Sunny Side Up (Lake Erie Mysteries Book 1)

by Maureen K. Howard

  “Just duck down and be quiet! See if you can see who’s driving the boat or any identifying numbers or information on the hull.”

  “What’s this all about, Francie? I feel like Harriet the Spy.”

  I gave her the Reader’s Digest version of the tale of the minnow bandits, and as soon as I stopped talking, I could see that she was in one hundred percent.

  “Let’s nail these greedy thieves. I’d love to get a first-hand interview and go home with two awesome articles. I might be able to take the rest of the summer off at this rate.”

  We crouched behind the picnic table, straining our eyes to make out any clues. The boat passed slowly right in front of us. Two men who couldn’t have been more than twenty were working their scam right before our eyes. The tall, skinny kid worked the hydraulic nets while his beefy partner in crime scooped hundreds of tiny, silver, squirming fish into rows of buckets. They had this fish-napping thing down to a science. We had to concentrate on all the details, trying to commit everything to memory since neither of us had our cameras or phones nearby. I didn’t even have a pencil or paper since my handbag was back in the cabin. It never fails. As soon as I set it down out of reach, there was something I needed. For lack of a better plan, I focused on memorizing the twelve-digit hull identification number displayed on the right side of the transom. Apparently, the brilliant criminals hadn’t thought to conceal the numbers that could quickly identify all the information about the boat and its owner. June took mental notes on the physical features and clothing of these two brazen entrepreneurs.

  The boat finished its mission and left the marina, heading east. As soon as it was out of sight, I unfolded my body from its awkward position under the picnic table and went in search of pen and paper. Hammond was sitting up rubbing the stubble on his cheeks when I entered the cabin.

  “What was all that racket about? I was sound asleep. Hey, what time is it? Maybe it was those guys the detective told me about.”

  “Oh, honey it was them. I need to write this down before I forget. Let’s see: OH55 5SPF 1029. I can’t wait to bust these goons!”

  “Well, it’ll have to wait at least until the morning. What are you doing up so late anyway?”

  “June and I were just talking about everything that happened today. Did you ever find out what all the sirens were all about?”

  “No. I had my own problems. I’m going to bed.”

  I really wanted to ask about his clothes and his mood, but I decided I would let it go until morning. Technically, it was morning, but I wanted to get some sleep before the sun came up. “Good night then, hon.”

  I went back outside to check on June and found her pacing back and forth on the dock. “Hey, Francie, that little adventure got me all wound up. Can I borrow your bike and ride back to the bed and breakfast? I should be tired by then and able to catch some Zs. I’ll bring it back in the morning. If Hamm still wants to go back to Beacon Pointe, I’d like to come along if he doesn’t mind.”

  “I don’t know, June. It’s awfully late.”

  “Don’t be silly. There are street lamps the whole way back, and there won’t be any traffic, that’s for sure!”

  I was reluctant to give in, but I knew she’d wear me down until she got her way. “Okay, fine. At least promise to text me when you get back safely. I’ll wait up.”

  She was already balanced on the seat and ready to take off. As she rode away, she called back to me, “I’ll text you in a few minutes. Bye!”

  As promised, five minutes later, I received the short message “home safe c u in am.”

  Relieved that all was well, I fell into bed and was out in seconds.

  Chapter Eleven

  Shortly after sunrise, much earlier than I wanted to be up and around, I awoke to the glorious smell of Starbucks Breakfast Blend. I lay under my cozy down comforter torn between the notion of staying tucked into my comfy berth or giving in to the lure of caffeine. I couldn’t ignore the aroma any longer, so I tossed my pillow aside and followed my nose to the coffee. I poured a generous mug and shuffled out to the cockpit where I found Hammond staring out at the placid water, holding his own steaming cup in both hands. The mood was still quiet, and I still had no clue what had switched his own mood so suddenly from lighthearted to sour last night.

