“Thanks, Jack. Good evening San Francisco. I’m so happy to be back in the Bay Area and able to rejoin my family here at KTVU. Many of you remember me from the morning news before I left for sunny Orlando. Well, I’ve returned, and let me just say, I missed this wonderful city and its people.”
As she continued to blather about how wonderful everything was, all I could think about was how unfair things were right at that moment. It seemed as though that woman had infiltrated every part of my life. It was bad enough that I had to endure Kang’s constant babbling about how wonderful she was, and of course, have to endure the occasional yet sickening run-in, but now she was part of my favorite news program, the one I fell asleep to most nights, drifting off to the calm and reassuring voice of the handsome and debonair Jack Archer.
And now that cackling she-devil ruined it. I would need to find another news channel. I couldn’t stomach having to look at her nightly. And that pissed me off. Why doesn’t she go find some other news family?
She went on and on about her stupid return, as if it had miraculously lifted the entire Bay Area out of a depression caused by her absence. Did Orlando get sick of you and give you the boot?
As I walked back to the bathroom, I swear her eyes followed me. It was like she knew I was listening and relished the opportunity to taunt me from my television set.
Chapter 12
Kang and I arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport two and a half days later. We deplaned the aircraft a little after midnight and found ourselves in a modern terminal awash with other recent arrivals sporting tired eyes. Apparently, a lot of international fights arrive in Bangkok from 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Reilly had already warned us that there would be no Thai congregation to meet us at the airport. Fine by me; I didn’t need someone to hail us a cab and tell the driver what hotel we were staying at.
Rather than follow the crowd, Kang, of course, immediately went to a map on a wall to try to determine where we were and where we needed to go to pass through immigration and collect our luggage.
“Nuh-uh,” I said. “Follow me.” I then got in step with the others from our plane. A hundred-plus travelers can’t all be heading in the wrong direction, right?
Getting lost wasn’t something I wanted. I hadn’t slept well on the plane, thanks to Kang’s just-loud-enough-to-keep-me-up-but-not-the-others-around-us snoring. All I could think of at the time was falling face first on a clean bed. There’s nothing quite like the perfectly short-lived sensation of cool sheets pressed against naked skin.
We were booked into the Landmark Plaza Hotel on Sukhumvit Road. The travel agent that handled my department’s travel arrangements had said it was a central area and would make moving about the city easy. I had taken her word for it, but now I was rethinking things as the cab turned onto the main strip and started its slow crawl to our hotel.
The sidewalks were busy with groups of men and scantily clad women hanging on to them. Neon lights flashed above crowded bars that featured more of the same. Hawkers selling trinkets and food complemented the lively nighttime crowd.
Kang summed up my thoughts pretty well. “Are we staying in the red-light district?”
“Apparently.”
While popular with tourists and business travelers, it turns out the Landmark was also within walking distance of Nana Plaza, what the front desk clerk would later tell us was a “fun and lively entertainment center.”
After checking in, Kang Googled the place on his mobile. “Go-go bar central with a good mix of women and ladyboys.”
“Ladyboys?”
“Yeah. They’re men that dress like women, only these men really look like women, and most people can’t really—”
“I know what they are. I’m just surprised that this ‘entertainment’ plaza is in a largely touristic area.” I then answered myself, realizing why a lot of men come to Thailand: sun and fun.
Kang’s insistence that we step out and sample some readily available street food steered me away from heading up to my room. He didn’t need to try very hard to deter me after he’d said the magic word: food. What can I say? I like to eat.
We left our bags with the front desk and stepped back out into the steamy night. Even though it was closing in on three in the morning, the heat was very apparent, and the humidity latched onto me creating a stickiness I knew I would have to live with the entire time we were in Thailand.
Looking up and down Sukhumvit, I spied a steady stream of partiers on both sides of the road. Kang led me past a bar on wheels parked on the sidewalk. In front of it were five bar stools, two occupied by women who were smiling at Kang as we passed. A large grin appeared on his face.
