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Chapter 1

Friday, October 18, 1974

I

This is a unique morning in the Wells household in suburban Riverwoods, although no day could truly be called typical for Phil and Jana, because every day has always had its own character. As they sit looking across the table at each other over breakfast, conversation has come to a brief halt, a rare event. It is not what it may appear to be to an outsider. There is no conflict. There is something else entirely at work here.

As Jana meets Phil’s intense gaze, there is nothing but love and admiration to be seen there. She is thinking how lucky she is to have him. Since their marriage nine years ago, everything has come up aces for them, both personally and in their business. As close as they were on their wedding day, that closeness has grown by geometric progression day by day. To look at him, you might think him to be plebian. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In reality, he goes much deeper than that. At five feet ten, with dark blond hair, he is no different from the average man on the street. His face is much like many others, handsome but not overwhelming. With a square jaw and sloping nose, he fits the profile of many others of Teutonic background. It is what’s inside him that breaks the mold. He is sharp as a tack when it comes to business, extremely considerate on an interpersonal level and can display lightning reactions.

While Jana continues to look silently at him, Phil is thinking on much the same track as he stares unflinchingly into her radiant eyes, but not about her physical beauty. She is everything that Phil is not. She is drop-dead gorgeous. She is five feet four inches tall, has shoulder-length lustrous raven hair, a button nose, big beautiful whiskey-brown eyes, and a figure that just won’t quit. On top of all of that, she can boast of an IQ that puts her right up with the Mensa crowd. He’s always been proud to show her off.

The business, PD Express, an air taxi service that Phil co-owns with his partner Don Swanson, has been almost too good lately. Since their early days, they have added many names to their regular client list, so many in fact that neither of them has been able to spend as much time at home as they would wish. As a charter pilot and aircraft wheeler-dealer, Phil is committed to too much time in the air.

Now he is contemplating the next two weeks when he will not be doing any flying at all. He and Jana have made plans to stay away from it all for those two weeks. She has been running the office for several years and knows almost as much about the operation as Phil or Don or their other pilots and mechanics. She could use a break as well.

What they have planned is not at all what you might expect. Since Jana was reunited with her father, Fritz Marsh, shortly after their nuptials, she has seen him many times but never for long enough at any one given time. Now she is going to spend the next two weeks with him at his home in Terre Haute. This will be her longest separation from Phil since they first met, but they both agree that it will be a nice change of pace for them. During that time, Phil will be off on an adventure that he always secretly coveted. Where he is going, there will be no phones, only a radio for emergencies. Many times over the years, he has flown his best client and sometimes benefactor, Jim Bellingham, to Jim’s cabin north of International Falls in Canada. He only does this in the winter months when they can land on a frozen lake nearby. After waving goodbye, Phil would head for home and leave Jim to do whatever it was that he did up there for the next few days, until either he or Don would fly back to pick him up. He always wondered what the fascination was to be there in the cold. Now he is going to try to find out. Not at Jim’s cabin but at a place even more remote. Through a connection with one of his other clients, he found out about a small loggers cabin on Fitzwilliam Island near the north extremity of Lake Huron on the Georgian Bay. The cabin is not used very often anymore. The island itself is not a place where anyone lives full-time. This makes it an ideal place to read, think, explore, and not do too much else.

Fitzwilliam is where Phil will be going. After he flies Jana to Terre Haute, he will return to Meadowwood Airport, the base of PD’s operations, where his BMW will be waiting for the drive up the shoreline of Lake Huron to Tobormory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. There, he will be picked up by a prearranged charter pilot for the short hop to the island. Of course, he will desperately miss Jana, but he can well imagine their reunion.

With breakfast finished, it is time for some last-minute doubts to surface.

“Are you sure we should do this, Phil?” asked Jana. “I didn’t think it was going to be so hard when we first talked about it, but I’m really going to ache for you for two whole weeks. Do you realize that we’ve never been separated for that long?”

“I know, princess. That part of it won’t be easy for me either, but this is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay with Fritz. You never had much of a chance to spend any real quality time with him since Don found him for you nine years ago. Don’t worry. I’ll keep in touch until I get to the island. Even there, I’ll be able to reach you, at least indirectly, by radio. You know you’ll be in my thoughts all the while, especially since I’ll be alone through most of the time. Anyhow, we still have today to be together. I won’t just drop you in Indiana and run, you know. I want to see your dad too, at least for a few hours before I have to come back here.”

