“Yuki-san stayed in Vietnam after the Japanese defeat,” said Beer, also in Vietnamese. “He fought with the Viet Minh against the French. He ingratiated himself with Uncle Ho and was given a plot of land and a wife. He now has three children.”

“How do you know all this?” Siri asked.

“I tell him,” said Yuki-san. “Walking here.”

“So you aren’t old friends?”

“We just met at the market,” said Beer. “But I get the feeling it wasn’t a coincidence. Your purpose in Thakhek hasn’t gone unnoticed, Doctor.”

“So, Yuki-san, according to the official Japanese documents, Kangen Toshimado, alias Hiro Uenobu, was not involved in the establishment of a Japanese base in Thakhek. How do you explain that?”

“Hiro come before the other,” said Yuki-san. “Him and his unit. They come before records start. Japanese army specially want major general to come first to show important of Thakhek. Hiro come with him plus six or seven other men.”

“I can’t tell you what good news that is,” said Siri. “I wish my wife was here to enjoy this happy moment with me. Can you confirm any other names in Hiro’s unit? Captain Jame, Second Lieutenant Tetsukimo, Corporal Yatsusuki?”

“I don’t know,” said Yuki-san. “Only know Major Hiro and Major General Dorari. I deal direct with this two.”

“What were you doing here?” Siri asked.

“I come many time from Cochin. I was engineer. I plan the road from Hòa Bình in Vietnam to Paksane in central Laos.”

“What was he like, Major Hiro?”

“He was kind and lovely man. Everybody like him. I like him. We are like brother.”

“And he was a pilot before coming south?” asked Siri.

“He don’t like to talk about past life.”

Siri was keen to sit down for the afternoon and hear what Yuki-san knew about Hiro. But first, as Beer had said, this visit could not have been a coincidence.

“Why did you come to town?” Siri asked.

“To see you,” said Yuki-san. “Friends in Thakhek send a message to me. They say a doctor is looking for my old friend Hiro. I live in mountain with my family. I have no . . . what do you say? No resources to seek for Hiro. For many year I wonder where is Hiro? Where is Hiro? I want to see him. Drink with him. Talk about his life, my life.”

“Did he also join the Viet Minh?” Siri asked.

“He leave the Japanese army and he join the Free Lao. Same enemy. Different country.”

“There’s a diary,” said Siri. “Hiro’s diary but in it he calls himself Toshi. Have you seen it?”

“No.”

“He keeps his diary until August 1945. Some pages before that are missing. These are the weeks before the Japanese surrender. Do you have any idea what he might have written there?”

“I don’t know this diary.”