Dredger lived on the water, and made his living with his nets and pails. He found things that other people lost.
Fine folks might complain about the mud, or the smell, but they were plenty polite when they needed a dropped ring or a lost wallet.
He found lost items, discreetly, and then the fine folks who lived higher up the banks would pay him well for the service before going away again.
They knew Dredger found all kinds of things in the mud and water, and all of those fine folks had secrets that they wanted to stay lost.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0