“You’re right,” admitted Jana. “Dad and I will be able to really talk for a change. I’d like to find out more about all those years we were apart, and I’m quite sure, so will he. You and I have the rest of our lives to spend together, but I don’t know how many more chances I’ll get to spend time with him. It’s a good plan, and I’m not about to back out.”

So it seems that while both of them still have some doubts, the matter is settled, once and for all. Their separate vacations will go off as planned, and they should both be better off for it in the overall scheme of things.

II

Hans West looks every bit the image of the sea captain that he is, tall and slender but with a physique that comes from hard work. Just two inches short of six and a half feet tall, he is a man you would not want to trifle with. Contrary to his appearance, he is a very gentle gentleman who makes friends with ease. At the same time, he wields firm control over his ship and the crew who sail it with him. He cuts quite a figure on the bridge with his nearly white blond hair, a short blond beard and his dark, dark ever-watchful eyes blazing toward the horizon.

Hans is a man who has wanted a certain sort of career almost from the day he was born. As a boy growing up in Baarn, Holland, he was constantly exposed to the tales two of his uncles told about their adventures on the North Atlantic. Uncle number one, his mother’s brother Ge, was third mate on a freighter sailing regularly from Rotterdam, out the Nieuwe Waterweg, past the Hoek van Holland into the North Sea. From there, his ship would rumble across the North Atlantic to a variety of ports of call.

The other uncle, his father’s brother Henrijk, was also a high-ranking crewman on the oceans of the world, but his ships were quite different. His employer was the revered Holland-America Line, whose cargo included some freight but was primarily passengers.

Hans was intrigued by their stories of the sea. He wanted nothing more than to be a part of it on any level. When his school years were over, he got his wish but not exactly the way he envisioned it. His first job at sea was as a waiter on the Westerdam, a Holland-America combination freighter and passenger liner making regular trips to New York and back. It was not what he dreamed of for so long, but it was a start. One of the best things about it was his close contact with the folks he served. He was always assigned just three tables to serve on each crossing. Because of that and also because the Westerdam was a slow ship, seven days in each direction, he got to know most of his diners well before docking at the conclusion of each voyage. Some long-term connections were developed on both sides of the ocean.

During that period of time, he also met Miep van Dorp, a very attractive, very smart young lady from Hilversum, a city not far from his own home in Baarn. She was employed as a sous chef in the galley of the ship. On their off hours, they struck up a close friendship, which, before long, turned into a serious courtship. One year later, they were married and have been together ever since. It has been an exceptionally happy pairing with very few bumps along the road of their lives.

During the two years Hans labored on the little liner he spent much of his spare time studying for his officer’s papers, even though he knew that part of his dream would be well into the future. He was bound and determined to get his wish when the appropriate time came, and he wanted to be ready.

Over the next ten years, he managed to get employment on a variety of ships doing every task from deckhand and oiler all the way up to chief engineer. He had crossed the Atlantic in good weather and bad more times than he could count.

All of that time, one thing kept coming back to him. His uncle Ge had told him many times about the bulk carriers on the Great Lakes and how those waters could at times make the North Atlantic seem as docile as a newborn puppy. Storms were sudden and, more often than not, unpredicted. The seas could be extremely high, and the wave frequency was such that a seven-hundred-foot ship could have several of them to contend with at any given time. Many a seasoned ocean sailor became a victim of mal de mer on the lakes. They are a decidedly different sort of venue.

Hans wanted to give that a try. As soon as they could arrange a sponsor, he and Miep applied for resident visas to come to the Midwest and try their luck. When they arrived, he arranged to take the appropriate tests, and before long, he qualified for a position as third mate on the William R. Jammison. As it turned out, that would be the one and only Laker he would ever sail on. As time went by, he moved up the ladder to second mate, then first and finally to captain, a position he has held for the last three years.

It seems that he has succeeded in accomplishing nearly all of his dreams. Today, he is thinking about how determination and, yes, some good luck, too, have gotten him where he is. The voyage he is preparing to take will be his last for this season and, in fact, his last aboard the Jammison. When he returns, he will retire from the inland seas and go off with Miep to a small plot near the Ontario coast. They have no wish to cultivate the five-acre farmette. Most of it is forest. The Wests bought the property when Hans got his promotion to captain, and they have been chomping at the bit ever since then to be there full-time. He will miss his old ship, and he will also miss the frequent struggles with the often turbulent waters. The time is right to begin to spend more of it on shore with Miep. Maybe he will write his memoires. He certainly has some stories to tell.

