also unsure hold old she was now—late fifties, early sixties. Someone who didn’t know anything about her background might guess her age to be anywhere between fifty and seventy.
Two Thai men were standing a few feet behind her on either side, while two others were stationed at a table a dozen feet in front of hers.
As Daeng, Quinn, and Nate walked toward her, Daeng said something to the closest bodyguards. They both nodded a greeting and let the trio pass without incident.
“Mr. Quinn,” Christina said, a subtle smile on her lips. She then looked at Nate. “And you must be Nate.” She motioned at the empty chairs around her table. “Would you gentlemen like to have a seat?”
Quinn and Nate took the two chairs across from her, while Daeng selected the seat nearest her.
Christina touched Daeng’s arm. No words passed her lips, but the look she gave him was like one a mother might give to her adult child. When she looked back at Quinn, she said, “Have you enjoyed the countryside?”
“I have.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I can see it has already done much for you.”
“It has.”
“So, what brings you back to Bangkok?”
Quinn hesitated, then said, “I unexpectedly find myself with something I must do. Unfortunately, this means I have to leave. I plan on coming back, but I’m unsure how soon that will be. Not long, I hope.” He paused. “The reason I wanted to see you today was to thank you. The temple was exactly what I needed. You couldn’t have made a better choice.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m glad it worked out.”
“If you’re ever in need of me for anything, call,” he said.
Her smile grew as she reached over and took hold of his hands. “And I thank you for that.” When she let go, she looked at him and Nate. “Something to drink? Or to eat? They make a wonderful curry here. One of my favorites in the city.”
“Thank you, but no,” Quinn said, standing. “Some other time.”
“Of course.”
He hesitated. “There is one thing.”
“Yes?”
“I would appreciate it if someone could keep an eye on the temple renovations. I’ve made sure they have enough money to do what needs to be done, but I worry the work might slow in my absence. The monks are very forgiving, so might not always push when they need to.”
“It won’t be a problem. Daeng can keep an eye on things.”
Quinn and Daeng exchanged a look, then Daeng said, “I’ll be going with him.”
“You will?”
“Yes.”
Quinn knew that Daeng didn’t work for Christina, just occasionally with , but from the beginning Quinn had sensed Christina’s protectiveness of the former monk.
“I’ll check on the temple myself, then,” she said.
“You don’t need to do that,” Quinn told her. “One of your people could make the trip.”
“It will be my pleasure.”
__________
A S THEY WALKED back to the SkyTrain station, Nate whispered to Quinn, “Are you sure it’s a good idea to bring him with us?”
“We could use his help.”
“Sure, but how well do you know him?”
“Well enough.”
“That’s not really an answer.”
Quinn glanced at him. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. I trust Daeng. So that means you can trust him, too.”
Quinn made it clear that was the end of the conversation. It didn’t help Nate, though. Daeng was still an enigma to him. There was the Daeng who fought with him at the temple, the Daeng who showed him Quinn working in the fields, the Daeng who owned a large home in the middle of Bangkok where he played host to Burmese refugees, and finally the Daeng who was obviously connected to the mysterious powerbroker Christina.
He couldn’t make all the pieces fit. Not the best position to be in, he thought, especially if they found themselves in serious situations that required Nate to trust Daeng completely.
He also wasn’t happy with the way Quinn had shut him down. It was almost as if he was an apprentice again, and he most certainly was not
Two Thai men were standing a few feet behind her on either side, while two others were stationed at a table a dozen feet in front of hers.
As Daeng, Quinn, and Nate walked toward her, Daeng said something to the closest bodyguards. They both nodded a greeting and let the trio pass without incident.
“Mr. Quinn,” Christina said, a subtle smile on her lips. She then looked at Nate. “And you must be Nate.” She motioned at the empty chairs around her table. “Would you gentlemen like to have a seat?”
Quinn and Nate took the two chairs across from her, while Daeng selected the seat nearest her.
Christina touched Daeng’s arm. No words passed her lips, but the look she gave him was like one a mother might give to her adult child. When she looked back at Quinn, she said, “Have you enjoyed the countryside?”
“I have.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I can see it has already done much for you.”
“It has.”
“So, what brings you back to Bangkok?”
Quinn hesitated, then said, “I unexpectedly find myself with something I must do. Unfortunately, this means I have to leave. I plan on coming back, but I’m unsure how soon that will be. Not long, I hope.” He paused. “The reason I wanted to see you today was to thank you. The temple was exactly what I needed. You couldn’t have made a better choice.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m glad it worked out.”
“If you’re ever in need of me for anything, call,” he said.
Her smile grew as she reached over and took hold of his hands. “And I thank you for that.” When she let go, she looked at him and Nate. “Something to drink? Or to eat? They make a wonderful curry here. One of my favorites in the city.”
“Thank you, but no,” Quinn said, standing. “Some other time.”
“Of course.”
He hesitated. “There is one thing.”
“Yes?”
“I would appreciate it if someone could keep an eye on the temple renovations. I’ve made sure they have enough money to do what needs to be done, but I worry the work might slow in my absence. The monks are very forgiving, so might not always push when they need to.”
“It won’t be a problem. Daeng can keep an eye on things.”
Quinn and Daeng exchanged a look, then Daeng said, “I’ll be going with him.”
“You will?”
“Yes.”
Quinn knew that Daeng didn’t work for Christina, just occasionally with , but from the beginning Quinn had sensed Christina’s protectiveness of the former monk.
“I’ll check on the temple myself, then,” she said.
“You don’t need to do that,” Quinn told her. “One of your people could make the trip.”
“It will be my pleasure.”
__________
A S THEY WALKED back to the SkyTrain station, Nate whispered to Quinn, “Are you sure it’s a good idea to bring him with us?”
“We could use his help.”
“Sure, but how well do you know him?”
“Well enough.”
“That’s not really an answer.”
Quinn glanced at him. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. I trust Daeng. So that means you can trust him, too.”
Quinn made it clear that was the end of the conversation. It didn’t help Nate, though. Daeng was still an enigma to him. There was the Daeng who fought with him at the temple, the Daeng who showed him Quinn working in the fields, the Daeng who owned a large home in the middle of Bangkok where he played host to Burmese refugees, and finally the Daeng who was obviously connected to the mysterious powerbroker Christina.
He couldn’t make all the pieces fit. Not the best position to be in, he thought, especially if they found themselves in serious situations that required Nate to trust Daeng completely.
He also wasn’t happy with the way Quinn had shut him down. It was almost as if he was an apprentice again, and he most certainly was not
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