Noble Lies (25 page)

Chapter Thirty five

   

“How's your squid omelet?” JJ pulled the fat curls of his dreadlocks behind his ears.

“Different,” Mark said between rubbery chews.

“See? That's why this place could be a gold mine. It's got everything.” JJ held up his hand and counted off. “One. Great location. It's the closest restaurant to the beach and it's surrounded by all these nice, inexpensive hotels that tourists love.”

“And if they're looking for something different,” Frankie Corynn said, “there's always the Phuket Inn by the Sea.”

“Exactly. Okay, two. Unique menu.”

Mark looked down at the stubby tentacles that poked out of a mound of scrambled eggs. In the five mornings he had eaten here it was the most recognizable meal so far. “No argument there.”

“Three. You can not beat the view,” JJ said, gesturing toward a trio of Australian tourists in matching bikinis who sashayed down the beach, past the spot where Pim and Ngern played in the surf, Ngern's laughter louder than the waves.

“Beautiful,” Mark said.

“Yeah…” JJ said, his eyes glazing over as he stared, snapping back when a scooter roared past. “And Patong is safe, too.”

Frankie shook her head, which made her frizzy red hair bounce. “That's not what I heard, JJ.”

“What are you talking about? It's a hell of a lot safer than Phuket City.”

“Maybe,” Frankie said. “But according to the scuttlebutt, the police found the bodies of some suspected terrorists on this drifting long-tail a couple days ago.”

Mark sipped his pineapple juice.

“Oh that,” JJ said, waving it off. “That's different. I'm telling you, this is the closest I'll get to paradise.”

“That's true for all of us,” Frankie said.

“Pim says we can get a good price on the lease on this café, that way we can offer package deals, like stay the night at the inn and get breakfast or something. She's smart,” JJ said tapping a finger to the side of his head. “Got all sorts of ideas.”

“Watch it, you'll be working for her before you know it.”

“If I'm lucky. Hey,” he said, raising his voice. “Don't look now, here comes trouble.” He pushed out a metal chair with his foot and Robin sat down, setting her stuffed backpack by her feet. Her eyes were red, her hair was still wet from the shower and there were green and yellow tints to the fierce bruises around her bandaged shoulder, yet somehow she was still more attractive than the models trolling the beach. “How you doing this morning, sweetheart?”

“Hung over,” she moaned. “What was in those drinks?”

JJ held up his hands. “I warned you that Frankie mixes a mean Mai Tai, but no, you didn't listen. Look at Mark here, you didn't see him slamming down the drinks, getting all crazy.”

“I didn't get crazy,” Robin said.

“Relatively speaking.”

Mark took a bite of his eggs. “You find an internet place?”

She nodded. “I checked in online. Up to Bangkok, anyway. Oh, and I found this, too.” She pulled a folded paper from the back pocket of her shorts and tossed it on the table. “It's a list of arrivals at the port in Chennai. The Morning Star docked yesterday, delayed due to engine problems off Phuket.”

“So what time's your flight?” Mark said.

“One o'clock. Which reminds me.” She bent over and unzipped a side pocket of her backpack. “Here's your return ticket. It's an open booking, you just let them know a few days in advance when you want to leave. And then there's this.” She held out a plain white envelope. “It's only eleven hundred. I'll send the rest to you when I get back to Ohio. It'll take a couple months, but I'll get it to you.”

Mark took the envelope and opened it, pulling out five twenties before handing it back. “That's plenty. You'll need it more than me. I'm all set here.”

JJ laughed. “You're not staying at the inn if that's what you're thinking.”

“And I hope you're not thinking you can get that bouncer job back,” Frankie said.

“No,” Mark said, finishing off the last tentacle, “I'm heading south. Koh Lanta. I've got to tell a Canadian woman that she and I are the new owners of F and A Divers.”

Robin looked at JJ and Frankie and they all looked back at Mark. “You? A business owner? In Thailand?”

Mark smiled and raised his empty juice glass. “Would I lie to you?”

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