III

During their drive to Meadowwood Airport, Phil and Jana are decidedly more upbeat.

It is always a pleasure to ride in the little Beech Baron they will take to Terre Haute. It is comfortable and fast, and Jana always thinks of it as being cute. Over the years, she has become very accustomed to flying. Actually, Jana has learned to fly herself and is now a licensed pilot with a multiengine instrument rating. She is also the driving force in PD’s office, handling charter scheduling as well as the books and the accounts.

When they arrived at the airstrip, Walt Thomas, one of their charter pilots, was just getting ready to fly to Detroit City Airport in their newest acquisition, a Piper Twin Comanche. Jana always liked seeing Walt. He had been her first flight instructor because her own dear Phil did not have the patience to deal with primary training, even for her. Phil has a tendency to want everything perfect, even with a brand-new student. As she advanced from the J-3 Cub to more sophisticated equipment, Phil took over and has been pleasantly surprised at how she has progressed. He should never have had any doubts. Jana has always been a quick study at anything she ever took on.

Several others were in evidence including Billy Cromwell, PD’s chief mechanic, and Mike Johannsen, the other pilot on the team. They took special notice of Jana when she came on the scene. They always did, but they were accustomed to seeing her dressed for business. Today, she is wearing sleek black bell-bottom hip-huggers and a short tee shirt that hides very little of her fabulous figure. They are admiring her, and she is enjoying their attention. Though she does not have a big ego, she is well aware of who she is and what she has. The only one missing is Phil’s business partner Don Swanson. He is off somewhere making money for the group.

Walt is the first to greet them.

“So I hear you two are going to leave us for a couple of weeks. The whole place might collapse without you, especially you, Jana. Our office usually runs like a well-adjusted clock. Now it’ll seem more like an egg timer.”

“What’s the matter, Walt?” asked Phil. “Don’t you have any faith in Don? He was here before any of us, including me. Without him, there’d be no PD Express. Anyhow, he plans to stick around as much as he can while we’re gone.”

“You know I’m joking.” Walt laughed. “By the way, Jana, how’s my old student doing these days? With all the travel, I hardly ever get around when you’re here.”

“Just great, Walt. I’m still trying to get Phil to check me out in the new twin, but so far, no luck. His schedule has been horrendous lately. That’s a big part of why we’re doing what we’re doing. He promised me to give a lot of thought to backing down into partial retirement soon. He’s not getting any younger, you know.”

“Hold on there, princess,” Phil retorted. “I’m only forty-nine, not quite ready to line up an undertaker yet. I may slow down a bit, but as long as I can fly, I’ll never be stuck completely on the ground.”

“Just wait until you have a couple more of those bad weather trips and see what you say then,” said Jana. “Besides, I’d like to see more of you in our beautiful house.”

“This much I’ll promise. I will try to cut out at least half of my charters as soon as humanly possible. I may have a line on another pilot. I don’t know anything for certain yet, but it looks good. That will take some of the pressure off and give me more time to work on our aircraft brokerage business. It used to be easy to spend two or three days a week looking for buyers and sellers, but lately that’s been almost impossible.”

“I’m just pulling your leg, Phil,” said Jana. “With your libido, I’d never get any rest if you were home all the time.”

“But you’d love every minute of it, wouldn’t you?”

“I think it’s time for me to get scarce,” said Walt as he strolled away toward the Comanche. “I don’t want to get involved in anything quite that personal.”

“Do you think we made him nervous?” asked Phil as he began the preflight on the Baron.

Jana chuckled. “I doubt it very much. He’s got Mariann at home to keep him happy, which I’m sure she does. Anyway, I think we should get moving before we lose half of the day.”

“Not to worry, princess. It shouldn’t take us much more than an hour to get to Terre Haute. Why don’t I just ride along and you can take us there? I know you love this little bug.”

“You know my answer to that. Let’s get the show on the road—or I should say, in the air.”

When the walk-around was completed and everything was copacetic, Jana climbed into the left-hand seat and Phil to her right. After firing up the two Continental 520 engines, Jana headed to the run up circle at the end of the active runway where she conducted the usual magneto, instrument, and control checks. She set the altimeter to field elevation, then made a complete circle to look for incoming traffic. She knew Phil was watching her. She was not about to make any mistakes prior to takeoff.

While turning onto the runway, Phil commented, “Don’t forget to compensate for torque.”

