I recounted everything I saw in detail. June’s eyebrows came together as she thought about what I had just told her. “We can’t really come to any definite conclusions based on that, but it doesn’t sound like they were planning a holiday barbecue. Let’s go around to the back of the house and see if we can find out anything else. And this time, you get to be the lookout and I will be the look-in.”
Since we were right up against the house now, it was easier to make our way around to the back yard—easier logistically, that is, not physically. I was racking up some major activity points moving around the house in a deep squat. My thighs would be screaming in the morning. When we reached another window with a view into a dimly lit room, we made sure we could peek in without being seen and then June had her turn. After a minute, she stepped away from her post. The first things I noticed were her pale face and worried expression. “What did you see, June? Were there more girls in there?”
“Oh yes. There are more girls. Four of them, and they aren’t dressed as waitresses or house maids. In fact, they’re barely dressed at all.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“They were lined up against the wall. There are four men in there too. Three of them looked like they were arguing or bidding on the girls. The fourth guy grabbed one of the girls by the hand and dragged her over to a flight of stairs.”
“I don’t believe this, June. Move. I want to see for myself.” Of course I knew she wouldn’t lie to me, but what she was describing was just too awful to be true.
Soon, I abandoned my post at the window, lowering myself to the grass. I was numb with disbelief and didn’t even bother to turn away from the wall. “I think they’re selling girls in there. It looked like the other two men were bidding again, and the winner disappeared upstairs with another one of the girls. The last guy wandered off looking deflated. Ugh. This is disgusting. Do things like this really happen right here, practically in our own backyard?”
June sat beside me. What a sight we must have been—two women sitting in the grass facing the house. “I don’t know. Everyone assumes that sex trafficking rings only exist in major cities or third world countries, but if the mob really does occupy this island, then I’m sure nothing is out of the realm of possibility.”
I slumped even lower, the weight of what I had just witnessed acting like a heavy anchor on my heart. “We have to find a way off this island so we can tell Detective Reed what’s going on. Do you think Bob found out about this and threatened to expose the operation? Do you think that’s why he was killed?”
“I don’t know, Francie. It’s possible, but we can’t prove anything, and unless we can sprout wings or grow some gills, how are we going to escape from this island? Do you have any more tricks up your sleeve or, more accurately, in your bag?”
I rummaged through the depths of my handbag, pulling out three different shades of lip gloss, two empty bottles of hand sanitizer, a book of matches from the Cheesecake Factory, and a month-old IOU for a kayak rental. So far nothing looked promising. Before I could continue my scavenger hunt, a shadow obliterated the last anemic ray of sun that illuminated our hiding spot. I looked up to locate the source of the unexpected blackout, but before I had the chance to scream, a clammy hand smelling faintly of salami and garlic clamped over my mouth. June was being silenced by Eddie Sneed’s other palm.
32
This is the night. That either makes me or fordoes me quite.
Othello
The whooshing of a helicopter’s blades churned the air above the quiet island. Men in black T-shirts and cargo pants, sporting some serious muscle and menacing weapons, came hurtling out of the house, the woods, and the shadows like ants clambering toward a forgotten piece of watermelon. So much for residents who felt secure against the threat of uninvited trespassers. The armed guards were focused on the helicopter hovering above their secret island lair.
Eddie removed his hands from our mouths, but the smell of an Italian sub lingered under my nose. “Stay quiet! You couldn’t just stay put, could you? I told you I would be back, but no, you had to go out on your own and alert everyone on the island that there has been a breach.”
I started to protest, but the minute I opened my mouth, Eddie cut me off and continued berating us. “If I was able to find you two twice on this island without even looking for you, just imagine how easily you’ll be hunted down by these trained bodyguards. I almost had everything set to get you away from here, but now we’re going to have to go to Plan B.”
“There’s a Plan B?”
