“Archer could have been helpful, but I’ve been out here long enough to know that something’s holding him back. Probably internal politics inside the embassy, if I had to guess. But he’ll still be useful, Professor. If the embassy gets any third-party reports from out in town, he’ll be our fire wall. They’ve been briefed in on what we’re up to, more or less. I didn’t mention General Duncan’s name, but they know that we have support at some level at Cinc Pac, which should slow them down. So even if Archer doesn’t help us directly, he’ll keep them from filing a bunch of diplomatic cables asking what the hell we’re doing.”

“You do know Bangkok,” nodded an impressed Muir.

“Yes, I do,” agreed Condley, rising from his seat.

“So we won’t see Archer again?” asked Muir as they headed toward the restaurant door.

“If we call, he’ll come,” said Condley. “But they’ve basically kissed us off for now. They’ve got their hands full with other problems, and they think we’re on a hopeless ghost chase. So they’ll leave us alone.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY

Ted Simolzak was a man of routines. He worked out with weights and on a treadmill every morning at the Oriental Hotel’s exercise club. He kept meticulously regular work hours, operating a successful business as a private investigator from an office with two secretaries who made detailed lists of his calls and carefully filed his correspondence. He lunched every noon at the Royal Yacht Club, methodically rotating his guests to ensure continuing access to information and power. He kept no less than two and no more than three young Thai girlfriends, even now that he had passed the age of fifty, always treating the women well, even mentoring them in their professional desires, but never allowing any of them close enough for a truly serious relationship. In late afternoons he liked to treat his favorite clients and sources to tea or drinks at the Regent Hotel, where he had become a semifamous regular in the luxurious outer lobby.