“I know you’ve been doing this since I was a little girl, Phil, but I do know a little about these things,” she snapped, a bit perturbed. No matter how well they got along on the ground, he still became Mr. Know-It-All in the air. He was unaccustomed to being a passenger instead of being in charge.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’ll keep my mouth shut except for normal conversation. I know you know what you’re doing. I’ll say it again, so sorry.”

Jana shoved the throttles to full power and applied a little left rudder to take care of the torque problem Phil spoke of. She was up off the ground in short order, using all of the combined 570 horsepower she had at her disposal. She climbed to three thousand feet, leaned the mixtures, and leveled off to cruise. Then she gave Phil a big ear-to-ear grin. “Well, Captain,” she queried, “do you approve?”

“You probably did better than I would have done. I should have known better than to say anything. You know, Jana, you have all the flight time and experience you need to get your commercial ticket. All you need to do is take the written exam. You shouldn’t have any trouble with that or the check ride. Then maybe you could take some of the load off of all of us old guys. You could take a few charters yourself instead of just booking them. I’m sure most of our clients would be delighted to have such a gorgeous young lady at the controls.”

“I’d like that, Phil. Then we can compare stories by the fireplace at night.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” He grinned. “I can think of much better things to do on a cold winter night.”

“Or any other night, or morning, or afternoon. Don’t you realize we’ve been married for nine years? Aren’t we supposed to slow down on that kind of stuff? Besides, if you keep talking like that, I may have to climb to five thousand and two hundred feet and welcome you to the mile-high club.”

Phil couldn’t let that one pass. “Don’t look at me when you say that. You can’t slow down any more than I can. What will you do while we’re apart for two weeks?”

By then, they were past Kankakee, pointed to Danville and then on to Terre Haute. It was only 11:00 a.m. They still have most of the day ahead of them. Phil had thought it out and decided to stay the night with Fritz. He will leave early Saturday morning, fly back to Meadowwood, then jump in his car, and start off for the Bruce Peninsula.

IV

It is early morning in Lakewood, Ohio, where Hans West is sitting alone on the outdoor balcony of his lakeside condo. Mid-October would not seem to be the time to sit outside on the fifteenth floor with a brisk breeze blowing in off Lake Erie. Most folks would be sealed inside, but Hans is not like most folks. He has become quite accustomed to much worse conditions during his years at sea.

As he sits there, many thoughts are running through his brain. He wants to consider the next few days and beyond. Since this will be his last trip on the inland seas, it holds special significance for him. It is extremely important that all should go by the book on this final journey. He feels like a mother hen watching and waiting over her eggs. As captain of the William R. Jammison, he is responsible for the safety of more than just his ship. He is also thinking about his loyal crew of twenty-nine, some of whom have been with him since before his promotion to the top post. The first one who comes into his mind is Fred Palmer, his first mate. Together, they have tussled with all the lakes could throw at them and still came back for more. Then there is George Oliver, the chief engineer. He has pulled a few tricks out of his hat to keep the old Sulzer diesel operating in some of the worst storms in recent times. George actually hired on the Jammison before Hans was third mate. Sam Whitman is also one of Hans’s favorite people. As chief cook, he has the ominous task of satisfying the stomachs of a bunch of hardworking people, sometimes under conditions no shore bound chef would tolerate.

As he sits contemplating what lies ahead for them all, he takes a mental inventory of the entire crew. He thinks about the engine room group, usually referred to as “The Black Gang,” all of the men who take their orders from George. He has six lower engineers, three wipers, and three oilers under his command. The deck company consists of three wheelmen, three watchers, and three deckhands. They all do each other’s work when needed, even the mates. Sam has help in the galley as well, two second cooks and two porters. Hans has made it a point to get to know them all without losing his image of authority. That can be difficult because some of the shipboard tasks may be handled by an ever-changing parade of applicants. They sometimes think that work on a ship this big will be a piece of cake. After all, it’s just a group of lakes. Many a new hire has been brought to his knees on his first voyage. Aside from combating the elements, they find that working on a Laker can be very labor intensive.

Right now, the 730-foot straight deck bulk carrier is at the Cleveland and Pittsburgh ore dock, awaiting an early Saturday morning departure. She has been in port for two days due to a steering gear malfunction encountered on the previous run, an unwanted development. The main goal of all bulk carriers is to stay in action as long as the season will permit. This present situation will cause some loss of revenue for them all.