Eddie stopped June before she could say anything more. “Do exactly what I say—nothing more, nothing less.” Eddie stopped long enough to look into our eyes, impressing upon us the utter seriousness of the situation. “Follow the trail that leads through the woods until you reach the old wooden dock on the south edge of the island. A friend will be there waiting for you. Go right now, while the guards are distracted, and take this.”
“A friend? Seriously?” I had to speak my mind before we just blindly followed Eddie’s orders. “Why are you helping us, Sneed? What do you have to gain? You sure seem to be mixed up in all this, and I have no idea why we should trust you. You might be leading us right into the scorpion’s nest. Literally.”
“Listen. There’s no time to explain everything now. When we’re all back safe and sound, I’ll tell you all I know. I’m really sorry for causing you so much trouble, but believe me, my hands were tied. I had no choice.” Eddie thrust a bulky sealed envelope into my hands. “Take this to the police as soon as you get back. Now go. Hurry.”
He shoved us out into the open. We had to stay low and run along the edge of the house until we got to the shelter of the sparse woods and the trail that, according to Eddie, would lead us to our rescue from this insane island. The path, as Eddie had called it, was really just some trampled down weeds. Night had settled in, and the cover of trees made it all the more difficult to navigate the unfamiliar terrain. There was only enough room to proceed single file, so I split my time between concentrating on the ground in front of me and turning back to reach for June’s hand, zigzagging all the while to avoid obstacles.
The whirring helicopter circling above us provided an appropriate soundtrack for the bizarre movie scene playing in my head. I hoped the noise would continue to occupy the attention of those armed men until we reached our destination and whomever Eddie had contacted to rescue us. I hoped he could be trusted. It was getting harder and harder to tell who was tangled up in this mess and what roles they might play.
Finally, we stumbled out of the trees into a patch of emerging moonlight. As it turned out, our forward momentum kept us in motion a few beats longer than what would be considered prudent, once we realized that the trail ended abruptly at the edge of a rocky cliff about twelve feet above the water. Twirling our arms like a pair of crazy windmills, June and I stopped just short of cliff diving. “A little warning would have been nice, Sneed,” I mumbled to myself.
I sat down hard on the scrubby earth. “What now? Where’s our go-to guy?” June got down on her knees beside me and peered over the edge of the rocks. “Be careful, June. If you tumble headlong off this cliff, I’ll be left alone here on this hellacious island to get sold off to the highest bidder or whatever is happening to those poor girls in that house of horrors.” I got off my butt and onto my knees so I could hold onto June’s ankles. She was getting too close to the edge for my liking.
June stretched herself about as far she could, and I gripped her ankles with everything I had in me. I wasn’t about to lose my best friend now. She let out a shout and whipped her head back and forth causing me to scoot forward on my knees. What was left of my white slacks offered a bit of protection to my knees.
“Gunner! Oh Gunner, you big beautiful angel! What are you doing here?” A familiar furry head with pointy ears and a wagging tongue popped up and licked June’s face from chin to cheek. Between gulps of giddy laughter, June found words to greet our four-
legged savior. “Gunner! I have never been so happy to have my face slobbered. Are you here alone, or did you bring a friend?”
I don’t know who I thought Eddie was sending to meet us, but I was relieved when I recognized the German shepherd who was now standing on the precipice beside us. Our agile furry friend was truly a sight for sore eyes.
I watched as June lowered herself into a deep knee bend to give Gunner a proper welcome, circling her arms around the big dog’s neck. “Look Francie. He has a rope around his neck. Michael must be waiting down by the water.”
I had no clue how Eddie knew Michael, but at least now I was reassured that he was, in fact, one of the good guys. I had met Michael and his faithful companion just a month ago, when he helped clear my husband’s name in connection to an arson and murder on Kelleys Island. I wasn’t surprised when he turned up here on Scorpion Island, where the idea of organized crime and underworld influences seemed more and more plausible by the minute. Michael was a solitary man, ex-military, with a keen interest in keeping the local communities free from the insidious talons of unsavory characters. He had a particular knack for uncovering deeply layered plots against unsuspecting islanders, and he had the resources to make things happen, usually within the parameters of the law.
