The House of Storms

By: Geron Kees
(© 2017 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

GKees@tickiestories.us

Chapter 7

The rest of the afternoon went peacefully enough. The boys and Mr. Dane had stayed in their rooms, talking about the mystery of a dead man who was not dead.
 
 "An active war makes record-keeping every difficult," Mr. Dane had said. "Mistakes are easily made. Still, according to what John said, these new CIA people are not interested in pursuing this matter. They seem to consider the records of any foundation agency to be questionable in accuracy, and not their problem to deal with. They say that Gunter Sturm is dead, and that there's a snafu in the fingerprint records somewhere."
 
 "What do you think, dad?" Joe asked.
 
 "I think we need to be careful," the elder Dane replied. "Tomorrow I am going into town to talk to Jake Kingsley again, and I want you boys to come with me. I have a project for you."
 
 All four boys looked excited, and Mr. Dane grinned.
 
 "What do you want us to do?" Frank asked.
 
 "I want you boys to go to the library."
 
 The detective laughed at the sudden change of expressions on the boys faces.
 
 "The library!" Joe echoed. "That sounds like you're trying to get us out of the way, dad!"
 
 Mr. Dane shook his head. "Not at all." He sat forward and gazed at the boys emphatically. "Solving a case is not all field work, and exciting pursuits. Much of it comes down to research - the pure sifting of information for clues. That's what I want you boys to do."
 
 Frank nodded, looking more interested again. "I get it, dad. What do you want us to look for?"
 
 The elder Dane looked thoughtful. "I keep feeling like we're missing something, boys. Something important to do with Land's End itself. I've kind of been approaching this thing as maybe a conflict between two groups of people here, but now I'm not so sure what's going on. We need to cover all the bases. So what I want you to do is to go to the library, locate the local history section, and examine any books you might find there that pertain to the history of Land's End and its surroundings. Also, there are two local newspapers. I want you to look in the archives for both papers, and see if you see anything noteworthy concerning people or events in the area."
 
 Frank and Joe looked at each other. "That's a tall order," Frank said. "How far back should we go?"
 
 The detective frowned. "That's the hard part, son. I can't tell you that. I would say no more than a lifetime, but even that assessment could be wrong. If I were you, I'd start with the current issues and work my way back. That's the easiest way I know of to discover a thread of events."
 
 Chip grinned. "I love to read! This'll be fun!"
 
 Tony nodded. "We'll be glad to help, Mr. Dane."
 
 "Thanks, boys." Mr. Dane grinned. "We'll get to the bottom of this thing yet, I think."
 
 After a nice dinner in the hotel dining room, Mr. Dane retired to his room to read, and the boys changed into casual shorts and tee-shirts and all met in Joe's room to hang out, feeling that the farther they were from the detective's room, the easier it would be for them to talk openly. Joe turned on the radio, and everyone kicked off their shoes and relaxed on the carpet in front of it.
 
 "What do you guys feel like doing?" Frank asked, looking around the circle of boys.
 
 No one said anything immediately. Chip looked around at the others, and then leaned over and whispered into Frank's ear.
 
 Frank's eyebrows shot up, and he looked at his boyfriend. "Chipper!" he breathed. "I don't believe you said that!"
 
 Chip's face turned red, but he grinned. "Well, you asked for ideas!"
 
 Joe and Tony immediately leaned forward. "What did he say?" Joe asked.
 
 Frank laughed, put out an arm and circled it around Chip, drawing him closer. The he leaned towards the other two boys. "He suggested we play cards."
 
 Joe and Tony looked at each other, confusion apparent on their features.
 
 "What's so amazing about that?" Tony asked, shrugging. "It's not a bad Idea, actually." There were several decks of playing cards in the side drawer of the room's desk.
 
 Frank nodded. "He said we could play strip poker."
 
 Joe's mouth dropped open, followed almost immediately by Tony's. But then both boy's grinned. "Oh, Chipper!" they hooted, in unison.
 
 Chip looked embarrassed all over again. "It was just an idea, fellas."
 
 "A good one, I think, " Joe said, eying Tony up and down rather suggestively.
 