The Jammison will be leaving the harbor light (empty). The itinerary will be typical. First stop will be at the Chesapeake and Ohio dock in Toledo to fill the hold with coal. From there, it will be a short jaunt to the Detroit River, then across Lake St. Clair, up the St. Clair River and out onto Lake Huron at Sarnia. After the long trek up Lake Huron, they will enter Lake Michigan, passing through the Straits of Mackinac and proceeding to the Reiss coal and limestone dock in Little Bay de Noc at Escanaba on the southern shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. After offloading the coal and cleaning the holds, they will travel less than a mile to the Escanaba ore facility to reload, this time with taconite pellets to be brought back to the mills in Cleveland. Barring complications the entire voyage should be completed in less than five days, getting the Jammison back to home port sometime on the twenty-third. Upon returning, Hans will bid a fond farewell to his crew and his ship and go ashore and to become just another landlubber.

Since the season is not quite concluded, someone else will assume command until about mid-December. That person will probably be Fred Palmer, his first mate, who has been waiting, not always patiently, for the opportunity.

So far the weather reports are all good for the next few days.

There should be no obstacle to an easy trip, but then nothing is ever for sure. Those waters can be totally unpredictable.

While Hans is lost in his thoughts, he is completely unaware that he has been joined by his wife, Miep, who is looking somewhat unsettled but still beautiful. It would be a gross understatement to say that she is attractive. With her long flaming red hair and emerald eyes, she is, indeed, a picture to behold. In spite of the fact that she is nearly a foot shorter than Hans, she fits him like a deerskin glove. She is wearing a silk robe that enhances her far-better-than-average form. Hans always calls her Schaatje, which means “little treasure.” She is definitely worthy of the title.

“I know you think you’re a polar bear, Hans, but I’m not. Why don’t you come inside where it’s warm? Breakfast is ready. I don’t want it to get cold too.”

“I apologize,” said Hans. “I was just thinking about all the good times I’ve had at sea and wondering if I’m doing the right thing by quitting while I’m still so young. I’m only forty-one. I must have a lot of good years left in me.”

“And I want those good years to be spent at home with me. We’ve made our plans. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us to change them now.”

“I don’t want to change anything. I guess I’m just getting a bit sentimental. I want to spend my time with you at our new home as much as you want me to. It’ll be a whole new experience for both of us. Do you realize it’s the first real property we’ve ever owned? It’s nice here on the Gold Coast, very nice, but a condominium at Winton Place can’t match having our own six rooms and our own little forest to boot. It’s going to be a lot of work, but well worth the effort.”

“I’m really looking forward to it Hans. Imagine what we can do with our new surroundings. It’ll be like painting on a new canvas. I’ve got a plethora of ideas running rampant through my brain. In my mind, I can see it all the way it will be, not as it is now.”

On that delightful note, they went inside and ate a hardy meal, skirt steak, eggs sunny-side up, and a huge pile of fried potatoes. Life is going to be much simpler after this final separation. They both contemplated it with gusto.

V

As they neared Terre Haute, Jana called the tower for landing instructions. “Hullman approach control, this is Beech Baron 4729 Zebra, thirty miles northeast at three thousand feet inbound requesting clearance to land.”

“Two Niner Zebra, descend to one five hundred. Call from five miles,” responded the air controller.

“Two Niner Zebra,” she confirmed. “Beginning descent to one five hundred.” Before long, she was again on the mike. “Two Niner Zebra—five miles—at one five hundred.”

The tower came right back. “Two Niner Zebra, traffic is clear. You are cleared to runway five. Contact ground control for further instruction.”

“Two Niner Zebra—thanks.” With that, she dropped to six hundred feet, lowered the landing gear, applied a little flap, and lined up for her assigned landing strip. She put the Baron on the ground with the expertise of a seasoned veteran, smooth as glass, which drew a look of pride from Phil. He was honestly impressed, but not really surprised.

After getting the word from ground control, Jana taxied to the terminal area where she looked anxiously for her dad who would be watching for them. Phil had called ahead to let Fritz know they were on the way and about when they would arrive. Sure enough, there he was looking very pleased to see them. It had been almost a year since the last time they had been together, and that was only for a few hours when Fritz was passing through Chicago on his way to Denver. He spends a good deal of time on the road.

A distinctive man in his brown pinstriped three-piece Brooks Brothers suit, he looks hale and healthy, despite the fact that he carries two hundred and ten pounds on his five-foot-nine frame. He sports a full head of silver-gray hair. Even at a distance, it was easy to see where Jana got her whiskey-brown eyes.