“This is a long rope you have here, buddy. I’m guessing it’s for us to get down to the beach so we can leave here.” Gunner responded to June’s comment with a woof and a dozen or so additional doggie kisses.
“Mama Mia! Rock climbing is not even close to being one of the items on my bucket list. Isn’t there an elevator somewhere? Heck, I’ll take the stairs. It’s not that I’m afraid of heights, it’s just that I’d like to survive this weekend.”
“Come on, Francie. Our options are pretty limited here. In fact, this is probably the only one we have. Help me tie this rope off to one of the trees.”
Gunner bowed his head, and the black nylon rope plopped to the ground. There was no doubt in my mind that Gunner knew exactly what we were saying and what his role was in this adventure. I trusted this dog more than a lot of humans I knew. Before I could finish pondering the possibilities of human versus canine intelligence, June was testing the strength of the knot she tied to secure the rope around a sturdy-looking tree near the edge of the cliff. I wanted to check it myself. Having tied my fair share of sailor knots over the years, I knew how to make sure the line was secure and fit for the job at hand. This was not to say I looked forward to the next step in this project. I may have been employing stall tactics, if I wanted to be completely honest with myself.
“Let’s do this.” June sounded like we were about to have some great fun, not throw ourselves over a rocky ledge and shimmy down to the water on the advice of a German shepherd.
June went first. She maneuvered over the smooth rocks on her stomach and got in position to slide down the rope. Gunner gave me a soulful look over his shoulder. I knew he was trying to reassure me before he and June disappeared out of my sight. That dog should wear a cape, I thought as I took a deep breath, grabbed onto the rope, and followed them.
I bumped and scratched my way down the rock wall, feeling for ledges and footholds to balance myself along the way. My purse, which was slung across my body, thumped against my back where it had migrated during my descent. When did I fill it with bricks? I really needed to clean it out one of these days. As I tucked that thought away in my mental things-to-do file, the envelope Eddie had given me sailed past my line of sight, pages gaily fluttering all around me. I managed to reach the short stretch of sand at the bottom with not too many new scratches and scrapes on my hands and arms. By the time I straightened my back and brushed off my pants, Michael was already helping June into a flat-bottomed boat that was rocking gently in the lake. He nodded at me but did not speak, extending his hand and guiding me toward the rescue vessel. Before I joined them, I recovered as many of the scattered pages as I could from along the shore and in the shallow water. Gunner hopped aboard, and Michael untied the line and shoved off from the shore. Simple as that.
Michael took up the oars and without speaking to either of us, piloted our craft away from the nefarious island until we were far enough away that the sound of the motor would not be heard from shore. Once the craft was under power, Michael spoke for the first time. “I’m glad I received the alert from your goTenna signal, June. I was surprised you had the device, because it’s really not something that’s made its way into the mainstream consumer population yet. When I got the message from Sneed that the two of you were on the island and needed a way off, I was able to get your location and arrange to meet you on the beach. I give the guy credit. I had serious doubts about his skills, as well as his intentions, but he managed to step up to the task and get the job done.”
“What task? What job? I still don’t get how he’s mixed up in all this.” I was frustrated by the lack of information being shared with June and me, and I wasn’t looking forward to any more implications or questions from the police regarding my involvement in Bob’s untimely death, Angelina’s accident, or the rest of the questionable incidents that took place over the past two days.
Michael did not reply to my question. Instead he asked one of his own. “Why did you ladies feel it was okay to visit the most highly protected and heavily guarded island on the Great Lakes? Didn’t you realize you were placing yourself in harm’s way, and that you were out of your element?”
June and I remained silent during our chastisement, our faces turning similar shades of bright pink.