  We had already paid for dockage for the three-day holiday weekend, and I was certain that if we left now, our dock would be reassigned, and we wouldn’t be able to return if we wanted to. I sat down beside my husband and drew my legs up onto the seat so I could scoot them under Hamm’s legs. Judging by the fact he allowed me to touch him with my feet, which he usually hates, I figured it was okay to proceed with my questions.

  “So, honey, are you ready to talk about last night?”

  “It was nothing, really. I guess I was just angry at myself.” He rubbed my knee softly and continued to look out to the water.

  “First of all, when I went to light up my cigar, my lighter was gone again. I was pretty upset, I mean, twice in one day! But I didn’t feel like walking all the way back into town to look for it. I found a pack of matches from the Island House in my shirt pocket, and I don’t even remember putting them there. I wasn’t drunk, that’s for sure, so all of this weird stuff kind of bothered me.”

  I held my coffee cup in both hands, enjoying the warmth, and waited for him to continue.

  “While I was down near the lake, smoking my cigar, I heard all of the sirens. I guess I was so distracted looking back into town that I didn’t notice a recently snuffed-out campfire near the edge of the water. I tripped right over it and ruined my shorts, scuffed up my new shoes, and lost my cigar. Apparently, I shouldn’t walk and smoke at the same time. I’m sorry I got so upset. I guess the combination of June and Cliff and shopping just had me on edge. And then there’s the fact I keep losing things and finding things. You know it takes me a while to learn how to relax again at the beginning of the summer and get used to all of our weekend friends.”

  The corner of his lip twitched a bit in a poorly disguised smile. “And you know I really am sorry about June’s assignment. She’s good at her job, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. I also noticed there were some interesting dynamics starting up between June and Jack.” There was that lip twitch again.

  “I’m sure June got enough material to work with. If not, she knows her way back to Kelleys if need be. She comes here a lot on her own, you know. There is also the Internet, which she probably could have used in the first place. A trip to the island was just much more intriguing. I noticed some exchanging of phone numbers happening over drinks, too. This might get interesting. How about a refill on that coffee?”

  He held his cup out to me and I brought our mugs down to the galley for refills. We spent the next half hour or so lingering over our last cup of coffee and speculating about the cause of all the sirens and commotion the night before. We accomplished nothing. Neither of us still had the slightest clue.

  By 8:00 a.m., June was back at the dock just like she promised. My bike was parked right beside Hamm’s; she had already returned her rental bike, and now she was standing by, awaiting orders from the captain.

  We performed all the duties required in preparation for getting underway. June took charge of the hose and electric cord while I made my way to the bow of the boat, unhitched the dock line from the cleat, untied the spring line, and waited for my cue to push off.

  Once Hamm had maneuvered the boat out of the marina and set his course for the mainland, June and I relaxed and curled up and got comfy on either side of the wraparound seat.

  “This isn’t what I had planned for the holiday weekend by any stretch of the imagination. You didn’t have to come back with us, but thanks. You had such a nice room, and you seemed to have something starting up with the handsome detective.”

  “Nonsense! My boss paid for my room on Kelleys, and I’ll probably take the ferry back tomorrow for the parade. I’m dying to find out who will be crowned the new King and Queen. May
be it will be Clifton and you!” She laughed, and before I could reach over and smack her, she added, “Sorry, I meant Sirena.”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny.”

  “Jack Morgan isn’t going anywhere either, and I know where he lives. Well, not the exact location, but hey, we’re talking Kelleys Island not Chicago or New York. Besides, it’ll be nice to spend one night on the houseboat and get caught up with everyone on the dock. Meanwhile, we might as well decide what we are going to wear tonight.”

  “I guess you’re right. I wasn’t planning on it, but since we’ll be back at Beacon Pointe anyway, we can go to the yacht club Memorial Day party tonight. We’ll have to figure out what food we’re going to bring too.”

  So we spent the rest of the short trip back to the marina discussing and deciding on the important matters of what to wear and what to eat.

  “See you tonight. Thanks for everything!” June hopped off the boat and high-tailed it back to her houseboat as soon as we pulled into our dock slip.

