"Yes." Joker was quiet for a moment, then he said, "There's a man in this club named Rex Malone. He was Victor's closest friend for 15 years before they fell out. Been a captain here for a decade.
Knows this bike better than anyone alive, except" He stopped. Looked at Ethan. Recalculated. "Except possibly you."
"When did they fall out?" Ethan asked. "About eight years ago after Rex's brother died." Joker's jaw worked for a moment.
"Rex blamed Victor, said Victor's recklessness on a run they did together put his brother in a position that got him killed. Victor denied it. Neither of them ever proved anything either way, and neither of them ever spoke again." He paused.
"Rex has been on the club's leadership council the whole time. Been part of every decision about what to do with this bike." Ethan looked at the four wrong parts on the floor. "Does Rex know mechanical engineering?"
Joker closed his eyes briefly. The expression on his face was the expression of a man whose least favorite answer to a question has just confirmed itself. "Rex was Victor's apprentice," he said, "for 10 years before everything went wrong between them. Rex learned everything Victor knew."
The two men stood in that room with that information between them and let it become real. "I need you to act like this conversation didn't happen," Ethan said. "Don't change anything. Don't watch him differently.
Don't lock him out. Lock everyone out equally and make it about protecting the bike during repairs. If he thinks he's been identified, he'll act fast and I won't have time to finish." Joker studied him.
"You're 19 years old, right?" Joker said it not as an insult, but almost as an observation, as if he were still trying to reconcile Ethan's age with the way he was thinking.
"I know," Ethan said. "Is that a problem?" "No," Joker said slowly. "Actually, I think it might be the only reason this is going to work."
He turned toward the door. "I'll get you more time. 48 hours become 72. I'll tell the club the job is more complex than expected."