bait.â
âYou can use mine.â
âHow many in the party?â
âFour.â
âHow much is the charter?â
âFifty dollars.â
âWhat they want tâ fish for?â
Ames said, âItâs 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 Bunceâs Pass.â
Shep turned his head and spat tobacco juice over the varnished transom of the
Falcon
. âWhat you want tâ git shet of âem for?â
Mary Lou compressed her lips. âWeâve something else we have to do.â
Shep lowered his feet to the deck and pushed his cap back on his head. âOkay. Iâll take âem. Thanks.â
Ames started on up the stringer and turned back. âLook, Shep.â
âYeah?â
âAbout last night. Did you see me come in with my bait?â
âI heard you.â
âDid you see the Camden woman walk past on her way to the
Sally
. Did you see me walk back with her?â
âThat big blonde that owns the
Sea Bird?
â
âThatâs the one.â
The charter captain shook his head. âNo. I canât say I did. I heard someone say something about her up at Harryâs this morning, but I turned in early last night.â
Mary Lou looked at the man in the boat. âIf you did see Charlie with her, you wouldnât tell on him, would you, Shep?â
âNo,â Shep admitted.
Ames guided Mary Lou up the stringer. âI wasnât with her.â
âThen how did you get in the cabin of the
Sea Bird?
â
Amesâs head began to ache again. âI donât know.â
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. âI donât know the two men on the pier, but the man in the cockpit looks like Sheriff White.â
Amesâs 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.
âWhere are we going?â he asked.
âYouâll see,â Mary Lou said.
Harryâs 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. âI thought we were going to try to locate Mrs. Camden.â
Mary Lou thumbed through the dog-eared phone book on the table. âWe are.â She found the number she wanted and dialed it.
âThe Helene Camden residence,â a manâs voice answered the phone.
Ames recognized the voice. It was the gray-haired man heâd seen in the kitchen, the one who had said his name was Phillips and that he was Mrs. Camdenâs butler.
Mary Lou said, âMay I speak to Mrs. Camden, please? Itâs very important.â
âIâm so sorry,â Phillips said. âBut that will be impossible. Weâve had some trouble here.â
âWhat kind of trouble?â
âMrs. Camden has disappeared.â
âDisappeared?â
âYes. From her cruiser, the
Sea Bird
. The police are here now.â
Mary Lou looked across the table at Ames. âI â see.â Her voice was suddenly small. âWell, could you tell me this. Was Mrs. Camden in the habit of carrying large sums of money?â
âHabitually,â Phillips said. He asked tardily, âTo whom am I speaking,
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