“At any rate, when the ship went down, Hagen was quick to assemble his men and get out to the wreck. His plan was to return everything to Ian Chandler and thereby win Ian’s approval to wed his daughter. And so, in the midst of horrendous weather, Hagen and his crew set out. But Hagen was a decent man. Lives had to be saved before material goods. And he knew Ian Chandler was sailing on the Wind and the Sea that night.
“Hagen was the first to reach the site—the salvage claim was his. But there was something far more important, and that was saving the life of the man he hoped was his future father-in-law. So imagine Hagen fighting the wicked battering of the wind and the tempest of white-capped seas, trying first to pluck survivors from the waves. Many had made it into the lifeboats, but those were being tossed about like volleyballs on the high seas. Bold, dashing and daring, eyewitnesses attest to the fact that Hagen dove into the churning waters himself to save his prospective father-in-law. Success was within his reach when one of his rivals, Valmont LaBruge—a man who wanted to ruin Hagen Dundee, because he also had his heart set on winning the hand of Melody Chandler and taking over her father’s empire—reached the wreck. He maneuvered his ship Mademoiselle into position close to Hagen’s Saint Elizabeth.
“Just as Hagen saved Ian Chandler, Valmont dove into the water himself, throwing both Ian and Hagen from the lifeboat Hagen’s men had maneuvered into place. To the astonishment of those watching, in the midst of the raging storm Valmont swore he’d see Hagen dead before allowing him to claim the salvage from the Wind and the Sea—or the hand of Melody Chandler. In the fighting that followed, both Ian and Hagen disappeared below the surface.
“But before he was swallowed by the black depths, Hagen shouted out a curse. He cursed Valmont LaBruge, the seed of his loins and whatever treasure he might claim. The curse may have had some effect, because Valmont didn’t make it back to shore. Despite the storm, despite the wisdom that the salvaging of goods was best left until the storm abated, Valmont was determined to find something he believed was aboard the Wind and the Sea. He forced his men to create a safety line so he could board the quickly sinking ship. The line broke, and Valmont LaBruge died that night, victim of a curse spoken by a good man, so they say. Many lives were lost that night, but many others were saved due to the courage and determination of Hagen Dundee.”
“But poor Melody!” Belinda said. “She lost her father and her lover the same night.”
Hannah nodded. “The body of Ian Chandler washed ashore on what’s now Stock Island about three days later. Crushed and disconsolate, Melody buried her father. You can find his grave in the Key West Cemetery. But Hagen was not to be found. So, night after night, Melody went to the beach to stare out at the sea. Some think she walked out into the water. I believe she saw a light out at sea and simply tried to get a closer look. At any rate, she didn’t believe Hagen had drowned. She was certain he was out there somewhere. And, in searching for him, she was drowned herself. Neither her body nor Hagen’s was ever discovered. And because they weren’t given a good Christian burial, they are said to have remained behind in spirit form, together at last for all eternity.”
“What a sad story,” Maddie said.
“Hagen’s and Melody’s spirits can sometimes be seen right here in this house. Melody often walks the widow’s walk on the roof, searching the sea for her missing lover. Hagen comes to the door seeking Melody, or he stands looking up at her window, singing to her. Local records show he often came to serenade her. Hagen and Melody were tragic lovers and, some say, are now doomed to haunt Key West until they come to peace with themselves—or the world. Anyway, everyone have their water? We’ll head on down the street, and I’ll tell you the story of the poor woman I consider Key West’s most tragic haunt, Elena de Hoyos.”
“We’ve already heard something about Elena,” Tobie said excitedly.
“And Robert the Doll,” someone else said.
Hannah said, “We’ll go by Artist House, too.” She looked across the room and caught Agent Samson watching her with a gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Fine, be a skeptic, she thought.
But, of course, he probably knew all the Key West legends, seeing as he was from here. Still, she thought, it did seem as if he’d enjoyed her rendition of this one and its connection to her house.
Hannah led her crowd down toward Simonton Street and stopped across from the Dean Lopez Funeral Home.