It's a Sin to Kill Read Online Free PDF Page A

bait.”
    â€œYou can use mine.”
    â€œHow many in the party?”
    â€œFour.”
    â€œHow much is the charter?”
    â€œFifty dollars.”
    â€œWhat they want t’ fish for?”
    Ames said, “It’s their first trip out. I figured on taking them out to the grouper banks and maybe tying into a tarpon or two on the way back. There are still a few rolling in Bunce’s Pass.”
    Shep turned his head and spat tobacco juice over the varnished transom of the
Falcon
. “What you want t’ git shet of ‘em for?”
    Mary Lou compressed her lips. “We’ve something else we have to do.”
    Shep lowered his feet to the deck and pushed his cap back on his head. “Okay. I’ll take ‘em. Thanks.”
    Ames started on up the stringer and turned back. “Look, Shep.”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œAbout last night. Did you see me come in with my bait?”
    â€œI heard you.”
    â€œDid you see the Camden woman walk past on her way to the
Sally
. Did you see me walk back with her?”
    â€œThat big blonde that owns the
Sea Bird?
”
    â€œThat’s the one.”
    The charter captain shook his head. “No. I can’t say I did. I heard someone say something about her up at Harry’s this morning, but I turned in early last night.”
    Mary Lou looked at the man in the boat. “If you did see Charlie with her, you wouldn’t tell on him, would you, Shep?”
    â€œNo,” Shep admitted.
    Ames guided Mary Lou up the stringer. “I wasn’t with her.”
    â€œThen how did you get in the cabin of the
Sea Bird?
”
    Ames’s head began to ache again. “I don’t know.”
    He looked up the basin to where the
Sea Bird
was berthed. There were two men on the Camden pier and one in the cockpit of the boat.
    Mary Lou shielded her eyes with her hand. “I don’t know the two men on the pier, but the man in the cockpit looks like Sheriff White.”
    Ames’s sensation of motion returned. He felt like he was running. A drop of sweat escaped the pit of his arm and zig-zagged down his side. It was an effort for him to breathe normally.
    â€œWhere are we going?” he asked.
    â€œYou’ll see,” Mary Lou said.
    Harry’s Bar was crowded with its usual early morning rush of charter boat captains and commercial fishermen. Fat Ben Sheldon, the ship chandler, was bellied to the bar. He glanced up as Ames and Mary Lou entered, then closely studied his shot glass. A few of the men nodded but none of them spoke. The loud babble of conversation lowered, then died away completely.
    Mary Lou led the way to the back booth that served as an office to half of the captains operating out of the basin, because there was a phone in the booth.
    Ames sank, panting, on the worn leather. “I thought we were going to try to locate Mrs. Camden.”
    Mary Lou thumbed through the dog-eared phone book on the table. “We are.” She found the number she wanted and dialed it.
    â€œThe Helene Camden residence,” a man’s voice answered the phone.
    Ames recognized the voice. It was the gray-haired man he’d seen in the kitchen, the one who had said his name was Phillips and that he was Mrs. Camden’s butler.
    Mary Lou said, “May I speak to Mrs. Camden, please? It’s very important.”
    â€œI’m so sorry,” Phillips said. “But that will be impossible. We’ve had some trouble here.”
    â€œWhat kind of trouble?”
    â€œMrs. Camden has disappeared.”
    â€œDisappeared?”
    â€œYes. From her cruiser, the
Sea Bird
. The police are here now.”
    Mary Lou looked across the table at Ames. “I — see.” Her voice was suddenly small. “Well, could you tell me this. Was Mrs. Camden in the habit of carrying large sums of money?”
    â€œHabitually,” Phillips said. He asked tardily, “To whom am I speaking,