The Fourth Watcher: A Novel of Bangkok

11
The Other End of the Line

Two cops," the fourth watcher says into the cell phone. The phone is a floater, purchased, along with four others, from the people who stole them from their original owners. Each will be used for one day. By six tonight this one will be at the bottom of the river. Against his will, the fourth watcher yawns; he had a long night, but a yawn is an admission of weakness. "They were dragging some girl along. But here's the interesting part: There was a guy with them. Dark suit, even a tie." "Thai government?" says the man on the other end of the line. "I'm tired," the fourth watcher admits. "I should have told you the guy in the suit was an Anglo." There is a pause. The fourth watcher yawns again, silently this time, and looks at the traffic. Traffic where he comes from is bad, but nothing like this. Then the man on the other end of the line says, "Shit." He puts a lot into it. "And since our guy's American, I'm figuring the guy in the suit-"

"Yeah, yeah." The fourth watcher can almost see the other man rubbing his eyes. "Half of Thailand is following him, and now this. Cops and an American at four-thirty in the morning. What the hell is going on, Leung?"

"I just stand around and watch," the man called Leung says. "You're supposed to figure out what's going on."

"They went into the building. How do you know they went to his apartment?"

"Lights," says the fourth watcher. "A minute, a minute and a half after they all went in, the lights went on in what I figure is the living room. Opens onto a balcony. Fifteen, twenty minutes later-make it five o'clock-they came out, all of them. Both cops, the Anglo, and the woman. About thirty seconds after that, the lights in the apartment went off again."

"Where are you now?"

"Sex city. Nana Plaza. Our guy just went inside, into a bar."

"At this hour? With a woman like that at home, he's doing a morning quickie?"

"Bar's closed," says Leung. "Some Anglo guy showed up and unlocked it for him."

"Describe him."

"Only saw him for a second. Balding and combing it forward, little- bitty features in a big face. Oh, and a goatee. Got maybe twenty pounds he doesn't want, mostly around his belt."

"Doesn't ring a bell. Any followers on our man?"

"Not unless they're invisible."

"Okay," the man on the other end of the line says. "Wait a few minutes until Ming Li shows up, and then come on in and get some sleep. She'll take him for the rest of the day."

Leung stifles another yawn. "Three or four tails practically riding on his back all the time. Cops in the middle of the night. A guy who couldn't be any more government if he had an eagle on his jacket. What do you think it is?"

"I think it's the same thing you do," says the man on the other end of the phone. "Trouble."