Gray Ghost (The Bill Dix Detective Series Book 1) Read Online Free

lots of cocaine in it.”
    “ Really? Who told you that?” “Just word on da street.”
    “ But do you think it’s true?” Dix was now excited. If the boat held cocaine, a great deal of what he’d observed since he arrived made more sense.
    Bubba looked away. Dix had interrogated some great criminal minds in his career. He was excellent at extracting information. Bubba’s reaction indicated he had more to say. “Look, let’s just catch some fish. If you want to talk, I’m all ears.”
    Petersen shot his partner a quick glance and shrugged.
    Bubba didn’t reply. He fired up the engine, and they headed for the next fishing flat, followed by Wilfred and Petersen.
    For the next four hours, the boats stayed relatively close to one another, so Dix and Petersen could watch as they each hooked and fought a fish. Dix would have preferred to be in a single boat. However, casting in fly fishing required ample room behind the fisherman. Most people fished the flats with a guide and single fisherman on each boat to avoid hooking themselves while casting.
    At one point, Dix stopped to admire Petersen’s effortless and majestic casting stroke. He’d stopped fishing completely and watched Petersen with great interest. A few minutes later, Petersen and Wilfred grew very still. Dix wondered what was going on when he noticed Wilfred pointing at the water. Ah hah.
    A few seconds later, Petersen set the hook and a wily bonefish ripped off the flat, looking for salvation in deeper waters. Man, this is gonna be the best vacation ever , he thought.
    * * * *
    Wilfred jumped down from the poling platform, located at the rear of the boat above the engine and secured the push pole in the railing mount to move to another flat. Petersen noticed the Coast Guard circus had cleared. Wilfred fired up the four-stroke Yamaha engine and headed directly to where the boats and the helicopter had been. Wilfred had a gut feeling Gray Ghost would be far south of where the Coast Guard had looked.
    As a long time fishing guide and resident of the island, Wilfred knew the water very well. He was obligated to take his client to the best spot to catch fish, but he was also interested in the sunken boat. Knowing the local sip-sip often held elements of the truth, he pointed to the right. “We’ll start right over there. That’s where they think Sean and Preston’s bodies came from, based on the currents in the area. I don’t really want to go where my friends were murdered, but I also wish to pay my last respects. Besides, it’s a good place to catch fish.”
    “ Given the time, wind patterns, and ocean currents, it seems highly unlikely there’s anything remaining from the incident.” Petersen stared ahead.
    “ Light things, like clothes and life vests, would be gone. But the boat would remain if it’s in shallow water, especially a thirty-seven-foot speedboat loaded with 1,250 kilos of cocaine.” Wilfred looked at Petersen for a reaction. He got none.
    Petersen cautiously eyed Wilfred. Large amounts of narcotics didn’t impress him, he’d seen his share. However, he began to wonder just how much these guides knew about what had happened to their friends. Wilfred had told him an exact weight of cocaine suspected to be in the speedboat. Was this the sip-sip Wilfred had mentioned? Wait. I’m supposed to be on vacation.
    “ How do you know?” His training took over.
    “ It’s too much weight and the current is slow here. The boat and the cocaine will be intact.”
    “ No, how do you know there are 1250 kilos in the boat?”
    Wilfred chuckled. “It’s what I heard.” Petersen remained cautious.
    The guide gave the engine full throttle and the boat planed and took off.
    Ten minutes later, Wilfred cut the power to the engine. He had been quiet for the entire ride. Wilfred retrieved his push-pole and climbed up to the guide platform. Slowly, he pushed the boat along the grass-covered flat. The water was clear and appeared to be about three