After shutting down, Jana ran to him and was caught in his open arms. “Dad,” she almost shouted. “What a joy this will be—two whole weeks. I hope I don’t wear out my welcome.”

“You could never do that, sweetheart,” said Fritz. “We have a lot of catching up to do. I have to show you my new house too.”

“You didn’t tell us about that.” It was Phil, who just wandered over to join the conversation. “Did it happen recently?”

“Hi to you, too, Phil. Is that how you always greet people?” Fritz chortled. “But to answer your question, yes, very recently. I just moved in last week. Since my phone number didn’t change, I was able to save the secret until you got here. I’ve seen the miniature palace you guys call home, but I think you’ll be impressed with mine as well. I know I am.”

“Okay! Let me get the Baron bedded down for the night so Jana and I can go and be amazed.”

Phil left Jana and Fritz alone for a few minutes to arrange for refueling and overnight tie-down. The weather was excellent. No need to invest in hangar space for one short night.

Fritz drove out of the airport on Poplar Drive. He assured them the wait would not be long. In less than ten minutes, he took them up Fruitridge to Riley and then to the right on Adams, where he pulled into his drive. He had told them they would be impressed but that turned out to be a gross understatement. The house is big—very big. It might be best described as Victorian Modern, if there is such a thing. The front yard was as imaginative as the building, with simple but neat landscaping. Along the lot line on both sides stood rows of tall, narrow White Spruce trees that created an arboreal frame for the overall picture. Bracketing the entranceway were a pair of Austrian Pines that filled most of the available space. It was obvious that this is not a something that had just been done, but it was easy to see that it had been tenderly attended to.

“This is one big surprise,” said Phil, gawking at the scene before him. “How long did it take you to put this deal together?”

“Not long. It came on the market last month. At the price the previous owner was asking and after a little finagling, I snapped it up before he could change his mind. He was in a bit of a bind. He had recently been transferred to Dallas and knew he didn’t want to be saddled two house payments. What do you think, Jana? You’re being pretty quiet. That’s not like you.”

“Let’s just assume that if the inside is anything like the outside. I may remain mute for a while longer. Believe me, Dad, I love it so far. It’s so different from your old house. How did you manage it?”

“That was no problem,” said Fritz, a little chagrinned by her question. “Between my full-time job and the outside consulting I do, I get on very well. I don’t have anyone else to spend my money on, so why not? In any event, the house is a good investment, so how could I go wrong?”

“Absolutely,” interjected Phil. He and Jana had several properties of their own including the condominium at Marina City where Jana had lived before they met. They still use it for an in-town hideaway from time to time. The value has skyrocketed since they paid off the mortgage nine years ago. Should they ever decide to sell it, they will realize a nice profit. “Now we’re ready for the Cooke’s Tour.”

The interior was as advertised. They entered through a marble-floored foyer with a small koi pond complete with a fountain. From there, Fritz took them to an immense living room, at least thirty by fifty feet in length and width. They went down three steps from the foyer to the cathedral-ceilinged chamber fit for a king to hold royal audiences. Along the far wall, the entire far wall is a fieldstone fireplace large enough to roast a whole pig with room to spare. Jana didn’t recognize any of the furniture from her father’s old digs, but he explained that all of what she saw came with the deal. Sofas, chairs, and tables were arranged in several small groupings to somewhat reduce the size of the space available. Next, up three steps on the left side, was the dining room. A table long enough to comfortably seat ten in ladder-back chairs takes up most of the room without crowding. Two tasteful Old English tapestries cover the opposing side walls, and beneath each of them is an antique buffet. The adjoining kitchen would do any five-star restaurant proud. The central work area contained a six-burner gas range over which was a utility rack with copper pots and pans all hanging in neat rows. Twin ovens were side by side on an adjacent wall. All around were more oak cabinets than they could count.

“That’s enough for now,” said an obviously proud Fritz. “I’ll save the rest for later. Let’s go sit down for a while before I treat you two to a dinner you won’t soon forget. That’s another surprise that I’ll hold back for now. You can stay that long, can’t you, Phil?”

“Better than that, Fritz, I’m going to stay until morning. That will give us a little time before I have to leave you and this tasty morsel I married.”

Jana couldn’t let that one pass. “I know you just want one last roll in the hay before you go away for two whole weeks. That’s okay with me. I do too.”

“You bet, princess. I’ll give you something to remember me by, as if you need reminding.”

