by PJ Eiden
Harriet was silent.
Henry filled the void. “Because, while this feels like home to me now, I can still leave this place if I need to. I want Albert and Kate to have the best chance.”
A tear streamed down Harriet’s cheek. She wiped it away. “I appreciate it, Henry, but no, I don’t want you to leave. To be honest, I am still shaken by how naive I must have been to live with Warren all those years while he was directing his Chicago business. Being here on this property now feels like I am still living the same way. I need to make a change in my life and get away from here with the kids.”
Henry’s face turned solemn. He hadn’t seen this coming.
Harriet crossed her arms and stepped back. “Now, I have been thinking about this for a long time. My mind is already made up. I have been approached to sell the Clark Lake Lodge property. Even during these tough times, the acreage has grown fairly valuable to the right people. I feel it was paid for with good honest hard work. I have a clear conscience.”
Henry didn’t know what to make of this.
“Furthermore, I don’t want or need any part of the money from this place.” Harriet swept her arm in a wide arc, encompassing the estate beyond the windows. “I’m signing my share over to you.”
Henry became concerned for her. “Wait a minute, Harriet. You can’t walk away from all of this.”
“Yes, Henry, I can and must walk away. Please think of it as your inheritance from Warren. Part of it you earned, and part of it you now inherit. I must do this now and won’t feel bad about it in the least. You will be giving me my life back. Please help me to make this happen for my family.”
Henry rubbed his face and sighed.
“I am going to sell Clark Lake Lodge and move with the kids to California to be near my mother. She needs my help, and there are good schools and more opportunities for Albert to find a job in the future. I’ve spoken to the attorney. He will have papers for us to sign in the next few days.”
It all seemed so sudden. “Harriet, are you sure about all this? I don’t quite know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. Help me get my life and sanity back.”
Chapter 38
Dark Skies
Late in the day, children played along the beach despite the unbearably sticky summer air. The sky across the lake grew dark, and low rumbling thunder challenged the stillness of the afternoon. The change in weather caused the parents to corral their children and head toward the lodge.
Standing on the dock, Henry scanned the watery horizon for a final fishing boat still unaccounted for. When the craft rounded the point with white wakes rolling off the sides of the hull, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Henry directed them to bypass the dock, which was being pounded by the growing waves to land the boat directly on the beach. He tried to yell over the howling wind. “There’s a rainstorm coming. We’ll need to pull this up for the night!”
When the bow of the boat pushed safely into the sandy shoreline, the fisherman helped his wife collect her things and get out of the vessel. He pointed toward the sky across the lake. “We came in because the clouds beyond the point are a strange dark greenish color. We saw streaks of lightning coming down over there. This storm seemed to come out of nowhere.”
With the boat secured, Henry rushed to the lodge.
In the back office, the radio tubes warmed to a crackling, popping haze interlaced with the sound of an emergency weather broadcast. Henry, straining to hear the announcement, caught the words imminent storm and threat of danger before steady static poured out from the speaker as the transmission cut off. With his breath rising in his chest, he searched the radio dial in vain for another broadcast.
Henry was on the move now. From the lodge, he sprinted to the cabins along the lake, pounding on each door, and telling guests, time was of the essence to take shelter in the lodge.
He helped a young family out of the last unit by carrying one of the children. With his arms wrapped around the child, he turned to look back at a mountain of dark thunderous clouds bearing down on them. When a wild wind gust rattled the cabin windows across the property, fear of danger swept through him. Henry made quick steps on the path to the lodge.
As he ushered the family into the building, lightning surged from the sky and split a pine tree with a mighty crack. The blinding flash and subsequent thunder sent Henry diving to the ground with flashbacks of being shot at. The top of the tree broke off and crashed on the very cabin the young family had vacated. Henry got to his feet and rushed into the lodge, pulling the door closed behind him.
Flickering electric power blinked the lights off and on. Henry gathered two old oil lamps and lit them for the guests huddled in the windowless basement rooms. He stood guard at the top of the stairs with a view through a first-floor window. He took a step closer when he noticed a curious wall of white chop racing in from across the lake. An instant later, small hail pellets began to bounce off the lawn chairs and tables. When the frozen scourge grew to the size of small potatoes, it littered the lawn with pine boughs and branches while it pounded the guest’s cars parked along the drive. The rain was so heavy, the lake and sky appeared to be one.
Wind, coming in blasts from across the water, tore through the resort and uprooted trees. A large white pine crashed on a car in its path. Sheets of rain waved down in angles, pooling on the lawn. The explosions of lightning and thunder waged war in all directions.
After several minutes, the wind in the trees ceased as abruptly as it began. Free-falling rain dropped straight to the earth. In the distance, an alarming roar was growing closer. The sky became as dark as night with an eerie greenish hue. Henry watched in awe as the waves on the lake went slack before the water appeared to retreat from the shoreline pulling back fifty feet or more. The air pressure inside the lodge was nearly unbearable.
He bolted straight down the stairs taking two steps at a time. A father rushed over to meet him. “Henry, what is it?”