“Did you speak to anyone other than Sneed while you were there? Did anyone else see you?”
“We didn’t speak to anyone except Eddie.” I was beginning to feel the magnitude of our impromptu stowaway scheme sitting like a lump of damp clay in my stomach.
June’s eyes darted over to me, and she cleared her throat. “There was Sasha’s sister, Sofia, too. We didn’t exactly speak to her, but she saw us and fled before anyone had a chance to say anything.”
I figured it was best to reveal everything we had seen to Michael. He was probably our best bet at sorting through this mess. “I saw Sofia again at the big white house. She was with a group of other girls around her age, and there were shady-looking men with them exchanging money, playing cards, and what looked like bidding on some of the girls.”
Michael’s expression was stony. “These are potentially very dangerous people. Do you realize how lucky you are? Do Angelina and Damien know you were on board their boat? I hope for your sakes you didn’t leave anything behind.”
“What do Angelina and Damien have to do with these people?” I asked, expecting to get the silent treatment one more time. “The logo on their boat has the same scorpion we’ve been seeing everywhere. I noticed several of the men had it tattooed in different places. One guy even had it on his bald head.”
“You know,” June added, “I just remembered that Bob had a scorpion tattoo on his bicep. There has to be a connection between his death and these guys.”
“You ladies are intelligent. You should think carefully, though, before getting yourselves into any more hot water. I’m going to drop you off at the resort. I suggest you leave the investigating to the police from here on in. I’ve got some feelers out as well and am doing a little research into some behind-the-scenes stuff. You’ll get your answers, but you need to stay out of the limelight for now. Why not sleep on it and keep your eyes and ears open, your mouths shut, and your butts in chairs at whatever workshops you’re supposed to be attending tomorrow.” The corner of Michael’s lip twitched, and there was the tiniest twinkle in his eye. I knew it. The guy did have a heart. As promised, we were deposited back at the resort, right in front of the marina cafe where we so recently ate supper and talked about everything from seminar topics to underworld mob bosses taking over our beloved islands. Moonlight shone on the DeVille’s sailboat, Devil Chaser, moored in her slip, as if all this had been nothing more than a crazy kaleidoscope of a dream.
33
O’ what may man within him hide,
though angel on the outward side!
Measure for Measure
The night air was wet and heavy. I breathed in the green smell of the lake mixed with the heady scents of popcorn and fried treats from the amusement park as I stepped off our rescue boat.
I wandered a short distance down the dock, relieved to be back to the relative safety of this familiar island. I could see Michael’s intense gaze on June’s face and his strong hands on her delicate shoulders. Feeling like an intruder, I turned my attention to the amusement park and concentrated on the bright lights of the causeway.
From somewhere deep inside my purse, a text message notification chirped. I rummaged through the jumble until I found my phone, and was surprised to find it still partially charged, since I couldn’t remember when I had plugged it in last. It was a message from Angelina.
You seem to have left something behind on our sailboat. If you don’t want me to contact the police, meet me at Bob’s cabin in thirty minutes. Bring June.
Oh no, I thought. We have a problem. I looked down at my feet, trying to figure out what we could possibly have left behind from our stowaway excursion. My bare ankle provided the answer. Oh, why couldn’t I resist the lure of shiny trinkets with a nautical theme? I returned to the boat slip where June now stood alone with a dazed look on her face. “Snap out of it. I think we’re about to be in big trouble.” I showed her the text and then sheepishly pointed out my missing ankle bracelet. I could almost see the wheels turning in June’s head, and then she said the words I didn’t want to hear.
“We have to meet her, Francie. Who knows what kind of story Angelina will tell the police if we don’t. We’ll be arrested for sure this time. Bob’s place is just down the road, so we don’t have much time to come up with something.” The pacing and mumbling to herself commenced as my dear friend went into action-plan mode.
Deviled!: Lake Erie Mysteries Book 2 Page 14