1966 brings us Darker than Amber, the 7th book in the series, Darker than Amber, featuring John MacDonald's pernicious anti-hero, Travis McGee.
Travis needs to unwind after two weeks of sexual healing, so he's hanging out with his friend Meyer. They're having a beer, swapping stories and chasing fish when, out of the blue, they're rudely interrupted by a woman being chucked out of an automobile (and into the water). Travis rescues her (naturally), only to discover that she's a looker. (This prompts the best line in the series so far, as Meyer wryly quips, "Damned handy Travis. As soon as you run out, they drop you another one.")
Vandy may be a hottie, but she's no lay-dee.
It doesn't take much for her to open up to Travis and Meyer. She's been a prostitute since puberty (with occasional breaks for erotic photography and exotic dancing) and, as foxy as she is, to the proper and virginal (snort) Travis, she's pretty disgusting.
Still, she's got a job for the fearless McGee. Apparently pre-being-chucked-off-a-bridge, she was part of something very lucrative. If Travis helps her get her money out of storage, she'll give him a cut.