves. Hank followed her inside and then visited the back office before he ran back outside again. Harriet kept her eyes on the road coming up through the woods. Ten minutes later, a young woman from the cleaning staff came walking up the drive with a cartload of bedding to be laundered. She parked the cart outside and walked into the lodge. Harriet was still staring out the window.

  “Mrs. Johnson?” The cleaning lady waited a minute, before asking, “Mrs. Johnson, are you all right?”

  Harriet broke from her hypnotic stare. “Oh, yes. I’m fine, dear.”

  “Mrs. Johnson, there were two men in suits here.”

  Harriet spun around with wide eyes. “What did they want with you? Are you OK?”

  The young woman was surprised by the concern. “Of course, I’m all right. The men told me they were from the state Department of Commerce. They wanted to request a copy of your business license. The older gentleman left his calling card.” The woman handed the card to Harriet. “He said he will be contacting you soon.”

  Harriet sighed in relief.

  “Are we going to be all right, Mrs. Johnson?”

  Harriet regained her composure. “Yes, dear, of course.”

  A pair of workers dressed in light coveralls raised the restaurant sign in unison as they ascended a pair of wooden ladders spaced ten feet apart. They looped the brackets of the new sign over a pair of wall-mounted supports and snugged down the first clasp with a metal wrench.

  When the work on the right end was complete, the wrench was tossed across to the workman on the left side. After completing a one-handed catch of the wrench, saving a trip back to the ground, the workman smiled. “Nice throw, Bill. Did you happen to play baseball before you got in the sign business?”

  Bill smiled.

  The workman on the left secured the clasp on his end and began to feed short strands of electrical wire through the wall as an electrician pulled the lengths into a junction box. Through an open window, a voice came from the darkened room inside. “You guys hang out on the ladder a minute would you, at least until we turn the power back on? Then we’ll know if everything is working all right.”

  Bill turned on his ladder rung and drew a cigarette box from his coveralls. He peeled a stick match across the back of the box and struck a flame. He exhaled the first smoke and watched three kids in the distance playing catch with a ball. He felt like a bird in a tree looking down on a green summer park. While he had no experience raising children, he could see the contentment and joy of the parents sprawled about taking in the children’s games from the sidelines.

  Harriet led Hank to the road in front of the restaurant. The two of them stood with their backs toward the building
while they studied the dock in the lake. Harriet commented on the need for more boats. From the corner of her eye, she noted the men on the ladders unwrapping the protective canvas draped around the sign. The men released the tarp. It fell to the ground with a muffled thump. The sound captured Hank’s attention, and he turned to see the source of his curiosity. The electrician set the fuse in place and the neon sign crackled to life.

  Hank smiled. “Wow, Harriet! What have you done here?”

  Even in the light of day, the white neon color beamed the new restaurant’s name, Henry’s. Beneath it, the smaller words, Fine Dining, were illuminated in light yellow. “What do you think?”

  Hank couldn’t contain his beaming smile. “We’ve come so far. I have to say, this sign spells high class! I wish Warren was here to see the place.”

  Hank walked over to the entrance and turned to Harriet. “I can’t believe you put my name on the building. Even the rich dark brown brick sets it apart from any other place I’ve seen in the north woods.”

  Harriet cleared her throat. She knew this was the perfect time to have the conversation. “Well, I think the name makes a statement, and people who are on vacation want to splurge on themselves.”

  Harriet didn’t want to spoil the moment, but she felt unsettled after the events of the past few months. Harriet spoke to Hank with a caring tone, delivering a message long overdue. “I’m sorry. I was wrong about you, Hank.

  “When you first arrived at our dock, I assumed you were a greedy blood-thirsty killer who only cared about himself. While I’ll never approve of the bootlegging business, I’ve since learned you are actually kind and quite considerate. You’ve surprised me.

  “Warren invested your money in this place, too, so the restaurant is your business to run. You don’t work for me. We are partners in this property. Our guests don’t need to know the details of who owns what. They just come here to have a good time. I’ll help you, and I ask you to help me.”

  Hank extended his hand to Harriet. “Let’s get something straight. If this restaurant is going to draw people in, I need to play a different role. Starting today, you’d best call me, Henry.”

  Harriet shook his hand. The agreement was complete. “I am so excited for you to see the new tables, chairs, and linens. We have a few set up inside. Let’s take a look.”

  The place was immaculate. Henry was impressed with the look of the flooring, trim, and lighting. It reminded him of the feel of posh restaurants in Chicago.

  Harriet laughed as she walked through the arrangement of tables. She ran her fingers across the new linen tablecloths and felt the smooth fabric. “OK, I’ll stop spending your money now. I have an account you can take over when you’re ready. Besides, I know you have a great taste when it comes to food, so you decide the menu.”

  Henry took a seat at a corner table. He pulled his hat off and turned it around between his hands. “But wait a minute. To do this right, I’ll need some help. If we get busy, I can’t be both the cook and chief bottle washer, too.”

  Harriet let Henry mire in his concern. In a low tone, she whispered, “Are you afraid of an honest day’s work?”

  He didn’t like the insinuation. “No, I’m not. I’m worried about this place filling up and a hungry crowd staring at me while I work alone.”

  Harriet knew he’d had enough. “Of course, we won’t let it happen. I have an oversized cleaning staff right now because I planned a few extras for the restaurant opening. One of our employees, Cynthia, knows her way around food. I mean she’s into matching flavors, textures, colors, and more. She’s a stray from the big city somewhere, moved here a couple years ago. She’s on her own, and she’d like more of a career. Cynthia oversees the cleaning crew today and is good with people.”

