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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

Mike had meant to ask Harrison about the picture. He doesn’t know why he hasn’t. Having kept it to himself for so long, it now feels like a bad secret. And now he has another about Tweety.

53

Mike wakes up to knocking on his door, three very sharp raps that yank him from sleep. It’s Harrison, who says he called the room last night but there was no answer.

Mike dresses as fast as he can and follows Harrison down the stairs. They cross Khao San Road like they own it. Harrison doesn’t look twice at anything. When they get to his clean, blue motorcycle, Harrison tells Mike there’s been a change of plans. He has to stay in Khlong Toei, so they can leave together when Mike is done talking to Dorr. Good, thinks Mike. A ride out.

“Have to,” says Harrison, with an edge in his voice. “Tweety changed the plan.”

“What happened?” asks Mike as he climbs on the back of the bike.

“I have to talk to her. We don’t want it to get tricky.”

Mike wonders about that word.

Harrison glances back at Mike over his shoulder. “She’s backing out of introducing us to her brother. Very stupid.”

This doesn’t feel right to Mike but before he can say anything Harrison starts the engine and drowns out the possibility of further conversation.

The motorcycle trip is long but it goes by too fast for Mike. As they ride into Khlong Toei the tenements give way to tin shanties and squat wooden houses, some separated by broken chain-link fence. The sun is very hot, reflecting off the cracked concrete streets. When they slow down, the neighborhood smells of fruit and motor oil. There are dogs everywhere, in packs and running alone, and Mike hears roosters crowing somewhere nearby. Harrison doesn’t turn off the engine when they stop.

Christopher Dorr’s square house rises on stilts among the shacks and shanties. The windows are closed with gray wooden shutters.

At least Harrison will be making the introduction.

But then he doesn’t.

“Just knock,” Harrison tells him.

“You’re sure he’s home?” Mike can hear the hesitation in his own voice.

“He’s always home. Just keep knocking. I’ll be the next street over.” Harrison points up the road. A toothless woman, not that old, crabs by them on deformed feet as Mike gets off the bike. She looks at him suspiciously. Off in the distance Mike can see the spire of a wat.

“Just come to the motorcycle when you’re done,” says Harrison. “You’ll see it. Or I’ll be done first and come back here.”

Harrison adjusts himself on the bike and looks at Mike, who is looking up at Dorr’s house.

“You sure about this?” asks Harrison.