Thai Horse

‘It’s not a little late for Murph if he’s in trouble.’

‘You heard what the Dutchman said. He was a junkie!’

‘He said he thought he was doing a little pot, for God’s sake.’

‘And collaborating.’

‘All guesswork.’

‘God, you really are giving him the benefit of the doubt. You know enough already to —,

‘Look, here’s all I know,’ Hatcher said, cutting him off. ‘I know that Cody could have gotten out that plane fifteen years ago. I have reason to believe that he was in the Huie-kui camp and that Taisung was his warden and the girl was with him there. I know a man named Wol Pot claims to have seen Cody in Bangkok and now Taisung is in Bangkok calling himself Wol Pot. I also know that Windy Porter was tailing him and got killed for his trouble, probably by a Chiu Chao killer. And I have reason to believe that Wol Pot may have ‘worked for Tollie Fong and got in trouble and that’s why he came to us. You put that all together, China, and that’s good enough reason for me to go to Bangkok.’

‘You also know that Tollie Fong’ll kill you on sight.’

‘He made a promise, yen dui yen, to lay off both of us.’

‘And you trust his word? His ch’uang tzu-chi ends only when one of you dies. A blood oath, Christian. If necessary he’ll create an excuse to break the yen dui yen. C’mon, don’t act naive.’

‘China, when I set out on this job, I didn’t believe for a minute that Murphy was alive. Then I had doubts. Now the equation is swinging the other way. Now I think he is alive. And if he is, I’ll find him. And fuck Tollie Fong.’

‘Be sure to kill him first.’

Hatcher reached over and ruffled Cohen’s hair. ‘I love you too, buddy,’ he said. ‘I always seem to be taking something away from my friends, never giving anything back.’

‘It’s always worked both ways.’

‘That’s a kind thing to say.’

‘Kind my ass, don’t get maudlin,’ Cohen said. ‘We lost you once. Then we found you. Now we’re going to lose you again, this time for good. I know that, so does Daffy.’ He waved his hand toward the deck. ‘Why don’t you go say good-bye to her.’

He lowered his head, staring at the floor, and shrugged the blanket up around his ears.

‘Thanks, China.’

‘Yep.’

Hatcher started out the door. Cohen did not look up. He said, ‘I’d like to know you’re safe and sound on that island of yours. How about a call when it’s over, if you can still whisper.’

These were people who loved him enough to risk dying for him, and there was no proper way to say goodbye. Each clue took him closer to the past and then led him further away from it. But Hatcher had no choice. His mission was to find Murph Cody, and -there were no more answers in Hong Kong, the answer had to be in Bangkok. And the closer Hatcher got to solution, the more he feared what it would be.

She was sitting in the bow, watching the wake boiling behind the boat in the moonlight. He sat down beside her and, holding the blanket, wrapped it around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

‘Was it worth it, Hatcher?’ she asked

‘I think so,’ he said. ‘It confirmed a lot of questions.’

‘Such a price!’

‘Yes, isn’t that always the way it is.’

They sat quietly for a while and then she asked, ‘Do you have a woman?’

Hatcher hesitated for a moment. Was Ginia his woman? She certainly would object to the term. But in his heart, Hatcher now realized he had made an unspoken commitment to her. He had never expressed it, but she was his woman. He felt for her, wanted to care for her, to make her happy. He wanted some semblance of permanence in his life. Ginia meant all these things and more.

‘Yes,’ he said finally.

‘You had to think a long time.’

‘I’ve never really thought about it before,’ he said. ‘I’ve assumed a lot.’

‘What is her name?’

‘Ginia.’

‘Ginia,’ she repeated, as if testing the name. ‘And what is she like?’

‘Very independent. Very smart.’

‘Beautiful?’

‘Yes. But not in the same way you are.’

‘I do not understand that.’