What is that saying about the eyes being the windows to the soul? The source would not come to me, so I just watched her enter and scan the room for Thad, all without staring at her. I wanted to stare at her. She was quite striking. A compact, shapely, attractive, athletic Asian woman with deadly eyes. Not my daily sighting.
The hostess brought her back to Thaddeus’ table where he was busy slurping his drink. I watched to see if he would do the polite thing and stand when the woman approached. The only movement he made was the tilting of his glass to his lips for another slurp. The list of reasons why I did not like the man was growing quickly. The word lout came to mind, as in oaf.
I interrupted my loathing of Thad to scan the room for anyone who might be watching her closely. I was thinking that her twin associates might be lurking nearby. I spotted nothing out of the ordinary. She appeared to be alone. Yin and Yang must have had other work to do.
The hostess pulled out the chair for the lady in the colorful, flowing garments and she sat down.
“Water please,” she said to the waitress who had approached just as the hostess had walked away.
“I would have preferred Thai cuisine,” she said.
“It’s all Asian. What difference does it make?” Thaddeus said to her.
The meeting of East and West was off to a great start.
39
I slowed my food consumption while Thaddeus and Sai waited on their orders to arrive. I thought it interesting that she ordered the same dish I was enjoying. Thaddeus had managed to insult the restaurant by asking if they had anything American. He finally ordered some mixture of beef and rice along with a few vegetables on the side. Americana at its best.
I continued my surveillance around the restaurant just as a precaution. I accomplished this through some methodical bites and chews, once allowing my napkin to slide accidentally to the floor, and a few diminutive stretching gestures without trying to call attention to myself. I needed to be as sure as I could be that Sai was here alone. I didn’t want the twins showing up unnoticed. Stuff like that could be bad for my health. Since I had never seen Sai’s associates, and since Rogers had yet to inform me of their precise association, I had to assume that the pair sometimes traveled with her when she was negotiating for Phueng Pen-Chan. My assumption being that she was in fact negotiating for this underworld kingpin of Thailand.
No sighting of two menacing Thai men. Nothing on the horizon to create angst for me.
The only sounds coming through my tiny ear piece was Thaddeus slurping his Daiquiri. Sai was not slurping her drink.
“How much do you want?” she said.
“Two billion,” he said.
“I will need to see what we are buying,” she said.
“You’ll need a computer.”
“I have a device with me. Let me have the drive.”
Without turning my head to directly observe, I could tell that Thad slid an object from his side of the table toward Sai. I guessed the object to be the flash drive.
I observed Sai intermittently as she removed a small hand-held device from somewhere under her large, colorful cape. I imagined that she inserted the flash drive into the device. Some clicking sounds were detected by my hidden mic. The three of us waited in silence for whatever was to happen next; silence, that is, except for Thad’s chomping noises. I watched him raise his Daiquiri glass once more. More slurping. His dining habits were hard to bear.
“What is that thing?” Thaddeus said to Sai.
“Cutting edge technology,” she answered.
“If you say so. I’ve never seen anything like it, so I reckon it to be cutting edge, as you say,” Thaddeus said in a condescending tone.
It sounded like he was talking with his mouth full of food.
I heard more clicking noises. My listening device was quite the efficient little gizmo. I will have tell Diamond that her gift came in handy. Little gizmo is about as technical as I get despite my prowess with building computers. One would think that I was a sister-geek. Not so.
“I need that drive back,” he said.
“It is what I am buying.”
“Precisely. So, until I see the money, let me have it,” he said.
“The money is already in your account.”
“What?” he said, as if genuinely surprised.
One of his utensils fell against his plate. Normally I would say a fork, but in Thaddeus’ case, I wasn’t certain of that.
“Am I simply to believe you? And how did you know my account number?”
“We know quite a lot about you, Mr. Wilkerson,” she said. “Your banking information was an easy thing to acquire.”
“You put two billion dollars into my bank account?” His voice was elevated slightly.
“Do not be absurd, Mr. Wilkerson. That would send what you refer to as a red flag to the wrong people. We put $200,000 into your account. It is our good faith down payment, nothing more. We thought you might want the remainder to be placed in a more secretive account somewhere else,” she said. “You have more than one of those secretive accounts. Just tell us which one you prefer.”
Thaddeus put his Daiquiri down on the table harder than necessary. Some of it sloshed out.
“You got that right, lady. You people have some nerve.”
“You know nothing about my nerve, as you say. The money in your bank account is merely to inform you of our intent to purchase. We will honor this exchange and the amount you have requested. When do you want the final payment?”
“When do you plan on taking the flash drive?” he said.
I took the moment to look directly at Sai and saw a smile cross her face. It was her first expression of any sort outside of her formal demeanor when she had entered and sat down.
“I already have the flash drive, Mr. Wilkerson.”
“You don’t think I could take it back from you?” he tried to sound threatening.
“I do not. At any rate, the flash drive leaves this restaurant with me,” she said.
