The man’s face flushed with anger, and he started in on a little tantrum dance. I considered taking my phone out and taping him, no one would believe it otherwise. Instead, I turned and headed for the ladder again. He thought I was a cop, but I wasn’t. I was on a boat I had no business being on. It was best not to push my luck.

“I want to talk to your superior,” Dancing Man barked. “That boat needs to move. Hey, do you hear me?”

I kept walking. The ladder was close.

“Hello? I’m talking to you.” He leaned forward, staring. He was a persistent little bugger. “What’s your badge number and name?”

I turned to face him, stern of face. “We call it a star, not a badge, for future reference. And what’s your name?” I pulled out my best cop voice. My icy stare took a moment to travel across the expanse, but when it did, the man took a step back.

“Eldon Reese . . . and as a taxpayer, I’m entitled to some answers. I pay your salary, after all.”

I glared at him. I hated when people said that. Entitled? Yep. “Were you here the night of the accident?”

“So what? Doesn’t mean I saw anything. The idiot. He was probably drunk or high, or both. He stayed that way. You people already have my statement. Try reading it. Don’t you talk to each other?”

I smiled, but it wasn’t at all sincere. Eldon Reese was a piece of work. The two boats were close. He must have made Tim’s life a living hell. “You’re being uncooperative, and that usually means a person’s got something to hide.”

“Well, I don’t. My story’s the same as it’s always been. He woke me around midnight with all that loud bumping, nothing new for him. I added it all to my complaints log, and that’s all I’m saying without a lawyer. I know my rights.” His eyes narrowed. “And you still haven’t given me your name.”

“What kind of bumps?” I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know. “Describe them.”

“Bumps. Who describes a bump? It sounded like a buoy banging against the hull. I’ve been asking Cap for months to get a handle on that Ayers, but I guess when your family’s loaded, you get all the breaks.”

I cut him off. “Get back to the bumps. Did you get up to see what was actually causing the noise?”