FOURTEEN
THE BANGKOK sun had set, it was seven-thirty in the evening and Nigel was singing a ropey rendition of 'New York, New York' in the shower.
Once dried and dressed, he slid into a pair of leather loafers and left the hotel. Pang was leaning on his car, wearing an old blue suit with the usual tight-fitting trousers. Nigel appreciated the effort but cringed. He waved him over. "You saw Stan?"
"Yes I give him fruit. He ask when you come."
"Later. We need to find this girl." Nigel showed
Pang the picture he had taken at the studio.
"That girl from before?"
"That's right, but first I should tell you why we need to find her. Join me for a beer?"
Pang nodded then followed Nigel into the hotel. They were sat facing each other sipping beers at a candle-lit table. It was romantic, but it wasn't meant to be. Pang listened as Nigel finished explaining what had happened to Michael.
"That's pretty much it, Pang. My son Stan came here first, but was hit by a Tic Tac."
"You mean Tuk Tuk?
"Whatever, so here I am."
"Should be father take care."
"I know."
"Bad things happen here. Foreigner cheated, they pay, go home sad, but that better than prison."
"I get what you're saying Pang, but Michael wants to do this the hard way. I need to find this girl. Can you help me?"
"Can, but not easy. Have many girls in Thai."
"I've noticed."
Nigel paid the bill, then stepping out onto the street he saw some stray dogs that looked like they'd crawled to hell and back. He bought a hundred baht's worth of cooked pork from a street vendor and laid it out. They crept over and lapped it up.
Despite having the name of the bar, Pang still took a while to find it. He finally pulled up outside a little hostess bar where several girls were sitting outside in short, sexy dresses. Their focus turned to Nigel as he climbed out of the car.
"Welcome, handsome man," shouted one. Nigel read the name of the bar: this was where Michael had found his girls.
It was a seedy place with a low ceiling and smelt of stale smoke. Scantily-dressed girls sitting around tables talked, waiting to be picked out by a stranger.
"What you want drink?" a short waitress with a silver ring in her right eyebrow asked.
"Does it hurt?" Nigel asked, pointing at the ring.
"Only if you pull it."
"We need to speak to the manager."
"Boss called mamasan," Pang broke in.
"Maybe better I talk to her."
"Thank you Pang. You want a beer?"
"Does a bear sit in woods?"
"That's 'shit' in the woods," Nigel corrected Pang, then smiled at the waitress.
"A couple of Changs
please and where is the mama's boy?"
"Mamasan," Pang corrected Nigel.
The waitress pointed to a lady standing by the bar. Pang nodded, approached her and started another long-winded conversation. Nigel followed Pang and found himself listening, despite not understanding a word. His eyes wandered around the room taking in the many young, beautiful girls. At a break in the conversation, the mamasan looked over at Nigel. "You like come back-room?"
"You speak English?"
She nodded. Nigel and Pang were led to a small room that doubled as a laundry and a kitchen. There were bed-sheets tied up in balls in one corner and staff sat eating on a rug. The mamasan pulled out some folded chairs and offered a seat. Her staff picked up their plates and hurried out.
'Eyebrow Ring' returned with a couple of beers and handed them over. Nigel thanked her, took a sip then showed the mamasan a picture of Mike.
"You know him?"
"Are you his father?"
He smiled. "No, I'm his grandfather, Nigel."
"Hello Nigel, I am Mon."
"You know my grandson? You know Michael?"
"Yes I know. He take girl, make picture."
Nigel showed the picture of the sketch of Mia. "This is the last girl he did. Can I see her?" She peered at the picture, "I not know her." He looked into her eyes. "Take another look." She looked again. "Not my girl."
She began to edge away as Nigel glanced at Pang then pointed with his eyes at the door. Pang rose and blocked the exit.
"What you want? I not know her."
"I know you sent her home with Michael. You persuaded him to take Mia, didn't you? She drugged him then he was arrested the next day for raping her. He was asked for a hundred thousand. How much of that was your cut?"
"I told you I not know her."
"My grandson is rotting in prison. I want him out. Where is she?"
"Why he not pay?"
"So you do know her?"
"Some girls not stay long time; hard to know."
"I bet it is."
"I not know her."
"Think carefully, Mon."
He leaned in to break her, but then tensed up, breathless and red-faced.
"Are you all right Mr Nigel?"
Pang rushed over; the exit was now clear. Mon rose and stepped towards the door.
"You will bring Mia to me," Nigel wheezed with the little breath he had left.
"I don't know her!" Mon cried then walked out.
"What wrong?" Pang asked.
"I have a heart condition. I need to rest."
"Where you want to go?"
"Back to the hotel. Help me up and take me to the car. We can try this again tomorrow.”