I handed her a card. "Get in touch if you remember anything else."
She glanced over her shoulder. Her former customer had found other entertainment.
Rebel frowned at me. "This little conversation has cost me business. Would you be interested in helping me make up lost wages?”
26
Times were tough, so I helped her out a little. Maybe a lot. I figured I was priming a potential informant. It sounded good at the time, anyway.
We hung out for a minute and sampled the lunch buffet. I had to admit, it was pretty good. I had the herb chicken, and Jack had the slow-roasted prime rib.
There was no doubt in my mind that Forbidden Fruit would respond by upping the quality of their buffet and offering extra perks. The Emerald Lounge might snipe a few customers here and there, but the Fruit was still the premier destination on the island for adult entertainment.
After we ate, JD and I made our way to the bar and flashed our badges. Word had gotten around that we were cops. I'm sure these guys had all kinds of people from the city coming in, leaning on them with an open palm. Not everyone in Coconut Key was above board.
A brief look of concern filled the bartender’s eyes as he approached, wiping a glass with a dishrag. "What can I do for you, gentlemen?”
I showed him a picture of Wade on my phone. "You recognize this guy?"
He studied it for an instant. "Can't say that I do.”
"He was in here last night. Spent a lot of money with Rebel.”
"A lot of people come in and spend a lot of money with Rebel."
"Understandable. I'm sure you see a lot of faces."
"Can I get you anything?"
"No,” I said. “We're good. Is Vladimir around?"
"He doesn't come in at this hour.”
"When does he come in?”
"Later," he said dryly.
"How much later?”
The bartender shrugged.
"Wade was murdered last night. This was the last place he visited, as far as I know. Did anything unusual happen last night? Anyone get kicked out of the club? Anyone get roughed up?”
The bartender just stared at me with a stone face. "Not that I recall.”
I pulled a card from my pocket and set it on the bar counter. "Give that to Vladimir when he comes in. Tell him to call me. I'm trying to track down the suspects who robbed his vault."
The bartender took the card, surveyed it for a moment, then slipped it into his back pocket. "I'll tell him."
We left the steamy vixens and sultry pop music behind. The midday sun squinted our eyes as we stepped onto the sidewalk.
Tourists strolled the avenue.
"I think Wade walked into the lion's den last night and had no idea where he was,” Jack muttered. "I don't think he was dumb enough to come in here and flaunt it on purpose. That would be another level of stupid.”
We ambled down the sidewalk, back toward the Porsche. My phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. I answered, "Hello?”
"Hi," Riley said in a sullen voice.
