At the roadside, Adriana stopped and faced John, her eyes almost level with his. John didn’t know whether it was the effect of the gin, but as he gazed into the hazel and gold-flecked pools of her eyes, he felt like abandoning all his fears and diving right in.
“Thank you, John. I’ve had a wonderful night.”
John swallowed. “Yes, so did I, thank you.”
They stood in awkward silence for a moment, not sure what to do next.
“Well.” Adriana cleared her throat. “I must go. I have work in the morning.”
“Will you be okay to get home?”
“Yes.” Adriana looked over at the row of taxis lined up on the opposite side of the Soi. “I’ll take a cab. There’s little traffic at this time of the night, and I live nearby. I’ll be home in minutes.”
He felt like a teenager on a first date. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do next. Should he go with her, should he kiss her?
Adriana leaned in, and her lips brushed his cheek, sending a current of electricity from below his ear down his spine. Her fingertips brushed his arm.
“Good night, John.”
John’s breath caught in his throat, and his vocal cords seemed paralyzed as she smiled and turned toward the taxis. He stood and watched as the most beautiful woman in the world crossed the road and climbed into a taxi. As the taxi’s red taillights disappeared at the end of the Soi, he finally breathed out.
“What am I doing?” he said out loud.
13
For three days John tried to push thoughts of Adriana out of his head. He ran hard every morning, swam laps of the pool in his apartment building, and caught the Metro and Sky Train to other parts of the city, keeping himself busy roaming the streets.
He was conflicted. He felt guilty about betraying the love of his life, but he couldn’t get Adriana out of his mind. When he closed his eyes, it wasn’t Charlotte he saw but Adriana—the way the lines radiated out from the corners of her eyes when she smiled, the gentle curve of her neck, the shape of her lips. John craved companionship, yearned for a female touch. He wanted someone in his life, someone who was an equal, someone he could share things with. He was lonely, and it didn’t matter how much he tried to keep himself busy, how many conversations he had with the Takraw players in the park, he needed to fill the gaping void in his life.
On the fourth day, during his morning run, he made a decision. He walked back into his apartment and into the bedroom. Picking up his phone from the bedside, he gazed down at the silver-framed photo.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte. I miss you like crazy, but I need someone in my life.”
He thumbed the phone screen and opened the messaging app. There was a message waiting.
Coffee?
Adriana was already there when John arrived, sitting in the same spot by the counter.
“Good morning,” John smiled as she turned around.
“Hi.” Adriana stood and kissed him on both cheeks, her right hand squeezing his upper arm.
John felt the now familiar tingle running down his back. John pulled out the stool and sat down, catching the eye of the barista, and nodded.
“Sorry, I ordered already,” said Adriana, stirring her iced espresso with a spoon.
“That’s okay. I’m sorry, I was running late. I took a while to cool down from my run.”
“Where do you run?”
“I usually run laps of Benjasiri Park. It’s the closest patch of green near my apartment.”
“I like it there. Sometimes, I buy fish food from the shop and feed the turtles.”
“Simple pleasures,” John grinned as his coffee arrived.
Adriana laughed. “Aren’t they the best?”
John nodded and sipped his coffee.
“How’s the article coming along?”
“I finished it yesterday. It will come out next week.”
“Will our friend Hassan be happy?”
“Of course. I told the truth. It’s a great atmosphere, the food is excellent, the music upbeat but not too loud. I couldn’t fault it.”
John nodded thoughtfully, staring at his coffee cup.
“Do you still have doubts about him?”
“Hmmm...”
John looked up and watched her face as she fiddled with the napkin in front of her.
“Well?”
“Well… maybe he’s just creepy.”
“He certainly likes you,” John grinned.
Adriana nodded and pursed her lips.
“Anyway, whatever he did in Dhaka with his factory, no-one here will be interested. But…” She picked up her coffee, looked at it, and put it down again. Turning to John, she said, “When I went to his house, he had a maid who wasn’t Thai.”
“And?”
“Well, that’s not very common here. I also think her face was bruised.”
“Yes, you mentioned before you think Hassan beats her. Maybe she had a fight at home?”
“Maybe.”
“You don't think so?”
“I don’t know. She seemed scared. My gut tells me Hassan is beating her.”
“Why do you want to get involved? Your article is done.”
Adriana nodded and looked out across the cafe.
“Yes, you’re right.” She looked back at John. “But I remember what you said the other night. How we either turn the other way and spend the rest of our life living in regret, or we take a step. If she is being beaten and I do nothing about it, what kind of person does that make me? How could I live with myself, knowing maybe, just maybe, there was something I could have done but didn’t?”
John nodded slowly. Could this woman be any more perfect?
“Okay, so let’s say he is abusing her. How are you going to find out, and how will you save her? You can’t just go up and ask him, ‘Are you beating your maid?’”
“No,” Adriana sighed. She stared off into space as she tapped a rhythm on the counter with the fingers of her right hand.