Then it was Fritz’s turn. “Before you get too far ahead of the game, we should have time for a drink before we leave for dinner. What would you say to Chivas on the rocks? I assume that’s still what you both would choose.”

“Sounds good,” said Jana. “Now, tell us about dinner. You can be as bad as Phil with your little secrets, Dad.”

Fritz backed down but not very far. “All right, I’ll tell you this much and no more. It’s a place down on Third Street that opened for business recently to great reviews. Now that’s it until we get there.”

They were not disappointed when they arrived at the Gasthaus Stefan. It was everything and more than was promised. They were welcomed at the door, just in time for their seven-o’clock reservation, by Ginger Stefan. Although she is a native of Indianapolis, she fits perfectly in the Austrian décor she and her husband, Kurt, who came from Salzburg, have created. Seated at their table, they discovered a diverse menu that could please any palate. On Fritz’s recommendation, Phil ordered the steak Dianne, while Jana, always a seafood lover, opted for the crab bisque. For Dad, it was a simple Wiener schnitzel. On the advice of their waiter, they accompanied it all with a bottle of Austrian Zweigelt wine from the vineyards of Manfred Turistisch, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Actually, they ordered a second bottle before they finished their meal.

As all three were sipping Remy Martin and coffee after having reveled in a thoroughly delectable repast, they were more than pleased to meet Kurt Stefan, who was making the rounds of all the tables. He inquired about their food and service and was happy to hear nothing but the highest praise.

Back home, it was time to trade memories by a blazing fire in Fritz’s new living room. Because of the way it was arranged the space seemed much smaller than it really was. They sat in their own little grouping by the hearth.

“Dad,” asked Jana with some trepidation. “I don’t want to pry, and if I get too nosey, you can tell me to shut up. You’ve never talked much about the time after you and Mom split up. There are a lot of missing pages in my Marsh history book that I’d like to fill in. Would it hurt too much to talk about it?”

“Not at all, Jana. It’s pretty boring stuff to anyone but me. Oh, I admit it was rough at first when I got out of the navy in forty-five, but by then the divorce was already final. You know how that all came about, so I’d rather not get into that part of the story. By then you were at Angel Guardian. Since I did get custody, but had no prospects, I thought it would be best for you to live in a safe place where I wouldn’t have to worry every day about you. An orphanage may not be anyone’s ideal place to be, but I had no better way to provide for you at the time. I stumbled around for a couple of years, going from one dead-end job to another and feeling sorry for myself. Finally, I got my act together. I used the GI Bill that had been out there for me all along. I went down to IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) and took their entrance exam, thinking of nothing but engineering. My job in the navy was a good background. Lo and behold, I passed with flying colors. It took six years to get a master’s degree in civil engineering, but it has proven to be the best thing I ever did. I’m now licensed to ply my trade in seven states with more to come when I get the time to work on it. In the meantime you and I lost touch with each other. The next time we met was at Meadowwood for your wedding reception. Don’t think I didn’t spend many hours agonizing over some of my decisions earlier on, but once you left Angel Guardian I had no way to reach you. If it hadn’t been for Phil’s partner, Don Swanson, we wouldn’t be sitting here together today. He’s the one who tracked me down as you well know. This moment, right now, is one of the high points of my life. Just to be here in my new home with the two people I cherish most makes me the happiest man on the planet.”

“That’s quite a story,” said Phil. “I’m glad you included me in on at least that much of it. You gave me my most precious gift the day that Jana was born, even though you had no way to know how it would all work out in the long term.”

“Well, Phil, I can see how well you two are suited to each other. We all came out ahead in the game of life.”

Jana tossed her raven locks and gave them the biggest, broadest smile she could muster. “I didn’t do too badly, even before I met Phil, you know. Almost everything has worked out well for me since I left the home. I’ve been lucky at life and now, very lucky at love.”

Phil returned her smile with one of his own. “Who’s the lucky one here? Without you, Jana, I was floating along with nothing but my business on my mind. Speaking of business, Fritz, did she tell you about our jaunt down here? Jana was commander. I was just along for the ride.”

Fritz looked a little startled. “I didn’t know you could fly, Jana. When did that come about?”

“A long time ago, Dad, I’ve got almost three hundred hours now. Phil is talking about maybe putting me to work soon.”

