was at the airport checking the new arrivals yesterday. Something he does for me most mornings. And there you were.'
'There he was,' Tucker agreed.
'The famous Jonathan Quinn,' Piper said.
Quinn didn't flinch. 'And you just decided to have me over for . . . a glass of water?'
'Just a chat,' Piper said. 'Consider the water a gift.'
'What do you want?'
'That depends.'
'On what?'
Piper smiled. 'Did you know there's a price on your head?' 'That doesn't surprise me,' Quinn said calmly. 'How much am I going for these days?'
'Not enough to make me shoot you on the spot, but enough to make me curious. Leo, what was the amount?'
'Twenty-five thousand U.S.,' Leo said. Piper looked back at Quinn. 'You see. Curiosity money, really. Not worth my trouble.' Quinn leaned back in his chair, then said, 'So who wants me dead?'
'Good question,' Piper said. 'There was no name attached to the . . . request. I was hoping you might know.'
Quinn shrugged. 'I guess we're all in the dark.'
'Curious how only you are mentioned,' Piper said. 'I guess your friend isn't as important.' 'Friend?' Quinn asked, suddenly tense. 'You weren't alone when you arrived,' Piper said.
'A young man? Tucker tells me he had some trouble with one of the local kids.' If they had noted Quinn's arrival, of course they would have made Nate, too.
'A colleague, perhaps?' Piper asked.
'Could be I just met him on the plane,' Quinn said. Tucker snorted. 'Right,' he said, laughing.
Piper pulled something out of a drawer in the desk and set it on the blotter in front of him. It was a photo of Quinn and Nate standing outside the Rex Hotel. Piper turned it so that Quinn was looking at it right-side-up, then tapped the picture several times.
'I haven't been able to ID him yet, but my instinct tells me he works for you.'
Quinn smiled.
'What are the two of you doing here?' Piper asked.
Quinn glanced down at his left hand as he ran his thumb over the pads of his fingers. 'What's the play here?' he said, looking up. 'Are we waiting for someone? When he shows up, maybe he takes me on a ride into the countryside? He comes back. I don't.'
Tucker laughed again. 'Pal, you really must be having a bad week.'
Piper leaned back, his eyes studying Quinn. 'As you can probably guess, my business here is very sensitive. What I don't want is for the two months I've had to spend in this hellhole to be blown by someone like you. So you see why I'm curious about your intentions. That is the only
'Then we don't have a problem,' Quinn said. 'Until Romeo here picked me up at the bar, I didn't even know you were in town.'
'And why should I believe you?' Piper asked.
'I don't care if you believe me or not.'
'You should,' Tucker said.
'No,' Quinn said. 'I shouldn't. You think I'm here to foul up your gig and want to take care of me now or someone out there wants the money and shoots me in the back of the head tomorrow, what's the difference? Believe me or don't. Just choose one and let's move on.'
When no one said anything, Quinn pushed himself off his chair. 'Thanks for the talk, but I've got things to do.'
Tucker jumped up a moment after Quinn, but Piper remained seated. 'Which one of you is going to call me a cab?' Quinn asked. Finally, Piper stood up, a smile growing on his
face. 'It would be best if you left Vietnam.'
'Is tomorrow too soon?' Quinn asked.
'It'll do.' Piper laughed quietly. 'A piece of advice.'
Quinn said nothing.
'Get yourself a new partner. He's very sloppy. Leo followed him most of the day without ever being spotted. Clothing shops, a couple of cosmetic stalls, some T-shirt stands.'
Leo shrugged. 'When I left him, he was eating dinner at a restaurant off Hai Ba Trung.'
'If you're really leaving tomorrow, I think we can live with that,' Piper said. 'But don't push it. Twenty-five thousand dollars isn't enough for me to get involved. But I can't speak for Leo here. Or even Art. He may feel the money should be his in exchange for the pain you've caused him. If you're still here the day after tomorrow, I can't guarantee your safety.'
'No hard feelings, I hope?'Tucker asked. He held out his hand. Reluctantly, Quinn shook it. 'Can I get my money
