Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

he hadn’t looked carefully either. At first glance, this guy looked like any of the other fisherman―dark glasses, a hat, dungarees, and an old t-shirt―but there was something else. As they slid by, Jack stared at him. While some of the other fishermen on the jetty acknowledged them with a wave as they went by, this one just sat there, only turning his head slowly as he watched Irrepressible pass into the harbor. Jack felt a chill as he stared back.
    “Shall I get the dock lines ready?” Max’s voice broke him out of his trance.
    “Yes. We’ll tie up port side to,” replied Jack. He turned for one last look back at the man on the rocks. He hadn’t moved.
    Again Max’s voice brought him back to the present. “All set. Let’s hurry and get in. I’m hungry. How about you?”
    “Now that you mention it, I am too. How ’bout we go to Paula’s as soon as we secure the boat.”
    “Great idea.” She gave Jack a squeeze.
    * * *
    As they motored deeper into the harbor, Jack forgot about the man on the jetty, his concentration now fully focused on docking Irrepressible . That’s why he didn’t see the man on the jetty reach into his bait cooler, remove a pair of powerful binoculars, and focus them on Jack and Max. That’s also why he didn’t see him rapidly reel in his un-baited line and leave quickly.

CHAPTER 14
    BY THE TIME Jack and Max arrived at Paula’s, the early breakfast crowd, made up mostly of locals, was gone. Now, most seats were filled with early season tourists. Tom, the town’s detective and Jack’s oldest friend, was sitting at the end of the counter next to a very large man in a well-worn, flowered shirt. The next seat was empty. Beverly, waitress extraordinaire, had just added up a check for the large man next to Tom. As she tore it off her pad, she spotted Jack standing by the door. She waved a hello and nodded toward the customer. “One more seat for you guys in a minute.”
    Jack turned toward Max, who was looking over the assortment of newspapers on the rack by the door. He said, “Tom’s at the counter, there’s one seat open and another about to open. I’ll go claim them.”
    “I’ll be right over,” replied Max absently. She didn’t glance up.
    “Hey, Tom,” said Jack as he slid onto the empty seat and leaned over the counter so he could see around the big guy.
    The big guy glanced at Jack, nodded hello, then picked up his check, looked at it, pulled a gold money clip out of his pocket and thumbed through the bills and removed enough to cover the bill and a healthy tip. He threw the money on the counter, and said toward Jack, “I’m leaving, you can have my seat.”
    “Thanks.”
    He slid off his stool, turned and left just as Max arrived, paper in hand.
    “Hey Jack … Max. What’s up?” Tom said looking from one to the other.
    “Just launched the boat,” replied Jack as Max sat down.
    “Early this year.” It was as much a statement as it was a question.
    “A little, but last year was late.”
    “Well, summer’s here.” He glanced at this watch. “Hey, I’ve got to get going.” Tom picked up his check, pulled some cash out of his pocket and then placed the cash and the check under his empty coffee cup. Sliding off his stool he said, “Max, I’m sorry I can’t sit and chat. It’s good to see you.” Then turning to Jack he said, “Anything new on what we talked about a few weeks ago?”
    “Nothing. You’ll be the first to hear. As soon as I get the boat squared around, I’ll give you a call and we’ll go out.”
    “Sounds like a plan. See you.” And with that Tom left.
    * * *
    “What were you and Tom talking about?” asked Max.
    “Oh nothing.”
    She gave him a look that demanded an answer.
    “Okay. I had a talk with him about the Daniel sighting.”
    “And you didn’t tell me.”
    “Remember, you weren’t speaking to me.”
    “That’s no excuse.”
    “Max …”
    She cut him off. “Jack, I saw him … And you and Courtney saw the guy who was following him.”
    “Max, you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. None of the sightings were positively confirmed and I was only speculating on what I saw.”
    “So what did Tom have to say?”
    “Nothing really. He listened, but without more concrete information, there really isn’t anything he can do. His only suggestion was that we should be careful if it really is him.”
    “Coffee?” Beverly’s voice interrupted the look that Max was beginning to give Jack.
    Jack