  Some of our friends were socializing on the dock already, drinking coffee, taking advantage of the nice weather, and getting caught up with all the latest news. June got right in the middle of a debate over whether the monthly yacht club parties should be potlucks or catered. I really wasn’t in the mood to get into that conversation.

  Hamm secured the boat and then went right down below to take a much-needed shower. I didn’t mention it to him, but I was thankful he was finally getting the lingering smell of smoke out of his hair. I felt like laying low for a bit and mulling over some of the strange things that had happened the day before. I turned on the cabin TV and tuned in to the local news channel for the sake of background noise while I made a list of ingredients I would need to put together a nice Mediterranean pasta salad for tonight. I had everything except cherry tomatoes back at the condo, and I could get those at the Beacon Pointe Market.

  Just then I remembered what was niggling at the back of my mind. I put on my glasses so I could accurately read the series of letters and numbers I had jotted down the night before.

  “Hello, this is Francesca Egge. I need to speak to Detective Morgan, please.” While I was on hold with the police station, I went over the details June and I had uncovered about the minnow bandits last night.

  “Morgan here. How can I help you?”

  “Hello, Detective. I have some information you may find useful…”

  After my conversation with the detective, I felt much better, but I still had so many questions I wanted to ask Hamm.

  As if on cue, he came out of the bathroom, smelling like Irish Spring with a hint of my herbal shampoo. A mischievous smile spread across my face as I reached for the towel around his waist. “Hey, good looking! I have an idea of what to have for breakfast.” Suddenly, I forgot everything I was going to ask him.

  After I showered and dressed in white shorts and a pink T-shirt, I dried my hair with a towel and headed for the coffee pot to brew a second pot so we could have a do-over of our early morning routine. Hamm was finally feeling relaxed and had gone out to the cockpit to wait for me.

  While I stood at the counter, waiting for the world’s slowest coffee pot to finish its job, I straightened up the cabin, made the bed, wiped down the counters, and washed the glasses from last night. I started feeling kind of bad again that June had paid for a room on the island and wasn’t using it until I remembered again that her boss had footed the bill. Still, it would have been nice for her to spend the night in a clean, cozy bed and breakfast and wake up ready to enjoy the Memorial Day festivities on the island. For that matter, it would have been nice for Hamm and I to be there as well. Oh well, we were definitely making the best of the situation. The coffee still wasn’t quite ready, so I attempted to tame my unruly hair and apply a little color to my face.

  Just as I was swiping on the last bit of mascara, I heard the first notes of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” chirping on my cell phone. I managed to grab the phone and silence the ring before the chorus finished. It was the ring tone I had assigned to June, and I was fairly certain that it would be an unwelcome interruption to Hamm’s emerging relaxed state of mind.

  “Hang on a second, June. I’ll be right back.”

  I poured Hamm a cup of coffee, brought it out to him and informed him, “I’ll be right back, dear.”

  Back in the cabin, I grabbed my phone again.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  I could barely make out what she was frantically whispering over the line. It sounded like she was in a wind tunnel.

  “What’s going on? Speak up. I can barely hear you.”

  “Listen, Francie. Something weird is going on. I took a cab into town this morning to hit the farmer’s market for the ingredients to make my strawberry rhubarb dessert for the party tonight. I know Hamm really likes it, and I thought it might make him feel better. As I was getting ready to leave, I swear I saw Sirena and some guy behind the vendor’s barn practically duking it out. He grabbed her arm, and she turned around and slapped him. You’ve got to come out here and tell me I’m not imagining things.”

  My hand instantly went to my forehead and I closed my eyes, trying to fight the urge to scream.

  “I’m in the middle of my morning cup of coffee with my husband, June. I’m sure you just misunderstood the situation. Besides, Hamm will be thoroughly irritated if I just take off right now. He’s finally starting to relax.”

  “I’m serious, Francie. I wouldn’t have bothered you if I didn’t think we needed to do something to help. I just wouldn’t feel right approaching her by myself though, being Cliff’s ex and all. She might think I was spying on her or something.”

  “Well you kind of are, June. What exactly do you propose we do?”