“Not unless I have the rest of the money. You sound so tough for a woman. I will not let you walk out of here without the rest of that two billion.”
“So, the answer to my question of when is that you want the final payment now.”
He hesitated. I don’t think Thaddeus was quite anticipating her calmness as well as her offer. It was obvious to me that he was not used to dealing with people of her caliber. For my money, he was over his head. I was beginning to think I was over mine as well.
“How can you give me that much money right now?”
I decided it was a bad idea for me to stare at her, so I could only occasionally glimpse what was taking place at their table. The microphone picked up some movement and noises. I think she removed the flash drive and put it in a pocket somewhere on her person. She was not a large woman – taller than many Asian women were, but yet trim while being muscular. I guessed that daily workouts were not alien to her. Since I saw no other movements of retrieval by Sai, I decided that the device she had used for verifying the flash drive and its contents was the same device she intended to utilize for the transfer of the balance they intended to pay.
“Give me the name of the bank and the number of the account. I will transfer the funds while you finish your meal.”
I punched in the numbers for Rogers quickly.
Clicking sounds entered my ears. I looked up briefly to see that she was typing something into the device. Shrewd detective that I am, I finally deduced that she was using a very small computer. Very.
Thaddeus slid a piece of paper across the table to her.
“It will take a few minutes. Perhaps you should order another Daiquiri,” she said.
Observant lady since she had entered the restaurant after he had already ordered. How did she know it was a daiquiri?
Rogers answered. I held the phone close to my mouth so I could whisper into it.
“Sai is using a small computer device and in the process of transferring money in
to one of Thad’s accounts. I need you to quickly find that account.”
“Since you are likely whispering and not hoarse, I shall conclude that you are in a place where you need to be circumspect with your voice.”
“You’re so smart,” I said. “Please hurry. We can’t miss this opportunity.”
I waited for Rogers to work her magic while Sai and Thad waited for their transaction to finish. Wilkerson ordered another drink. Bourbon, on the rocks this time. His stress was showing. He required a stiffer drink.
I could only guess that her mini-portable device had a small screen which permitted her to actually examine the 3D hologram from the flash drive. Without that, I doubt that she would be willing to give him anything, to say nothing of the one point something billion. Yikes. Technology was zooming along even while I was just sitting and listening. Imagine that. And they didn’t even know about my Rogers yet.
I finished my last bite of egg roll and downed the final swallows of my tea. I was probably as nervous as Thaddeus was. Maybe more so. I did not want him to get his hands on that money.
“Anything yet?” I spoke softly into my phone.
“I’m on it.”
“I know that. I meant do you have the active account which is being used at the moment for that transfer of funds?”
“I know what you meant. And yes, I have the account.”
“And?”
“And what? Don’t rush me, honey-child. These things take skill, superb timing, tricky maneuvers. Some things cannot be rushed into like the proverbial bull in that jewelry shop.”
“China shop,” I corrected.
“Same difference. Just hang on,” Rogers said as if to encourage and chastise me.
I drank more tea and waited. No conversation was happening at Thad and Sai’s table. I wanted to observe them visually, but I dared not. While Thad was not the cautiously aware individual, Sai was likely on the other end of the spectrum from him – ever alert, furtive, and highly intuitive. I had a healthy regard for her chiefly because I considered her a worthy adversary. Unlike Thaddeus Wilkerson.
“It is almost completed,” Sai said to her table companion. “You are anxious.”
“I’m not anxious, little lady,” he grunted and downed his bourbon.
He was lying. Even I knew he was anxious. I could hear the ice shifting in his drink each time he had picked it up and taken a swig. He was now shaking the ice around inside his empty glass. The ice clanking noise came through my bug multiple times while we all waited on the transfer to be completed.
“Your steady consumption of the bourbon belies your answer” she said. “And call me ‘little lady’ once more and I will cut out your tongue and put it on your plate before you have opportunity to voice verbal opposition or anxiety.”
I smiled. She was something else. I doubted that Thaddeus had ever encountered anyone quite like her.
“I didn’t mean any offense. Just an expression,” he said, offering a mild apology.
Well, that surprised me.
He rattled the ice cubes some more.
“I know your language and your expressions. I do not like many of them. And I do not like you. The only reason I will not kill you is that Phueng Pen-Chan would be displeased with that at this time. But if you continue to insult me, then I will make an exception to my restraint and take my chances with Phueng Pen-Chan.”
The last sentence probably registered with Wilkerson. Evidently his lack of good manners was displeasing to her. I could imagine another possible scenario where I might be willing to join her in ridding the world of his presence. That being said, I was enjoying the verbal skirmish ongoing at their table. At least I was enjoying her side of the conversation.
“Talk to me while we wait on this to go in a favorable way,” I whispered to Rogers.
“Okay. Talk about what?”
“Tell me what you have on the Thai twins.”
“You assume.”
“I rely upon your rapid processor,” I said.
“Kamol works for the Royal Thai Mint apparently utilizing both his accounting and banking expertise to help his country. No trail from him to the crime figure, Pen-Chan. He seems to be a good egg.”
