Angel in the Full Moon. Don Easton
far, five of them. Five different guys, too.”
“Special guests getting their treats upstairs,” radioed Jack. “Let me know when they leave. I’ll try to identify them.”
“Getting their treats? Is that what you call it? You must have been very disappointed as a kid on Halloween—stand by! Three of the guys who were treated upstairs are now giving Moustache Pete a hug at the door ... he’s kissing each one on the cheek. The three of them are heading for the entrance now. You can’t miss them. They’re all Asians and looking a little whiskied. Incidentally, all of them preferred blondes.”
Jack had no trouble following the three men and was pleased to see that they each drove away in separate cars. He recorded three licence plates, ones he had seen earlier, as now being of particular significance.
The other two men who had been entertained upstairs eventually left separately. The first one drove away in a Jaguar while the second drove off in a Porsche. Jack didn’t need to double check these plates. He had remembered them from when they first arrived.
It was three o’clock in the morning when Jack dropped Laura off at her car to drive home.
“Something was really out of place at the party tonight,” said Laura.
“That being?” asked Jack.
“All the guests. With the exception of the seven hookers who arrived first, everyone else was either dressed—or acted—like lower-class hoods and gangsters.”
“Hoods and gangsters ... there’s an old expression. You been watching The Untouchables again?”
“You know what I mean. Walking around with real attitude. Wearing too much gold jewellery. Doused in enough aftershave to make you gag.”
“You smelled aftershave? Did you go inside?”
“Didn’t have to. I could smell it coming through under the door.”
“Good. Don’t know how long we’ll be working on these guys. I don’t want them seeing our faces until absolutely necessary.”
Laura nodded in agreement and continued, “I guess all I’m saying is I wonder why the Russians would hang out with these guys?”
“Maybe it’s strictly business? Nothing to do with friendship.”
“Maybe.”
“High-class hookers. I would say it was a corporate party. Likely celebrating something. Wish we knew what.”
“Two of the hookers were never used, although our Russian friends always had one latched to their arm all night.”
“Big egos require a big show. We’ll find out about the guests tomorrow when we run the plates,” said Jack.
It was four in the morning when Jack slipped into bed beside Natasha and gently kissed her on her bare shoulder before pulling the blanket higher. She rolled over to face him and lay with her head on his chest.
Jack felt her hand slowly drift up the inside of his thigh and tilted his pelvis slightly while unconsciously opening his mouth in the expectation of pleasure. She stopped and moments later her breathing indicated that she had gone back to sleep. Jack let out a sigh and tried to relax. It took him over an hour to get to sleep.
It was nine o’clock at night in Hanoi when Bi
Eventually, Bi
“Forty minutes early,” said Bi
“I do not think the American lady will be happy to see me,” sniffled Linh.
“And why not?” asked Bi
“I have no gift to give her.”
“We do not have the money for two gifts. The pearl necklace cost much money. It is worthy of being a gift from the both of you.”
“Maybe H
“Do you really think she would do such a thing? Leave her little sister out?”
Linh put her head down and said, “No. I do not think that.”
“There is something you have to give that is much more precious than a stone from some oyster,” said Bi
“What is that?” asked Linh with surprise.
“Your smile, little one,” answered Bi
Linh tried to frown as she looked up at her father, but there was a twinkle in her eye and she soon smiled and giggled.
At nine years old, some might have found her mixture of baby teeth and adult teeth somewhat less than attractive, but to Bi
chapter six
The next day Jack identified the three Asians from the party and did background research on them while Laura looked into the backgrounds of the two men they referred to as Mister Porsche and Mister Jaguar.
Jack discovered that the three Asians were Vietnamese brothers who were the owners of two massage parlours. One massage parlour was called The Asian Touch and was one-third owned by each of the brothers. Their given names were
H
Jack told Laura the information and she groaned.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’ll never keep these guys straight,” she said.
“I think the important one to remember is