Apparently, one of the women saw that as an open invitation, grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her. He didn’t appear to be putting up much of a fight. He must have forgotten about his girlfriend, Sushi, or whatever her stupid name was. Regardless, it was too good to pass up. I slowed my pace and hung back, giving the impression that we weren’t together. Let the show begin.
Within seconds, she had locked her legs around Kang’s torso, her grasp tight. Not that he fought it. She grabbed his hand and playfully entwined her fingers between his. He giggled like a shy boy who was about to get to first base for the very first time. Men—they’re so predictable.
“What your name?” she asked with a heavy accent.
“Kyle,” he said as he looked down, intimidated by the aggressive eye contact she delivered. He had completely forgotten about me. I hoped so, anyway; I sure as hell wouldn’t have been embarrassing myself like that in front of a coworker, but I digress. Back to the show.
Within seconds, Kang had been reduced to a puppet willing to do the bidding of whatever that woman wanted. Build me a house. Okay. Buy me that diamond bracelet. Okay. Take me on a trip. Okay. Support my entire extended family. Okay... Oh, Kyle, please don’t make me save you from this situation.
Her childlike questioning continued. “Where you from?”
“San Francisco.”
“California,” she cheered.
“That’s right. Wow, you’re smart.”
Smart? Puh-lease. That’s basic geography.
“You come for holiday or work?”
“I’m here for work.”
Her grasp tightened. “How long you stay in Thailand?”
“I’m not sure.”
She reached up to play with his chin and batted her eyelashes. “You buy me drink?”
“Uh, I’m not sure—”
“Why, baby? I not beautiful for you?”
“No, of course you’re beautiful, very beautiful.”
The show got more entertaining by the second. I had made myself comfortable on a low wall by then, delighted that Kang had insisted we get something to eat. I pulled out my phone and started snapping pictures should his memory falter and need a refresher.
Kang succumbed to her request for a drink, not even once turning to see if I had stuck around. She sipped the colored liquid in the rocks glass while her other hand played with the buttons on the front of his shirt. As much as I wanted to see how this show would play out, I couldn’t ignore my rumbling stomach. I stood, ready to break up the party, when the unexpected happened.
The woman leaned in, and her voice dropped to a deep baritone. “You like ladyboy?”
The look on Kang’s face was priceless. I swear he fought harder to escape her grasp then he had a few weeks ago when we were fighting our way out of the underground tunnels of Chinatown.
Laughter erupted from my mouth as I watched him swat her arms off of him and shimmy himself out of her now noticeably muscular thighs; her dress had ridden up in the struggle.
Tears poured from my eyes. My abs ached as I struggled to find a break in my uncontrollable wailing to catch my breath. I dropped to the ground on my hands and knees in a fit worthy of an Oscar for Best Laughing Performance. I snorted like a pig, batted my hand against my thigh. Heck, I think I may have even peed myself a l
ittle right there on the sidewalk. I had lost complete control, and I didn’t care because I had not laughed that hard since, well, ever.
“Abby! Abby!”
I heard the words coming out of his mouth, but I couldn’t stop. I looked up, glassy-eyed. A red-faced Kang stood over me.
“Seriously?” He reached down and tried to pick me up by my arm, but I was limp with laughter. Eventually, I composed myself long enough to get to my feet and walk crookedly away from the bar. “Oh my God,” I gasped, trying to regain my breath. “Your face! ‘You like ladyboy?’” I hung on his arm to keep my balance as I dissolved into laughter again.
Over our meal, he glared at me as he picked at his grilled squid. Apparently, my random fits of mouth-covered snorts between bites of my som tam had ruined his appetite.
After we parted for the night, I giggled myself to sleep. No matter what happened from that point on, that night had made the whole trip worth it. And it would continue to entertain for at least two more years.
