River, it was consistently voted as the best in the world, with prices to match its exclusive reputation. Whatever Winter was doing these days, he was clearly not short of money.
'What's going on?'
'All in good time, old lad. All in good time.'
Winter walked away. He stopped in front of a white-uniformed driver who was holding a cardboard sign and said something to him. The man smiled and nodded and took Winter's bag from him, leading him to the exit.
Hutch looked at Bird, who grinned and asked, 'First time in Bangkok?'
Hutch shook his head. 'I've been here a few times.'
'Pat Pong, huh? You come for the girls? Thai girls are very pretty.' I 'Where is the prison?'
'On the way to the city. About five miles. The car's this way.'
Bird took Hutch to the multi-storey car park close to the terminal and unlocked the door of a bright orange Ford Capri with a black vinyl roof. Bird saw the look on Hutch's face and mistook it for admiration. 'It's a 1968 two-litre Capri.'
'So I can see. I bet there aren't too many of these around.'
Bird nodded proudly. 'It's a classic'
Hutch tried to suppress a grin. 'Oh yes, Bird. One of a kind.' He expected to see a pair of fluffy white dice hanging from the rear-view mirror but was only mildly relieved to find a garland of white and purple flowers. The dashboard had been lined with fake brown fur and a gold Buddha in a clear plastic case had been glued to the ashtray.
Hutch sat in silence until they were driving along the expressway. 'You work for Billy?' he asked.
'We're partners,' said Bird.
'In crime?'
Bird laughed, a deep-throated roar that almost deafened Hutch. 'Partners in crime,' Bird repeated. 'That's English humour, huh?'
'Yeah. Sort of.' Hutch settled back in his seat. The air conditioning was on full and cold air blew across his face. Hutch had been hoping that Winter was working alone, but if Bird and Winter really were partners, then maybe Bird, too, knew where a football-loving nine-year-old went to school. Hutch was running out of options.
Bird switched on the radio and flicked through the channels until he found one playing a Thai pop song. 'You like?' he asked Hutch, nodding at the speaker.
Hutch shrugged uninterestedly and looked out of the window. He knew nothing about the prisons in Thailand, other than that they were hellish places and that drug smugglers were given as long as fifty years. He wondered why Winter thought that Hutch would be able to get his friend out. It would have made more sense to use someone local. Someone like Bird.
'What's the name of the prison this guy's in?' Hutch asked.
'Klong Prem.'
'Have you been inside?'
Bird grinned. 'Not yet,' he said.
'How many prisoners?'
'Fifteen thousand or so.'
Hutch raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'What sort of security is there?'
Bird pursed his lips as he stared at the road ahead. 'I'm not sure,' he said eventually.
Hutch had expected Winter's partner to be a bit more forthcoming. 'You don't know?'
Bird shrugged noncommittally. 'That's why you're here,' he said.
'Bloody great,' sighed Hutch. 'Haven't you tried bribing one of the guards for a plan of the place?' Another shrug. Hutch shook his head in disbelief.
The Capri hit a traffic jam which seemed to stretch as far as the horizon. Bird resigned himself to a long wait.
Hutch closed his eyes. He was starting to get a headache and he massaged his temples, trying to rub away the pain.
Bird misunderstood the gesture and switched off the radio. 'You want to sleep?' he asked.
Hutch shook his head, his eyes still closed. Sleep was the last thing on his mind. He felt as if he'd boarded a roller coaster and was slowly being dragged up to the first peak, with no way of getting off, no choice other than to hang on and see what the ride held in store for him.
The traffic began to move again. Bird drove off the expressway THE SOLITARY MAN 67 and then made a right turn, heading west, cutting across the railway line that connected the airport to the
'What's going on?'
'All in good time, old lad. All in good time.'
Winter walked away. He stopped in front of a white-uniformed driver who was holding a cardboard sign and said something to him. The man smiled and nodded and took Winter's bag from him, leading him to the exit.
Hutch looked at Bird, who grinned and asked, 'First time in Bangkok?'
Hutch shook his head. 'I've been here a few times.'
'Pat Pong, huh? You come for the girls? Thai girls are very pretty.' I 'Where is the prison?'
'On the way to the city. About five miles. The car's this way.'
Bird took Hutch to the multi-storey car park close to the terminal and unlocked the door of a bright orange Ford Capri with a black vinyl roof. Bird saw the look on Hutch's face and mistook it for admiration. 'It's a 1968 two-litre Capri.'
'So I can see. I bet there aren't too many of these around.'
Bird nodded proudly. 'It's a classic'
Hutch tried to suppress a grin. 'Oh yes, Bird. One of a kind.' He expected to see a pair of fluffy white dice hanging from the rear-view mirror but was only mildly relieved to find a garland of white and purple flowers. The dashboard had been lined with fake brown fur and a gold Buddha in a clear plastic case had been glued to the ashtray.
Hutch sat in silence until they were driving along the expressway. 'You work for Billy?' he asked.
'We're partners,' said Bird.
'In crime?'
Bird laughed, a deep-throated roar that almost deafened Hutch. 'Partners in crime,' Bird repeated. 'That's English humour, huh?'
'Yeah. Sort of.' Hutch settled back in his seat. The air conditioning was on full and cold air blew across his face. Hutch had been hoping that Winter was working alone, but if Bird and Winter really were partners, then maybe Bird, too, knew where a football-loving nine-year-old went to school. Hutch was running out of options.
Bird switched on the radio and flicked through the channels until he found one playing a Thai pop song. 'You like?' he asked Hutch, nodding at the speaker.
Hutch shrugged uninterestedly and looked out of the window. He knew nothing about the prisons in Thailand, other than that they were hellish places and that drug smugglers were given as long as fifty years. He wondered why Winter thought that Hutch would be able to get his friend out. It would have made more sense to use someone local. Someone like Bird.
'What's the name of the prison this guy's in?' Hutch asked.
'Klong Prem.'
'Have you been inside?'
Bird grinned. 'Not yet,' he said.
'How many prisoners?'
'Fifteen thousand or so.'
Hutch raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'What sort of security is there?'
Bird pursed his lips as he stared at the road ahead. 'I'm not sure,' he said eventually.
Hutch had expected Winter's partner to be a bit more forthcoming. 'You don't know?'
Bird shrugged noncommittally. 'That's why you're here,' he said.
'Bloody great,' sighed Hutch. 'Haven't you tried bribing one of the guards for a plan of the place?' Another shrug. Hutch shook his head in disbelief.
The Capri hit a traffic jam which seemed to stretch as far as the horizon. Bird resigned himself to a long wait.
Hutch closed his eyes. He was starting to get a headache and he massaged his temples, trying to rub away the pain.
Bird misunderstood the gesture and switched off the radio. 'You want to sleep?' he asked.
Hutch shook his head, his eyes still closed. Sleep was the last thing on his mind. He felt as if he'd boarded a roller coaster and was slowly being dragged up to the first peak, with no way of getting off, no choice other than to hang on and see what the ride held in store for him.
The traffic began to move again. Bird drove off the expressway THE SOLITARY MAN 67 and then made a right turn, heading west, cutting across the railway line that connected the airport to the
Similar Books