“What is his connection to Sai Leekpai?”
“That took some clever digging on my part. I surprised even myself and that’s hard to do.”
“Tell me now or I will come home and shoot you.”
“Methinks you do not like this waiting. Your anxiety level is much too high. At any rate, Sai and the twins are siblings.”
Wow. Explains a lot about associations and things. While I pondered, some indiscernible noises in my ear from my tiny microphone interrupted my thoughts.
“The transfer is complete,” Sai said after a moment or two.
“Good. Now let me verify,” Thad said. “I want to be certain about all of this. That’s a lotta money.”
I could hear him punching numbers. I figured he was using his cell. Unlikely that Sai would hand him her device to use.
“Wilkerson here,” he said.
Pause.
“Yeah, I know. But I need you to verify a transaction.”
Pause.
“Me, too. But apparently they made up their minds before they had arrived.”
Hesitation. It seemed that he was punching in some numbers, perhaps a code that only he would know.
“Yeah. I’ll wait.”
Long pause.
“I’ll know something in a moment,” he said to Sai in a different voice.
“I will wait,” she answered in her formal tone. It was the only tone she had used with Thaddeus Wilkerson except when she had threatened him earlier. I had detected a little more passion in her voice when she had enlightened him regarding her disdain for him.
“Why not sit down?” Thad said.
He must’ve been talking to Sai at this point. Duh.
“I will stand,” she said.
I had not noticed that at some point Sai Leekpai had stood up while Wilkerson was waiting on confirmation of the deposit into his account. Now I knew why Rogers was being so slow on the uptake in terms of stealing the money. Good thing she was several steps ahead of me.
“Okay. Great. Good to hear. Yeah, soon,” Wilkerson spoke into his cell.
“Okay, little…,” he stopped abruptly, and then continued, “… ah, Miss Sai. Our business is concluded here. You have the device and we have the money.”
“Our business, yes. Concluded, as you say,” she said as she turned away from him. She left him as quickly as she had entered several minutes earlier.
Wilkerson stood and watched her walk out of the restaurant.
I was comfortable now turning and watching as Wilkerson moved towards the exit and left.
“Tell me you have the money,” I said to Rogers. I decided it was best if I keep whispering due to my surroundings.
“Not yet, precious. Not yet.”
40
I was on my way to my vehicle while still on the phone with Rogers. I had retrieved my tiny microphone from the napkin basket when the coast was clear. While doing that, I had noticed that Thaddeus had not left a tip on the table. I couldn’t bear the man and his multiple character flaws. I pulled a ten dollar bill from my pocket and put it on the side of the table where Sai had been sitting. I wasn’t going to give old Thad any kind of credit for my generosity.
“What’s taking so long to steal that money?” I said in haste as I hurried towards the truck.
“It’s a lot of money,” she answered.
“But this is an electronic transaction,” I said.
“Of several bytes,” she countered.
“We can’t lose that money,” I said.
“You sound winded and hurried,” Rogers said, obviously changing the subject.
“Be careful,” she said and was off the line.
I decided to let Rogers handle that since I had absolutely no control over whatever it was she was doing and had to do. Anxiety reigned
supreme with me despite my willingness to let her do what she knew to do.
I was now back in the truck and had moved it to a side street about a block away from the Banana Leaves Asian Restaurant and Sushi Bar. I waited to see if either of my suspects would appear after I had lost sight of them when they had exited. Something told me that one of them was still around. I am, if anything, highly intuitive.
While I still anxiously waited on Rogers, I reviewed the conversation between Sai Leekpai and Mr. Wilkerson, and the phone conversation he had had with some unnamed person. While on the phone, he had used the plural nominative case. He said we. Maybe he had been talking to the bank or maybe he had been speaking to one of his associates.
Being a super sleuth of superior mind, I deduced that despite the demise of Jeffrey Durant, Thaddeus Wilkerson yet had a partner in this business deal with Thailand. Michael Salzburg’s name surfaced yet again. Maybe I was truly on to something. Maybe there were others as well. And maybe he was not the head honcho in this scheme to sell such a novel device for imprinting Thai currency to a crime syndicate in Bangkok. In fact, I would be slack-jawed amazed if he were the brains of the outfit. Gray matter was not his strong suit.
While I pondered the escalating developments in this investigation, Sai Leekpai passed in front of my truck several yards away. She was walking briskly, moving from left to right from my vantage. She was alone. I waited to see if anyone might join her such as some larger-than-fiction twins doubling as bodyguards. No one appeared. Evidently she needed no such protection. Or they were occupied elsewhere.
I exited the truck and walked quickly to the street where I had seen her pass moments earlier. She was now a couple of blocks from me. She turned into an alley and disappeared … again.
I waited on Rogers to confirm my hopeful heist scheme. No word came.
Out Jumps Jack Death: A Clancy Evans Mystery (Clancy Evans PI Book 8) Page 21