John sipped his coffee and watched her, letting her think.
She turned back with a smile.
“But I can ask the maid.”
14
Two days later John and Adriana were sitting in the window of a café, watching Hassan’s building. They had been there for an hour already, and after two coffees, John was feeling a little hyper. He couldn’t believe he was spending his time on a stakeout again. At first, he was reluctant to get involved in following someone, but any time he could spend in Adriana’s company was time well spent. The truth was, he was getting bored with his life of leisure. He had already considered moving on to another city by the time he met Adriana. There was only so much sightseeing and fitness you could do in a day, and even that soon became boring. He needed a purpose, a direction in life.
He felt Adriana’s hand on his arm.
“There she is.”
He looked out the window as a petite girl, dressed in a shalwar kameez with a cloth carry bag in her hand, walked out of the building across the road. She looked both ways, then turned left, and walked down the Soi.
“Let’s go.” Adriana tugged on his arm and stood. John fished in his pocket for change and left a handful of baht on the table, then followed her out the door.
Adriana had already set off down the Soi in pursuit of the girl, and John jogged to catch up.
“So, what’s your plan?”
“I don’t really have one.” Adriana glanced at John. “I wanted a chance to ask her a few questions away from the house.”
“Okay.” John guided her by the arm away from a broken paving slab as they continued down the Soi, keeping the girl in sight. They weaved around street vendors setting up food stalls on the roadside and ignored the invitations for foot massages from the bored ladies sitting outside the parlors.
At the end of the Soi, the girl turned right.
“She must be going to the market.”
“We better get closer. It will be easy to lose her in there.”
They increased their pace and entered the crowded market place just after her. Stalls piled high with vegetables and herbs competed for space with vendors selling large tubs of curry paste, fried snacks, and sweets made from coconut and rice flour. The smell of lemongrass and basil filled the air. A lady on the left fried quail eggs and served them with a drop of fish sauce on the yolk. A man on the right stirred a large wok of rice noodles and threw in a big handful of bean sprouts as steam rose from the wok.
John tried not to get distracted by the smell of food. He was hungry and hadn’t eaten since his morning run. Adriana tugged at his arm.
“Come on, let’s speak to her now before we lose her.” The girl had stopped at a stall and was paying for a large bunch of greens. Adriana approached her.
“Excuse me.”
The girl flinched, a look of surprise on her face. She looked at Adriana and John, her eyes darting from one to the other.
“Do you remember me?” Adriana smiled. “I came to your house last week.”
The girl nodded hesitantly.
“My name is Adriana.” She held out her hand. “This is my friend, John.”
John smiled at her, trying to put her at ease. She was obviously nervous and not sure why two Westerners were speaking to her in the market.
The girl gave a slight smile and briefly took Adriana’s hand before dropping it again.
“Do you speak English? What is your name?”
The girl looked back and forth at Adriana and John, then at the people moving past. “Amira.” Her voice was soft, hesitant and in the market’s noise, almost inaudible.
A passerby jostled John, and he moved to one side, guiding Adriana out of the way of the passing shoppers.
“Hi, Amira. Where are you from?”
Again, the girl’s eyes darted nervously. She opened her mouth but closed it again quickly. She moved to push past Adriana, but Adriana blocked her way.
“It’s okay, Amira. I just want to ask some questions. I’m here to help you.”
Amira shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. She looked at John and then back at Adriana.
“No, no.”
Pushing past Adriana, she ran off down the lane.
John and Adriana watched her disappear into the crowd.
“Well, that went well.”
“Yes,” Adriana sighed.
“Let’s get something to eat.” John patted his stomach. “I’m starving.”
“That was great.” John took a napkin from the plastic dispenser and dabbed his lips, then pushed his empty plate to the middle of the table. Taking a sip from the remains of his beer, he swirled it around in his mouth before swallowing, placing the empty glass back on the table.
“So, what are you going to do next?”
Adriana moved her noodles from one side of the plate to the other as she looked out into the crowds of people streaming past.
“I don’t know. She’s obviously scared of something.”
“Yes, she was very nervous. But wouldn’t you be in her situation? Two random Farang approach you in the market, wanting to ask you questions?”
“Maybe you’re right,” Adriana nodded thoughtfully. “I still can’t shake the feeling there is more to it. I definitely saw bruising on her face when I first met her.” She looked down at her plate, then pushed it away. “I’m worried about her, John.”
“Is there a domestic abuse helpline you can call? Maybe they could send someone around?”
“What if I’m wrong? What if I’m imagining things? Then all I’m doing is making things difficult in her workplace.”
John nodded slowly, chewing on his lip as he thought.
“Maybe you should try to speak to her again. Perhaps next time, she won’t be so scared when she sees you. I won’t come with you. It will be less threatening if you are on your own.”
“Are you bored with me already, Mr. Hayes?” Adriana teased. “Making excuses not to meet me?”
