“I think I can help,” Norman offered. “I can get alongside him and slow him down.”
Hannah glanced at Norman, surprised by his offer. “Do you really think you can?” she asked.
“Yes. I used to practice a move like that when I was racing. It’s called sidedrafting. You match the other driver’s speed and move up next to him, match speeds, then slow so your teammate can slingshot by them. It’s not that easy, but I know how to do it.”
“In a boat?” Lonnie asked.
“Why not?” Mike asked him.
Norman gave a little shrug. “It can’t hurt to try.”
Mike glanced at Lonnie and he nodded. “It’s worth a try,” Lonnie told him. “Can you get into Norman’s boat now, Mike?”
“Sure,” Mike said. “Just pull up beside him and I’ll switch boats.”
“What do you want me to do?” Lonnie asked him.
“Just get close enough and I’ll jump over.”
Hannah watched as Lonnie pulled up beside them and Mike stood up. Hannah grabbed on to the side of Mike’s boat and Mike jumped in.
“Nice,” she said, admiring his balance.
“Thanks. I’ve been doing some balance practice at the station gym. We have one treadmill that bumps and tilts when you’re walking on it. At first I had to hold on to the side rails, but after a week or so, I could stay on without any hand-holds.”
“I bet you never thought learning how to do that would come in handy,” Norman said, driving his boat forward.
“You’re right, I didn’t,” Mike admitted. “I just wanted to see if I could learn to do it without falling down.”
“That’s the same way I felt when I was a kid and I finally learned to ice-skate,” Hannah said.
Mike held his binoculars up to his eyes as they drew closer to the runaway boat. “He’s still in exactly the same position. You were right, Norman. Something’s wrong and I think that’s Sonny!”
Hannah opened her mouth to say something about Sonny’s drinking the previous evening, but she quickly shut it again. Mike knew about it. He’d been there. Besides, this could be something completely different and she had to give Sonny the benefit of the doubt. “I thought Joey was going out in the boat with him,” she said.
“So did I,” Norman agreed.
“Maybe he ditched Joey somewhere,” Mike suggested. “I talked to a couple of the other contestants, and they mentioned that Sonny didn’t seem to like Joey very much.”
“That’s the impression Andrea got, too,” Hannah told him. “She said he wasn’t very nice to Joey on the show.”
“Andrea watches a fishing show?” Mike sounded surprised.
“Yes. Bill wants to watch, and Andrea told me it was something they could do together.”
Mike thought that over for a second or two, and then he smiled. “That’s nice. Hannah, were you up when Sonny left to go out on the lake this morning?”
“Yes, but I didn’t see them leave, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That’s exactly what I was asking, because it looks like Sonny’s alone now.”
Hannah felt a chill. She hoped Joey was all right. He seemed like a very nice, polite person. Wally certainly seemed to like him, and she idly wondered why Sonny didn’t get along with him.
“Here we are,” Norman said. “Are you ready, Mike?”
“I’m ready,” Mike said, patting his pocket.
“Be careful,” Hannah warned, and then she wished she hadn’t. It had looked to her as if Mike was checking to make sure his service revolver was still on his hip.
“Just tell me when you’re in the best position,” Mike said to Norman. “And Hannah?”
“Here we go!” Mike said, jumping to Sonny’s boat. “I’m okay! You can let go now, Hannah. Drop back a little, Norman, I’m going to shut her down.”
Norman cut his speed and got behind Sonny’s boat. Both of them watched as Mike moved between the seats and reached Sonny, who was still slumped over the wheel in exactly the same position.
Neither Hannah nor Norman said a word as they watched Mike leaning over Sonny. Both men seemed frozen in their positions for a moment, and then Mike cut the motor on Sonny’s fishing boat.
Norman reacted immediately, cutting his motor so that they were floating behind Sonny’s boat. They waited for what seemed like an eternity before Mike straightened up and reached for his phone.
“Your phone, Hannah,” Norman said as Hannah’s cell phone began to ring.
Hannah answered quickly. “Yes Mike. Is everything okay?” “No. Listen carefully, Hannah. I need you and Norman to go back to the Inn and get Doc.”
“Okay. Do you want us to bring him back out here?”
“No, Doc knows Eden Lake. Just find him and tell him I’m out here at the lily garden. And if Doc’s got a patient, you can tell him that there’s no need to hurry.”
Hannah winced. “Does that mean that Sonny is . . . ” She stopped speaking and swallowed hard, reluctant to voice that final word.
“Yes. You can tell Doc I’m calling the crime scene boys and I’d like him to get out to establish the time of death before they arrive.”
Hanna took a deep breath. “Is there anything else you want Norman and I to do?”
“Yes, after you send Doc out here, try to find Joey. And if you find him, keep an eye on him.”
Hannah gave a little nod even though she knew that Mike couldn’t see her. “Then Sonny was . . . murdered?”
“Sure looks like it to me, but don’t mention that to anyone else.”
“How about Dick and Sally? Can I tell them that Sonny was murdered?”
There was silence for a moment and then Hannah heard Mike sigh. “You can tell them that Sonny‘s dead, but warn them not to tell anyone else until I get back to the Inn. You got that?”
“I got it,” Hannah promised. “Is there anything else you need us to do?”
“Not really, but if you run into Joey, keep an eye on him. Stick to him like glue and don’t let him wash his hands or take a shower.”
“Does that mean that Sonny didn’t die of natural causes?”
“Not unless those Caramel Pecan Rolls Mr. Bowman was eating were poisoned.”
“Of course they weren’t! I made them myself.”
Mike laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You ask too many questions, Hannah. Just don’t mention this to anyone except Dick and Sally. I’ll tell you more about it when the crime scene boys are finished out here and I get back to the Inn.”
Mike disconnected the call and Hannah turned to Norman. “Mike wants us to go back to the Inn and find Doc.”
“Is that all he told you?”
“That’s all he said, but he called Sonny Mr. Bowman.”
“And what does that mean?”
“Mike always uses the formal term of address when he refers to homicide victims.”
“Got it,” Norman said, starting his motor and heading back toward the Inn.
They rode for several minutes and then Norman turned to Hannah. “I almost asked Mike if he needed me to come back to keep him company.”
“He would have told you no,” Hannah replied, leaning close so that Norman could hear her over the sound of the motor.