Henry’s face was pale, and he stammered. “Everyone, get on the floor now and cover your children. There’s a tornado coming!”
The sound, like a steam locomotive roaring into the lodge, silenced the last of his words. The building shook violently. With a horrendous screech, the roof and all the beams on the top floors above were torn off the structure. In a flash, the basement room became light, then completely dark as the remaining walls crashed down sending broken glass skittering down the stairs into the basement. One of the oil lanterns survived the collapse leaving a yellow glow over the wreckage.
Rainwater spilled in through the gaps in the ruins above.
Henry was cut on his right arm and one hand. He got to the lamp and crawled over a pile of debris toward the sounds of children crying in the first storage room. He held the lamp high and watched the faces emerging from the corner behind an iron boiler.
“How many are hurt?” Henry’s voice shook.
A young father turned from his wife and children to give the report. “The kids are scared, but we only have a few cuts and bruises. My wife lost her eyeglasses back here somewhere. Otherwise, we are fine.”
Another man stood up from behind a large freezer located across the room. “All of us taking shelter on this side are OK, too. There are no serious injuries.”
Henry still felt the weight on his chest. He carried the lantern back into three more rooms. It was a miracle. All the basement sanctuaries remained intact, and the guests survived unscathed.
Henry stood in the open space between the rooms. “OK, everyone, can I have your attention? There’s a lot of broken glass and lumber with sharp nails sticking up all over, so I would keep the kids in place for a while. I’m going to need a few strong men to help me clear a path up through the stairwell. Right now, it’s blocked, but I think we can make our way out of this mess.
“I need some volunteers. Who can help me get us out
of here?”
Chapter 39
Visions
Ms. Evelyn Smith walked the property, toting a pair of sturdy suitcases. Clothed in a splendid blue dress and smart tan leather shoes, she stopped to fuss with a curl of her already perfect hair. After curious exploration, she found him there, perched on a wooden bench, sitting alone in the quiet of the outdoors. As she approached, she was startled by the breathtaking view of the sparkling lake.
Hank Macklan, a man who’d lost everything, sat forlornly with his head in his hands, across the property from the storm-ravaged ruins of his once-great lodge.
For an instant, she paused there, just behind him, looking down at a good-natured man with both the capacity to be charmingly human and also, when pressed, to be as fierce as a wild bear.
She was his eternal flame, naturally beautiful, gifted with smiling eyes, and she was about to come to his rescue. At thirty-four years old, a vibrant woman with an infectious spirit was about to collide with, and forever change, the trajectory of the life of Hank Macklan.
Her thought was, the very sight of her, after all this time, might draw a profound reaction, though of what sort she was uncertain. She reached down and placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze.
Buried in a transitory state of mind, with senses immune to the physical world around him, the troubled man gave no response.
Evelyn persisted. She grasped his shoulder again, but this time, shook it with a bit more vigor. “Henry?”
Upon this second intrusion into his private thoughts, he lifted his head, regained focus on his surroundings, and searched for the source of the angelic voice he assumed to be imaginary. There, in the periphery of his view, he caught the image of her.
With his head upright, he turned toward the bold blue figure standing quite near to him. Given his peculiar state of mind, he failed to recognize Ms. Smith.
Considering the surprise she had given him, she stepped to the front of the bench and leaned down to look directly into his eyes. She touched his hand. “Henry?”
Henry was unable to speak, his mouth opened, his breath came in shudders, and his heart pounded. His long-lost love stood right in front of him. “Evie, is it really you?”
A pleasant smile spread across her face. “Yes, Henry. It’s me.”
“My God, Evelyn, I can’t believe you’re here!” Tears formed at the corners of his eyes. “But there was a funeral for me. How did you know I was still alive?”
“Oh, I spoke to Father Whelan more than once after your funeral. Eventually, when he realized I was no threat, he told me your funeral was held for your protection.”
“You are an angel answering my prayers.” Henry stood up and took the woman of his dreams in an embrace.
When he released her, Henry turned with his arm extended and pointed across the property. “I’ve lost everything now. The storm destroyed the lodge, most of the cabins, and even the restaurant.”
“Henry, I wasn’t sure I’d find you today. On the second train, I read the newspaper headlines and learned about the terrible storm that came through here. I worried whether you were all right.”
“We were so lucky. No one was hurt. The guests, the staff, all of them were unharmed beyond minor scrapes and bruises.” Henry picked up a fallen tree branch and tossed it out of the way. “I found out this morning even the insurance is gone. The company I used went bankrupt in the big financial collapse last year. My attorney tells me they don’t even exist anymore. I have no way to pursue it.”
“How awful, Henry. I’m sorry to hear about it.”
He took Evelyn’s hand and started a slow walk around the property. He told her about the former lodge and all the families who vacationed there. There was much history to share.
A couple of hours later, when they returned, Henry looked at the matching luggage standing tall along the end of the bench.
“I’m sorry, Evie. I don’t even have a place left for you to stay here tonight.”