 Tony dropped a hand on Joe's thigh and ran it down to his knee, and then back up again. As his hand came back up it pushed up the leg of Joe's shorts, allowing Tony's palm to rub quite far up the bare flesh heading towards Joe's crotch. The younger Dane grinned, and leaned over and kissed his boyfriend. "I'm sold! Let's play!"
 
 Chip jumped up and retrieved a deck of cards from the desk, and the boys sat cross-legged in a circle while Chip shuffled and then dealt out the hands. "Five-card stud?" he asked, grinning.
 
 Joe laughed, and looked at his brother. "You've got yourself a wild one, don't you? I'd never have guessed it."
 
 Frank looked fondly at his boyfriend. "I really got lucky."
 
 Chip's face reddened slightly; but he leaned forward and kissed Frank. "Anyone ever tell you you were sweet?"
 
 "Just you," Frank replied, his own face growing warm. He wasn't used to such fond talk in front of others - especially his own brother!
 
 But Joe seemed very relaxed with it. He smiled, and leaned over and kissed Tony. "I got lucky, too."
 
 Tony turned his eyes towards the ceiling and grinned. "Well, if not just now, you sure will get lucky later!"
 
 All the boys laughed, but everyone noticeably relaxed.
 
 They made their first wager, and everyone chose shirts. Tony won the hand, and the others took off their tees and dropped them on the floor. Tony grinned, looking around at the others. "A fella could fall in love with this game!"
 
 Joe leaned against him, and Tony reached over and patted the firm flesh of the younger Dane's belly. "I always liked you shirtless."
 
 "Your turn will come," Joe said assuredly. "Deal, Chip."
 
 They wagered again, and Frank won the round. "We didn't start with enough clothing," he said then. "Tony and I both have our shorts and underwear, and Joe and Chip just have underwear. Pretty soon we won't have anything to wager, and the game will be over."
 
 "We'll just have to bet something else," Joe said, grinning.
 
 Tony gasped, and reached over and thumped the younger Dane on the upper arm. "Oh, no you don't. I'm not sharing."
 
 Joe reddened. "That's not what I meant."
 
 "We're not there yet," Frank said, smiling. "Deal, Chipper."
 
 They bet again, and Joe won the hand. All the boys were down to their underwear - except Chip, who had only had that item of clothing left to wager. He gasped, but nodded. "I asked for this, so I can't complain about being first. He lay back, raised himself, and slid his underwear down and off.
 
 When he sat up again and crossed his legs, his face was red. "I don't have anything else to wager."
 
 Frank put an arm around him and kissed his cheek. "That was brave, Chipper. You sit out this hand until we catch up."
 
 This time Frank dealt, and Joe won the hand. Frank and Tony looked at each other, grinned, and then removed their underwear.
 
 "I guess that means I win," Joe said. "I'm the only one with clothing left."
 
 Tony leaned against him, reached a hand over and gently massaged the younger Dane's crotch through his underwear. "You call that winning?"
 
 "Yes," Frank agreed. "You're the odd man out." He dropped a hand into Chip's lap and massaged the boy's still stiffening dick. Chip sighed and returned the favor, smiling.
 
 Joe's eyes widened, and he briefly pouted. "Aw. This is the first time I ever hated winning." He leaned back and pulled his underwear down, and quickly had them off.
 
 Tony put his hand back, wrapping his fingers around the shaft of Joe's dick, and gently stroked it a few times. Joe sighed, leaned back onto an elbow, and stuck his legs out straight, turning slightly to face Tony. Tony smiled and mimicked him, and so did Frank and Chip.
 
 "This is really nice," Chip said, staring into Frank's eyes.
 
 Frank nodded, and leaned forward and kissed his boyfriend, and then they turned and put their cheeks together.
 
 Frank looked over at Joe and Tony, and couldn't help noticing their bodies. Both boys were lean and smoothly muscled, and quite beautiful to see. Frank was surprised that he thought of his younger brother as beautiful, but he could see now that he did. He hadn't seen Joe naked since they were both much younger, and in that period of time Joe had grown into a handsome young man. Tony, too, was quite a pleasant lad to eye, and Frank could see how happy they were together.
 
 Frank looked at Chip, and saw him staring, too. Frank smiled, and gave his boyfriend a small nudge. "Are you checking out my baby brother?"
 
