Free Dead in the Water (A Cal Murphy Thriller Book 4) by Jack Patterson Page A

do you want to know?”
    “I’d like to know what kind of guy he was.”
    Dixon didn’t hesitate to answer. “Tre’vell was the best. He’d give you anything if you asked for it. He was always looking out for other people.”
    “What’s something he did that shows that?”
    “Well, there was a time when one kid on our team didn’t have any cleats and his parents couldn’t afford it. So, Tre’vell gave the kid his cleats.”
    “So, what did Tre’vell play in?”
    “His sneakers. Caught eight passes that night and had a couple of touchdowns. Everybody was talking about it. The next Monday at practice, a new pair of cleats showed up in Tre’vell’s locker.”
    “As I understand it, you guys were close, right?”
    “Yeah, I gave him a ride home from practice every day. We went against each other in practice, which is why I think I developed the way I did. When you go against the best receiver in the state, maybe the best in the country, you’re gonna get better.”
    “So, tell me about your trip to Bryant. What happened that made you change your mind?”
    Before Tre’vell could answer, Potter wandered up on the porch. Cal watched Dixon eye the new guest before he clammed up.
    “I’m not sure I want to talk about that.”
    “OK, anything else you can tell me about Tre’vell?”
    “Nope, I think that covers it,” Dixon snapped. “Look, I’ve got a lot of homework tonight so I need to get to it.”
    Dixon stood up and Cal followed his lead.
    Potter stared at Dixon and deadpanned, “Is it my new cologne?” Then he cracked a smile. However, Dixon still appeared tense.
    Potter led Cal back to the car. Just as Cal was about to get in, Dixon called out.
    “Wait, Mr. Murphy!”
    Cal sensed that Potter’s presence made Dixon nervous. He hustled toward the porch, out of Potter’s earshot.
    “Yes?”
    “There’s more I want to tell you and something I want to show you. Meet me Thursday after school behind the Texaco station. But come alone.”
    “Will do. See you then.”
    Cal returned to the truck.
    “What was that all about?” Potter asked as Cal climbed into the truck and buckled his seat beat.
    “Just a kid trying to be polite.”
    “Did he have anything interestin’ to say?”
    “Not really. Just the same ole stuff everyone around here says about Tre’vell Baker. He’s a good kid, would do anything for anybody, never had a better teammate. It’s how people always speak of young kids who die. It’s like they were flawless.”
    “You ever seen law enforcement dredge a river for a dead body?”
    Cal shook his head.
    “They bring out a barge that has a machine with grapplin’ hooks on it that reaches down into the water and pulls up whatever’s on the bottom. Most of the time, they don’t find any dead bodies. But what they do find is often worse than the dead body itself.”
    Cal furrowed his brow and stared at Potter. “Your point?”
    “My point is nobody likes to dredge up what’s beneath the surface. Most people are content to let whatever is under there stay that way. No need muddyin’ the water, if you know what I mean.”
    Cal nodded. “So, you’re saying that nobody is going to tell me what Tre’vell Baker was really like?”
    “People will say what they wanna say.”
    Frustrated with Potter’s riddles, Cal didn’t respond. He hoped the silence would entice Potter to say what he meant instead of talking in bayou riddles.
    They rode for several minutes without a word being spoken before Potter couldn’t help himself any longer.
    “What I’m tryin’ to say, Cal, is that you’re not gonna solve Baker’s murder by askin’ his best friend what kind of guy he was or what his favorite food was or where he liked to eat or whatever it was that you were up there askin’ Dixon. Sometimes there are forces at work that we just don’t understand.”
    Cal looked at Potter, who was pointing upward with his right index finger.
    “You’re saying God did this?”
    “Who knows?