It was getting dark. He found himself adrift in a leaky dinghy twenty-five miles off shore. He had spent much of the day bailing out water. Fortunately, they had left a bucket in the dinghy, otherwise bailing would have been impossible. He'd been drifting in a northerly direction. But, now as it was getting dark, he was feeling tired from his effort. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep going... In this, the second book of Detective Inspector George Washington's cases, he is spending a brief vacation in the small fishing town of Port Kennedy at the invitation of a prominent local fisherman. But everything seems to be conspiring against him catching a fish or two and enjoying a few drinks with friends.