Cavalier had resumed part of his life in Chiang Mai and had quietly instructed a lawyer to purchase the property at Riverside Condo on the Ping River, which he had previously rented. It had excellent security and Cavalier had enhanced it with cameras and alarms. Besides that, people were not nosy or inquisitive, and he knew the area well.

In a typically Thai manner, locals were pleased to see the return of the quiet Frenchman Laurent Blanc. Even his Harley had been muffler-modified so that it made as little noise as possible. His only regret was the lack of a partner, and he thought often of the beautiful, sensual Bangkok physiotherapist Waew Ing. He had her number, but was concerned that if he made contact she might turn him into the police. She had already been interrogated by the police over the murder of Leonardo Mendez, a Mexican drug bigshot who Cavalier had been under suspicion of killing.

Cavalier fantasised over going into Waew Ing’s rooms on his next trip to Bangkok and reliving their one-night stand. But when the time came, he was preoccupied in keeping a low profile.

*

Haut rang Cavalier to tell him of the Pinkerton rejection and the warning.

‘You’d better arm yourself,’ Cavalier said.

‘I have my Bentley.’

‘A pump-action weapon is not enough.’

‘What do you suggest?’

‘An Uzi.’

‘A sub-machine gun?’

‘You must become a one-man army.’

‘You’re kidding!’

‘Conquer has taken on ragtag armies and rebels in Africa. Pinkerton is right. They won’t send a lone assassin for you. They’ll send a team.’

Haut took an audible breath.

‘An Uzi, eh?’

‘It’ll give you a chance to survive against several attackers. Your Bentley won’t.’

‘I’ve seen an Uzi in documentaries. Have you used one?’

Cavalier ignored the question and said, ‘You could defend yourself against ten attackers. It’ll take a man’s head off at ten paces.’

‘Charming!’

‘Pinkerton knows what they’re talking about. You’ll need something.’

‘Where’ll I obtain an Uzi?’

‘I’ll have Wombat send one, special delivery. The package will say, “Musical Equipment, handle with care.” You’ll receive it in a few days.’

‘You serious?’

‘It’ll be a doddle to operate for someone with your skills, after a bit of instruction.’

A few hours later, Cavalier rang Haut again.

‘I’ve arranged for Wombat to do some research for me. I’ll meet him in Bangkok in forty-eight hours. Then I’m heading to Hobart.’

‘Why?’

‘To show you how to use an Uzi.’

*

It took Cavalier nine minutes to reach Chiang Mai airport from his condo, which he considered one of the joys of living in this mountain-basin city, apart from the near-perfect weather for half the year, which averaged three degrees less than that of hot, humid, polluted Bangkok, where he was headed.