Dead Catch by Cary J. Griffith

Author:Cary J. Griffith
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781647554026
Publisher: Adventure Publications
Published: 2024-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

When Sam walked into the DECC’s rear open meeting area, it was busy. There were probably 25 round tables spread out over a large area, and nearly every table was occupied. He took a moment to scan across the tables.

Ben Connors was easy to find. He sat in the middle of the room, dressed casually in khakis and a red plaid shirt. He had thick brown-and-gray hair, with an accompanying salt-and-pepper beard, and a barrel chest. An older Grizzly Adams, maybe 60. But instead of a bear as a companion, he was accompanied by a younger woman and a man, both sitting at his table.

“Ben?” Sam said.

“Agent Rivers,” he said, standing up.

Ben Connors introduced him to Cindy Hill and Andy Nivens, DNR fish biologists from the northeast region. Cindy was small with cropped blonde hair. Andy was bald with a thick, bushy brown mustache, and he appeared to be about the same height and weight as Sam, and probably about the same age. Cindy, Sam guessed, was around 30.

After shaking hands, Ben said, “They got coffee and doughnuts over there, if you’re interested.”

“Just ate. Thanks.”

“Tragic about Charlie Jiles,” Ben said.

“It is,” Sam said. “It’s always tough to see a law enforcement officer die in the line of duty.”

“Glad to hear they’ve got someone in custody,” Ben said.

Sam nodded. It wasn’t the time or place to surface questions about Holden’s role in Charlie Jiles’s death, particularly to Charlie Jiles’s boss and colleagues.

“Nail him,” Andy Nivens said.

When Sam glanced at Cindy Hill, she appeared quiet and serious. Sam suspected there were few women fish biologists in the DNR.

“Snagged these two before their 2:30 meetings,” Ben said. “If you’ve got questions about Vermilion’s fish stocks, these are your guys.”

Sam glanced at both of them and said, “I was mostly curious about the walleye in Vermilion. And in Crane Lake.”

“What about ’em?” Andy asked.

“Well, I’ve heard walleye stocks are down on both lakes, and maybe in some others in the area?”

“Who said that?” Andy asked.

It was Holden, but Sam didn’t want to mention it. “A local guy who fishes both lakes. It was anecdotal. But he fishes a lot and says he’s noticed fewer fish. Sounds like others have too. I mean, fishermen.”

Andy considered for a moment. Cindy seemed fine to let her colleague, who Sam guessed was her senior, take the lead.

“Well, Agent Rivers, that’s interesting.” Andy paused. “We haven’t exactly publicized it, but walleye stocks on both lakes are down a little. Why are you interested?”

“When we found CO Jiles, there was an illegal gill net near his boat. In fact, it might have been the reason Jiles was killed. I’m just trying to figure out if the illegal net was a one-time thing. Or maybe CO Jiles was onto something and there was some kind of consistent poaching going on? If there was, I figured it might be reflected in your counts.”

That made Cindy turn and look at Andy, waiting for him to respond. But Andy kept staring and thinking.

“You seeing anything like that?” Sam said.

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