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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

Before Mike left for Hong Kong, he and Jane had reaf-firmed that they would remain faithful to each other. Jane was going to Greece for the summer, and they had a loose plan to meet up somewhere in Europe in early September before they went back to school. They would race to bed and then linger in cafés and talk about their adventures. They were both a little sad because they knew they would potentially meet lovers on their travels. But they were also both slightly nervous and so were glad to have each other as anchors. Or something.

Mike and Jane did not like talking about their relationship. Many of the people they knew at college liked discussing and dissecting romances. Mike and Jane weren’t interested, and this was part of why they had been together since those Fridays in high school when they talked all night about their families. The other part, of course, was that both sets of parents were crazy. Mike told Jane that life with his parents was like bad weather that came and went, and she told him about her father cheating on her mother and her mother taking him back, time after time. Later, it would occur to both of them that they had been so concerned with their families that they really hadn’t thought much about each other, and they would regret this. By then, though, it wouldn’t matter.

29

When they leave the Grace, the sun is all the way up and the heat burns down. Harrison takes Mike to a restaurant that is a single room off an alley. It is tiled and cool, with a stove and sink and refrigerator and two tables. They sit with beers and Harrison tells the man at the stove what food they want. Rolls come, along with cold noodles and fried vegetables spiced in egg. Mike realizes he is eating too quickly. And that he wants to know more about Tweety.

“Tweety seems like an interesting hooker,” he says, with instant regret.

Harrison does not seem to notice, just eats his noodles. “She likes journalists,” he says finally. “Wants to be a writer.”

“Can that happen?”

“You never know,” says Harrison.

“She’s really a hooker?”

“She does a lot of things, works as a translator and a fixer sometimes.”

“You use her?” Mike asks.

Harrison trains his eyes on Mike. “We helped her get started doing it way back,” he says. “It’s not really that unusual and she’s quite good. Burton and I have this story going that Tweety’s helping with right now, actually. Her brother runs pills on his bike. She’s introducing us to him and he’s supposed to connect us to a factory. Good pictures, maybe.”

“She didn’t seem to like Christopher Dorr,” Mike says.

“Do you know why Analect asked you and Bishop to find him?”

Mike shakes his head. “Bishop said he disappeared.”