BooksBarbecue
Back The Third Brother Save as PDF
Chapters (116)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by the Author
  3. The Third Brother
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. PART II
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67
  75. 68
  76. 69
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. 80
  88. 81
  89. 82
  90. 83
  91. 84
  92. 85
  93. 86
  94. 87
  95. 88
  96. PART III
  97. 89
  98. 90
  99. 91
  100. 92
  101. 93
  102. 94
  103. 95
  104. 96
  105. 97
  106. 98
  107. 99
  108. 100
  109. 101
  110. 102
  111. 103
  112. 104
  113. 105
  114. 106
  115. 107
  116. 108

The lobby is empty and Mike’s shoes are loud on the hard-wood floor. He asks the two pretty Thai girls behind the front desk if there are any messages for him.

“No, no, sorry.”

“Are you sure?”

“No, no, sorry.” The girls are about Mike’s age and smiling at him unhelpfully. He knows they will chitter when he turns to go.

“How about for my friend Mr. Bishop?”

“Oh, but I am sorry, we can not show other guest messages.”

Mike knows what he has to do and smiles big but sad at the girls.

“But he’s my boss, and I’m supposed to be arranging his meeting, and the people who sent the message didn’t know my name.”

The girls smile and laugh. This farang could be trouble. He’s cute, though, and maybe a big tipper. They show him the fax that came in for Mr. Bishop.

The message reads: “Forty-four Bar @ Soi 4 Silom 9:00 you owe me. MB.”

Mike imagines with dread trying to relay this address to whatever driver he recruits and wonders what is owed.

14

Mike’s grandfather died in World War II, leaving Mike’s father as the last scion of a San Francisco import-export family. The family thought Mike’s grandmother was not quite up to standard, a charity case their lost son would have gotten over if he hadn’t died on the beach at Iwo Jima. She raised Mike’s father while warring with the family in their big house in Pacific Heights, and by the time Mike’s father turned eighteen, he was glad to leave for college.

Mike’s mother was from New York. She met Mike’s father on the first day of college and everyone said they looked alike. Her father was a councilman whose roots in city politics could be traced back to Tammany Hall. She inherited the ability to talk to everybody like they were the only person in the room. She graduated at the top of her Stuyvesant class.

Dorr and his sister were the exotics. They grew up Catholic in New Orleans and were orphaned at age twelve. Their parents died in a fire, which Dorr said, when he said anything about it, was set by the ghosts of slaves. From then on, they lived with a widowed aunt. The siblings were very close but never incestuous. Trust funds paid for Harvard.

It was Analect’s idea that the five of them have brunch every Sunday. The tradition started at the end of freshman year. His joke was that he liked to have his omelet with two eggs and two sets of twins. They all drank Bloody Marys. A lot of the things they wound up doing were Analect’s idea.

15