Chapter 13
The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed slowly, thinking it felt like seconds ago that I had lain on my pillow. My wake-up call had come through on my cell. A woman’s voice I didn’t recognize and had trouble understanding started to have a conversation with me. I tried to clear the sleep from my head and follow what the woman was saying. “What?”
The person on the other end had a strong accent and ended every phrase by saying, “Ka.” I sat up, hoping it would help with deciphering her words. No such luck. It probably didn’t help that I didn’t have nearly enough sleep.
After multiple attempts to understand this woman, I finally heard some rustling on the other end of the line and then the clear and upbeat voice of a man.
“Agent Abby Kane?”
“Yes. Whom am I speaking to?”
“My name is Songwut Soppipat.”
“What?” Here we go again.
“Detective Songwut Soppipat. But you can call me Artie. It’s a lot easier.”
“I’m sorry… Is it Detective Artie?”
“Yes, but you can lose the ‘Detective.’ Artie is fine.”
“I’m usually not this difficult.”
“It’s not a problem. I’m sure your flight arrived late last night. They all do.”
“It did. Thanks for understanding.”
“I’m calling because I’ll be your contact while you and your partner are here in Thailand. I’d like to meet as soon as possible, as I was just informed of your arrival earlier this morning. I’m eager to hear more about your intentions here.”
<><><>
After I hung up with the detective, I called Kang and told him we were sitting down with our Thai contact in an hour. I met up with him in the lobby a little later, and we proceeded to the Starbucks across the street from the hotel to wait for Artie.
“I’ll get us something to drink,” Kang said and moved toward the counter.
I looked for an empty table and sat. I was rummaging through my purse, looking for my tin of loose-leaf tea, when from the corner of my right eye I noticed that a man had appeared next to me.
“Agent Kane?” he asked softly.
“Yes, that’s me.” I looked up at a Thai man with a pleasant smile. I had expected the detective to be dressed in a suit; instead, he wore a white polo shirt and cargo pants and a holstered weapon sat on his hip out in the open. It made sense considering the conditions outside the air-conditioned coffee shop. He appeared fit and wore his hair tight on the side with an inch of gelled spikes on top.
“I’m Songwut Soppipat—Artie.” He stuck out his hand.
I stood in an attempt to give him a proper greeting, but he quickly told me to sit. I shook his hand and returned a smile. I watched him pull up another chair, flip it around and take a seat.
“There are two of you, right?” he said. His eyes wandered.
“Yes. My partner, Detective Kyle Kang, he’s with the San Francisco Police Department. See the tall guy getting coffee?” I motioned with my head. “Can I get you a cup?” I quickly offered.
He shook his head. “Thanks, but I had one earlier.”
When Kang returned, I made the necessary introductions. The three of us then stared at each other for a moment before I took the lead.
“Artie, if you could tell us what you know, it would help me fill in the blanks without repeating things you’ve already heard.”
Artie nodded and told us what he knew, which wasn’t much. The way Reilly had spoke back at the Bureau, it sounded like the Royal Thai Police had been fully briefed. All Artie knew was that we had come to Thailand on a hunch that a suspect in a murder investigation might be hiding out in Bangkok, and that we wanted to work alongside Thai authorities to determine if it were true.
“Well, there’s a lot more to that story.” I quickly brought Artie up to speed on Chasing Chinatown.
“Playing the game led you to Bangkok?” Artie asked, scrunching his brow.
“Not only that, we have reason to believe that someone is currently playing the game in Bangkok.” I had brought my laptop with me to the shop but wasn’t sure if it was the best place to reveal the game. I looked around and saw a table in the far back left-hand corner of the coffee shop, away from wandering eyes, and suggested we move.
Things clicked fast for Artie as I walked him through the screens: the cities, the Attractions, the leaderboard.
“And each Attraction requires they kill a person?”
“Pretty much,” I said with a shrug. “Once the player cracks the riddle for each Attraction, they receive a task. It requires that they make a creative kill, one that ties into the spirit of said task, which we believe is always associated with something popular in the city. The player uploads a picture or video as proof to unlock the next Attraction.”
