The silence after his outburst was more deafening than the noise. I shook my head to clear it. I had to admit that Kevin’s opposition had aroused the contrary side of me. I almost wanted to take it on just to spite him. I took a deep breath and said, “I’d need a lot more information before I could decide if this is a case we can take on.”

“You got it,” Jett said.

“Just a minute,” Kevin said. “Before we get into this, we should know what we’re getting into. What’s it going to cost?”

I named a price that was double our normal daily rate. If we were going to get embroiled in the search for Moira, they were going to have to pay for the privilege. Jett didn’t bat an eyelid, but Kevin drew his breath in sharply. “That’s a bit heavy,” he complained.

“You pay peanuts, you get monkeys,” I replied.

“Getting Moira back would be cheap if it cost me everything I own,” Jett said softly. Kevin looked as if he was going to have a stroke.

Neil’s smile had grown even broader during the last exchange. The prospect of me finding a major primary source for his book was obviously one that cheered him up. He got to his feet, slightly unsteady, and raised the glass of whisky he’d been nursing. “I’d like to propose a toast,” he said. “To Kate’s success.”

I don’t know if my smile looked as sick as Kevin’s, but I hope I’m a better actress than that. I tucked my hand under Jett’s elbow and steered him away from the others. “Is there somewhere we can sit down quietly and you can fill me in on the details I’ll need about Moira?” I asked softly.

He turned to face me and patted my shoulder paternally. “OK, guys,” he said. “Me and Kate have got some business to do. Neil, I’ll catch up with you later, OK? You too, Kevin.”

“But Jett,” Kevin protested. “I should be here if it’s business.”

Jett was surprisingly adamant. Clearly, he had the boundaries between business and personal clearly defined in his own mind. In business matters, like who was going to ghost Jett’s autobiography, Kevin’s word was obviously law. But when it came to his own business, Jett could stand up for himself. It was an interesting split that I filed away for future reference.

Neil headed for the door, turning back on the threshold to wave his glass cheerily at us. “Good hunting!” he called as he left.