He wouldn't be bait, per se. More like a lure. A red herring.

But maybe they need a different kind of red herring?

"Maybe I turn up dead," he says, slowly. No, but if it's just one body and then he's still alive at the bar, that'll raise suspicion. Not one body, then. "Maybe we get a couple Matsuba guys, color their hair, ink up their arms, and leave 'em lying around town." That would certainly be confusing for anybody look for a red-haired man with a partial sleeve, right? "And then I could dye my hair, wear long sleeves..."

But even as he says the words, doubt creeps in and his eager smile dims. "It's probably a terrible idea, though." His idea are always terrible, why would this one be any different? "Forget I said anything. You'll think of something."