 Chip started, and looked over at him. But then he smiled. "He's gorgeous," he whispered. "It must run in the family."
 
 Frank smiled, and pushed Chip over onto his back. "He's not the only one that's gorgeous, Chipper." He dropped his head, kissed the boy on the lips, and then moved down and nipped at his nipples, causing Chip to start and giggle. But then Chip sat up again, pushing Frank onto his back instead.
 
 "Oh, no you don't," he whispered. "It's my turn!"
 
 Chip worked his way down his boyfriend's body, until he finally reached the prize he was after. Frank could still remember the first time he and Chip had exchanged blow jobs, when they had been fourteen. It had been a defining moment, one where Frank had become certain that this was what he wanted in life.
 
 He briefly wondered if it had been the same for Joe, and decided that he would ask him, once the case was over and they had returned home. It was time now for a brotherly chat. Frank turned his head and glanced over at the other two boys. Joe was flat on his back, his eyes closed, smiling, while Tony was happily working on Joe's dick with his tongue. For a moment Frank had to smile.
 
 Yes indeed, it certainly must run in the family!
 
 Frank felt Chip caress his dick, sighed happily, and closed his eyes.

* * * * * * *

 "Will you look at this place?" Joe whispered, waving a hand at the inside of the Land's End Public Library. "There must be a zillion books here!"
 
 "We just want the local history first," Frank reminded, "I'm sure that section is a lot smaller."
 
 It was. A slightly cranky-looking librarian led them to a single bookcase against a back wall, eying the boys as if she could not believe that four young men inside a libarary on such a beautiful summer day could be up to anything good.
 
 "Just the center shelf pertains to the history of Land's End," she said, pointing to about two dozen books held upright by a bookend on one side of the indicated shelf. "Please call me if you need anything," she instructed further, shaking her head once and departing.
 
 "What's with her?" Joe whispered, tossing his head after the woman.
 
 Frank shrugged. "The fact that we're strangers, maybe. Librarians are all a little possessive of their books." He grinned. "Who cares? Let's get started."
 
 They went to the shelf and each took a handful of books, and took them to a nearby reading table and sat down. Each boy had a small notebook and a pen, and the elder Dane had suggested they make note of anything they found that seemed interesting.
 
 It was tough going. Most of the works were thin volumes that had been penned by locals and focused on the resort and its many attractions, and the writing was dry and a little lifeless. Certainly not the stuff of bestsellers. In the next hour Frank went through all of his books without finding much of notice. There were a lot of details on the founding of the resort, and how it occupied land that had once been home to a cannery. The area economy had been built on fishing before the resort came along, and it was after World War One that a group of local businessmen had purchased the cannery and developed the land into the now famous resort. But that was about all that Frank learned, and the other boys didn't have much better luck.
 
 Chip shook his head when they were done. "I know the name of every company these people ever bought a ride from for the carnival and every singer that ever performed at the pavilion before that last war, but I don't know a whole lot more."
 
 Tony nodded and held up a book, frowning. "These people talk a lot but don't say much. A lot of publicity about the resort, is all."
 
 "Dad will probably be disappointed," Joe said in agreement. "I think he expected at least a little something to be found."
 
 "There's still the newspaper archive," Frank reminded, getting up from his chair. They returned the books to the shelf, and went in search of the librarian.
 
 She was not pleased. "Newspaper archives are delicate, young man. You will have to promise me that you will be very careful with them."
 
 "Of course, we will," Frank promised, looking slightly hurt that that was even in doubt. The woman frowned, but led them to the rear of the library and unlocked a door. She let them into a long room with large bookcases down either side, and a long table with chairs that ran down the center of the room between the bookcases.
 
 "The Journal is on the left, and The Courier is on the right. Please return volumes to the same positions on shelves that you pulled them from. Make certain that your hands are clean, and take care with turning the pages. Newsprint is delicate, and some of these papers are quite old."
 
 "We'll be careful," Joe promised, giving the woman a winning smile.
 
  She sniffed once, and turned and walked away, pushing the room's entry door to but not closing it all the way.
 
 "I don't think she gets out much," Joe whispered, smiling.
 
