Fourth Lake, Chapter 13

On Monday morning, August 5. 1974, Judy sat alone on their deck looking out over Fourth Lake.  Phil had driven into Inlet to put gas in their car.  He had sheepishly promised her that he would stay clear of the grocery store.     

During breakfast, Judy had heard the following report on the radio:  After attending a meeting of the Senate Rules Committee discussing rules for an impeachment trial, Senator Robert Griffin, the number two Republican in the Senate, issued a statement to the media, which read in part, “I think we’ve arrived at a point where both the national interest and his (President Nixon’s) own interest would best be served by resigning.  It’s not just his enemies who feel that way.  Many of his friends, and I count myself one of them, believe now that this would be the most appropriate course.”

Judy was wearing one of her brightly-colored bikinis to show off her body and a sun visor to protect her face.  She was starring intently at Dollar Island as if she was waiting for some type of an answer from it.  Suddenly, Joe Williams was standing beside her.

“Good morning, Judy.  How are you?”

“Oh!  Good morning, Joe.  I’m fine.”

“What are you looking at with such intensity?”

“Dollar Island.  I’m so fascinated with it.  It’s so mysterious.  The privacy it must offer intrigues me.  It must be wonderful for the owners to spend time there.  Do you know them?”

“I know who they are, but I’ve never met them.  I’ve never been too curious about the place.”

“Wouldn’t you like to go there, say with your girlfriend, and have all that privacy?  How romantic?”

“That depends on the girlfriend.  I wouldn’t take just any woman.  It would have to be the right one.”

After that last remark, Judy studied the expression on Joe’s face to see if he meant what she thought he meant.  Finally, she said, “If you wanted to go there, with the right woman, how would you go about it?”

“First, I’d rent a canoe for a couple of days.  Then, I’d pack everything I wanted to take with me.  Finally, late one night, after this town fell asleep, I’d shove off to Dollar Island for an experience of a lifetime.  You’d have the whole place to yourselves.  I’m sure there would be no problem getting into the mansion.  If you need any more advice, knock on my door.  Anything you need, I can make it happen.  See you later, Judy.”

Joe walked away from her with that big smile on his face.  Judy was not quite sure about what he really meant. 

After a lunch of baked beans and potato salad with cold beer, Judy and Phil saw a report on television in which General Haig read a statement to waiting reporters that was written by President Nixon regarding the transcript of the tape of June 23, 1972:  “This was a serious act of omission (transcript was at variance with earlier statements) for which I take full responsibility and which I deeply regret.  I recognize that this additional material I am now furnishing may further damage my case, especially because attention will be drawn separately to it rather than to the evidence in its entirety.  Whatever mistakes I made in the handling of Watergate, the basic truth remains that when all the facts were brought to my attention, I insisted on a full investigation and prosecution of those guilty.  I am firmly convinced that the record, in its entirety, does not justify the extreme step of impeachment and removal of a president.  I trust that as the Constitutional process goes forward, this perspective will prevail.” 

Was this the smoking gun that Nixon’s critics were looking for?  Judy and Phil weren’t sure.  But the statement by the president was shocking.    

While Judy was cleaning up after lunch, she again remembered the man that she twice thought she saw.  It was driving her crazy.  But, now she had more important things to do.

“Phil, I want to rent a canoe for the rest of the week.  We can go out on the lake whenever we want.  We can get it today and tie it up by the dock.  It’ll be fun.  Don’t say no.”

He didn’t.  The canoe with paddles and life jackets was delivered before dinner.  Judy and Phil placed the canoe in the lake right next to their deck and tied it up.  Judy was very excited.  Phil, less so.  He was getting anxious for their trip to Fourth Lake to finally end so they could head back to New York City and resume their normal life.  On the other hand, Judy was not ready to leave Fourth Lake just yet.  She started planning in her head for their voyage to Dollar Island.