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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

One winter night, the living room fireplace spat an ember onto one of their mother’s small Persian carpets. She had been alone in there all evening. The boys had eaten with their father and he had already tucked them into bed. He was in the kitchen making a drink when he heard his wife scream at the foot of the stairs. The boys ran to the stairs a moment later and saw their father spraying the rug with a yellow fire extinguisher. The gray exhaust overwhelmed the whole room and seemed over-compensation for the circle of black ash burned in the rug. Mike’s mother was sobbing and yelling at her husband. He sprayed the rug a last time, sprayed the fireplace, and then put down the extinguisher and looked at her.

She screamed, how could he not have noticed? Was he drunk? Did he maybe even want the house to burn down, so that he could start again somewhere else? None of this made sense to Mike and Lyle, but they didn’t forget it. Their mother was in only her robe, and it kept slipping open. She didn’t seem to care. And somehow her nakedness, combined with her yelling, paralyzed the boys on the staircase. It took their father a few moments to register their presence, and then shepherd them back to up bed. Turned out he was drunk.

20

“Come with us, will you?” asks Burton, almost too politely. “You really ought to. We’re going to my place. I’ve also got just the thing, a good contact for you, a police lieutenant. I’ll write down his number.”

“Maybe I should leave a note for Bishop,” says Mike.

“I wouldn’t worry about him,” says Burton. “In fact, I’d forget about him.”

Mike feels like he’s been adopted, or at least let in on some kind of private joke. And no one has said anything about the rip in his pants.

“Thaksin wants every drug dealer in the country dead,” says Bridget. “Come with us and we’ll tell you about it. You don’t want to write a backpacker story.”

“You’ll see,” says Paul. “Cops on dealers, dealers on dealers.” But Mike can see in Paul’s dilated eyes that he’s not sure about the invitation. “I’ll meet you there,” Paul continues. “I have to make a stop.”

Mike notices, following Paul out the door, how heavy and high his shoulders are, how big his fists are. How enormous the man actually is, like a bouncer headed for work and gone into the neon lights of the Silom district.