Chapter 30: Amazing, Simply Amazing

"As I understand it," David began. "Wendy bought it from the Feds, the day it was confiscated..."

"When was this?" asked Davis.

"Lessee, she's 35... 2001 minus 35 is 1966, 1966 plus 12 is 1978. 1978. She bought it in 1978."

The good Professor, trying to get things straight, said, "She bought a fifty foot sailboat in 1978 when she was 12. That seems rather ... odd."

"According to what her mother said, Wendy One, her mother, paid for it with funds from Wendy Two's educational trust fund. You don't know her mom ... be thankful."

"Educational Trust ... hmmm. The boat must have cost an easy half million. That's a hefty trust.

"Actually, they thought they were buying a one year old 39 foot Beneteau."

"Perhaps I should be taking notes ... thirty nine, you did say 39?" questioned the good professor.

"Yes ... Wendy one, Mom, bid 67 thousand. Evidently, what the Marshals were looking for was recovered from another location and they were pleased to get so much from a boat they'd trashed."

"Beneteau, 39 feet, trashed, 67 thousand." Davis was taking notes. "Didn't anyone notice the boat was too long?"

"Yes ... Our Wendy did, but who listens to a twelve year old?"

"12? You did say 12?" Another scribble in the notebook.

"Her mom pulled a fast one. The government issued sale receipt was made out to Wendolyn Elizabeth Austin ... our Wendy. Her mom is Wendy Wanzor Austin. Wendy owned a boat when she was 12."

Davis referred to his notes, "You said trashed ... trashed as in... ?"

"Papers and tools, bedding, even the drawers were pulled out and dumped, clothing pulled from wardrobes ... and the boat was sinking."

"Oh, my." Davis raised his eyebrows.

"Mom Wendy found a wad of paper in the bilge pump. She cleared it, the pump drained the water. Evidently, the water was from several severe storms. The hull was not breached.

"Wendy, our Wendy ... put everything that was scattered about back where it belonged ... while she was cleaning, she found the original title. The boat was titled as 41 feet, taxes paid on three hundred thousand. She mentioned it to mom Wendy.

"Wendy One called the Feds, U.S. Deputy Marshals, I think, and tried to give the boat back. They were rather rude about it ... Something about money paid and receipts given. The boat and CONTENTS were sold and that was that. Wendy, our Wendy ... got curious and measured the boat... 49 feet 9 inches. They got 10 extra feet. A half million dollar boat.

"In the general cleaning process, Wendy found an open safe built into the bulkhead behind the companionway ladder. There were 26 million dollars, at face value, worth of old bills behind a little wall of drawers that were full of gemstones ... in the safe that the Feds missed and it was open."

"Gemstones?" Davis was 'flabbergasted.' "What kind? What value?"

"You name it ... it was there, worth millions.

"Mother and daughter sailed that night. Some thought they had joined the Chicago to Milwaukee race. They didn't return to Chicago. They were gone all summer while Wendy learned to sail very well.

Three days before Wendy had to start school, they sailed up the channel at Pentwater, put the boat in storage at Charlie's Marina and she started eighth grade in East Lansing ... you do know she's a Michigander?"

"No ... I didn't, she acts so ... western...

"Where did she get this wonderful old Mercury?"

"In Wyoming."

"How about the Ford?"

"Oklahoma. Which reminds me ... when are you going to be available so Wendy and I can be gone a couple of days?"

"I plan on being here, on site, the entire month of July. There are some VIP volunteers coming and I need to be here to 'wine and dine' and listen to them whine and cry."

"Good ... we need to pick up three old cars we found in Texas. A split window bus and two oval window vee-dubs."

Davis goggled ... his favorite car had been an Oval Window Volkswagen.

Davis cocked an ear, the 25 made a single pass and landed. Wendy is a wonderful pilot. The fuel truck made it's appearance, but Wendy said no. She didn't want the extra weight on the outboard wings. The plane was post flighted, Wendy crawled around in the port nacelle. She made some notes about an oil leak and passed the information on to the A&P at the shack.

"You might have to take her to Arizona to get this fixed," he told her. "They have the parts."

"I'm in no great big hurry. Order the tubing."

"You'll be plane-less for a while."

"The family is coming, they'll be leaving me 'The Illusion.' She's big enough to take the crew to the Smith on a field trip. Doc? Did you read about a major find in France?"

Doctor Davis nodded his head.