  “I’m just going to sit here at the picnic table by the entrance and keep an eye on them until you get here. I’ll have a plan by then.”

  “I don’t suppose I can talk you into just coming back to the marina. I can mix up some Bloody Marys and help you prepare your dish. Or we could go to the condo and have mimosas?”

  “I knew I could count on you, Francie. I’ll see you in ten.”

  It was the exact response I had feared. I guess I had to break the news about my early-morning trip to my husband. She lures me in every time.

  Chapter Twelve

  I was resigned to using our gas-powered golf cart to make the mile-and-a-half trip down to the open-air market near the heart of town. Hamm decided after only a little grumbling that he would go into Port Clinton to the marine store while I was gone. He had been hinting since last fall that he could use some new dock lines and was content enough to go purchase some boat accessories while I was gone. I found it amusing that Hamm could spend hours at West Marine comparing prices, asking questions, and ultimately standing at a cash register with his credit card extended without making the connection that what he was doing could only be defined as shopping.

  I felt a little twinge of guilt that I had told him June had forgotten her wallet when she went to the market and that she asked me to bring it to her, but when I mentioned that she was going to make his favorite dessert, he kissed me on the cheek and told me to have fun and take my time.

  Hamm doesn’t usually approve of June-fueled mystery adventures because generally they end us up in some sort of hot water. I don’t ever lie to my husband per se, but sometimes I find it expeditious to give a little twist of fantasy to events that might cause him to suffer undue stress. My real job has me constantly running through script edits, looking for exactly the right spin to put on a story. So now, as I chugged along the winding bayside road in my golf cart, I ran through every possible explanation for the encounter June said she had witnessed between Sirena and some mystery man. First of all, what would Sirena be doing off the island so early this morning? Didn’t she have a business to attend to? Was it really even her, or had June’s imagination gotten the best of her? And what about all the commotion last night? She seemed awfully determined to get away
from us. I guess I’d find out soon enough.

  It was a beautiful morning. Lakeside daisies were blooming in the fields along the side of the road, popping up on nearly barren, limestone bedrock. I remembered when I first saw the frilly, little yellow flowers and learned that they are Ohio’s rarest, native plant species. This plant only grows in four areas, its largest population being right here on the Marblehead peninsula. Even though cars were passing me and honking at my slow progress, I tried to concentrate on the joy of driving through my own garden of endangered species.

  I amused myself by holding my left hand out in the sunlight and watching my Del Sol color-changing nail polish change from pearl white to flamingo pink in the sunlight and almost missed my turn onto the dirt drive that led to the market. I kicked up a little dust, and nearly ran smack into Michael and Gunner walking away from the market entrance.

  “Sorry, guys!” I waved and pulled into the entrance to find June. It wasn’t difficult. She was seated at a picnic table, peeking over the top of a newspaper like a spy in a B-movie.

  “What in the actual heck took you so long, Francie? I’ve been sitting here for hours!”

  “It’s been twenty-five minutes since you called me. Now what is going on?”

  June motioned to me to hop up onto the tabletop next to her so we could both “hide” behind the Daily Scoop paper.

  “Okay, so here I was, minding my own business, searching for the ripest strawberries and the firmest rhubarb, and the next thing I know, I see a flash of red exactly the shade of Cliff’s new girlfriend’s hair disappear behind the vendor’s barn. I automatically thought it must be Cliff and Sirena, so I started walking over to say good morning.”

  I rolled my eyes behind the paper. This sounded like June was suffering from a case of jealousy and using her instinct for investigation to stick her nose in places where it didn’t belong.

  June let out a huff. “I saw that eye roll. Anyhow, as I was walking over, I could see the shadows of two people on the grass behind the barn. They were clearly arguing, throwing their arms up in the air and gesturing like crazy, so I stopped. I kind of saw the whole thing like a puppet show in the shadows. A man grabbed her, and then she turned and slapped him across the face. The man raised his fist like he was going to hit her, then he turned toward where I was hiding and I had to run. I’ve been watching ever since, but I haven’t seen anyone I recognize come out from around the barn. We need to go check it out.”