 The archives consisted of large volumes into which actual copies of the newspapers had been bound. Each volume varied in thickness and the number of newspapers contained within, depending solely on the size of each newspaper edition. The covers were marked with the starting and ending dates, and Frank just stared at the numbers of volumes on the two sides of the room in awe.
 
 "This isn't a day's work," he said, shaking his head. "More like a week."
 
 "We don't have a week," Joe pointed out. "Just today. I'm sure the library is closed on Sunday."
 
 They got to it, starting with the most recent editions of the newspapers and working their way back. At first, there seemed to be no mention of anything going on at the resort, which the boys thought odd, because there had been things happening lately. They got all the way back to the start of the summer before a small note appeared in both papers about a fire at the bumper car pavilion. But even that was just a mention, although it was said that the damage had been almost five thousand dollars - a not inconsequential amount.
 
 "It's almost like they've been keeping things quiet in the papers," Joe said, shaking his head.
 
 "Maybe they have been," Tony suggested. "The hotel gets the papers - there was a copy in our room, remember? Maybe they don't want to upset the guests."
 
 Frank frowned. "Newspapers sitting on a story - and a big story, like this one could be - that's a little strange."
 
 Chip leaned forward on the table and put his chin on a hand. "Well, the resort feeds the whole town. Even newspaper editors have to eat."
 
 Frank nodded. "So it would seem. I'm starting to think dad was more right than he knew when he said the town elders were playing things down."
 
 They went back to work, and as the day progressed they worked their way back through the year to the previous summer, where there was much more news. That trend continued, and an alarming pattern of fires, thefts, breakdowns, and unusual occurrences began to emerge. The boys filled page after page with stories of these events, until they suddenly stopped in the spring of the previous year.
 
 "That must be when things first started," Joe decided.
 
 Indeed, they went back to the early part of the year before another mention was made of the resort other than the normal news about operations.
 
 "Look at this," Chip said, holding up his book to an open page. The others looked closely at the newspaper headline displayed within:
 
 "Noted Magician Jack Dark Retained for Pavilion Main Show"
 
 Frank's eyebrows went up. "Really? I was under the impression that he had been here for a number of years."
 
 Chip shook his head. "Nope. It says here he was engaged in February of last year, and scheduled to begin with the spring tourist season."
 
 Frank thought back, trying to remember when he had first heard of the noted entertainer. Certainly before the previous year. He couldn't quite recall now, but he did seem to remember that the magician had played in New York City for some time, too.
 
 "That must be when he came up from the city," Frank decided. "I do remember now that he played in town for a few years, too."
 
 "I wonder what he thinks about all the things happening at the resort?" Joe asked.
 
 "There's an idea," Frank said, nodding. "I'd be willing to bet someone like that has a good eye for odd things. Maybe he's noticed something important."
 
 Joe grinned. "I wouldn't mind talking to the guy. But I guess we should ask dad about it, first, just in case."
 
 As the noontime hour passed, Frank took an assessment of where they were, and came to the conclusion that they did not have sufficient time in a single day to go back very far in the archives. So he let the others continue in reverse chronological order, while he himself pulled random volumes from earlier years, carefully noting each in his notebook so that they would not pull them again later.
 
 Five o'clock came soon enough, and the librarian came back to inform them that the library was closing. She looked about the room and seemed satisfied that the boys had taken good care of the volumes, and finally allowed herself a small smile. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
 
 Frank shrugged. "We don't really know what we're looking for. But I'd have to say no to that."
 
 "Well, we reopen Monday morning promptly at nine, if you'd like to come back."
 
 Frank decided not to mention that they would be leaving Monday morning, and unable to return, instead just smiling and thanking her. She showed them out, and locked the front door behind them.
 
 Though they had ridden the short distance to town with Mr. Dane, he had said he could not be sure he would be with Sheriff Kingsley all day, and that the boys could catch a cab back to the hotel. They walked to the cab stand and found a driver, and were soon back at the hotel.
 
 As they entered Frank's room, Chip gave a big sigh. "Man, am I ready for some dinner! Missing lunch just about did me in!"
 
 The others laughed, but had to agree. Poring over newsprint all day was not intense physical work, but it was demanding in its own way. All four boys agreed that a meal was now in order.
 
