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

platform. Dix walked to the bow of the boat. He tied on a fly pattern that looked like a shrimp and worked out some line from his reel. His pulse accelerated, and he stared at the water hoping to see movement below the surface.
    Bubba surveyed the water above the flat. “Should be some bonefish here, mon. Dey use dey noses to rustle out crabs and shrimp. Then dey tails stick out of the water ’cause the depth’s shallow on the flats. Dis is called tailing.” Bubba scanned the water intently. Then he pointed to three tails about thirty feet away.
    He turned to Dix and whispered, “Get ready. They at twelve o’clock, moving right to left.”
    Bubba slowly and quietly pushed the flatboat closer to the feeding fish. “Okay, get the fly right in front dey noses.” Dix whipped the rod back and forth and worked out some line. He placed the fly about three feet in front of the fish and was shocked he’d done such a perfect cast on the first try.
    “ Strip the fly. Okay, stop. Now, do it again.”
    Dix moved the fly, and the lead bonefish inhaled it and took off in the opposite direction so fast Dix barely had time to react. The line pulled through the rod guides quickly as the fish tried to seek refuge in nearby mangroves. Dix set the hook and began fighting. After a few minutes, he brought his tiring prey close to the boat. Bubba retrieved it, and they gave each other high-fives.
    Bubba laughed. “You can breathe now, buddy.”
    Dix hadn’t felt excitement like that when fighting and catching fish in a long time. It reminded him of his younger days on patrol while chasing bad guys on foot. “Bubba, that was awesome,” he exclaimed.
    Something had caught Bubba’s attention and Bill turned to see what it was. It looked like a red and white Coast Guard cutter, a helicopter, and a smaller gray boat. They seemed to be combing the water southwest of their location.
    “ What the hell are those guys up to?” he wondered aloud.
    “ Dey been out there since yesterday after dey found Sean.”
    Dix heard a motor coming from behind him. He turned around to see Wilfred and Petersen heading toward him.
    Wilfred coasted his boat to a stop near them. The two boats were within earshot of each other.
    Dix became more alert as his mind began to wonder about what really was happening on the island. He figured someone had dedicated a lot of resources to the search. Knock it off. You’re on vacation. But his detective’s curiosity won out. “Could I ask you a few questions? You know, in an effort to figure out what exactly happened the other day.” Dix tried to sound casual, but the excitement of the day and of the possibility of danger probably came through.
    A large helicopter flew toward them, and eventually directly overhead. The blade wash rippled the water, and the sound was deafening. It continued toward the open ocean. What are they looking for?
    Bubba appeared thoughtful for several minutes but didn’t say a word.
    Finally, Wilfred said, “We heard some sip-sip .” Seeing Dix and Petersen’s confusion, he chuckled. “That’s Bahamian for gossip. But you can’t trust the island talk.”
    Dix knew their guides weren’t aware his offer came from one of the top murder and narcotic detectives in Florida. He smiled. “Guys, I’ve had a lot of experience in this kind of thing. You want help, just let me know.”
    Bubba rubbed his chin.
    Dix was confused. “I can help.” Bubba did not respond.
    Finally Bubba said, “Maybe dey looking for the boat.”
    “ Were Preston and Sean on a boat recently? Before their bodies were found?”
    Bubba clammed up again.
    “ Only reason someone would look for a boat would be if the authorities thought your friends were on one when they were killed,” said Dix. “Or they got a tip they were in a boat, but there’s something on it… or in it.”
    Bubba’s eyes flickered indicating to Dix he was on to something.
    “ Yup. Preston and Sean were in a boat. And, we heard there might be