Esopus Creek Stash - Cover

Esopus Creek Stash

Copyright© 2015 by maypop

Chapter 3

Milo found a KOA campground in Lakewood, Ohio to spend some time. He planned to spend some time fishing. He looked in the paper and found ads for the first four-day fishing trips of the fishing season. There were two companies running the ads. Both ran out of Lakewood.

He went to the harbor and drove to a boat tied up to the dock. He asked a bushy red-headed middle-aged man about six feet eight inches tall standing at the back of the fishing boat with a red-haired woman of the same age, "Do you book four-day fishing trips on Lake Erie?"

"Mister, if you want a fishing trip, you will have to book it with our competitor: Lake Tours. He has two boats and seems to have all the luck lately!" the man said in a deep Irish accent.

"How so?" Milo asked.

"Last night someone cut my mooring lines. Then the boat drifted away from the dock. I had to swim out and get it. I had my wife with me. I threw her the lines and she was able to tie the lines to the dock cleats. We got it tied back up about an hour ago but they also broke the Anti-Rolling Gyro. That is just a string of things that have happened in the last month. I have a four-day tour that is supposed to go out tomorrow. Now that looks like that goes out the window. It was going to be a big one that would pay a lot of my bills." The man answered sadly.

"All sabotage, I take it?" Milo asked.

"Yes, the same thing that happened last week. My Fish Finder got smashed then. I know it is the work of Joe Dunlop. They came in here with those two new boats a month ago from out of nowhere. That is when the sabotage started. I know he is responsible for all of it, but I can't catch him. If I don't get money coming in soon I will lose my boat to the bank for the $400,000.00 I owe them.

I called my insurance people about two hours ago. From the way he talked, I know they are starting to get antsy. "He will be here this morning." the man answered.

"My name is Milo Harvin. I am pleased to meet you." Milo said extending his hand.

"Pierce Brosnan, but I'm not related, and this is my wife, Susan." Sonny said, laughing at Milo's uplifted eyebrow.

"You don't look like him either," Milo laughed.

"What do you do?" Pierce asked, too upset to comment.

Not wanting to reveal his wealth, Milo decided for a moment on how to make his approach. "I deal in wireless surveillance cameras. How many crew members do you have?" Milo asked, looking up on the boat.

"Twenty total, four engineers and sixteen that help the fishermen catch fish." Pierce answered.

I would like to set the cameras up on your boat where only you and I would know where they are." Milo said.

"That sounds great. Let's do it!" Pierce said excitedly.

"Humor me and send your entire crew home as a day of relaxation." Milo said.

"We got back in from a day trip yesterday. They are not here today, but they will be tomorrow. I hired six new men this month. I usually have to hire several new ones at the beginning of the season. So, you think one of them might be behind this?" Pierce asked.

"I don't know for sure but someone must be giving your competitor information on your activities. If any of them show up, send them away before the adjuster gets here and I get back. I will go get my cameras and talk to the adjuster about them." Milo answered.

"I called the insurance man. He will be here in half an hour. Get your stuff." Pierce said.

Milo hopped back into his Jeep and headed back to his motorhome to get his cameras. His motorhome was only five miles from the dock. When he arrived back at the boat there was a car there. Pierce met Milo with a well dressed man in a black suit as he walked up the gangplank.

"This is Cannon Feingold, Milo. I told him about what you wanted to do and he wants to know more." Pierce said.

"Mr. Feingold, my name is Milo Harvin. I can place cameras that no one will detect and that will be sensitive to movement. They will zoom in to catch what is going on. Follow me. I have five of them in my Jeep and I will bet you a hundred dollars you will never find one of them." Milo said, walking back down the gangplank to his Jeep.

He stood while they both looked for the cameras. When they both gave up, he pointed at the ball at the top of the black antenna and inside of both headlights and back- up lights. He then took his laptop and let them see themselves looking for the cameras.

"I am impressed. I never believed anything could be so hidden." Cannon said scratching his head.

"Man, look at me looking right at that one on the antenna and not even seeing it!" exclaimed Pierce.

"You both notice that you can even see the color of both of your eyes. Mr. Feingold, it even picks up the cross on your tie clasp." Milo said moving the video screen around to each highlight zooming in and out with his fingers driving home his point of sale. He zoomed in on the cross on his tie clasp. "See, they are so clear you can even see the Lord's Prayer written in the cross on your tie clasp," said Milo.

"That is the most impressive set of camera work I have ever seen. Milo, put as many as you need on board the boat to find out who is doing this and I don't care what it cost. If it works this well to catch the ones sabotaging this man's boat, you will have a contract for life with my company!" Cannon exclaimed.

"I will get right on it, Mr. Feingold. Just try to get this man ready for that fishing trip tomorrow. I am looking forward to four days of fishing." Milo said.

"I will have someone out before the day is gone. Just call me 'Cannon'. Is it okay to call you 'Milo'?" Cannon asked.

"Yes, by all means; call me Milo," Milo said as he began to prepare the tiny cameras to be placed.

Pierce was beside himself. He could not believe his day was going so well. He would not have given a plug nickel at his chances an hour ago. Now, not only was he going to get his boat fixed in time for the fishing trip, he was going to finally find out who was behind the sabotages.

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