"Did we come out here to fish or to talk?" Rick asked. They were anchored a few hundred yards off the reef tip and had been for almost an hour. In that time Cap'n Mike had made a good haul of four blacks, one flounder and a porgy. Rick and Scotty had caught two blacks apiece. There was a definite twinkle in Cap'n Mike's eyes. "Came to talk," he said. "But the fish are biting too good. Better fish while the fishing's good. Time enough to talk later." "Time enough for fishing later, you mean," Rick retorted. "Hauling in blackfish isn't going to find out why the _Sea Belle_ was wrecked." "Got the answer to that already," Cap'n Mike said. Rick and Scotty stared. "You have?" Rick asked incredulously. "Stands to reason. Didn't you tell me you knew Mrs. Tyler was scared?" "Yes, but what...." "Well, Tom is scared, too. He wasn't, until the _Sea Belle_ was wrecked, but he sure is now. That's why he's sticking to that story of his instead of telling the truth." "What is the truth?" Scotty demanded. "Don't know that. Yet. Reckon I'll find out, though. Only I'll need some help." Keen eyes surveyed the two boys. Rick worked his hand line absently. "You mean you want us to help?" "Seems I've read about you boys solving a mystery or two, haven't I?" "We've had a couple of lucky breaks," Scotty said. "We're not real detectives." Cap'n Mike tried his line and muttered, "Feels like a cunner is stealing my bait. Well, boys, I wouldn't be surprised none if a little luck like yours is what we need. Can't pretend, though, that you might not be walking right into something you wouldn't like. Anything that scares Tom Tyler is something anyone with sense would be afraid of." Rick hauled in his line and saw that his bait was gone. He rebaited, his mind on what he already knew of the case. "I've been wanting to ask you," he said. "That answer you gave to Jerry when he asked where Tom Tyler was. You said 'Inside. Surrounded by fools.' What did you mean?" Cap'n Mike sniffed. "Just what I said. If the constable and the rest hadn't been fools they would have known that Tom Tyler was afraid to talk. Just like plenty of others are afraid." Rick picked up his ears. "Others? Cap'n, I think you know a few things you haven't told us." The old seaman hauled in his line and grunted when he saw that his bait had been stolen. "Reckon we got too many bait stealers down below now. Either of you boys hungry?" "I am," Scotty said promptly. "I could eat," Rick admitted. He looked at his watch. It was almost noon. "Then let's haul anchor and get out of here." In a moment the hand lines were wound on driers and the anchor stowed. At Cap'n Mike's direction, Rick pointed the launch to the south, toward the town. The old man took out his pocketknife, whetted it briefly on the sole of his shoe, and commenced to clean and fillet the fish they had caught. Scotty slipped into the seat beside Rick. "What do you think about trying to solve this one?"