We were still locked in silent combat when Whip finally came back, all smiles, with Leon’s arm around his shoulder. I took their camaraderie as a good sign. When we were safely in the car and away, I turned in the passenger seat and socked Whip in the arm, hard.

“That’s for ‘stripper,’” I said, patting down my hair, fixing my shirt.

“Quit your bellyaching. You got him thinking I’m a pimp. What’s worse? Besides, I got you a name.” He shot me a satisfied grin. “Want to guess?”

I frowned. “Does it look like I want to guess?”

“You know you’re the one who brought up hookers. I almost had to go up against the Buddha.”

“You mean, I almost had to.”

He grinned. “Lucky for you, he was priced out of the market.”

“Whip!”

“All right, all right. It’s Darby. Leon says he was sent to pick up a car, no questions asked. I couldn’t get the name of the person who ordered it, not without it looking funky, not after me telling him all I wanted was the driver. Leon says he owns the shop, but he likes to play things big. For sure, somebody else owns it and they’re pulling his strings.”

“Darby works for Nick Spada. If he was sent, he’s likely the one who sent him.”

“Spada? The insurance guy? You said you didn’t find anything on him.”

“Nothing popped, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something there. I just didn’t find it.”

“So now what?”

“If Spada sent him, then that means he has Darby looking out. If that’s true, then he’s got something to worry about, which means there’s something he doesn’t want me to find.”

“But why would Spada want to kill Ayers? He was helping him out of a tough spot, wasn’t he?”

I sat back in the seat, thinking. “Was he?”

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

I headed back to the marina to find the office not only closed, but shuttered. Cap was likely still locked up, which was probably good for him. I wouldn’t want to be him when the women at the marina found out what the old man had been up to. I walked over to Reese’s boat and found him on the top deck, sunning himself on a chaise. I’d been right about him. Cap would take the lion’s share of what they both had coming. Reese would likely skate. I stood watching him from the promenade as he lay there, seemingly unconcerned with the predicament he was in, along with his cohort in crime. How would he react if someone took secret photos of his naked body and posted them everywhere? After a time, Reese caught me watching and shot up from the lounge.