Read Online Behind the Night Bazaar by Angela Savage - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Angela Savage
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place.
‘Max, it’s Jayne.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Sorry, did I wake you?’
‘Yeah, it’s OK.’ He propped himself up on one elbow and checked his clock. 10.30am. He felt guilty for having overslept, even if it was a Sunday. ‘When did you get in?’
‘Ah, actually…’
Max recognised the tone in her voice and prayed he was still dreaming.
‘I’ve decided to stay on here,’ she said. ‘So I was wondering if you could arrange for me to participate in the official inquiry into Didier’s death.’
‘Are you mad?’ he spluttered, suddenly wide awake. ‘A Canadian has been accused of murdering a Thai national, for heaven’s sake. The Canadian Embassy isn’t about to let an amateur in on the investigation.’
‘I may be an amateur,’ she said tersely, ‘but I know a set-up when I see it. You know as well as I do that Didier couldn’t have killed Nou.’
‘Which brings me to the second point.’ His head throbbed with the effort of remaining calm. ‘You’re too involved. And I’m not just talking about your desire to see our friend exonerated. I want that as much as you do. But it’s Chiang Mai, Jayne. Normal rules don’t apply. If there’s something going on—and I’m not saying there is—then you could be in danger. It’s fortunate no one’s made a connection between you and Didier yet. And you should get out before someone does.’
She said nothing, though Max heard papers being shuffled.
‘Look,’ he added gently, ‘you’re probably still in shock. Come back to Bangkok. At least then we can help each other get through this.’
It was an appeal for her support, but Jayne chose to ignore it.
‘You know, there was a report in today’s paper claiming police found amphetamines at Didier’s place.’
‘But that’s ridiculous—’ He stopped short, realising he’d played right into her hands. They both knew Didier was puritanical about drugs. It was absurd to think he’d have any in the house.
‘Listen, Max,’ she said quickly, ‘Didier was my best friend. I can’t sit back and let him be remembered as a murderer. You know you’re wasting your time trying to talk me out of it. So do I do it on my own, or are you going to help me?’
‘Help you?’ he cried. ‘It’s bad enough losing one friend. Why should I help another who’s hell-bent on ignoring my advice and putting herself in danger?’
‘Because I’m going to do it either way.’
Max hesitated. ‘There’s something you should know.’
‘What?’
‘It’s about Didier’s attack on his father.’
‘What about it?’
‘I’ve known about it for some time,’ Max said, pausing for effect. ‘Didier told me.’
‘Oh?’
He’d caught her by surprise and it took her a moment to take this in.
‘So why did it happen?’ she said.
So sure she was of a reason behind Didier’s actions that Max felt ashamed for trying to pull rank on her.
‘Didier told his father he thought he might be gay,’ he spoke softly, ‘and the old man took it badly. Cursed the day he was born, called him a depraved sodomite and damned him to hell. Didier knew it would be tough—the old man was a staunch Catholic—but he hadn’t expected that level of contempt. I don’t think he’d have hit him if the old man hadn’t spat in his face.’
Jayne inhaled sharply. ‘Didier lost it?’
‘Sounded like blind rage. Says he doesn’t remember a thing until his father was lying unconscious on the floor.
‘The police pressed the father to lay assault charges but he wouldn’t hear of it, desperate to avoid the publicity of a trial. Needless to say, Didier was wracked with guilt and felt he had to do something to punish himself. So he chose exile.’
‘Exile?’ Jayne said.
‘He even had criteria to make it as hard as possible,’ Max said. ‘It had to be a Third World country where neither French nor English was spoken, the weather had to be hot and he wouldn’t permit himself to live in the capital—it had to be a
‘Max, it’s Jayne.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Sorry, did I wake you?’
‘Yeah, it’s OK.’ He propped himself up on one elbow and checked his clock. 10.30am. He felt guilty for having overslept, even if it was a Sunday. ‘When did you get in?’
‘Ah, actually…’
Max recognised the tone in her voice and prayed he was still dreaming.
‘I’ve decided to stay on here,’ she said. ‘So I was wondering if you could arrange for me to participate in the official inquiry into Didier’s death.’
‘Are you mad?’ he spluttered, suddenly wide awake. ‘A Canadian has been accused of murdering a Thai national, for heaven’s sake. The Canadian Embassy isn’t about to let an amateur in on the investigation.’
‘I may be an amateur,’ she said tersely, ‘but I know a set-up when I see it. You know as well as I do that Didier couldn’t have killed Nou.’
‘Which brings me to the second point.’ His head throbbed with the effort of remaining calm. ‘You’re too involved. And I’m not just talking about your desire to see our friend exonerated. I want that as much as you do. But it’s Chiang Mai, Jayne. Normal rules don’t apply. If there’s something going on—and I’m not saying there is—then you could be in danger. It’s fortunate no one’s made a connection between you and Didier yet. And you should get out before someone does.’
She said nothing, though Max heard papers being shuffled.
‘Look,’ he added gently, ‘you’re probably still in shock. Come back to Bangkok. At least then we can help each other get through this.’
It was an appeal for her support, but Jayne chose to ignore it.
‘You know, there was a report in today’s paper claiming police found amphetamines at Didier’s place.’
‘But that’s ridiculous—’ He stopped short, realising he’d played right into her hands. They both knew Didier was puritanical about drugs. It was absurd to think he’d have any in the house.
‘Listen, Max,’ she said quickly, ‘Didier was my best friend. I can’t sit back and let him be remembered as a murderer. You know you’re wasting your time trying to talk me out of it. So do I do it on my own, or are you going to help me?’
‘Help you?’ he cried. ‘It’s bad enough losing one friend. Why should I help another who’s hell-bent on ignoring my advice and putting herself in danger?’
‘Because I’m going to do it either way.’
Max hesitated. ‘There’s something you should know.’
‘What?’
‘It’s about Didier’s attack on his father.’
‘What about it?’
‘I’ve known about it for some time,’ Max said, pausing for effect. ‘Didier told me.’
‘Oh?’
He’d caught her by surprise and it took her a moment to take this in.
‘So why did it happen?’ she said.
So sure she was of a reason behind Didier’s actions that Max felt ashamed for trying to pull rank on her.
‘Didier told his father he thought he might be gay,’ he spoke softly, ‘and the old man took it badly. Cursed the day he was born, called him a depraved sodomite and damned him to hell. Didier knew it would be tough—the old man was a staunch Catholic—but he hadn’t expected that level of contempt. I don’t think he’d have hit him if the old man hadn’t spat in his face.’
Jayne inhaled sharply. ‘Didier lost it?’
‘Sounded like blind rage. Says he doesn’t remember a thing until his father was lying unconscious on the floor.
‘The police pressed the father to lay assault charges but he wouldn’t hear of it, desperate to avoid the publicity of a trial. Needless to say, Didier was wracked with guilt and felt he had to do something to punish himself. So he chose exile.’
‘Exile?’ Jayne said.
‘He even had criteria to make it as hard as possible,’ Max said. ‘It had to be a Third World country where neither French nor English was spoken, the weather had to be hot and he wouldn’t permit himself to live in the capital—it had to be a
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