Read Online Marty Ambrose - Mango Bay 02 - Island Intrigue by Marty Ambrose - Free Book Online
Authors: Marty Ambrose
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likelihood Miccosukee. But I didn’t need a translation
to get the gist of it.
We drew closer to the other boat. I could see a little
boy standing on the back deck, his face panic-stricken
as he waved his arms up and down.
“Everything’s going to be all right, Kevin. Just stay
put!” Nick shouted. “We’re going to come up alongside
you.”
The boy settled down.
“Okay, ease back on the throttle,” he said to me.
I jerked it downward, and the engine cut out immediately.
“I didn’t mean shut it down. I meant neutral!” He
darted to the edge of the boat. “Try to steer us toward
Kevin. We should drift in that direction.”
I did my best, yanking the wheel, and luckily the
water seemed to push us in Kevin’s direction.
“Kevin, throw me a line,” Nick instructed.
The boy grabbed a thick rope and tossed it to him. Nick
caught it and tied it around the metal thingamajig on our
vessel. In spite of his fast work, our boat still slammed into
the other boat, knocking Nick sideways. He quickly recovered and stretched out a hand to the boy.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t let go of you”
The boy extended five shaking fingers. The boats
rammed each other again, but somehow Nick managed
to grasp Kevin’s hand and hold on. Then he hoisted the
boy onto our boat.
“Way to go!” I enthused.
Our intrepid island cop carried Kevin under the
canopy, where I was. Wow.
“What happened to your dad?” Nick asked, setting
Kevin down and rubbing his hands up and down the
boy’s arms to warm him.
“I don’t know. Like I told you on the radio, I woke up,
and he was gone” Kevin’s teeth chattered as he tried to
blink back the tears.
“Okay. We’ll talk later.” He gave the boy a brief hug.
“This is Miss Mallie. She’s going to take care of you
while I get us home, okay?”
Kevin managed to wag his head, his face pinched
with cold.
“I’ll take him below.” I put an arm around his thin
shoulders. “I’ve got some hot tea and Nora Cresswell’s
yummy oatmeal cookies. Would you like some?”
His teeth chattered around something that sounded
like a yes.
“You two go ahead. I need to stabilize the boat and
check out the area” Detective Billie grabbed a pair of
binoculars.
I led Kevin down the stairs into the small cabin. It held
a mini kitchen, a table with two cushioned seats, and a
pair of bunks in the front, which tapered to a point. Neat
and tidy with the smell of leather dipped in seawater.
Nice.
Wrapping a thick wool blanket around Kevin, I settled him on the seat next to the table. Then I filled a mug
with the steaming liquid and handed it to him.
“Thanks, miss.” He gulped down the hot tea.
“You can call me Mallie.” I took in his short brown
hair, soft blue eyes, and sensitive features. I had never
met Sally Jo, but if she looked anything like Wanda Sue,
Kevin must resemble his dad.
“Is that better?” I sat next to him, slipping an arm
around his quaking shoulders.
“Uh-huh. Could I have some more?” He held out
the mug.
“Sure” I smiled and reached for the Thermos.
As I refilled his mug, I heard muffled swearing from
on deck-this time in English.
“You stay here, Kevin.” I scrambled up the stairs and
moved toward the back of the boat, where Detective Billie stood very still, head lowered. “What’s up?”
He handed me the binoculars and pointed to the
mangroves off in the distance. I held the glasses up to
my eyes. For an instant I couldn’t see anything as my
vision adjusted to the lenses. Then I spotted it-a man’s
body flung against the clawlike mangrove roots.
“Tom?” I mouthed without speaking.
He nodded.
I stayed belowdecks for the choppy trip back to the
Trade Winds Marina, keeping Kevin distracted so he
wouldn’t hear Detective Billie radio the Coast Guard to
pick up his father’s body. We talked about school, his
favorite band-the Jonas Brothers-the latest Harry Potter movie, and what
to get the gist of it.
We drew closer to the other boat. I could see a little
boy standing on the back deck, his face panic-stricken
as he waved his arms up and down.
“Everything’s going to be all right, Kevin. Just stay
put!” Nick shouted. “We’re going to come up alongside
you.”
The boy settled down.
“Okay, ease back on the throttle,” he said to me.
I jerked it downward, and the engine cut out immediately.
“I didn’t mean shut it down. I meant neutral!” He
darted to the edge of the boat. “Try to steer us toward
Kevin. We should drift in that direction.”
I did my best, yanking the wheel, and luckily the
water seemed to push us in Kevin’s direction.
“Kevin, throw me a line,” Nick instructed.
The boy grabbed a thick rope and tossed it to him. Nick
caught it and tied it around the metal thingamajig on our
vessel. In spite of his fast work, our boat still slammed into
the other boat, knocking Nick sideways. He quickly recovered and stretched out a hand to the boy.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t let go of you”
The boy extended five shaking fingers. The boats
rammed each other again, but somehow Nick managed
to grasp Kevin’s hand and hold on. Then he hoisted the
boy onto our boat.
“Way to go!” I enthused.
Our intrepid island cop carried Kevin under the
canopy, where I was. Wow.
“What happened to your dad?” Nick asked, setting
Kevin down and rubbing his hands up and down the
boy’s arms to warm him.
“I don’t know. Like I told you on the radio, I woke up,
and he was gone” Kevin’s teeth chattered as he tried to
blink back the tears.
“Okay. We’ll talk later.” He gave the boy a brief hug.
“This is Miss Mallie. She’s going to take care of you
while I get us home, okay?”
Kevin managed to wag his head, his face pinched
with cold.
“I’ll take him below.” I put an arm around his thin
shoulders. “I’ve got some hot tea and Nora Cresswell’s
yummy oatmeal cookies. Would you like some?”
His teeth chattered around something that sounded
like a yes.
“You two go ahead. I need to stabilize the boat and
check out the area” Detective Billie grabbed a pair of
binoculars.
I led Kevin down the stairs into the small cabin. It held
a mini kitchen, a table with two cushioned seats, and a
pair of bunks in the front, which tapered to a point. Neat
and tidy with the smell of leather dipped in seawater.
Nice.
Wrapping a thick wool blanket around Kevin, I settled him on the seat next to the table. Then I filled a mug
with the steaming liquid and handed it to him.
“Thanks, miss.” He gulped down the hot tea.
“You can call me Mallie.” I took in his short brown
hair, soft blue eyes, and sensitive features. I had never
met Sally Jo, but if she looked anything like Wanda Sue,
Kevin must resemble his dad.
“Is that better?” I sat next to him, slipping an arm
around his quaking shoulders.
“Uh-huh. Could I have some more?” He held out
the mug.
“Sure” I smiled and reached for the Thermos.
As I refilled his mug, I heard muffled swearing from
on deck-this time in English.
“You stay here, Kevin.” I scrambled up the stairs and
moved toward the back of the boat, where Detective Billie stood very still, head lowered. “What’s up?”
He handed me the binoculars and pointed to the
mangroves off in the distance. I held the glasses up to
my eyes. For an instant I couldn’t see anything as my
vision adjusted to the lenses. Then I spotted it-a man’s
body flung against the clawlike mangrove roots.
“Tom?” I mouthed without speaking.
He nodded.
I stayed belowdecks for the choppy trip back to the
Trade Winds Marina, keeping Kevin distracted so he
wouldn’t hear Detective Billie radio the Coast Guard to
pick up his father’s body. We talked about school, his
favorite band-the Jonas Brothers-the latest Harry Potter movie, and what
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