John pushed back his chair and stood. Looking down at Adriana, he grinned.
“Somehow, I feel meeting up with you will never be boring.”
15
John drained the contents of his glass and signaled to the waitress for another. He checked his watch. It was still early, and the bar was quiet. John had chosen a table tucked away in a corner where he could look out across the gardens and onto the street.
The last time he had come here was with Adriana, and he had really enjoyed himself. She was a lovely woman, and he now counted the days until he would see her again.
She had been busy since they had followed Amira into the market. They had exchanged a few messages but hadn’t met up, and John realized he was missing her. He thought back to that day in the market. The girl was scared. Maybe Adriana was onto something, but it could also be the girl didn’t know them and was nervous about being approached. Perhaps she was in the country illegally? Anyway, it wasn’t his problem.
His fresh drink arrived, and he took a sip. They really did fix a great gin and tonic. The bar was still quite empty, only a couple of tables occupied, mostly tourists sweating away in the evening heat. The heat didn’t bother John anymore. He was amazed how resilient the human body was and how quickly he had acclimatized to the tropical climate. He didn’t think he could live in a country with a climate like England’s anymore.
A movement near the entrance caught his eye, and he watched as a uniformed driver climbed out of a large black SUV with tinted windows and opened the back passenger door. A senior ranking policeman stepped out and looked up and down the street before straightening his uniform. Pinned to the left side of his chest were three rows of medal ribbons, and despite the darkness in the street outside, a pair of gold-rimmed Ray-Bans shielded his eyes. His trousers were crisply starched, his shoes highly polished, but his uniform needed an extra couple of inches of material around the mid-section. He strode inside, the haughty European girl and her clipboard following in his wake. She managed to step in front, guiding him to a table near the bar before signaling to the waitress and pointing at the table. She then walked over to a door John hadn’t noticed before, knocked, and opened the door slightly, poking her head inside. After a moment, she opened it wider, and the rotund figure of Hassan Rahman walked out. John angled his face away so he wouldn’t be seen. He didn’t feel like making polite conversation with Hassan, but he needn’t have worried, Hassan only had eyes for the policeman. He walked over, shook his hand and sat down. Hassan waved at the barman who bustled over with a bottle of champagne and an ice bucket.
John took another sip of his drink. Things were starting to look interesting. He settled back to watch, but at that moment, his phone buzzed on the table. He picked it up and looked at the screen. Adriana.
16
John climbed off the motor-cy and handed ten baht to the rubjang who pocketed it, looked over his shoulder, revved the engine, then pulled back out into the thick, slow-moving traffic.
John jogged across the pavement to the entrance of Benjasiri Park where Adriana was standing, waiting for him. She grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him inside.
“Quick, she may not have much time.”
“Who?”
“Amira. The girl we followed the other day.”
“What’s happening?”
“Well, I followed her again, but she still wouldn’t speak to me. So, I gave her my card. She called me this evening and said she would meet me, but she doesn’t have long. Hassan might come back, and if he finds she isn’t home, he will be angry.”
“Oh, okay. I just saw Hassan at Dragon, I was having a drink. I don’t think he will leave anytime soon.”
“Good. Look, there she is.” Adriana pointed to a park bench where Amira sat alone, looking out across the grass toward the fish pond.
“Amira?”
She jumped up, looked at them both nervously and nodded.
“Let’s sit.” Adriana gestured to the bench, sat down, and waited for Amira to sit beside her. There wasn’t enoug
h room for John, so he stood to the side, giving them both space.
“Amira, when I saw you at the house that day, you had a bruise on your face. Who did that to you?”
Amira shrugged and stared at the grass. She scuffed a hole with her toe.
“Was it Hassan?”
She turned and looked at Adriana and nodded.
“Has he done it before?”
She nodded again, tears welling up in her eyes.
Adriana glanced up at John, then back at Amira, taking her hand.
“Amira, we can help you. He’s not allowed to do that. We can call the police.”
“No. No.” Amira shook her head vehemently. “He will beat me.”
“Then just leave. Do you have somewhere to go?”
“No, I have no money, no papers. I have nowhere to go.”
Amira sobbed quietly, her shoulders shaking. Adriana slid over and put her arm around her, pulling her closer and hugged her.
“Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay.” She stroked Amira’s hair as tears ran down her cheeks and her body shook in silent sobs.
John looked out across the grass—the young couples sitting on blankets in the cool of the evening, the walkers and joggers taking laps of the lake, the towering apartment buildings rising up behind the park—everyone living in their own little bubbles, oblivious to the pain and struggle going on around them. He looked back at the two women sitting on the bench—the woman he was falling in love with and the young lady who was living in a world of pain. He couldn’t just stand and watch. He knelt down on the grass in front of the bench.
“Amira. Tell us what’s happening. We’ll do our best to help you and get you out of this mess.”
17
Eight Months Earlier
A New Beginning Page 4
