Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

his head. “Yeah.”
    The sound of an outboard motor approaching caused both men to look up. The harbormaster and several officers were in the boat. When Jack saw them he stood up. “Hi John,” he called as he took the line that was passed over. It only took a few moments before the new arrivals were on board and introductions were made. Jack was about to follow Tom and the two officers who had just come on board below when John caught him and said, “Jack, good to see you again, but I’m beginning to get a little worried. I can’t think of a time when there were these kinds of problems with a boat.”
    “Sorry. I really didn’t plan on any of this.”
    “I know.”
    Jack turned and went below. Questions were asked and answered, photos taken, and notes scribbled in small notebooks. Jack, Tom, and John then waited up in the cockpit while the officers processed the boat for evidence. After several hours the officers were satisfied that there was nothing more to be found. Other than some fingerprints, which probably belonged to Jack, Max, or Tom, they had found nothing more than a messy cabin. They told Jack that he was free to leave and that they’d be in touch if they needed anything else. As Tom and Jack watched them motor off, Tom said to Jack, “You’re going to have to be very careful. If this was Kurt’s handiwork, and we don’t know that for a fact …”
    Jack interrupted, “Oh it was. I’m sure of it.”
    “I was going to say that if it is his work, then either he was sloppy on purpose so as to divert suspicion away from him or he is getting desperate. Either way, it’s not good.”
    It was too late in the day to return to Rye so they decided to go to the Inn for some food, return to the boat, and leave early the next morning. Before leaving for the Inn, Jack called Ben’s and was relieved when Max answered. He told her the situation and said he’d see her tomorrow. She promised to ask Patti to stay with her for the night.

CHAPTER 52
    BY THE TIME Jack and Tom got to the Inn, there were only two remaining seats at the bar. Since the bartender wasn’t in sight, Jack turned and looked around the room. All of the servers were scurrying about and there was a real energy to the place. “May I get you something to drink?” The voice was familiar.
    Jack turned and there was Stephen. “Stephen, hey man, good to see you.”
    “Jack. Sam Draft? How’s Max?”
    Jack was impressed. He nodded his assent.
    Stephen looked at Tom, “Tom. Right?”
    “Yes.” Tom reached across the bar and shook his hand, “Good to see you again.”
    “Sam?”
    “Please.”
    While Stephen went for the beers, Jack retold Tom the story of how he and Max had first met Stephen. “Menus?”
    “Yes. Please.”
    They were handed menus with the assurance that he’d be right back. Shortly after their food was ordered and served, Tom suddenly became very serious and his voice dropped a notch.
    “Jack, I’ve been thinking. If what Daniel told you is true, and that seems to be the case, then we have a real problem.”
    “What do you mean we ? Daniel had a problem, I have a problem, and Max has a problem. How is this your problem?”
    “Aside from the fact that I am your friend, I just have a bad feeling. Do you remember back twenty-five or thirty years ago when we first met in Miami?”
    Jack looked at Tom. “What does that have to do with anything?”
    “Remember how you joined the crew of the Raven .”
    “Yeah, and you warned me about Ravenowicz, but I went anyway.”
    “That’s right. Ever since you and Max returned from Belize, something has always bothered me. Remember what you told me about Daniel and his business dealings?”
    “Sure.”
    “And there was a black boat searching for him in Belize?”
    “So.”
    “I realize that this is a real stretch, but what if that black boat had come from the Raven ?
    “The Raven?”
    “Wasn’t a large black sailboat seen while you were there? If it was the Raven , then Ravenowicz was probably Daniel’s employer and most likely he is behind all of this.”
    “Tom, you are really stretching. It’s been over twenty-five years since I was on the Raven . Ravenowicz had to have been in his fifties or sixties then. Could he even still be alive today?
    “I know it is a stretch. But what if?”
    “Okay, So what if?”
    “So, if he is still around, then we are all in serious danger.”
    “You keep saying we . What’s up with that? I can understand Max and myself