Hungry Ghosts (35 page)

“I’m sorry I’m late,” I say, “
but at least we get to watch the sunset together.”

36

Mongkut’s Secret

Khemkhaeng squinted at his watch. He was feeling nervous. Mongkut had been in the room with the man for over an hour.

However, at that moment the low voices from inside ceased and Mongkut emerged closing the door carefully behind him. He looked pleased with himself.

“Well?” said Khemkhaeng anxiously. “How
did
he escape from the firework factory?”

Mongkut smiled. “Our Bumibol Chaldrakun is a very resourceful individual and he has a ruthless streak I can only admire.”

“How so?”

“Apparently Chaldrakun was ferried to the factory by an old boatman whom he locked in one of the gas canister cages. When the fire started he took the man at gunpoint up to the roof and set him alight
. He torched him using a bottle of gasoline that was kept in one of the rooms used by the Jade Dragons’ men. The poor old bastard mustn’t have known what was happening until it was too late.

“Chaldrakun then made his way down one of the internal staircases and climbed out one of the windows overlooking the river. He pressed himself up against
a concrete ladder and hung there for an hour or so until there was sufficient confusion with the arrival of the police and fire services for him to feel safe enough to climb down into the boat. He cast off the mooring ropes and lay in the bottom of the craft while it drifted downstream. Once it turned a bend in the river he started the engine and took it in to a section of riverbank where he could scramble ashore.”

Mongkut looked back at the closed door.

“He sustained some severe burns while he was scrambling back down through the factory and he sounds like he’s suffering badly from smoke inhalation.”

“What do you want to do with him?” asked Khemkhaeng.

“Why we’re going to keep him, of course,” said Mongkut raising his eyebrows.

“Mr
. Sangukhon, we’re not talking about some stray dog here. This man has killed a policeman, and shortly they are going to realize that the dead man outside the factory is not who they think he is. The police are sure to do an autopsy on the body and then they will start looking for Chaldrakun all over again. It’s dangerous for us to have him around. We should put him back on the streets.”

“Listen, Khemkhaeng,” snarled Mongkut, “
this man can be very useful to us. He knows a lot about the Lamphongchats, and what is more, because they tried to sell him out, he now hates them. He is just dying to help us. I am his new best friend. Indeed, I am his only friend. Besides, the man is a natural-born killer. We’re going to need a few more of those on our side for the times ahead.”

Sangukhon became more businesslike.

“Who knows about him? Who knows he is here?”

“Only myself
, Yala and Laimek.”

“Can those two be relied upon to keep their mouths shut?”

“If I make it clear to them, yes.”

“Good. I don’t want anyone else to know, and that includes my father.” Mongkut gave Khemkhaeng a significant look and after a moment the other man nodded. “As of now, Chaldrakun works for me. He is only to speak to you or me.
Do you understand?”

“Yes. What do you want me to do?”

“Take him to our house outside Chiang Mai and have one of our friendly doctors take a look at him. Then get him some papers made up. We’ll move him temporarily to Cambodia until the police response becomes less intense.” Mongkut laughed suddenly. “Perhaps we’ll send him over to Hanoi to take care of Philip Janus. Chaldrakun just
loves
Englishmen by all accounts.”

Khemkhaeng looked puzzled and Mongkut clapped him on the shoulder.

“It transpires our friend the meddlesome David Braddock was responsible for his brother’s death. Such a small world we live in, is it not?”

“So if we ever need Braddock taking out we have just the man to do it
?”

“Exactly so. Although he’ll want to take out Braddock regardless at some point. But that’s a matter for the future. For now get him cleaned up and give him something to eat. Oh, and he’s going to have to lose that
Jade Dragons tattoo. It’s too recognizable. Arrange that too. One more scar will not make too much difference to him. He’s never going to win any beauty pageants.”

In the adjacent room sat a big Thai with coarse, acne-scarred features, a shaved head and limbs the thickness of tree-trunks. Parts of his arms and legs and the left side of his face were covered in burns. His breathing was labored, and wheezing came from his smoke-damaged lungs.

He stared intently at the blank wall opposite him.

He waited.

David Braddock returns in

A POISON TREE

The third book in the
Time, Blood and Karma
series

EVERYONE BURNS

He opens a drawer of his desk, casually takes out a pistol, flicks off the safety catch and points it at my head. He says almost sorrowfully, "Do you imagine me to be a gangster, Mr
. Braddock?”

It is January 2005 and the charred remains of two Europeans have been discovered on the Thai island of Samui.

Local Police Chief Charoenkul, sidelined by his superiors, enlists the reluctant David Braddock, a burnt-out private detective, to assist in an 'unofficial' investigation.

But Braddock has problems of his own, including his affair with the same Police Chief's wife ...

Peppered with irreverent humour and some pithy comments on everyday life in the Land of Smiles,
Everyone Burns
is much more than a crime novel. It is also a carefully-crafted psychological study of an anti-hero for our time.

Everyone Burns
is the first book in John Dolan’s
Time, Blood and Karma
series.

A POISON TREE

“You kill my wife and I’ll kill yours.” You must admit, as a proposition, it has an alluring symmetry to it.

It is 1999, and as the Millennium approaches, old certainties wither. For family man, David Braddock, his hitherto predictable world is undergoing a slow collapse. The people closest to him seem suddenly different. As desires and aspirations tangle around each other like parasite stems, betrayal is in the air.

And so is murder.

Fans of Braddock will finally learn the sequence of events that drove him into exile in Asia, while for new readers,
A Poison Tree
is the perfect introduction to the
Time, Blood and Karma
series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Makes a living by travelling, talking a lot and sometimes writing stuff down. Galericulate author, polymath and occasional smarty-pants.”

John Dolan hails from a small town in the North-East of England. Before turning to writing, his career encompassed law and finance. He has run businesses in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. He and his wife Fiona currently divide their time between Thailand and the UK.

You can follow John’s ramblings on Twitter
@JohnDolanAuthor

or see his
website

or see his Author Page on
Amazon
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Goodreads
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Smashwords