They both smiled wryly.

‘Best in the travel section,’ Wombat said.

‘The editor thinks there must be a link to me being “sick” and the trip.’

‘What did you tell her?’

‘I said it was a stomach virus, a serious one.’

‘She bought that?’

‘I was laid up in Thailand, remember, not here.’

‘She didn’t notice your head scar?’

‘My hair covers it.’

They finished their billiards game and sat on leather chairs well away from others and ordered whiskies on the rocks.

‘What happened to the heroin?’ Cavalier asked.

‘Big Brother confiscated the plane and the haul. Claimed that it was all in connection with the death of our agent Deere, who worked for it too, and the US’s DEA efforts to tackle the illegal drug trade. The Thai government didn’t agree at first, but some incentives were given to the right officials. The Americans impounded the plane in Chiang Mai. I don’t know what happened to the heroin.’

Wombat said, ‘Our job in this case is to deal with Deere’s killers.’

‘Has Big Brother done anything towards that yet?’

‘No. After you were incapacitated and we couldn’t extract any sense from you for a month—’ Wombat began with a laugh.

‘I was half-dead!’

‘Nine-tenths, more like it. Hollos, Castro, Leni and Dubois disappeared. Farquar has an alibi. He was in Hobart when Deere was dealt with. We think Hollos, Castro and Leni are on Conquer oil rigs in Nigeria now. When they’re not drug smuggling or assassinating, they love their work as riggers.’

‘You can’t arrest them?’

‘Easier said than done. First, they are difficult to find. Second, your taped evidence is helpful, but it only implicates Dubois. We’d need more evidence to extradite him from wherever he is and charge him.’

‘And Amaz? Dubois shot her when I was taking off in the plane. I think she was dead.’

‘Not pretty. Big Brother has forensic people there now looking at a torso found in the waterfall. No head, no arms, no legs. No ID.’ Wombat noticed Cavalier’s sad look. ‘She was their whore, wasn’t she?’

‘She was trapped into that and working for them.’

‘You said you gave her the option to fly out of Laos with you.’

‘She feared they’d kill her.’

‘I’m sure Big Brother would pay a fair whack on top of the reward if you were to track Dubois. Apparently, our man Deere was doing special work for your friend and mine, the delightful Melody Smith.’ ‘I take it “track” is a euphemism for something else. I’ve already tracked them.’

‘True, true. I mention it because, well …’ Wombat hesitated.

‘C’mon, Wombat, spill it.’

‘You’ve always knocked back so many opportunities. Don’t you think it’s time you put aside your, with respect, high-minded principles to cash in on your exceptional skills? You did on the Bangkok Express assignment.’