“Duval’s boat,” he said, when he reached the sea wall.

“That guy seems pretty well known around here,” I said.

“Sure is,” he said, and grinned.

I lit a cigarette and gave him one.

“Kind of quiet here,” I said, looking up and down the deserted beach.

“Sure is,” Mac said. “No one bothers us. We get along.”

“I guess you do,” I said.

“Hear there was some excitement over at Paradise Palms,” he said, after a pause. “A political killing. The radio’s been yelling its head off.”

“I heard that too,” I said.

“I reckon it’s no business of ours.”