  Henry felt some relief. “Would you give her up?”

  “You aren’t looking for a wife are you?”

  Henry smirked. “Why? Is she pretty?”

  “I can’t be the judge for you.” Harriet shook her head. “I’ve heard one of the other women comment she was surprised Cynthia was still single. You need to know, she’s a hard worker. I never worry about the crew. She keeps them on their toes. At the same time, you’d take notice if she slipped on a fancy gown, put on some dress shoes, and let her hair down. She doesn’t live like that today, but she looks like she should.”

  Henry was speechless. He stared open-mouthed at Harriet.

  She could see the confusion in his gaze. “What is it? What’s going on in your mind?”

  Henry broke out of the trance he was in. “To be honest, I haven’t thought about a beautiful woman for a long time. If she’s half as attractive as you’ve described, you better be the one to hire her for the restaurant manager. I don’t think I would have a clear mind to do the interview.”

  Harriet laughed. “Yes, I can speak to Cynthia about it. I know she’s anxious to do something bigger around here. But you must keep your eyeballs in their sockets if you work with her. No romance on the job. Business comes first.”

  Henry turned his palms up. “When did you become such a bear cat?”

  “It comes from tough living. We had to scrape for everything at Clark Lake the past few years. The twenties brought in some customers, but business wasn’t roaring like you heard city folks talk about. I was in complete shock when I learned about Warren’s war chest of investments.

  Harriet pointed toward the front door. “About this place: Are you planning to be open for day visitors coming in for the restaurant or will this be reserved for the resort guests who stay with us? I think people might come by boat from all around the lake to dine here.”

  “It’s a good question. To start with, we should open the door to anyone who wants to eat here and see how things go. If it gets hectic when the cabins are full, we can limit the list at some point.”

  The following afternoon, Henry worked on setting up the new kitchen. Harriet poked her head through the double swinging doors. “Henry, can you come to the dining room, please? I’d like you to meet one of our employees.”

  Henry washed his hands and wiped them dry with a towel as he made his way toward the window-side table. Harriet was seated next to a woman with a work scarf wrapped over her head. As he approached, the woman untied her scarf and pulled it free, revealing long auburn hair carefully drawn up to keep it off her shoulders.

  Henry circled the table to face the pair. He drew a chair back and took a seat. Harriet began, “Henry, I’d like to introduce you to Cynthia, your new chef and restaurant manager.”

  Henry removed his hat and ran his hand back through his thick head of brown hair. He blinked a couple of times before he thrust his hand out. “I’m pleased to meet you, Cynthia.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Henry. I appreciate the chance to work with you.”

  Henry took her hand. Even though he knew better, he wanted to start a personal conversation. “I’m curious, Cynthia, where are you from originally?”

  Cynthia was stirred by the appearance of her new boss. His smile was warm, and his handshake conveyed a reassuring feeling of strength. “You can call me, Cindy. I am from the Minneapolis area. I moved up here when things got tough in the city.”

  Henry smiled. “I moved here for similar reasons.”

  Harriet looked back and forth between the two of them. She sensed a good connection.

  Cynthia leaned on the table. “Oh? What line of work were you in?”

  There was a pause as Henry wanted to start off right with his new restaurant manager.

  Harriet noticed the hesitation and interceded. “Henry is my late husband’s nephew. He was in the Chicago entertainment business.”

  Cindy nodded her head. “That sounds interesting. I’d like to hear more about that sometime.” She was feeling a little forward. “So, Henry, do you have a wife hiding around here in the woods somewhere?”

 
Henry smiled, got up, and turned toward the window. Cynthia possessed natural charm and seemed to have a great sense of humor.

  Harriet leaned over and whispered near Cynthia’s ear, “No, he’s never been married.”

  Chapter 36

  Demise of Demons

  Unknown to Henry, his lingering fears of being hunted by the Murder Twins were unfounded. Two years earlier, on a lonely road near Hammond, Indiana, their disfigured bodies were discovered at dawn. Following lives marred by lawlessness, violence, and murder, the rage of John Scalise and Alberto Anselmi was finally extinguished. The Murder Twins died the same way they waged war on the Chicago streets, together, in gunfire.

  Throughout their time in the United States, the men were driven by greed to conduct whatever dirty work was asked of them without lasting loyalties.

  In the end, they underestimated the powerful reach of the Al Capone connections when they conspired with rivals against him. Capone insured the physical beatings of the double crossers were severe enough, that in the end, they longed for the execution by gunfire.

  Chapter 37

  Winds of Change

  Mornings at White Pine Cove began quietly except for a few fishermen eager to get out and wet a line.

  “Henry, I need to speak to you,” Harriet said.

  Henry poured Harriet a cup of coffee.

  “You, of all people, know how hard I’ve tried to make this place my own. I thought this might be a good home for Albert and Kate.”

  Henry nodded. “Harriet, I think you have done well.”

  She took a sip and set the cup aside. “Thank you, but after all these months, I still can’t get the idea out of my mind how we can live as if nothing ever happened. I can’t explain it all to the kids either. I want a better life for them outside the lingering shadows of their father.”

  Henry left his cup on the table and stood to look out the window. “Harriet, I think I understand, but you have to level with me before you go further. Is it me you take issue with? The fact I was a mobster and now work beside you as a partner?”