“And once they’ve completed all of them, it unlocks a new city.”
“Correct.”
Artie leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. His face tightened as the information I had fed him sunk in. I had seen this look before on the faces of those I’d previously briefed.
“So you’re sure we have one of these individuals in Bangkok?”
I pulled up the leaderboard again. “According to the game, yes. What I can’t tell you is if it’s one person, a team, or more.”
“This is the person or the persons you’re after?”
“Your department was briefed earlier in the week about this situation and the possibility that a serial killer might be on the loose in Bangkok. I’m guessing you heard of no such thing.”
Artie shook his head. “Sorry, I haven’t. Bureaucracy,” he offered. “So are you here to help us catch this person or persons?”
“Not necessarily. We’re after the mastermind behind the game, but we believe our only shot at finding this person is to continue playing the game as Team Carlson—the killers we put an end to back in San Francisco. Their next destination was Bangkok.”
Artie picked at his thumbnail for a moment before looking back at Kang and me. “You mentioned that the kills are usually tied into something that is representative of the city.”
“That’s right.”
“Well, I think our killer has already struck.”
Chapter 14
“Som tam?” I said, crinkling my brow.
“You probably know this dish by its other name: green papaya salad,” Artie said.
It clicked. “Yup, I know that dish.”
“Human som tam would be in line with the game play we’ve seen so far,” Kang said. “Sounds like the Creeper is active.”
“The Creeper?” Artie perked up.
“According to the leaderboard, that’s the name of the individual or individuals playing the game in Bangkok: Team Creeper.”
“You find the body yet?” I asked.
“Not yet, but the medical examiner said there’s a chance the victim could still be alive. The amount of human flesh found in the dish wasn’t enough to signify certain deat
h.”
“I guess the killer could be keeping his victims alive,” I pondered. “The game doesn’t necessarily call for a kill. But I think whoever offered up the flesh is probably dead.”
Artie nodded in agreement. “I’m still a little confused on how we’re supposed to go about catching this guy. Am I on my own now?”
“I’ve been thinking about that all morning,” I said. “I think it’s better if we work together. My hunch is that the Attractions are the same for all teams that come to Bangkok. So when we start playing the game, one of our tasks should be in line with the human som tam. The sooner we start, the faster we can catch up and hopefully nab Team Creeper.”
“What about the mastermind?” Artie asked.
I shrugged. “All we can do is play the game, learn and hope that leads us to him.”
Artie suggested we have a look at the crime scene while he continued to fill us in on his case. We piled into a cab and arrived at the Happy Time massage shop fifteen minutes later.
“This is soi twenty-two. It’s a popular place for tourist, many hotels, bars, and massage shops.”
He wasn’t kidding. In the area where we exited the cab, I counted four small bars and five massage parlors.
Happy Time had floor-to-ceiling windows that occupied the storefront, giving us a clear view inside to the six oversized and very comfy chairs used for foot massages. Outside the shop sitting on plastic stools were five young women dressed in yellow polo shirts and black pants. They were doing their best to entice the passing men to come inside for an oil massage.
I turned to Kang with a coy smile on my face and whispered, “Want to try your luck again?”
He only shook his head at me before looking away to observe the area. I stifled a giggle.
“This way,” Artie motioned.
We followed him a few feet to the left of the shop. We stopped in front of a miniature, ornate temple on a pedestal. “This is a san phra phum or spirit house. You’ll see them all over Thailand—outside office buildings and condos, near parks, inside stores, even in bars. Spirit houses show respect for the land. Thai people believe every place has a special spirit, and these little temples are like a shelter or gathering spot for them. Offerings are made daily to keep the spirits happy so they can grant wishes. Usually people make offerings in the form of flowers, candles, incense, and food.”
Lumpini Park (Abby Kane FBI Thriller - Chasing Chinatown Trilogy Book 2) Page 4
