About Junker 2

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Junker Fakeman, Manitoulin Island’s Grand Master of Adventure and Auxiliary Detec- tive Inspector, lead investigator of , Island Auxiliary Criminal Crime Unit, (IACU) which is overseen by Police Chief Inspector, Dalia Cromfetter. The Legend of Junker Fakeman begins on the shores of Barrie Island, a causeway drive from Manitoulin when he was found floating in a tiny wee coracle, grounded among the reeds, by Eddy Fakeman, who was out fishing for supper for him and his wife Edna. He took both fish and foundling home and the couple adopted the infant and named him Junker, after Eddy’s old, very old, pick up truck. Eddy and Edna lived in an ancient but well kept log cabin, built by Eddy’s Great Grand Father in the last quarter of the 19th century. They lived in a remote clearing north of the end of the 20th Side Road. It was accessible only by a rough path created by the old pick up truck. They owned a spread of one hundred acres, mostly wooded with maple and birch, from which they extracted syrup to sell at markets across the island. They maintained a pioneer life style as far as utilities were concerned and Junker was raised to hunt and fish and garden and of course to learn about making maple and birch syrup. When he got old enough Junker’s job was to keep the supply of fire wood up, all by hand with cutting and split- ting axes, which gave him his enormously power- ful and athletic body. Junker was given the best home schooling money could buy with tutors coming in daily and each having their own class. Being very clever Junker managed the grade school classes easily and was ready for high school by the age of twelve. He was then bused to school each week day on Manitoulin Island. He went to college a few years later to study law enforcement and security.

In time, with his adopted parents growing old, Junker took over running the family business and little by little updat- ed the cabin, adding on an addition, getting in hydro using a windmill and solar panels to charge the batteries. He also added indoor plumbing, which made life a lot easier for his aging guardians. But as it happens to all children time takes those who raised them and Junker was no exception. Both Eddy and Edna passed within weeks of each other. Junker buried them in the place they loved most, side by side and there ever after looked after their final resting places. He promised to keep the family business up as long as he lived. Some years later he adopted a wayward boy that he renamed, Clunker Fakeman, after the old truck he was named after, which looked like a clunker but ran like a top. Junker loved his life tucked away in the backwoods of Barrie Island but, other than cutting and splitting wood his work to keep up the family business only kept him busy during the syrup cooking season. He was twenty when he discovered his love of adventure and that he had something very special about him which will be revealed in due time.

Manitoulin Island is full of wonders, magic and uncanny things that can only be described as phantasmagoric, things that escape the eye and imagination of most, but Junker Fakeman has a perception of things that some might call phenomenal if not super-natural. It is this same special quality that inspired the island’s officials to create an Auxiliary Criminal Investigation Branch to be implemented when our regular law enforcers are too busy elsewhere in their protective mandate. His unit is Managed by a regular Chief Inspector. When off on adventures or exploring AUXILIARY AUXILIARY the magical places on the island Jun- DETECTIVE SERGEANT DETECTIVE CONSTABLE ker ventures out on his own. When Auxiliary Detective Junker R.C. CRANE HANK HAWBERRY Fakeman is called upon to investigate a crime he is assisted by Auxiliary Detective Sergeant R.C. Crane and Auxiliary Detective Constable Hank Hawberry, who also work at the Barrie Island farm http:// www.barrieislandstoryteller.com