“Sure. At the consulate we don’t have an agenda anymore. But we have discretionary funds. We have a green light to help with education and the arts. No offence, but there aren’t that many cultural activities going on right now. Your movie would qualify. What do you think?”

Cindy was invited to participate in the second production meeting that afternoon, and they came up with a budget that wouldn’t break the State Department. They had a late lunch together except for Civilai, whose weight seemed to be dripping off him like wax from a temple candle. He settled for water. Bruce offered to take Cindy back to the consulate in the Willys jeep he’d picked up for next to nothing. They could see his pilot light burning just by being around her. He wasn’t the best-looking young man to have fallen for her but he had ambition and a sense of humor. She seemed to like him. She screamed as the jeep left the ground and hit the empty road.

Which left Siri, Daeng and Civilai to go over the contents of the letter.

“Bruce didn’t believe for a second it was fiction,” said Daeng. “We might have to include him in on this.”

“I doubt he imagined his return to Laos would be as full of excitement as it’s turning out to be,” said Siri. “Beautiful blondes and death threats.”

“The question is,” said Civilai, “when do we start to take it all seriously?”

“As you’ll be the first to go,” said Siri, “I suggest we stake you out over there beside the road like a house bantam and wait to see what bites you.”

“Right,” said Daeng, “we lie in wait and catch him in the act of whatever horror he has planned for you.”

“I don’t feel much peer support in this venture,” said Civilai. “Have you alerted Phosy?”

“His people are going through the journalist files you left with me,” said Siri. “We don’t exactly have anyone at Interpol, so we can’t verify that they’ve all told the truth in their CVs. But he sent copies to all the embassies and asked them to do background checks. They have no obligation to comply.”

“I’m not sure I understand the letter,” said Civilai. “What is all that about cogs and clocks?”

“My interpretation is that he’s already set in motion whatever plans he has,” said Daeng. “Either he’s already hired someone to do the nasty . . . or there’s a bomb in the basement on a timer,” said Siri. “Luckily, we haven’t got a basement.”

“What if it’s a riddle,” said Civilai. “What if there are clues in his notes that will allow us to stop the ticking clock?”