Page 28 of Killer Honeymoon
“Glad to see we’re on the same page,” Tom told him.
He continued talking about the Park Hotel’s history, legend, and lore before they continued walking. They visited T&J’s Smokehouse, where it’s believed the ghost of T. B. Alexander lingers in the historic barroom.
“Alexander was a famous actor who moved to the island. He married the granddaughter of abolitionist John Brown and later became mayor.”
“Why haunt here?” a guy in the group asked.
“They serve the strongest drinks,” Tom teased and quickly changed the subject as they moved on.
Royce leaned into Sawyer and said, “Tom either doesn’t have a clue, or the details are too salacious for our younger group members.”
They learned about Benny, who haunted the Put-in-Bay Brewery and Distillery, and Annabelle Mavis, whose ghost roamed the cliffs looking for the locket her beloved soldier had given to her before going off to war.
“It’s rumored Annabelle never found her locket, and her soldier never returned home,” Tom said. “My grandmother swears up and down she’s seen Annabelle’s ghost wandering the rocks with her lantern.”
“Have you seen any of these ghosts?” a little boy asked.
“Pretty sure I’ve had a run-in with T. B. Alexander at the Smokehouse, but then again, they do make strong drinks.” His response earned laughter from the adults and wide-eyed glances among the kids.
Evan and Clint behaved for the most part. On occasion, they’d try to startle Jen or Chrissy, but they did it quietly and stayed away from the children and especially the adults they’d already aggravated. Clint and Jen disappeared out of sight from the group at one point. A few minutes later, soft giggles floated on the breeze. Evan looked amused while Chrissy looked annoyed. Sawyer wasn’t sure if she was upset because Evan hadn’t whisked her away for a make-out session or if she was bored to death with the ghost tour. Either way, Evan was utterly oblivious to her misery.
Tom did a quick count of heads and noted who was missing. Sawyer could see the battle waging in the man’s eyes. Did he leave the stragglers behind? What excuse would he give for lingering around after giving his spiel? Luckily, Clint and Jen returned quickly, making the debate moot.
“Poor Jen,” Royce whispered in Sawyer’s ear.
Sawyer turned to meet his gaze and noticed the glee there. “Why poor Jen?”
“Her hair was hardly messed up. What kind of kiss could it have been?”
Sawyer nodded. “I think these jerks are more concerned about causing trouble than taking care of their ladies.”
They continued down the sidewalk, content to stay behind the group. Sawyer could hear that Tom was addressing the group but couldn’t make out what he was saying.
“Why do you think they stay?” Sawyer asked. “What could Jen and Chrissy possibly see in Clint and Evan?”
“Low self-esteem, maybe? Daddy issues? Regardless, it’s a shame.”
Once the night sky darkened some more, Sawyer took advantage of the distracted group and tugged Royce behind the thick base of an ancient oak tree. He pressed his husband against the bark and kissed him with dizzying intensity. He slid his hand in Royce’s hair, carding his fingers through the silky strands as he licked into Royce’s mouth, teasing his tongue before sucking on it.
Sawyer pulled back and stared into his husband’s dazed eyes. “Now that’s a kiss.”
“Hell yeah, it is.”
They rejoined the group as discreetly as possible, but Evan’s faux gagging made it clear he’d noticed they’d disappeared. Their next stop was the South Bass Island Lighthouse, where Tom took his time repeating the lore Sawyer had heard more times than he could remember.
“The lighthouse lantern was lit for the very first time in 1897 by the keeper, Harry H. Riley.” Tom wove the tale about Riley hiring a caretaker by the name of Samuel Anderson a year later. “Anderson, who lived in the lighthouse basement, was an eccentric man who collected snakes he found on the island.” The declaration received mixed reactions—some were terrified, some thought it was awesome, and Sawyer wanted to call out “allegedly.”
“Just go with it, baby,” Royce whispered in his ear. It always charmed Sawyer when Royce read his mind.
Sawyer sighed. “Fine.”
“Smallpox broke out in the surrounding area in 1898, which put the island under quarantine. It’s believed that Anderson became paranoid about the growing epidemic. After only twenty-two days on the island, the keeper found Anderson’s body after he apparently fell off the rocky cliffs near the lighthouse. Did he jump, or was he murdered?” Tom asked. “The truth is, no one knows.”
“What happened to the keeper?” a young girl asked.
“Sadly, he was found wandering around the streets of Sandusky. He was mumbling incoherently and was declared insane. He was committed to an asylum in Toledo. Some say the keeper went insane after finding Anderson’s body, and others say his guilt over killing the man drove him to madness.”
As they stood looking up at the towering lighthouse, the only sound was the wind blowing in off the bay. Sawyer noted the breeze was chillier and stronger than before, and he wondered if they were in for nasty weather. He loved to watch a thunderstorm moving over Lake Erie.