“No. I’m a fishing guide and you’re just another shit-faced spy my father sent down. Did he say I was a heroin addict?” Rabun throttled down to hear the answer; Gloria had said that this was by far the least crummy spy of the last decade.

“No, that’s not what he said.” Warlock felt his inventiveness slip gears. He had read that a woman should try to start a dialogue with her rapist. What’s your major and your favorite color? Maybe, for once, honesty really was the best policy. Rabun’s boat was now fifty feet away, drifting with a slow outmoving tide. “He said you were a homo and trying to con two hundred and fifty grand out of him to start a gay restaurant. I speculated that you might be being blackmailed, you know, say by gay criminals or something.”

“Oh my god!” Captain Ted Rabun gave a comforting laugh. “Mom said you were goofy. Look at that fucking stupid disguise.” The boat was drifting farther away and their voices rose to the occasion.

“I had to change my appearance. I had a brief affair with a crippled friend of your mother’s, Laura Fardel. Her husband, the mobster Roberto Fardello, threatened my life. I raced down here and went underground. I thought I may as well check you out. It’s just my job.” Warlock now was shouting at the distant boat which was being sucked toward the channel in the tidal swirl.

Captain Ted was jumping around his boat screaming with helpless laughter. He was nearly out of earshot before he started up the engine and idled closer. Warlock saw a group of fins in the distance and made a vain attempt to run for it. “Shark,” he screamed. Rabun drew closer.

“Those are tailing permit.” He was still giggling. “They’re feeding on crustaceans on the bottom and that makes their tails rise. Come aboard.”

“Thanks.” Warlock heaved himself into the boat. He had seen Jaws and his heart was racing like a Big Ben version of a stopwatch.

“Bob Fardel went to Yale Drama. He and Laura have this thing for what they call living drama. She’s very big Louisiana oil money. She had an extremely mild back injury at Dad’s spa and Gloria suggested they make it hot for him. So Laura and Bob with their living drama bit see another fine opportunity.” Captain Ted kept interrupting himself with laughter. He drew two cans of beer from the cooler and tossed one to Warlock.

“I don’t get it.” He was so glad to be back in the boat that he couldn’t quite digest the information.