 There was a rap on the door to their father's room, and when Joe opened it, Mr. Dane came in, smiling. "Thought I heard you boys come in. How'd the day go?"
 
 The boys recapped their day while the elder Dane listened, explaining that the local history section of the library was a dead end, and that the newspaper archives were too extensive to be assessed within a single day.  "We just didn't have enough time to go very far back," Frank concluded.
 
 Mr. Dane nodded. "That comes right to what I wanted to ask you boys about. How would you like to stay on here a few more days?"
 
 The boys looked at each other, grinning. "Gee, I don't know, dad," Joe said then, feigning indecision. "All this fun and excitement, and a chance to solve a mystery - we're kind of tired of it, aren't we, fellas?"
 
 "Are you nuts?" Tony asked, looking at Joe, his eyes wide. "Tell him we'll stay!"
 
 Everyone laughed.
 
 "I was hoping that would be your answer. I've already talked to your mother, Tony, and she said she was fine with you staying longer. I spoke to your father, Chip, and he said the same thing. So if you're up for it, we'll stay on a few more days."
 
 "What did mother say?" Frank asked.
 
 The detective smiled. "That she was expecting it. Your mother has been doing this with me too long not to know how things work. She said things were well at home, and not to worry." The man's smile widened. "She also said that she and Aunt Gerta had found a new hat shop in town, and that your aunt couldn't wait to show us her latest and greatest!"
 
 The boys groaned, and Mr. Dane shook his head. "Now, you know your aunt means well." He smiled. "I just wish I could figure out what she's thinking when she selects some of the hats she buys."
 
 "Wait, dad...that's a whole new mystery than the one we're on now!" Joe said, laughing.
 
 Mr. Dane smiled. "Well, it's settled, then. We'll stay on a bit, and see what happens."
 
 The four boys grinned at each other in excitement. "Wow!" Chip said, giving Frank a pat on the shoulder. "We may have time to get to the bottom of this thing yet!"
 
 Frank grinned, and turned to his dad. "What did you think of my idea of talking to Jack Dark about the strange things happening at the resort?"
 
 "I think it's an excellent idea," Mr. Dane said. "In fact, I'll call Mr. Crandon now, and see if he can arrange something."
 
 The boys cleaned up while Mr. Dane made his phone call, and then the five of them went down to the dining room for dinner. The early evening sun beyond the big wall of windows painted the carnival outside in bright colors, and they watched the people mill about as they ate.
 
 "Is it me, dad, or is the crowd a little smaller today?" Frank finally asked, between mouthfuls of the steak.
 
 "No, you're right," Mr. Dane agreed, nodding. "There's been a drop off again since the Ferris wheel broke down. The hotel manager, Mr. Crandon, said it was all people that left early, though. No new cancellations have occurred lately, thank goodness."
 
 The boys looked at each other, looking glum. They needed to solve this mystery before the resort suffered irreparable financial damage!
 
 The detective seemed to think a change of subject was in order. "What would you like to do tomorrow, boys? We could a use a day of rest, and Sunday is great for that."
 
 Frank nodded, "Well, there's still an awful lot we haven't seen yet, dad. Maybe if we just wander around a little, and see what comes up?"
 
 "That suits me," Joe agreed. "What say, fellas?"
 
 Chip and Tony nodded, grinning, and it was obvious that anything that kept them at the resort would be welcomed by the two boys.
 
 The elder Dane seemed pleased. "Okay, sounds good to me. And then, on Monday, I can get back to poking my nose into a few things, and you boys can go back to the library for me, okay?"
 
 It was agreed, and the rest of the meal seemed more upbeat to all of them.
 
 They all went out after dinner, and strolled on the beach, and investigated a few of the nighttime thrills. By the time they returned to the hotel at the end of the evening, the boys were dragging a little, and even Mr. Dane looked tired.
 
 "Get a good night's sleep, boys," the detective commanded, as he shut the door to his room. "Tomorrow is our day to howl!"
 
 The boys laughed and nodded. Frank quietly locked the door between rooms, and the four boys returned to Joe's room and closed the door so that they could hang out a bit before bed.
 
 Sleep was not on their minds just then, anyway.

To be continued...

Posted: 03/15/19