1932. Natalia is 16 and a bootlegger's daughter, playing the mermaid mascot on a rundown paddlewheel used to entertain brewers and distributors.
A sequined costume hides her scarred and misshaped legs, but it can't cover up the painful memories and suspicions that haunt her. An eccentric healer, who treats patients with Old Country tonics, tries to patch wounds, but only adds to the heartache. A fierce storm threatens to destroy everything, including a stash of stolen jewels.
1941. Prohibition is over, but the same henchmen still run the show. Nattie's new mermaid act is more revealing, with more at risk. When the dry-docked paddlewheel is bought by the US Navy for training exercises, the pressure escalates further. Can Nattie entice a cocky US Navy officer to help her gain access to the ship for one last chance to confront her past, settle scores, and retrieve the hidden loot? Is there a new course ahead?
Excerpt
“We lived in an apartment above the Wiśniewski family,” said Szymon, taking a step closer and squaring his shoulders. “Before all this silliness. When Natalia was a little girl. My sister and I took care of her when her father was out on his tug and her mama performed on stage. We took Natalia to sell newspapers with us.”
“She rode in a red wagon. She brought us luck. We sold more papers when she was with us,” added Anka.
“Well, that’s nice,” said Margret. “You knew Mrs. Wiśniewski?”
“Of course. Natalia’s mother was famous, a performer, Queen of the Opera House. She wasn’t home much.”
Margret smirked. “And was she as evil as I’ve heard? Beautiful, but conniving?” Marget sounded eager to get the dirt on Nattie’s mother. “She was caught with one of the brewery boys, caused a shakeup in the organization? Right?”
“We don’t know anything about her except she liked to entertain, and she wasn’t much of the mothering type. That’s all. It wasn’t Natalia’s fault, though,” Anka said emphatically. “She limped a little, maybe. Maybe she was small for her age, and her legs were wobbly. She had braces that were supposed to help, but someone had to put them on. Szymon did it most days, didn’t you, Szymon?”
“Until the braces disappeared,” Szymon interjected. “Maybe we better go, Anka. I don’t know if Natalia wants to be reminded of those days.”
“Oh, don’t go,” said Nattie, pulling herself up from the muck, pretending to be fine. Just fine. Really fine. Fine. A-okay. “I want you to see my performance. Everyone loves the show. They clap and whistle and hoot, cheering for the mermaid to be rescued. Then, after that, I’ll show you around the Lake Maiden. We have secret passageways just for the crew. They’re fun to sneak through.”
She winked and leaned over to them, pretending to share a ship secret. “And there are hidey-holes where we stash away the whiskey. It’s so fun for spying on passengers. You see such naughty things!”
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