Noticing the reference to the luggage, she released Henry’s hand and pointed. “Henry, just so you know, those aren’t mine.”
The statement was puzzling to the man who’d spent the morning on a bench in a depressed state. Henry looked at Evelyn and again at the suitcases before shrugging his shoulders. The tornado had done some curious things, but someone had left these bags here.
Evelyn took hold of his hand again and squeezed. She couldn’t hide the smirk on her face. “Oh, I brought these bags here all right, sweetheart, but you need to understand, they are not mine. Those suitcases both belong to you.”
Henry stared at them once more. They were unfamiliar. He had no memory of such luggage.
Henry took hold of the first case and placed it down flat on top of the bench seat. He popped open the two brass buckles and lifted the cover.
There, nestled securely in the padded bag, was a tarnished saxophone.
Henry beamed. “Hey, is this what I think it is?”
“Yes, Henry. It’s the very same one. It might need a good cleaning, but you can bring the magic back.”
Henry pulled the horn loose from its rest. The feel of the instrument in his hands brought a flood of memories. “It’s how we first met.”
Evelyn nodded. “I know.”
Henry’s smile faded. “I could use a good session about now.”
He placed the brass instrument back in its case and closed the lid. Henry took hold of the other case and placed it down on the bench next to the saxophone.
He tried to release the brass buckles on the lid but found them locked tight.
“Oh yes, I forgot!” Evelyn reached around the base of her neck and retrieved a thin gold chain. She slipped it over her head and released the clasp. When she raised one end of the chain high, a small brass key dropped down into her waiting hand, and she presented it to Henry.
His eyebrows raised as he first looked at Evelyn and then studied the key. With care, he unlocked the buckles and snapped each one open. He looked at Evelyn again. “Let’s solve this mystery.”
He lifted the lid, rested it against the back support of the bench, and looked inside with a gasp. The case was filled with tightly packed canvas money bags. He pulled a bag loose from the case and tugged to loosen the cord tie on the end. He reached inside and ran his thumb over the stack of bills. Each was a crisp one-hundred-dollar silver note. He looked up at Evelyn.
She smiled. “You do remember our arrangement?”
Hank looked back at the money, then turned to her. “Yes, I gave you some money to stash for me long ago. But, not nearly this much. How is this possible?”
“Luck, I guess?” Evelyn blushed. “Henry, you never really told me what to do with the cash, but said you trusted me to take care of it like it was my own. In my life, I’d never actually had much of it, but I heard about people making money by investing. I’ve always been pretty careful with these sorts of things, so I invested some of it. At least for a while.”
Henry looked at the bags. “You certainly didn’t earn this betting at the dog track!”
“No, I wasn’t investing in fun.” She tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “In the early days, I put most of it in the stock market and used some to buy land. After several years, I got nervous about how high the stocks had grown, so I sold everything off in early 1929, well before the crash. When I couldn’t get my hands on gold, I used the cash to buy silver instead and held on to it. It turns out silver was a good way to keep the value you had earned.”
“You mean we had earned,” Henry corrected.
“But, Henry, there’s more.”
He nodded. “Go on, tell me the rest of what happened.”
“No, Henry, there’s more money. A lot more! I just brought one suitcase of cash with me on this trip in case you needed some right now.”
Chapter 40
The Boat R
ide
“Evelyn, we’d better get going now. It could be a half-hour boat ride down there.”
Evelyn grabbed her sunglasses and a light jacket. “Yes, dear, I’m all set. Tell me again why we aren’t taking the car? Wouldn’t it save some time?”
Henry paused before speaking. “I don’t think the car would save much considering the roads aren’t very direct. It’s better this way and sort of tradition. You’ll understand once we get there. It’s the closest bus stop to the lake. It’s all preplanned.”
“Well, it does sound like an adventure.”
“Will Sarah be joining us? She loves the powerboat.”
“I know, but since she’s a teenager now, friends have become pretty important. When I think back to her childhood, I’m amazed at her recovery after being so frightened during that attack on our Chicago home. She’s no longer afraid to go out.” She leaned against Henry. “Tonight, she has plans to attend a birthday party. So, it will be you and I for the boat.”
Henry smiled. “Glad your daughter is starting to have a social life. It may take some time, but we’ll get used to the idea she’s growing up.”
The lakeside boathouse was built of dark-stained timbers, gray wood shakes, and a foundation of impressive fieldstone. Henry’s greatest treasure waited silently in the dark water. The custom-built Larson powerboat, tethered to the rails by braided ropes, stood ready to demonstrate its exhilarating speed.
Stepping through the door to the boathouse, Henry helped Evelyn traverse the interior platform and settle into the highly varnished cedar strip boat. Near the steering wheel, she found a place on the red vinyl bench seat.
With the boat untethered, Henry dropped in next to Evelyn, twisted the starting key, and turned the big motor over. The throaty six-cylinder roared to life with a deep pitch sputtering up through the water at the boat’s stern. With the engine warmed, he eased the craft out of the boathouse, navigated the rock barriers, and broke out onto the open lake.