The conversation waned after another hour or two. It was time for a few hours’ rest. It was only then that they all realized that the rest of the house was still a mystery to Jana and Phil. However, they were all pleasantly weary. The only room they wanted to see was one of the several guest bedrooms. The one Phil and Jana were escorted to contained an overgrown bed with a feather mattress. It was a canopied four-poster with a look of the nineteenth century. On the wall, not too far from the bed, was a large fireplace with a fire all ready to start. All it needed was a match to get it going. Fritz did the honors and then left them alone to enjoy the night.

And enjoy it they did. From the second he left the room, they were in each other’s arms. For the next two hours, they made tender love, regretting that it would be their last chance for the next two weeks. It was a blending of two hearts and two minds making the two into one complete identity. It was almost as if they would never experience such ecstasy again. In some ways, it was a melancholy time for them.

VI

Hans and Miep spent most of Friday talking about all they had accomplished through the years. It had been quite a journey even before they met. Both had been born in the middle thirties, so they each had experiences during the war that neither wanted to discuss. The subject was usually a mutually closed door. Some things are better forgotten. There were other events that caught their attention.

“Do you remember how it was when we first met on the Westerdam so long ago?” asked Miep.

“Of course, I do. How could I ever forget the day I walked into the galley to pick up an order and literally ran into a vision with the reddest hair I’d ever seen? You were the most beautiful sight my young eyes had ever beheld. I was stunned, and I knew right then and there that I had to learn more about you.”

“Yeah, well, before we docked in Rotterdam, you knew about all there was to know about me—and vice versa. I’m still surprised that we never got caught out there on those deck chairs at night when we were playing our little games. I lost a lot of sleep on that trip, but it was certainly worth it. It was like a shipboard romance, only this one is still in full bloom.”

Hans had to laugh at what he remembered. “We were just a couple of lovesick kids barely out of our teens. Looks like we knew what we were doing. Our families both said it wouldn’t last, that we were just mesmerized by the rhythms of the sea. I think the seventeen years we’ve been together sort of disprove that theory, don’t you, Schaatje?”

Miep turned serious. “Don’t you ever miss Holland, Hans? Sometimes I think about some of the things we used to do there. We had fun. I can’t forget little things like when we flew kites on the beach at Zandvoort and watched all those crazy people digging huge holes in the sand to get out of the wind. It was almost like they didn’t want to be there.”

“Another place we can never forget is the Hoogge Voursche, right near my home in Baarn,” said Hans. “How many people can say they spent their wedding night in a castle? We sat out on the balcony drinking our Oragjeboom beer, looking at the woods with stars in our eyes. I think we spent less time out there on that deck than normal that night because we couldn’t wait to get to our room.”

“And what about Madurodam?” cued Miep. “Where else can you see an entire nation in miniature? I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else. Of course, there was always the rain. We could count on it nearly every day. The amazing thing about it was the way it would come and go so fast. You could almost be convinced that it had never happened at all.”

Hans felt himself getting too sentimental thinking about these and other things. “Of course, I miss Holland,” he said. We both have good families that we had to leave behind when we came here. We were living the good life with virtually no worries while we were there. The thing is, we’ve done very well here too. Look around you. I don’t call this poverty. Sometimes, you have to give up one good thing to get something even better. Now, before we get too maudlin, why don’t we get out of here for a while? I made a reservation at the Pier W to celebrate my early retirement.”

“That’s just an elevator ride and a few steps away,” said Miep. “But it’s a good choice. They’ve got just about everything on their menu. Maybe I’ll get away from seafood this time.”

It was like old home week at the Pier W. Living so close, they were well acquainted with most of the staff. They had been there often since moving to Winton Place two years ago and even before that. It was one of their favorite haunts. They made it easy for their waiter, Steve. They ordered Chateaubriand with Béarnaise sauce, enough for two hungry people. As a former sous chef, Miep could appreciate good food that was well prepared. This was as good as it could get.

When they were finished, Hans paid the tab, and they went for a stroll along the lakeshore. It was an incredibly clear evening. If human eyes could reach that far, it would have been possible to see Canada across the water. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen in any direction. Out on Lake Erie, no big seas were in evidence. In fact, the surface was nearly dead calm. The walk didn’t last too long. It was starting to get downright chilly.

When they got back upstairs, things were not quite so calm. Since Hans wanted to be onboard the Jammison no later than 6:00 a.m., they went to bed at 9:00 p.m., all the time knowing that sleep could be a few hours away. Whenever Hans was about to sail off, Miep turned into Circe, goddess of seduction, wanting her way with him in every possible way—not that he was an unwilling victim. When they finally came up for air, it was after midnight. Good thing Hans is a person who can survive with little sleep.