know. I think Tom Tyler does, and I
think his finding out is what led to the wreck of the _Sea Belle_." He
held up his hand as Rick's lips framed a question. "You're going to
ask me how I know that. Well, I don't know it. I just suspect it. I
was a mite too positive when I said I knew. All I know is Tom Tyler
told me one day that he had an idea that something strange was going
on at the Creek House, and that he intended to find out what it was.
Now! He must have had a good idea that whatever was going on was
crooked, because Tom isn't the kind of man to pry into folks' business
without a good purpose."

"Do you think he found out?" Rick asked.

"I do. I think he found out four nights ago. I was sitting in my dory
jigging for eels a little distance down from the Creek House fence
right at the mouth of Salt Creek. I saw Tom. He didn't know I saw him.
He came around the corner of the fence and for a minute he was
silhouetted against a light. I didn't see his face, but I'm sure.
Known him since he was a shaver. Next morning I bumped into him at the
pier, getting ready to go out on the _Sea Belle_. He said to see him
at his house that night, because he had something to talk to me about.
Well, I saw him that night, but not at his house. He was sitting at a
corner table in Sam's Lobster House, and can you guess who was with
him?"

"Red Kelso?"

Cap'n Mike nodded at Rick. "It was Kelso. He was doing the talking,
too, and from the expression on Tom's face, he wasn't saying anything
Tom liked a whole lot. After a while he left, and I went over to Tom.
I asked casual-like what it was he wanted to talk with me about and he
froze up like a clam. He was scared, at first. Then he seemed to get
sort of mad, too, because he said, 'I'm going to call his bluff. Wait
and see.'"

"Meaning Kelso," Scotty said.

"I reckon, but Tom wouldn't talk. He said it was better that I didn't
know what he was talking about. He got up and left and I didn't see
him again until last night at City Hall after he wrecked the _Sea
Belle_."

Rick thought it over. The logical deduction was that Tom Tyler had
somehow gotten suspicious of the Kelsos and what they were doing at
Creek House and had gone spying. Kelso had found out Tyler had spied
on him and had warned him, although Rick couldn't imagine what club he
had held over Tyler's head. Tyler had ignored the warning and somehow
Kelso had contrived to wreck the trawler. But how?

"Was the regular c